Welcome to our New Faces column, where we're pleased to introduce debut romance authors. This time we're visiting with Renee Halvorsen, author of the historical romance Extreme Measures, a July release from Leisure. Let's meet her.

Renee, welcome to TRR! Tell us about yourself.

I'm a fourth generation Floridian who literally grew up on the beach. We had a lovely home, nestled among the sand dunes with a pool and outdoor showers. I really enjoyed the pool until I was old enough to start cleaning it. A note to the wise: Pools in the middle of sand dunes do not make for an exciting adventure when you are the one in charge of keeping the sand out of the drain!

I'm one of five kids, three older brothers and a twin sister. All my brothers went to University of Florida. I graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Economics. After losing too many verbal battles through the years, I've learned to keep my mouth shut during the annual Florida/Florida State football game. Especially when Florida State wins!

Are you coming to romance writing from another job?

I've had an eclectic array of jobs. I'd like to think they were all preparing me as a writer -- from my stint at a Florida resort to my brief foray as a model agency booking agent to the insane decision to teach high school Economics, American Government and Latin. Now I'm a full-time Mom and writer. This is by far my best job ever.

What led you to write romance?

The summer between my sophomore and junior year of college I read my first romance. I don't even remember the name of the book, but I was hooked from page one. I spent the rest of my break consuming book after book. I came away with a great tan and a desire to one day write a romance novel. I even jotted down a few notes, but I ended up with a B.S. in Economics. Through the years, I started about fifteen different stories but completed none of them. It wasn't until years later, at the urging of my husband, that I started pursuing publication seriously.

Tell us about your road to publication.

I started writing in 1997. After two years, and a drawer full of rejections, I realized something had to change. So I joined a local writers group and quickly entered my first writing contest. Wonder of wonders, my manuscript won and the judging editor requested a look at the full manuscript. My dream of selling a novel was just an editor read away. Right? Wrong.

The editor decided to pass on the manuscript. Convinced it was just a matter of fit, I submitted to another house. The result? Another rejection. This process went on and on, until I'd received a lovely, no-thank-you letter from every editor in New York City. I then tried another manuscript (see above to discover what happened with this one as well). Finally, I took a hard look at where I was going wrong. I let go of the ego and started honing my craft and growing as a writer. In the Fall of 2000, I began a new manuscript with all the knowledge I had achieved driving me forward. That novel was EXTREME MEASURES, the winner of the 2001 Dorchester New Historical Voice Contest and my first published novel.

What kind of research was involved for your first book?

During my studies of the Old West, I attended a seminar by a group of experts on life in the late 1800s. I discovered that during this time Baby Farms were set up for prostitutes 'mistakes'. I started wondering, what if... My heroine is the daughter of a 'soiled dove' who grew up as the money changer and timekeeper for her mother. When the novel opens she owns a baby farm. Because of her unique upbringing I had to give her unique skills. So I set out to learn how to cheat at poker, how to throw a martial arts side-kick, how to pick a pocket and ... more. I now have skills that scare the heck out of my husband.

Who are your influences as a writer?

I fell in love with the greats of historical romance -- Jude Devereux, Julie Garwood, Teresa Medeiros, Johanna Lindsey. And, of course, Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips will always be at the top of my list. My new favorites are Winnie Griggs and Victoria Alexander.

What does your family think of having a romance author in their midst?

My nine year old daughter recently did a presentation of her favorite author -- me! My fifteen year old son pretends he doesn't know me. But I don't think that has anything to do with the writing. It's a teenage thing, or so I tell myself. My husband has been the best. This may sound cliche but I can honestly say, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be published now. He truly knew when to hold my hand, let me cry on his shoulder or push me to stop feeling sorry for myself. He is my hero.

Tell us about plans for future books.

I'm writing the sequel to EXTREME MEASURES right now. I've also started another series of stories set in Jamaica and England during the Regency period. The heroine of the first book was raised on a pirate ship. She's been the hardest to write, but that's what makes her so great.

How can readers get in touch with you?

They can either write to me at: P.O. Box 5211, Lincoln, NE 68526 or go to my website: www.reneehalvorsen.com where I have a direct link to my email.

Renee, thank you for joining us, and best of luck! Readers, we have a review of Extreme Measures on our Historical page.

August 11, 2002