Renee Hand
My love for reading and
writing started when I was a child. I always had a passion for
it. I
remember frequently wearing out the stone steps to the local
library. When in a bookstore I would sit in the middle of an
aisle perusing a novel that I was eagerly going to purchase but
couldn’t wait to read. Often, when I had extra time, I would
write stories that would pop into my head locking myself in my
room for hours. Now that I am older my love for reading and
writing has not diminished. In fact, it has only become a bigger
part of me. It is because of this that I chose to share my
interests with other readers who love books as much as I do.
My goal in writing is to
entertain, but more importantly it is to build a connection with
my readers. If I make another person feel some kind of emotion
while they read my books, whether it be love, anger, compassion,
or curiosity, then I did my job as a writer and that makes me
feel good about what I write about. I am not only a romance
author but a children's author of an amazing mystery series that
encourages children to read by incorporating several topics of
interest. The reader must participate into the story in order to
solve the case. I am an award-winning author, educator, tennis
coach and various other things. I have been writing for over
twenty years and have been a published author for five years
with five works published. I write for various chronicles and
newsletters, as well as write reviews for various authors of
children's books on my blog,
http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com .
In my writing career thus
far, I have been in over 40 newspapers and blogs. I have been
interviewed on ABC channel 12 and on various radio stations and
blogs, including Blog Talk Radio and The Children's Author Show.
I have participated in over 100 events, which include book
signings, libraries, book stores, charities, schools and
festivals all over the United States.
I am a member of the SCBWI
(Society of Children´s Book Writers and Illustrators). I am
available on Facebook and I have two videos created for my
series which can be seen from the homepage. For me, it is all
about my readers. I write for them and hopefully create a love
of reading that will last a lifetime. My family has encouraged
my talents and creativity and I couldn’t have gotten this far
without their support and love. I have also received awards for
my works. For Magic Hearts I won a Best 2006 Fantasy Romance
award. My second romance novel Seduction of the Lonely Heart won
a National Literary Award for Best Romance of 2007. I am
thankful for these two awards.
Book 1 of my new children's
series, The Crypto-Capers in The Case of the Missing Sock, won a
preferred choice award for 2009 by Creative Child Magazine.
Check out the various books that I currently have available and
coming soon, a new mystery series for lower elementary. I love
being an author! Thank you for all of your support.
http://www.reneeahand.com
PageOneLit.com:
Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life?
Who were your earliest influences and why?
Renee Hand:
I grew up in Michigan. There really was no town in particular that I
called home because we had moved around a lot, but we always lived in
the country where we were surrounded by trees and wildlife. Reading and
writing has always been a part of my life. I have been writing for over
twenty years and started when I was in middle school. Writing became a
way for me to express myself and my feelings. In writing you are never
wrong, at least not when writing fiction. Soon I began to create
stories, letting my imagination take me to wherever it wanted to go. I
still do that today. I have always been a big reader. I love the fact
that books can take you away from your life to somewhere else, if even
for a short while. My children are big readers too, so it makes reading
time a lot of fun at our house. They also have great imaginations so it
helps keep mine active and strong.
I love
reading mysteries. I love the fact that you have to think about what you
are reading. Nothing is just given to you. It’s like life. Life doesn’t
give you answers, you have to figure them out. I have learned a lot from
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Gaston Leroux. They are my biggest
influences. They make the reader think about their stories and why they
are happening. The cause and effect, if you will, and the consequences
of making the right or wrong decisions. I’ve learned the most from them.
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
Renee Hand:
I write to make a difference in a young child’s life. My fans are my
biggest inspiration. I write for them. I want my stories to reach out to
my readers and touch their hearts and minds. Each story that I write
comes from the heart. The reader can relate to the characters and
understand what they are going through. They will laugh or cry with
them. They will gain confidence and courage. They will reflect on their
own lives and know that they are special and unique.
PageOneLit.com: Briefly discuss The Crypto- Capers in The CASE OF THE
MISSING SOCK. Who are The Crypto- Capers?
Renee Hand:
The Crypto-Capers Series is an interactive mystery series for children
between the ages of 8-12. In order for the reader to solve the case they
must solve cryptograms and puzzles, so the reader is actually a part of
the story solving the case which is unique to the market in so many
ways. Readers are not just reading the books, there are actually
participating in them which teachers, parents and librarians alike, will
love. The Case of the Missing Sock is book 1 of the series and is the
easiest. It builds the foundation for what the reader has to do in the
series and gives them an understanding. Because of this the reader will
be given various information, all they have to do is fill in the
cryptograms and solve word scrambles. In,
The Case of the Missing Sock,
the Crypto-Capers travel to
Florida,
where Mr. Delacomb hires them to locate a stolen
antique
sock with a specially made pair of Prada sunglasses tucked inside. With
new suspects popping up everywhere they turn, the Crypto-Capers must use
Max’s great skills at reasoning and deduction, Mia’s ability to solve
puzzles, and Morris’s penchant for technology, to help them solve the
crime. And just in case you think Granny has wandered off for no good
reason, you’ll discover her wanderings are usually very productive. She
is also fluent in various languages and is a real asset to the team.
