Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Sharon Rene

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Sharon Rene

Linda: Congratulations on your upcoming novel Hesitant Heroes. What was your inspiration for the story, and why did you decide to make it part of a series? 

Sharon: I read The Hunger Games series and it blew me away. It was the first speculative book I’d ever read, and I became very interested in the genre. I thought that Christian teens would enjoy a speculative series that wasn’t as violent as The Hunger Games. 

 

I came up with the idea of a high school in 2062 for exceptional teens all over the planet. The world is ruled by the authoritarian and anti-religious Global Collective. The Christian students are soon embroiled in mystery and danger. 

When I wrote Hesitant Heroes, I didn’t plan for this to be a series. The book ends with a satisfying conclusion – not on a cliff hanger. As the writer, I kept wondering what else happened. (LOL) So I wrote Relentless Rebels. While writing Relentless Rebels, I learned more about the backstory of the adults in the book. I decided they needed a book of their own, thus the prequel Defying Destiny. 

LM: Research is an important aspect of writing. How did you go about researching Hesitant Heroes? 

Sharon: Because Hesitant Heroes is set in the future I didn’t have to do a lot of research. If I needed a

special gadget I just invented one. That’s what’s so fun about writing speculative. The book takes place in the Alps and Venezuela, so I did research weather,  plants, and vegetation. The teens in the book have various skills such as martial arts, ballet, mountain climbing, and computer hacking. I had to research those areas too. 

 

LM: What is it that draws you to the YA genre in general and speculative fiction specifically? 

Sharon: I loved to read when I was a teen and I believe the books we read make an impression on us. I’ve worked with children and teens in Bible Fellowship for many years. Telling a story is an excellent way to keep the students interested. Teens can be more interesting than adults and definitely more real. I like speculative because our world is constantly changing. We think we’re secure and life will never change but that’s not true. Things can change for the better or the worse. I believe it’s good for teens and adults to read about a world they’d hate to live in. Perhaps it will help them try to make our world a better place. 

LM: What do you do to prepare yourself for writing (e.g., listen to music, set up in a certain place, etc.)? 

Sharon: I don’t really do anything special. I write whenever I can find the time. I write on a notepad in the evenings and sometimes on my lunch hour at work. I have my computer set up in my bonus room and sometimes I’ll spend most of Saturday typing away. I also work on my laptop in bed. 

LM: What is one thing you wish you knew how to do? 

Sharon: One of the characters in Hesitant Heroes is a martial arts champion. As an adult, I took karate for over three years, but life got in the way and I had to stop. I wish I could have learned more. 

LM: What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to fledgling writers? 

Sharon: Never give up. Rejections are hard and you will get a lot of them. I try not to let myself dwell on rejection and concentrate on the writing itself. You have to enjoy the journey. If the Lord sets you on this writing path, He will guide and direct you. 

LM: What is your next project? 

Sharon: I have completed a romantic suspense that’s in search of a publishing home. I’ve started a middle-grade book about a girl and her friends who want to be detectives. Their curiosity and imaginations lead them into many adventures. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

Sharon:

Email: sharonrene17@gmail.com 

Website: http://www.sharonreneauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sharonreneauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SharonRene4

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonrene2019

About Hesitant Heroes: 

In a future where the planet is ruled by the powerful Global Collective Council, Christian computer geek Jordan Scott is chosen to attend Global Collective University. Shy and insecure, she has difficulty fitting in with the intelligent, worldly teens at GCU. Christian students mysteriously disappear from campus. Jordan discovers these students will be framed in a plot to assassinate a radical councilmember. Suddenly she is forced into a leadership position as she and her teammates' journey from the European Alps to the jungles of Venezuela. Fighting fears that have haunted her for years, Jordan battles with the strongest political force on the planet. Did God place her at GCU for “such a time as this,” and will He use her to save the missing students and stop the assassination?