Nancy Rue wanted to be a writer at a young age, but her degree in English led to a job teaching high school students. “It was there that I really began to love teens,” the author says. “What an exciting place they are in their lives and what incredible people they can be.”
Her first book series was actually for preteens—the Christian Heritage series grew to 30 novels, and Nancy continued writing for middle school readers with her Sophie and Lily books. As her readers moved into their teens, they began asking Nancy to write books for them, and the Real Life series was born.
The focal point of the series is a mysterious book each girl finds at a critical point in her life. The characters realize the book is sharing Biblical stories and truths in relevant ways. Nancy was inspired by other Bible paraphrases and people who leave books they love in public places for others to find and read. “When we need the Word, God will go to great lengths to make sure that we hear it,” she says.
The latest book in is Limos, Lattes & My Life on the Fringe. Tyler Bonning is nominated for prom queen as a joke, but she finds unexpected passion and obstacles when she decides to turn her nomination into a cause to help make the prom affordable for everyone.
“My audience is always before me when I’m writing,” Nancy says. “There are so many influences out there; I want to be a good one.”
Nancy lives with husband Jim in Tennessee and enjoys riding their Harley and spending time with their new granddaughter. She’s currently working on a teen time-travel series set in ancient Ireland.