Each member of the team has their own unique talent which helps the team
run smoothly and efficiently.
PageOneLit.com: The Crypto-Capers series is different from other
children’s chapter books. What is it about writing these kinds of
chapter books that you enjoy?
Renee Hand:
I love everything about it. This series encourages children to think
about what is going on in the story and to become active and involved in
finding out the answers. With each new book in the series the case gets
harder and more challenging, the more the reader has to participate in.
This series keeps children’s interest while educating them at the same
time. Not only does this series work on reading comprehension and
critical thinking, but readers will learn about math, science and
history related topics. The reader must start with book 1 in the series
because this is a connecting series. Even though each case is separate,
there is something that carries over. The things that happen in book 2
happen because of something that happens in book 1. The things that
happen in book 3 happen because of something that happens in book 2, and
so on. This is a great series that will interest and challenge readers.
Because of the educational value, schools have began to pick-up the
series as well because there really is so much that can be done with
it.
PageOneLit.com: Did you do your own illustrations in The CASE OF THE
MISSING SOCK?
Renee Hand:
I did not do my own illustrations. I was fortunate enough to have a
publisher who let me work with the artist. That doesn’t always happen.
My artwork was done by Alla Dubrovich, who is a great artist. She and I
worked closely together on this project, which was great for me. We had
similar ideas and worked well together. She does the covers for all the
books in the series.
PageOneLit.com: If Hollywood called and said they wanted to do a live
movie/film of The CASE OF THE MISSING SOCK, who would you cast and why?
Renee Hand:
The question is a hard one for sure. The series would make for a great
movie. Whoever would be the characters for Max, Mia and Morris, would
need to be the same characters throughout the series. That is very
important. For Granny, it would be a hard choice. It would have to be
someone with spirit who could kick butt if they had to and yet also be
sweet and kind. Definitely someone who is unpredictable, because that is
what Granny is.
PageOneLit.com: What do you hope readers will say after reading The CASE
OF THE MISSING SOCK.?
Renee Hand:
I want readers to say, “This is an awesome book! I love it! When does
the next one come out?”
PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve with The Crypto- Capers
series?
Renee Hand:
I have quite a fan base for this series and I think it is because it is
unlike any other series. Some people may like the way I write, and some
people may not, but I fill the pages with suspense and adventure to keep
my readers interested. I am big on education so I want my readers to
also learn as they go. The only books I enjoy reading are the ones I am
going to learn from. I don’t read empty stories. My stories are
educational and fun, keeping the readers interest and challenging them
to look beyond what they see to learn the truth. That is what I want to
achieve with this series. It is to not be complacent with what we assume
happened and why, but to look deeper and make an effort in trying to
find out the real reason why some things happen and why. There is a
reason for everything, things just don’t happen.
PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?
Renee Hand:
The last book I read was The Unusual Sherlock Holmes by Jerry B-P Riggs.
I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan. I also intermixed it with The Black of
Night by Gaston Leroux.
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
Renee Hand:
There are several books in The Crypto-Capers series currently released.
Book 1, of course, The Case of the Missing Sock. Book 2, The Case of Red
Rock Canyon, and book 3, The Legend of the Golden Monkey. I will have
two more released every year. Fans can check out my website at
www.reneeahand.com
for each new release. I will also be having contests and activities for
each book that readers can be a part of. I also have a new children’s
series coming out called The Adventures of Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill.
Book 1 of the series is called The Great Pie Catastrophe. This series
will be perfect for children who are 7 and up and will lead them into
The Crypto-Capers Series as they become better readers and want to be
more challenged. This series is about animal detectives who solve
crimes. This series is also filled with educational information. Readers
will not only learn about reading comprehension and critical thinking in
a fun and cute way, but children will also be learning about various
other school topics. In book 1 the reader will learn about animal
tracks. Lots of new things.
PageOneLit.com:
Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your
writing?
Renee Hand:
I love to play
tennis. I am a tennis coach and have been one for over ten years. I love
to solve cryptograms and Soduku puzzles. I love being a mom, my kids are
my greatest adventure, they are also my inspiration when it comes to my
writing. They keep me going, making me feel young, and opening up my
creativity to where I feel it is limitless.
