Renee Wildes
About the Author:
Renee Wildes grew up reading fantasy authors Terry Brooks and Mercedes Lackey and is a huge Joseph Campbell fan, so the minute she discovered romance novels it became inevitable that she would combine it all and write fantasy romance. Renee is a history buff, from medieval times back to ancient Greece Sparta
Interview with Renne Wildes
Renee Wildes is author of the exciting paranormal/fantasy, romance/erotica series; Guardians of the Light.
HP: Hi, Renee! Would you care to tell us a little bit about yourself?
Renee Wildes: I’m a married mother of 2 & live in central WI. I’m a Navy brat & a cop’s kid, the only vet tech in a family of nurses. I have 2 gray half-Arab mares, a calico cat & a black Chow. I’m a coffee addict & a HUGE WA Redskins & PBR (Professional Bull Riders) fan.
HP: I know you said you grew up reading fantasy authors Terry Brooks and Mercedes Lackey and are also a huge Joseph Campbell fan. But do you remember when and how your interest in writing began?
Renee Wildes: My grandma Jeanne first called me a writer when I was six. I started out writing horse stories, ala CW Anderson. I was the only kid in school who had a MAXIMUM word count!
HP: You published your first book in 2008, it was also the first book in your Guardians of the Light series; Duality. From what I gather it is a paranormal/fantasy romance, erotica about Dara Khan Androcles and Elven prince Loren ta Cedric. Can you tell us a little about the plot?
Renee Wildes: Duality is a high fantasy twist on the classic Cinderella theme—half-dragon peasant healer meets elven prince. When Dara’s kingdom is threatened by a demon-possessed despot, Loren takes her home to the elven city of Poshnari-Unai
BLURB:
Love will give them strength—or prove to be their fatal flaw.
Guardians of the Light, Book 1
Dara Khan Androcles is really in over her head this time. From childhood she’s been forced to hide her half-dragon mage fighting skills behind a public persona as a healer. Now, with a traitor and his demon threatening the throne of Safehold, Dara has no choice but to turn reluctant warrior—and seek help.
She strikes a bargain with runaway Elven prince Loren ta Cedric and his sentient, pain-in-the-butt war mare, Hani’ena. Loren’s not only too handsome for Dara’s own good, the powerful empath can see right through to the pain that drives her.
Loren can’t help but feel Dara’s every hurt, physical and emotional. Though his need for her drives him half mad, he must stay his course to see justice done for his people. Even if it means swearing a Life Debt to the distracting mortal.
That vow, made in the heat of their parallel quests, carries more power than either of them guessed. The power to bond the unlikely pair as Life Mates. The power to lay bare the fears and desires that could bind them to a single purpose—or tear them apart.
All the while a demon awaits, ready to destroy all that they hold dear.
HP: How did you come up with the idea of Duality?
Renee Wildes: My muse is a big red dragon. I kept having a vision of a red-haired woman kneeling in a burning room. When I found out she STARTED the fire, I had to know more. My then-critique group told me to run with it.
HP: Had you written anything before this and tried to get it published or was Duality the first thing you ever submitted for publishing?
Renee Wildes: No, I actually started writing contemporary—I did a story called “Second Chances” that I submitted to Harlequin for American Romance. They didn’t buy it. (I’ve learned a lot since I did that one.) My muse told me to knock it off and stick to what I know & do best—high fantasy romance.
HP: The second book in the series Hedda's Sword, I assume is about a different set of characters, Maleta and Cianan, set in the same world? Are the other books the same, different main characters set in the same world with old characters dropping in?
Renee Wildes: Cianan and Loren are best friends. Cianan appears in Duality. All my characters in the series had their start in Duality; then they each get their own book. It’s fun to see how they develop and grow and change over time!
HP: You have another book in this series set to come out September 27th this year called Riever's Heart; about Verdeen and Daq Aryk. I have to admit after reading through the book descriptions for this interview that the books sound very interesting but this one even more so. Would you care to tell us a little about Riever's Heart?
