Looking Out the Window: Renee Ann Giggie Talks about Her New Book, Emma's Prayer.

 

 

 

 

 

A Warm Welcome 

 

to Renee Ann Giggie

 

Renee Ann will give away an e-book of Emma's Prayer. To enter to win leave a comment and an e-mail address below.

 

Hi Renee, it's great to have you. Tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in a French community in Québec, Canada. After I married, I settled in New Brunswick, about 9 hours away. My wonderful husband supports my writing 200 percent. My first actual publication was a short story that won entry into OakTara’s anthology Falling In Love With You (Oct 2012). A month later, I published my first novel, Stella’s Plea, and just recently, a second, Emma’s Prayer (Feb 2016).

Lots of writers loved to read as children. How about you? If so, what did you read?
Yes. My favourite stories were The Little Prince, and Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. You could also find me sitting in the staircase with our huge family bible. I didn’t understand the stories in there yet but the images always fascinated me.

Let's talk about your writing. 
It’s in me. Mom was a newspaper reporter and instilled in me the love of books while God gave me the desire to write. The biggest reason I write, though, is because I want to reach the lost for the cause of Christ. I love sharing my faith with others, especially through my writing.

Tell us about your latest book.
Emma’s Prayer is about a teen mom who puts her son up for adoption but soon regrets her decision. The thirty days she had to change her mind are coming to an end. Can she get him back? Is it too late?

Across town, after several miscarriages, adoption is the only way for Cynthia and Logan Manning to have the family they’ve been longing for. Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter. All they want is a child. Is heartbreak inevitable?

Where do you get ideas for your books?
 Everywhere. Grocery store lineup, walking on the street, on the news. My brain never shuts down. When I get stuck, I sometimes ask hubby, or I go to my prompt book.

In three words describe your style of writing.
100 percent Pantser.

How do you get to know your characters?
I listen to them. In some way, it’s like talking to someone on the phone, and later meeting them for the first time. They’re different than you imagined. One great example was when I introduced Austin for the first time. I must have seen an advertisement for the TV show The Listener shortly before I sat down to write because actor Craig Olejnik popped in my head. The more I developed Austin, though, his ways, his talk, everything about him was different. It was in one line that I picked up an ‘accent’ in something Austin said. Suddenly, I saw actor Ken Bevel (Fireproof). Yup, he’s Austin.

What themes do you write about?
 Deafness and faith. As an interpreter in our church’s deaf ministry, I’ve grown very fond of these people and love to bust myths about their community. As well, we all know someone who has lost their way. It might be after a tragedy. It’s never easy to come back on the straight and narrow path. My characters go through every day struggles which I hope my readers will relate to and see they’re not alone. 

What is your writing schedule and where do you write?
I work full time rotation shifts in a call centre so I never write at the same time every day. But…we experience a lot of downtime, so between calls, I write. Later, I upload my document from iPhone to laptop. I write everywhere I can. In our truck, in the doctor’s office, wherever I have to sit and wait. I use MS Word on my iPhone to note ideas constantly taking shape in my head.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
In my opinion, the most important thing for any writer is to attend writers conferences. It’s where you learn the tricks of the trades, meet amazing writers who’ve been there and done that, make amazing connections, and form unbreakable bonds. The second: Don’t quit. Writing is hard. Editing is harder. Marketing is hardest. You will hit bumps, but press on. When the going gets tough, push harder. It gets better with time.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?
Scrapbooking! Writing stories with pictures.

Buy Emma's Prayer here

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