My special guest today is Renee Linnell and we’re chatting about her new book, Still on Fire: A Memoir.
Bio:
Renee is a serial entrepreneur with an Executive MBA from New York University. Before that she was a surf model and professional Argentine Tango dancer. She made her publishing debut in 2018 with The Burn Zone, a memoir of her experience as a cult survivor. She now has published her second book, Still on Fire: A Memoir. Renee divides her time between Colorado and South Florida.
Welcome, Renee. Please tell us about your current release.
My back cover copy describes it perfectly: Magic, miracles, travel and romance—this is where Renee leads you on her long-awaited sequel to The Burn Zone. From love affairs with men half her age, to being rescued by angels, to getting stranded at 22,000 feet in the Himalayas and being electrocuted in the Maldives, Renee takes you on a wild page-turning adventure— sharing with you soul-soothing wisdom she gained along the way.
Where The Burn Zone was an exploration of what happens when we don’t listen to our Inner Guidance, Still on Fire is an exposition of what happens when we do. As Renee courageously takes leap after leap into the unknown, picks up the pieces after being shattered, and recounts hilarious attempts to regain her mojo, you will see yourself in her stories. You will remember it is not only okay but necessary to try and fail. And your heart will be lifted as you become reminded of a deep truth you have always known but may have forgotten along the way—life is magic and anything is possible.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was inspired by The Burn Zone readers who kept asking for a sequel. I was also inspired by my amazing girlfriends who started laughing hysterically (with me, not at me) and said, “You have to put this story in your next book” every time I told them about one of my sex-capades (trying to regain my mojo after not dating for so long). And I was inspired by a sentence in one of my favorite Burn Zone reviews (by The Plucky Reader): “If she were to write a travel memoir of just the places she’d visited, I’d swallow it whole.”
I knew I wasn’t done writing and I wanted to create another memoir with fun, wild, page-turning stories, but also with soul-soothing wisdom.
Excerpt from Still on Fire:
So many people are trying to save the world, change the world. But that has to start with saving ourselves. And we do this by getting to know our self, our authentic self. Not what the media tells us we are supposed to be. Not what our parents and teachers and religious leaders tell us we are supposed to be. What the tiny, quiet voice inside tells us. The child inside us. The one who knows what we love, in which endeavors we excel, what we were born to do. Each one of us is born with unique gifts, the parts of ourselves we tried to hide as children because they made us different—these are the keys to unlocking our destiny. We must uncover them. Dust them off. Give them love. Nurture them. Develop them. And wear them with pride.
What exciting story are you working on next?
I am working on the third book in this trilogy, Twin Flames.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think I’ve considered myself a writer since I was old enough to really write (high-school.) I had the most wonderful English teacher (who has a cameo in The Burn Zone) when I was in high-school. He was adamant that we learned all the rules of grammar–and once we had, he told us to break them because he wanted each of us to develop a writing style that was unique. After taking his class, I began considering myself a writer.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don’t write full-time, but I do write a lot. I invest in real-estate, remodel it, and rent it or sell it—which gives me periods of intense activity and then periods of down-time. I try to time it so I can write in the down-time. Or I write early in the morning. When chunks of a new book or blog force themselves into my head, I dictate them into my phone if I am unable to sit down and write.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I would say that I believe the book already exists and just has not yet manifested in physical form. Then, as I write it, I believe I just have to tune into words that already want to come through me. It helps me feel not-all-alone in my writing and helps with the momentum.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a ballet dancer.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Just how much I appreciate them and you. My books are my offering to the world and I’m always grateful to anyone who helps me spread the word about them.
Links:
Website | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound | Instagram | FB Author page
Thanks for being here today, Renee!