Interview with Renee Allen McCoy, author of Single, Saved, & Searching

Title: Single, Saved & Searching
Author: Renee Allen McCoy
Publisher: FaytheWorks Publishing
Pages: 178
Genre: Christian Romance
Format: Paperback/Kindle

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. ~ Proverbs 18:22

"She’s getting married too?" asks the beautiful, intelligent, and single Elisha Maxwell who just received a wedding invitation from her last single best friend and her younger sister in the same week. As she stacks both invites on her kitchen countertop, she wonders when it will be her turn.

Challenged by a string of disappointing relationships, Elisha’s hope of finding Mr. Right leaves her feeling desperate and confused. Does such a man exist for her? In the wake of the most terrifying experience of her life, she is more determined now than ever to find him.

When she embarks upon a quest to change her single status to married, she finds something much more important along the way. Will she embrace the man of her dreams who seems the least likely of them all or go with someone who appeared to be her perfect match? Single, Saved, & Searching is the second book in The True Love Novellas series.

For More Information

Single, Saved, & Searching is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life, Renee. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?

A: Sure. I’m a wife and mother who was raised in South Carolina. My roots of Christian faith and southern hospitality runs deep within my family. In many ways it has shaped my passion for writing. The desire to write originated long before I actually pursued a literary career roughly fifteen years ago. Today, being an author is a natural part of my life. Oftentimes, it doesn’t feel like work because I enjoy producing books that not only entertain readers, but enlighten them in matters of everyday life.

Q: Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?

A: Absolutely. My current book, Single, Saved, & Searching, is the second book in The True Love Novellas series. It is about a young woman, Elisha Maxwell, who seems to have it all … except the man of her dreams. With a thriving career, looks that cause men’s heads to turn, and as witty as she is smart, she soon begins to wonder when it will be her turn at the diamond ring.

I wrote this book because there are so many single women who desire to be married, but just haven’t met the right man yet. There are some who consider the idea of settling, others who feel that they aren’t complete if they don’t have a man, and those who are consumed with that loud, ticking sound of their unrelenting biological clock. I wanted to write something that causes them to dig down deep inside to become that person they most desire. I challenge them to consider offering something attractive outside of their looks to a potential mate, to actually ponder some reasons why their ideal mate should marry them. It works both ways. A successful, attractive man ideally has standards too.

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced writing it?

A: Some of the biggest challenges that I faced while writing this book was consolidating some of the pitfalls of dating into a concise storyline. I could probably write a three hundred page book about dating alone, but since this is a novella I chose to focus on the hot topics, making the story crisp as well as relatable. Sometimes finding a middle ground where a broad audience can draw several nuggets of wisdom from can be challenging. But I’m satisfied in knowing that I overcame this otherwise daunting hurdle.

Q: Do you have a press kit and what do you include in it? Does this press kit appear online and, if so, can you provide a link to where we can see it?

A: Yes, I do have a press kit. It is located on my website, www.ReneeAllenMcCoy.com. Simply select “Press Kit” from the main menu or click here.

Q: Have you either spoken to groups of people about your book or appeared on radio or TV? What are your upcoming plans for doing so?

A: I have not formally spoken to groups of people about this particular book, but I am open to online group chats. I have personally received messages, phone calls, and written reviews about this book and how it has touched lives. I am humbled by those who have shared intimate things about their own lives and how this book has helped them in many aspects. I plan to continue corresponding with others this way because being a mother to two toddlers does not afford me many opportunities to travel as I did before I had children.

Q: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/she is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?

A: No, I do not have an agent nor have I ever had one. In some instances having an agent is a great benefit to negotiate deals on the author’s behalf, but since I started my own publishing house in 2011, I personally don’t feel that it is necessary to obtain one in order to have a successful literary career. There may be a time in the future where that may change for me, but as for now I am comfortable in writing for the audience God has blessed me to have.

Q: Did you, your agent or publisher prepare a media blitz before the book came out and would you like to tell us about it?

A: I did prepare a media blitz before the book came out. It included a social media campaign with Twitter and Facebook, national press release distribution, several eblasts to different reader communities coupled with a blog tour. I’m planning ongoing promotions as well to target readers who may benefit from my story.

Q: Do you plan subsequent books?

A: Definitely. Single, Saved, & Searching is a part of what I plan to be a seven book series (The True Love Novellas). The first book in the series is titled The Christmas Beau and the third forthcoming book is titled A Test of Faith.

Q: Thank you for your interview, Renee. Would you like to tell my readers where they can find you on the web and how everyone can buy your book?

A: Absolutely. My personal website is www.ReneeAllenMcCoy.com . There are links on this site that will direct readers to my bookstore where they can take advantage of discounts and special offers. All of my books are also available for purchase directly from Amazon, BN, Google Play, Apple Bookstore, and wherever books are sold in paperback and ebook.

For a limited time, I am offering the first book in The True Love Novellas series for free! The Christmas Beau will be free with this code, REW25, on Smashwords through February 14, 2015. There are various formats available, including those for Kindle and Nook.

After you have read, feel free to join me on GoodReads or on my personal website, www.ReneeAllenMcCoy.com, where you can join my mailing list to take advantage of discounts and contest giveaways all year long.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share my work.

RENEE MCCOY (known to readers as Renée Allen McCoy) is a loving wife and mother, an author, but most importantly a devoted Christian. Having traveled to many parts of the world, today she, her husband, and their two children make Mississippi home. She maintains a newsletter entitled Straight Up and a devotional blog entitled In His Name. To date, she has penned seven books that include: The Fiery Furnace series (The Kiss of Judas, Confessions, and The Eleventh Hour), Soul Ties: Breaking Up with a Past That’s Killing Your Future (non-fiction), The Christmas Beau (A True Love Novella, #1), In the Presence of My Enemies, and Single, Saved, & Searching (A True Love Novella, #2). Renée has also written for the world renowned devotional, The Upper Room (Pocket Devotional), both in digital and print. With a heart to tell stories that will not only entertain, Renée hopes to enlighten readers to capture the message and power of God's saving grace. Feel free to visit her online at www.ReneeAllenMccoy.com. For More Information