Renee Valois Email & Phone Number

Co-wrote the novel THE DEVIL AND THE DIVA with David Housewright in 2012. It was nominated for a Minnesota Book Award in genre fiction and Minnesota Monthly magazine named it one of the five best books of the year in their BEST OF THE CITIES issue (November 2014)(http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/November-2014/Best-Twin-Cities-Arts-and-Culture-2014/). It also garnered some nice reviews:"Here it is: my official declaration that THE DEVIL AND THE DIVA is the season's first "dock book," perfect for reading on a lazy day at the lake, on the cool porch or in a leafy back yard." -- Mary Ann Grossman, St. Paul Pioneer Press"If you want to understand why Minnesota is wonderful, if you want to know how in the hell people can stand it here when a dark winter night bottoms out at -40 (that's not wind chill), download a copy of the THE DEVIL AND THE DIVA by David Housewright and Renee Valois. You will understand. You will want to move here. Even if you already live here, you will want to move here... It's rich, it's lush, it's romantic, it's smart, it's funny. It's a mix of genres, a Beauty and the Beast tale. Mystery. Crime fiction. Intrigue. Gothic romance. Inside the pages we visit Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, the North Shore, all in winter. Winter! A masked man. Dark wool capes that flow over deep snow. A house like a castle. A woman in a white gown holding a candelabra." -- Anne Frasier, USA Today Bestselling author of Hush and Play Dead"It's wonderful. I loved Clarisse - smart, witty and human. Maurice (the man in the black mask) was quite the romantic figure, yet still human, too, with those little foibles that make a girl want to smash him in his obsidian nose and then kiss him and make it better... The story was outrageous, and I totally bought into it. I was sorry when it ended." -- Deborah Woodworth, author of Dancing DeadReviewer's Choice 2012 ("Definitely a buried treasure...") -- All About Romance

Blaine, Minnesota

Global Corporate Headquarters In Blaine, Minnesota

Have written many magazine ads, posters, collateral, product names, packaging, website and social media copy, videos, radio and Aveda’s first TV commercial. Have written materials for major product launches in many hair care franchises, including Be Curly™, Smooth Infusion™, Dry Remedy™, Damage Remedy™, Light Elements™, and was lead writer of the very successful Invati™ and Invati Men™ franchises. Wrote two successful Holiday campaigns and several Earth Month campaigns. Have also created video templates and guidelines to help other Aveda writers. Mentored younger writers and hired an intern who became a full-time writer.

Write frequent theater reviews and occasional articles on the Twin Cities theater scene for St. Paul's daily newspaper.National Endowment for the Arts Fellow; Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater, Los Angeles 2007

FREELANCE:Feature articles for magazines and newspapers; theater criticism.TV & radio commercials, video scripts, magazine and newspaper advertising, billboards, collateral, websites, multimedia, product naming and themelines---all forms of writing that inform, energize, entertain and/or persuade the reader. Have written for many ad agencies, design firms and Fortune 500 companies.Have also produced both TV and radio commercials.Numerous writing awards: Clio Awards, New York Art Directors Show, The One Show, CA Advertising Annuals, Athena Awards, Telly Awards, The Show and much more.Have been a judge for various advertising and video awards showsWAS A FULL-TIME SENIOR WRITER AT:Kauffman Stewart: Wrote TV & radio commercials, videos, newspaper and magazine ads, billboards, POP, collateral, etc. for clients such as Arctic Cat snowmobiles, the Dales, Pickwick Books, Mall of America, the Center for Victims of Torture, and more. Carmichael Lynch: Wrote TV & radio commercials, newspaper and magazine ads, billboards, posters, and collateral for clients such as McDonalds, WCCO, The Turkey Store, Jostens, Independent Chevy Dealers, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and many other national and regional companies.

M.A., English/Writing Emphasis

Activities and Societies: Finished degree in one year, thesis with highest honors.

B.A., English/Theater Double Major

Activities and Societies: Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, wrote for The Minnesota Daily and Technolog Magazine