My Writing Journey By Yvonne Rediger

My Writing Journey

By 

Yvonne Rediger

I began as a writer creating short stories when I was thirteen. Fan fiction mostly, from various television shows I liked such as Star Trek. Also, some popular shows from back in the day I blush about now as they do not hold up over the course of time, but not much does unless it has good writing. 

In 2015 I first began thinking about what I’d do with myself after I retired from analyst work in the information technology world. It was an easy choice, I wanted to write full time.

Back then, Harlequin ran a writing contest ‘So You Think You Can Write’. In addition to the announced contest, they held online workshops for novice writers. Editors would give you feedback and help contestants polish their efforts in aid of producing a romance novel which could possibly win a publishing contract. I ended up 55th out of over twenty-eight hundred entries. This was my first full length book, The Shape of Us, a paranormal romance which spawned the VIC Shapeshifters series. These books contained a mystery as well as a happy ever after ending for the romantic pair featured.

I realized I like writing the mystery part the most. I switched gears to the Musgrave Landing Mysteries and Death and Cupcakes was the first in that series. Salt Spring Island on the west coast of Canada is the setting for this isolated village. I am currently working on the fourth novel, Storm Stayed which is due to be released in 2024. There is still a dash of romance and of course humour in each book.

After I’d written a couple, I got a new idea, the Adam Norcross series. What does a spy do on their days off? Solve murders of course. This led to The Wrong Words. These Adam Norcross books require more research since I use science as a theme for them. The first was centered around climate change, the second, out in April of this year was archaeology. I can not yet confirm the theme for the next one, but Sergeant Beth Leith and Norcross will team up again to solve another murder.

My husband and I have lived all over Canada and love to travel. I’ve used this experience for standalone books. I wrote the romantic suspense, Diving in Heart First, based on the real life Utila Dive Resort on the island off the coast of Honduras. The owner is a friend and generously worked with me to ensure I captured the feel of that wonderful place.

The Common Touch is another romantic suspense I wrote based on my son’s military shooting competition involvement in Ottawa and my daughter’s military travel experiences.

My son and my husband each received a medal from the Governor General at different times. Entering that world inspired the novel centred around a female marksman, who is seconded to be a bodyguard. 

Major Zara Dare takes on the job because she wants to get into intelligence work. She collaborates with Adam Norcross and the two reunite briefly in The Right Road, the mystery I released this year from the Norcross series. However, Adam has eyes only for Beth Leith in this slow burn series.

I had originally written this novel for Harlequin and it got some attention and call backs. However, they decided that there was not enough conflict for Zara. They did not think it was much of a challenge for a woman to be asked to give up her career for a handsome prince. My daughter and I begged to differ. 

I read romances as a teen, a young mother, and sometimes, as an escape during my complex IT career. Cracking into Harlequin at least once, is a challenge I have yet to achieve.

To be a good writer one has to be an avid reader. I like all types of genres. As long as the story has someone I can cheer for, good characterization or life experience, I’m in. Reading widely helps me to experience things I’ll never get to in real life. 

Even so, I don’t lack for adventure. We sail and scuba dive, travel, and love going on road trips. If there is a museum, I’m stopping for it. 

My husband is one of my chief technical information sources. My sister is my medical expert. I wrote Condo Crazy for her; she also is responsible for two of my book covers. My son, daughter, and son-in-law, all have their own technical expert fields and I’m not shy asking for their advice.

Joan Havelange, my mother, is also a mystery writer. She is one of my beta readers and I am hers. It’s good we can speak online because once we get going on plots, descriptions, and characters we can go for hours if there is no interruption.

My daughter is my final beta reader. She is honest to the core and I get the best feed back from her. She would never hesitate to tell me ‘Your butt looks fat in those jeans’. This is exactly what you want as a writer. Good writing is made better by good reviews and great feedback. Never shy away from asking people’s opinions. Sometimes you don’t hear what you’d expect, but I think it through and if there is a good point in the information, I will use it.

Onward I go.

—

Yvonne Rediger was born in Saskatchewan, lived and worked in northern Manitoba, Alberta, New Brunswick, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After a lengthy career in information technology she now writes from her home in rural Saskatchewan. Yvonne has been writing since she was in her teens. Her favourites genres are Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance. Each with a bit of humour.

She is member of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, Saskatchewan Romance Writers, and International Thrill Writers. She is married to her scuba diving buddy who is also her sailboat captain. She has two children.

THE RIGHT ROAD

Digging up the past can be murder.
Adam Norcross has recently returned from a foreign assignment. Bent on settling his mother’s estate, Norcross is interrupted by his boss for a new task. Find RCMP Sergeant Bethany Leith. He also wants to know how her career has gone so wrong she is suspended.

When Adam tracks Beth to her parent’s farm in Saskatchewan they are drawn into a suspicious death investigation on her family’s land. Norcross knows it’s murder. The victim is someone Nick Leith, Beth’s father, has a troubled history with. What about the archaeologist team digging on the same property, are they involved?

Norcross will use every tool at his disposal to solve the murder and help Bethany Leith. Including navigating his way through the political intrigue surrounding the case against her.

BUY HERE

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing