Interview with Women's Fiction Author Renee Blare

A pharmacist who serves her community located in the wondrous foothills of the Wind River Mountains, Renee loves to write Christian romantic suspense and does so any chance she gets. Her stories reflect the power and grace of her Wyoming home and the Almighty God who created it. She invites you to discover what makes her books unique and take a trip with her where the wild meets the Forgiven.

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“The newly wed couple, Rick and Jordyn, still have the newness of marriage and romance in their lives but soon experience what tribulation is all about when her pregnancy begins to have complications. The complications are real and I could feel Rick’s concern for his wife as he cares for her. The couple is adorable and I enjoyed their relationship and interaction with one another. I, too, had to go through a similar experience as this couple with two pregnancies, so I understood what they were going through. Not able to do much and having to stay in bed most of the day can be so boring for a pregnant woman. It is as if Jordyn’s life is at a stand-still for so many months.” –By Author Linda Weaver Clarke

Welcome to my blog, Renee. Please tell us about your novel, Racing Hearts.

Hi, Linda! Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here and would love to talk about this book. Racing Hearts is one of my newest releases and is dear to my own heart. It’s actually inspired and based on a true story…my own in fact.

I wrote this book as a novella for Prism Book Group’s “Love Is” Series which is based on 1 Corinthians 4:13 but the idea for this story had been rolling around in my head for a long time. In other words I had been wanting to write it a long time. When my publisher, then Joan Alley, put out the request for this series, I jumped at it. I knew this story would be perfect for the “trust” feature of this series. Everyone agreed and signed me for it! I was so excited and then I started writing. The rest is history.

Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

As I was saying before, the inspiration for Racing Hearts came from history, my own past. This story is based on my own marriage and my pregnancy with our only child. We like to call him our miracle. Although the story is not an autobiography, the marital, physical, and spiritual challenges are real. I bared my soul (as well as my husband’s with his permission) in Racing Hearts. Why? To show the world that life isn’t always predictable or fair. And we don’t always have the answers especially when we’re starting out, but God is good and He’s all we need…if we trust in Him and each other.

This story sounds intriguing because you have put so much of yourself into it. What kind of research did you do?

When I began the process with Racing Hearts, I really didn’t know how to write it. I’m a contemporary writer. I write romantic suspense and mystery. If anyone reads my novels, they know that action is a driving force in my novels. I also do not plot! I start with character sketches and a general timeline and go for it.

So here I was with a story and I already knew it. ALL of it. The characters, the plot, the setting, and it was in the PAST! I was completely out of my element. What I did have going for me was that it did have suspense and nobody knew about it…not even my own family (except for my husband.)

So, I brought the story into the present but that took research. Was my pregnancy complication in 1991 as serious today as it was yesterday? Did it warrant the restrictions? Would it be treated the same way? The prognosis? Would my labor be treated the same way? I had to consider all of these things. And finally, should I keep the same setting?

I tried to change the setting and actually consulted with my editor on it before I began writing. I researched the different areas of Wyoming and decided to make up another town like I did with Timber Springs in the Snowy Range Chronicles. When I began writing the story though, it didn’t work. LOL So, the beautiful landscape you’ll find in Racing Hearts is the actual town where my son was born, Jackson, Wyoming.

Tell me about one of the main characters and what you love about him or her?

Rick Folsen is a special kind of guy. He’s a Christian and has a work ethic that’s hard to find or match. An electrician by trade, he’s fought for every inch of success he’s ever achieved in life. Why? Because he’s had to. He’s what many term as a “half-breed.” He’s part white, part Indian, and is married to a white woman. His life isn’t easy for many reasons, but he’s determined to care for Jordyn no matter what it takes, even if that means driving himself into the ground. While working ten and twelve hour days, he strives to make sure his wife obeys doctor’s orders. When Rick realizes that Jordyn’s and his unborn child’s lives may still be ripped away, he struggles to understand the “why’s” and the “how’s,” but in the end, God remains his anchor.

The strength and weaknesses of this character make him a true man and lovable to me. But then I modeled him after my husband. It’s why I continue to love him after twenty-eight years of marriage.

Where is your website and blog so my readers can check out your recent and past books that you have written?

You can check out my website at http://www.reneeblare.com/ . I have podcasts on my website and also a monthly newsletter called the Winding Trail. I’d love for any and all to sign up for my newsletter for all updates and events! Right now, if you sign up and refer a friend, you’ll get a free hand-crafted evangelical tool that my husband and I make called the Soul Catcher. It’s beautiful and handy for all you fishers of men out there. Just email me at contact@reneeblare.com with the name of the person you referred and if they sign up, I’ll send one to you!

My blog is called Renee’s Inspirational Moments and it’s url is https://reneeblare.blogspot.com/ . I’ve been blogging for years now. I actually blogged before I began writing! LOL I started this blog on Blogger, switched to WordPress, and then went back to Blogger because I liked it better. This blog is about Faith for the Journey in our lives, our writing, and our books. I write my own inspirational blog posts in addition to having guest posts, Coffee Corner author interviews, and the Faithful Reviews. I also have special posts including DIY in Faith Posts, Pen to the Page, and others. It’s a great blog that I have dedicated to Christ!

I’m also a founding member and the moderator of the Diamond Mind of Christian Fiction at https://diamondsinfiction.blogspot.com/. Please stop by this blog if you want to find out more about the wonderful treasure trove that Christian Fiction has to offer the world! I’m dedicated to spreading the Good News to this lost and dying world and this is another part of that mission.

For those who may be interested, I do have another blog on WordPress called Cooper, the Water Dog, https://cooperdogblog.wordpress.com/ . That’s my goofy, fun blog that I have on no schedule whatsoever. If you check it out, you’ll see this crazy lab who loves the water and playing around. Yep, his name’s Cooper.

Thank you so much for this interview, Renee. I hope my readers will check this book out.