Renee Garrison

Renee Garrison discovered her love of journalism while writing for her high school newspaper and graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Mass Communications. She spent 18 years as a staff writer for The Tampa Tribune. During the decade she worked as the newspaper’s architecture critic, Renee won two awards from the American Institute of Architects.

She visited her former home in the Sanford Naval Academy (which closed its doors in 1976.) Memories flooded back and a book was born. “The Anchor Clankers,” won a gold medal in the 2017 Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s Book Awards Young Adult/Coming of Age category. In 2020, she was asked to join the Board of Directors for Florida Authors & Publishers Association.

She was surprised by the questions she received during book signings and book club appearances. Most of them dealt with having an alcoholic parent. That’s why the sequel, “Anchored Together,” is a coming-of-age story in which both main characters must deal with dads who abuse alcohol.

"I grew up with a mother who spent her life denying and hiding the problem in our family," Renee says. "I wrote this book to let others know that, while they can’t control their parent’s drinking, they CAN talk about it. I should have.

Eleven million kids in our country are growing up with at least one alcoholic parent. Alcoholism is a family disease. Those of us who have lived with this disease as children sometimes have problems that extend into adulthood.

"We share many traits: Do you constantly seek approval and affirmation? Do you fail to recognize your accomplishments? Do you fear criticism? Do you overextend yourself? Do you have a need for perfection? Are you uneasy when your life is going smoothly, continually anticipating problems?