Goodreads asked Renee Darcy:

What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Renee Darcy Oh, getting personal for a minute... I don't know my dad. He was out of the picture before I was born. My mom and I were estranged for most of my childhood, and she passed away before we had a chance to reconnect - so I never did find out what happened with my dad. (My mom's death was also under mysterious circumstances, actually.)

As a child who grew up without a dad (I was raised by my grandparents) - I've often wondered about who my dad is, and why he was out of the picture. As most children in that position probably do, I've always thought it was more fun to make up a glamorous reason for him to not be around. Who is he? What has he been doing with his life? Was he a cop who had to go into deep cover? A spy? A famous musician who had a night of passion with my mom while he was on tour?

Any of these could be a more interesting story than what's probably the boring, mundane truth. Maybe I'll make him a character in my next book series - follow him on a series of adventures that are totally awesome and explain why he wasn't around.

My mom also passed under mysterious circumstances. She was only 40 when she was found in her apartment, which was locked, and the coroner listed the cause of death as 'undetermined'. There are various theories in my family about what happened - one of which is foul play. The reality is probably much more mundane, but a creative storyteller could do a lot with that premise. A locked-room mystery? Classic.

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