Kim, I agree. Several authors with musical topics are now including a spotify list. It is so much fun to listen to the music when I have read a book about that era. (For example, there is a great playlist for The Women.)
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Hi Rene, Thanks for agreeing to do this. I have more of a comment than a question. Recently, you were in Cleveland for an author event, and it was terrific. I had read Barbie (because of BookBrowse) and I loved it! So, I then had my book club read the book. Five of my book club members were able to come see you in Cleveland, which on a school night took a lot of planning! Your presentation was so much fun and seeing your dolls made it extra special! (If anyone ever has an opportunity to see Renee speak, please do so, it is worth it!)
Thanks for coming to Cleveland and thanks to BookBrowse for introducing me to you. I have now purchased Social Graces, so I am excited to start your backlist.
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Hi Dee! Thanks so much for your comments here and for your support of my work and for selecting Barbie for your book club. It means a lot. That event at the Cuyahoga County Library in Cleveland was really special. Ron Block and his team pulled out all the stops!
I hope you’ll enjoy The Social Graces. Once again, it’s a case of “fact is stranger than fiction”. I couldn’t believe the way these people lived and the amount of money it took to sustain their lavish lifestyles.
Do you write every day, and do you have a minimum amount you expect yourself to write when you do sit down (number of pages, amount of time, etc.)?
If you don’t mind my asking (and please ignore me if you do) how old are you?
Do you ever see yourself retiring or do you think you’ll keep writing until you drop?
At what point did you think to yourself, “I’ve made it!”? And if you’re not at that point yet, what do you think it’ll take for you to feel like you’re a successful writer?
I do write every day with few exceptions. I start early in the morning and write until four or five. Sometimes I take breaks to read, to workout, meet people for lunch or meditate on tricky scene. When I’m drafting something new, like I am now, I usually I write a minimum 500 words a day, but aim for 2000. I always keep track in terms of word count, rather than pages, since that can be manipulated with font, point size, margins, etc.
I’m 64 (God, that sounds old!!!) 
and I can’t ever see a time when I’d retire. I love writing and it’s a big part of my life. I suspect I’ll keep writing until I can’t.
That’s such a hard question to answer. I have a tendency to “compare up” so in that respect, I’m still striving to get to the next level and probably always will be. But that said, I’m extremely grateful for the success that I’ve had. In an industry with a such a high failure rate anyone who is publishing has to take stock of that.
What do you think of book reviews? Do you read the reviews of your works? Do you find them helpful?
I do read reviews, especially early on when I’m trying to get a feel for how a book might be received. Sadly, I don 't think they’re as helpful as they were a few years ago. In today’s viral/social media/ podcasting tunnel vision, I think traditional reviews have a lot of competition and are easily overlooked in opt of more flashy platforms. This makes me really sad for the bloggers and reviewers who put so much thought and care into crafting their reviews. Whether they like my books or not, regardless of the number of stars they may or may not grant a particular title, I always appreciate the effort that goes into the reviews.
That’s a really interesting observation, Renee! (And a little scary for those of us who write more traditional reviews.) Yeah, the times they be a-changin’!
Speaking of changing times, just curious… do you read ebooks or are you strictly a hard copy person?
It’s funny, but I’ve never quite warmed to the idea of reading digitally. Although I have fully embraced audio books. I think it might be that I spend so much time staring at a screen that I need to give my eyes a break. Plus, I just love the feel of a book in my hands, love being able to find the perfect home for it on my bookcase. For all those reasons, I’ll take a print book over digital every time.
I think it’s interesting that every author I’ve spoken with so far prefers physical copies.
I take it you do most of your writing on a computer - no longhand or typewriter.
How do you organize your research documents? Do you have a filing system you use? Is it mostly hard copy, or is the information generally digitized as well?
I guess most of us are just old school when it comes to books! As for writing, I do most of my work on my computer except for a paper edit which I always edit by hand. In terms of organization, I’m a big fan of Scrivener. It’s a really powerful software program designed for writers. It allows me to keep all research (which for the most part if digitalized) and is great for drafting. It tracks word count, lets you switch back and forth between chapters, scenes. It’s really pretty genius. But… it’s not at all intuitive, so I always tell people to watch the tutorials.
Thank you so much for being here, Renee! We really appreciate your time and your willingness to answer our questions. You’ve been an amazing guest! We wish you the best and look forward to your next release.
Thank YOU for your support and for inviting me to spend this time with you and the other BookBrowers. This is a great community of book lovers andI look forward our next visit! 
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