Born to a stay-at-home mother and a mason father, I grew up knowing both the joys and hardships a family endures. My deceased parents were loving, although not overly demonstrative. I knew I was loved even if it wasn’t said very often. Hugs were a rare gift we shared. Our family included three older brothers and when I was about six, my mother’s parents moved into the basement apartment in our home. We owned a row house in the city. It had a large back yard and I can remember many hours spent sitting out there while grandpa tended his garden and dad relaxed in a lounge chair. Card games and sports on TV filled the weekends. It was a simple life, but we all seemed pretty happy.
I was raised in the same city as my parents, Albany, NY, and attended Catholic schools for my educational needs, which made life interesting since we were Protestants. I had a few best friends over the years. Somehow we lost touch along the way but I am grateful to the Universe for bringing us back into each other’s lives. I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I’d found them again.
After high school, I worked in retail for a while before finding my niche in the Human Services field. While I enjoyed the work it physically and mentally took a toll on me. That’s when I decided to go back to school and earn a degree. The choice was easy. I knew I needed to be a commodity in the “modern” world, so I settled into studying and practicing to become a Keyboard Specialist. The rest, they say, is history. I have worked at the same institution for over 20 years, currently as an Administrative Coordinator, and will most likely retire from said establishment when the time comes.
So, what brought me here you ask? Little did I know that my true passion would always lie with the written page. Bless my mother, not only for being an avid reader, but for instilling that same love and thirst for adventure, intrigue, and romance in me. I remember her sitting down with a book in the early afternoon and six or seven hours later she’d close the back cover with a satisfied sigh. Over the years, I dabbled in writing here and there, even having one of my poems selected for the National Scholastic Press Association. I have no idea what year it was. Looking back I know it was another seed that took a long time to germinate. Which brings me to the recent turn of events and led me here.
A few years ago a friend introduced me to a modern day lesbian romance written by Radclyffe. (Thank you, Radclyffe, for all your inspiration and encouragement to writers everywhere.) I was instantly hooked. About a year later I decided to try my hand at the daunting task of writing a novel. With three completed works and several more in various stages, I know this will be my year. In the meantime, I keep the keys going (sometimes pen and paper) while working full-time at the job that pays the bills.
I am fortunate enough to have the loving support of my twenty-plus year partner and wife, Sue. Friends and family provide additional encouragement. Our two cats, Sassy and Gizmo, provide comic relief when I am at my wit’s end.
“Dreams stay dreams forever unless you make them real.”
Renee Roman Writes 