Hopefully you all remember my book review of Heart of the Country which I posted last year? Well, as the first interview of the year, I thought it would be nice to learn more about Rene herself, co-author alongside John Ward. I’m not sure how many of you are aware, but there is also a movie of the book, starring Randy Wayne and Jana Kramer, to which I have the trailer below. (From the trailer and book, there are a few differences, but none overly major) Now please, sit back and enjoy learning more about Rene Gutteridge. Did you know she’s the author of The Ultimate Gift?? That’s one of my favourite movies!!
Rene is the author of seventeen novels, including her latest releases, HEART OF THE COUNTRY, ESCAPEMENT, POSSESSION and LISTEN, from Tyndale House Publishers. Her other suspense titles include, THE SPLITTING STORM, STORM GATHERING and STORM SURGE, plus her very first novel, GHOST WRITER (Bethany House Publisher
s). She is also known as a comedy writer. Her latest comedic novel is NEVER THE BRIDE (winner of the 2010 Carol Award for best women’s fiction), co-written with screenwriter Cheryl McKay (of The Ultimate Gift).Her other comedy titles from WaterBrook/Multnomah Publishers include The BOO SERIES: Boo, Boo Who, Boo Hiss, Boo Humbug and THE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS SERIES; (Scoop, Snitch, Skid). Another very popular comedy title is MY LIFE AS A DOORMAT, a Women of Faith selection for 2006, from Thomas Nelson. She has written one novelization, THE ULTIMATE GIFT, for Thomas Nelson.
She also has extensive experience writing comedy sketches, and worked for five years as the director of drama for a church. She has a degree specializing in Screenwriting, for which she earned the Excellence in Mass Communication Award, and graduated magna cum laude.
She is married to Sean, a musician and worship leader, and has two children. They reside in Oklahoma, where Rene writes full time and enjoys instructing in college classrooms and writers conferences.
Former frat boy Clay Walsh has given up his reckless lifestyle and settled down to run an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town. Determined to put his partying ways behind him, Clay has become notorious for his lofty and outdated theories on love and romance. But when Amber Hewson, a free-spirited woman with a gypsy soul, rents the apartment above his shop, Clay can’t help being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life.
New to the area, Amber finds herself surprisingly drawn to Clay and his noble ideas, but her own fears and deep wounds are difficult to overcome. Can they move beyond their differences and their pasts to attempt an “old-fashioned” courtship?
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