S. Renée Bess

S. Renée Bess, a Philadelphia native, is a former Spanish and French teacher who has been writing for most of her life. In 1994, her short story, "At the Beauty Parlor," won first place in a literary contest sponsored by Labyrinth Newspaper. Following that honor, two pieces of her short fiction were included in the Canadian LGBT anthologies, "Piece of My Heart" and "Ma-Ka: Diasporic Juks."

"Leave of Absence," Renée's first novel, was published in 2005 by Borders Personal Publishing/Xlibris. Her second and third novels, "Breaking Jaie" and "RE:Building Sasha," (Regal Crest Enterprises,) were published in 2007 and 2008. Her book, "The Butterfly Moments," is a "romance-tery." It debuted in 2010 and was short-listed as a finalist by the Golden Crown Literary Society. Her next novel, "The Rules," published in 2018, is a bio-mystery about identity, avarice, and finding oneself.

Two anthologies followed the novels. "Our Happy Hours: LGBT Voices from the Gay Bars," which Renée curated along with the noted author, Lee Lynch won the Golden Crown Literary Society's First Place prize in 2018. "Between a Rock and a Soft Place" a collection of Renée's short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction essays, was published in 2021.

Renée continues her commitment to writing artistic prose and filling her stories with multi-ethnic casts of characters and timely social issues. She enjoys creating complex but realistic characters and well crafted language. Renée is always grateful for her readers' interest and loyalty, and she appreciates receiving feedback regarding her fiction. Please visit her website: www.reneebess.com. Please visit her blog site: www.thewidewindow.com