Renee Wildes: The heroine Verdeen was Dara’s lady’s maid in Duality, but has always dreamed of being a warrior. Dara saw no reason why Verdeen shouldn’t be allowed to attend the military academy, and so Verdeen becomes the first female graduate. Loren assigns her to be advisor/bodyguard for the human riever daq, Aryk. Verdeen struggles with balancing her woman and warrior. She’s always heard of the dreaded rievers as the scourge of humanity—Dara’s never had anything good to say about them. But Aryk is different, a warrior who longs for peace. His goal is to unite his scattered clans into a single cohesive nation.
HP: Are you working on anything at the moment?
Renee Wildes: I’m working on God of Fyre Mountain, Guardians of Light book 6. The half-dream-faerie-half-forest-troll hero Dax (his aunt is Pryseis, the heroine in Book 4, Dust of Dreams) is banished from Poshnari-Unai by a dark elven mage. She sends him through a magical portal to a distant land—a tropical paradise with one major flaw. The people there worship the fyre god Afu, to whom Dax bears a striking resemblance. When he magically appears in Afu’s temple, the Toka people try to placate him with a maiden sacrifice—the heroine Maili. They expect Dax to stop the volcano’s imminent eruption with his godlike powers. A bad case of mistaken identity ensues…
HP: Why Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy? Do you think you might ever go into different genres?
Renee Wildes: I have a contemporary rural paranormal with an environmental theme that I originally wrote for the TWRP “Got Wolf?” contest. All finalists were published in an anthology entitled “Taming of the Wolf.” But TWRP gave the authors their rights back, so I’m searching for a new home for “Marek’s New World .” The heroine Cheyenne Cheyenne
HP: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?
Renee Wildes: Believing Is Seeing
Always believe in your dreams. If there’s something you want to do, go for it. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s impossible. You can do anything if you believe! Thanks for believing in the Guardians!
HP: If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
Renee Wildes: I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland
Books by Renee Wildes
Guardians of Light Series
#1: Duality
#2: Hedda’s Sword
#3: Lycan Tides
#4: Dust of Dreams
Anthology
Taming of the Wolf, Volume Two
Free Reads
Unexpected Gift (a Christmas Story)
Queen of Harts (a Valentine 's Day Story)
For Love of Persephone
For Love of Persephone
Available at Renee’s website.
Coming Soon
Riever’s Heart (Guardians of Light #5)—Expected Publication Date: September 27th 2011
God of Fyre Mountain, Guardians of Light book 6
Up coming appearances
Rib Mt Drive
Awards
Pre-Published:
DUALITY’s 2006 RWA Contest Track Record:
1st Place WisRWA FabFive
2nd Place Four Seasons
2nd Place Mary Reade Paranormal3rd Place Dixie Kane
4th Place Great Beginnings
HEDDA’S SWORD’s 2007 RWA Contest Track Record:
1st Place Dixie Kane
1st Place Ignite the Flame1st Place Barclay Sterling
1st Place Where The Magic Begins
1st Pace Cleveland Rocks Romance
2nd Place NJ PYHIAB
2nd Place Lone Star
2nd Place Fire & Ice
2nd Place Hot Prospects
3rd Place Mary Reade
3rd Place Fool For Love
3rd Place Summer Sizzle
3rd Place OTFS/Fantasy
3rd Place Golden Rose
3rd Place Emerald City Opener
4th Place Sheila
Finalist in Orange Rose
Published:
2008 Ecataromance Reviewers Choice Award (Duality)
2008 Nominee LRM Best Sci Fi/Fantasy (Duality)
2009 Ecataromance Reviewers Choice Award (Hedda's Sword)
2009 Runners Up LRM Best Sci Fi/Fantasy (Lycan Tides)
2010 EPIC Finalist (BOTH Duality & Hedda's Sword)
2010 2nd Place WisRWA Write Touch Readers Award (Duality)
2011 EPIC Finalist (Lycan Tides)
Renee is also available to teach online classes:
5 Senses (And Then Some)
World-building/Settings
5 Senses (And Then Some)
World-building/Settings
Character/Dialogue
To learn more about this go to her website.
Also find Renee at:
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