Brenda Lee Renwick Biography

I was born and raised in Massachusetts, growing up with my four younger siblings in a house that was built by our mom's great-grandfather on the shore of Lake Quinsigamond. Before the avenue was built behind what was originally the back of the house, my grandfather used to commute via ferry to his job in the nearby city of Worcester. My childhood was centered around that lake: fishing in the spring, swimming in the summer, contemplating the beauty of the autumn leaves in the placid reflection of the calm waters, and ice-skating in the winter. This was the perfect setting for the introverted and creative child that I was then to grow into the author I would later become. I wrote my first poems, short stories, and novels either sitting by the window overlooking the lake or sitting cross-legged on the wooden dock my dad had built with my notebook in my lap and the waves sloshing gently beneath me.

I shared those early writings with my friends, who enthusiastically encouraged me to write more, but none of those earliest works survived - which is just as well. Subsequent phases in my life crowded out my writing for a while: motherhood and homemaking; seamstress, quilter, and small-business owner; amateur and semi-pro musician all took their turns with my need for creative expression, but I always - in the end - came back to writing.

As with most authors, it took alot of writing, rewriting, reading, and rejections before I started to make any headway. I finally went back to school after a 30+ year lapse to get a degree and to hone my writing skills. An additional correspondence course with a fairly well-known writing school helped. It was a thrill to have my work critiqued by a published author.

My poetry I write strictly for fun, although I occassionally include one in my books, such as the collection listed below. Most of my poems are light-hearted little ditties that I make up in my head and sing to myself. 'Wishful Thinking' and 'Prodigals's Plaint' are two of these.

My writing style varies with the genre, and I prefer to write sci-fi, fantasy, and mainstream. Someday I may tackle historical fiction as well. In the meantime, I have several projects in various stages of completion, including a sequel to my first novel, Gone to Gonega.

My children and step-children (five in all) are adults, and my seven grandchildren live within spoiling distance. When my nurturing instincts kick in and there are no grandchildren in easy reach, I spend my energies on my two dogs and a cat, and of course my wonderful husband John, who encourages my creativity and enables me to pursue it.