It's All About Me: The Real Renee Shearer

Turning twenty-five has proved to be interesting. I've made more changes to my life in 2012 than I have before. The biggest one was the change in my career. In early 2012, I was a few semesters away from graduating with a degree majoring in Chemistry. By May, I had decided that Science wasn't what I really wanted to do. I was no-longer in love with it the way I had been. Then, I discovered my true passion - writing. I knew I could help people just as much through my writing than discovering a cure for something. A few months after, I quit uni and moved back home (temporary until I save more!). Now, all I can think about is writing, writing, writing. It consumes my every thought - or at least 90% of them.

Image Courtesy: Renee Shearer

But there are a variety of things I am also passionate about. My best friends would say that my priorities are #1 Coffee, #2 Animals and #3 People. I suppose that's true. Running out of coffee is an end-of-the-world situation with me. And seeing/knowing animals are mistreated breaks my heart. I want them to have the freedom that humans do.

My friends would also say that I'm passionate about cupcakes, rain, Twilight, music and movies. Who doesn't love a good cupcake?

Image courtesy of nikkicookiebaker on flickr

There's a 1 ½ year old that steals my heart every time I see her: my God-daughter, Cleo Jean. Her big beautiful blue eyes draw you in. I think she's the most gorgeous little girl - but I suppose I'm a tad biased! I love that almost everything I say to her, she thinks is hilarious.

Image courtesy of Kiera Langley.

Writing is like freedom - of the mind and soul - and torture all rolled into one neat little package. I try not to go a day without writing something - an article, a scene for a new book - for fear that I might implode (okay, not really. It's more like I can't stop writing).

Ever since I was a kid, I've written poems and short stories. I've always had a wild imagination and a passion for the written word. My mother likes to joke that I was born with a book. I love reading books and writing them so much that she's probably right.

Great writers like Kerouac and John Green inspire my writing. I turn to them whenever I'm stuck for words or ideas. I fell in love with On the Road when I read it last year. It changed my life, for the better. And I recently got on to The Fault in Our Stars, which I loved, also.

For the past year and a half, I have been working on different projects and working towards getting published - which I succeeded in doing on August 18 this year. My first published book is a novella, called My Never, and is a story of hope and true love surviving.

Image courtesy of Renee Shearer

I've always loved animals, from ants to zebras, and I always hated seeing them hurt. I became a vegan two years ago, after doing research for an assignment on the ethics of experimenting on animals. Needless to say, that assignment changed my life, too. It taught me that we need to stand up for them, to fight for them, because they can't.

The best part of my day is seeing my dog's eyes light up when I feed her carrots. Abbey's a Silky Terrier Jack Russel cross and loves to play hide-and-seek and let's-chew-on-Renée's-converse-sneakers. She is very cheeky, determined and loving. Plus she's super cute, don't you think?

We recently rescued a budgie from our daisy bush. He was being attacked by Indian Minor birds, but is now safe and has and abundance of toys and food (treat sticks and spinach leaves being his favourite!)

Image courtesy of Renee Shearer

As much as I love writing, I love movies. I can't get enough of them! I can usually be found at the cinemas in my spare time. I have many favourites, new and old, but I'm beginning to appreciate them a little more now. They keep me entertained when I'm writing.

Image courtesy of Sheryl's Boys' on flickr

Status: Currently between boyfriends.

Occupation: Freelance Writer, Author, Artist.

Favourite Beverages: Coffee, Cola, Corona (and loads more coffee!!)

Favourite Food: Vegan Pad Thai & Cupcakes (though not together ;-) )

Favourite Movies: Water for Elephants, The Yellow Handkerchief, City of Bones and many more

Favourite Bands: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Evanescence, P!nk, Muse, Death Cab for Cutie, Florence + the Machine (and many more).

Favourite Books: On the Road by Jack Kerouac, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Freedom from Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

Favourite TV Shows: Supernatural, Charmed, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Mythbusters, Bones, NCIS

Greatest Influences: Aung San Suu Kyi

Worst Habit: Eating too many cupcakes/Drinking too much coffee