2020 was a HECK of a year! What did I learn? Alice Renaud

Welcome back, Alice Renaud, author of the wonderful (and award-winning Sea of Love series! Also, we love her contributions to Mystic Desire and the fourth installment in the Sea of Love series found in Desire Me Again.

Things I learnt in 2020

1. Anxiety shortens my attention span
I thought, with all this time in lockdown, I’ll get a lot of writing done! Yes? Er, no. I struggled to focus on my WIP, the first book in my new series Conjuring Love, about time-travelling warlocks and witches. A month ago, between our second and third lockdown, I reread what I had written in March and April. Oh dear. I hated my characters. They were just doing and saying such silly things. I ended up scrapping three chapters and rewriting them.

2. Dreams are a great source of inspiration… when they make sense
On the other hand, the first lockdown gifted me a dream which I used to write my first ever sci-fi romance story. “Space Cowboy Blues” will be included in the new BVS anthology “Cowboy Desire,” which will be out soon. It features a cowboy, a beautiful alien, and space blue unicorns. I found it easier to write short stories than full length novellas in 2020. Of course dreams only work as a source when they make some sort of sense. I once had a dream where I was moving through dimensions by taking my clothes off and jumping through a guitar… I haven’t managed to fit that into a story yet.

3. I quite like people really
Before Covid, I thought I needed more time on my own. Now I know that you can have too much of a good thing. I will always need some time alone… but I miss my family very much (I haven’t been able to see my mother or my aunt since last summer). I even miss the office, and chats with work colleagues. So during 2020 my online friendships have been a lifeline, particularly with the other BVS authors like Dee S Knight, Jan Selbourne and Callie Carmen. Chatting about books and interacting with readers and other authors on social media has also proved a boon. And writing is not as solitary a pursuit as it sometimes looks. Some of the best ideas for my characters and books were given to me by my editor, publisher, or fellow authors.

4. It’s good to stretch
Literally, if like me you spend most of your time sitting at a computer. But 2020 has also been the year when I experimented with different styles and genres and stretched myself as a writer. Short stories are a great way to do that. As well as the sci-fi cowboy tale, I have written my first ever gay/menage romance, a F/F/M tale set in Vegas with a mermaid, a witch and a warlock! It will hopefully be out in another BVS anthology soon. The idea came from my fellow author Callie Carmen. I wrote this story during our second lockdown in November, and it really helped me to pass the time and take my mind off things.

5. We are made of stories
Stories shape us and make us who we are. The stories we tell ourselves drive how we see ourselves and others. Stories colour the world around us and it’s much better to fill one’s head with stories than with dark thoughts. I’m not normally one for New Year’s resolutions, but I have made one this year – to keep creating stories, and making them positive, sunny stories. At least until the sun shines again.

About Alice Renaud:
Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she’s a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green,” will be released on 1 November. It is on pre order now at the discount price of $0.99! Alice has also written a short story, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” included in the BVS “Mystic Desire” anthology, out now. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliceRenaudAuthorRomance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicerauthor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-renaud-author-4219b6166/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicerenaudauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18670218.Alice_Renaud

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-renaud

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Renaud/e/B07L52P17B

Website: https://nomadauthors.com/alicerenaud/alicebooks.html

Buy Links:
A Merman’s Choice $1.99 https://books2read.com/u/31xw7a

Music for a Merman $1.99 https://books2read.com/u/mdG7Bw

Mermaids Marry in Green PRE ORDER SALE only $0.99 until release date 1 November https://books2read.com/u/3LglAN