Once upon a time there was a little girl who wanted to be a writer. Of course, Renee wanted to be a professional ice dancer, an Olympic gymnast, and a fashion model too. But once she learned she had no athletic aptitude and wasn’t going to be six-foot tall and stick thin, her love for writing and books grew. She read anywhere and everywhere she could—including during class (especially math and science). Uh, not so good for school, but it encouraged her passion for books, opening her up to some of her favorite authors, including her all-time fave Jane Austen.

But as her love for reading grew, so did her love for writing. She wrote short stories and poems, which were read out loud in class and even occasionally published. But, for some reason in her twenties she just stopped. Cold. Oh, she dreamed about it, of course, but her life seemed too busy. Then she moved from Upstate New York to Dallas, Texas, and she took a chance on writing again. Her desire for writing returned, especially stories of love and personal journeys, and now she can’t imagine doing anything else.