I started my writing journey at a young age; when I was around eight or nine years old. My favorite childhood author was Beverly Cleary, the creator of the Ramona Quimby series. The very first story I wrote when I was maybe in third grade was based on the character of Ramona Quimby. I never kept the story so I don’t remember what it was about, I only remember how proud I was of myself for having written it. Throughout my life I wrote on and off as a means of escape from every day life – which I’m sure most writers do – but it wasn’t until about three years ago when I finally got up the nerve to start sharing my work with anyone.

I currently live in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn, New York with my husband and our assorted fur babies. When I am not writing, I do administrative temp work around Manhattan and recently began volunteering as a foster parent for a local animal rescue organization. Although I am originally from Brooklyn, I lived all over Orange County, California for fifteen years so many of my stories take place in that area.

My inspiration primarily comes from people I have encountered throughout my life and those I come across on a daily basis. Walking inspires me as well. I enjoy taking four-mile walks while listening to music and in doing so I come up with various ideas for stories. When an idea pops into my head, I usually don’t know what direction the story will take until I sit down in front of a keyboard and start typing. It’s not uncommon for me to write a chapter, look it over and think to myself “I actually wrote that?” If I actively think about what I should write next I start to feel stuck.

I published my first book, entitled “My Life as I Knew It” in June of 2014; it is the first book in a time travel series that explores the question “if you had the chance to travel back in time and do certain things differently, would you?” The second book in the series was released this past February and it is entitled “Life, As Is.” I am currently working on the third book in the series and it is called “Life Reversed.” My goal as a writer is simply to bring entertainment and enjoyment to others yet I’ve had readers of “My Life as I Knew It” tell me that they were able to relate to Brianna in a very profound way; that my book made them think about the choices they’ve made in their own lives. As I enjoy incorporating humor into my work, the “My Life as I Knew It” series is a lighthearted read even though it touches on what comes across as a deep subject.

Among my other works, I recently published my memoir, “My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect” which recounts my experience growing up in an well-known, authoritarian religious sect and marrying an abusive man who held a position of authority within the church. I was raised a third-generation member of this religious group with family members who held prominent positions within the church so a lot was expected of me. However, I did not believe most of what I was taught and this created many problems. While barely out of my teens, I met and married a man who held a prominent role in a neighboring congregation, was significantly older than I, and turned out to be very abusive. Long story short, according to the church, leaving him was not an option despite the cruelty to which I was subjected. The leaders of our church made it very clear that marriage is forever and I had willingly made the decision to marry and commit my life to this person; now I must try to be a good Christian wife and make the best of it. Ultimately, I did take a stand and walked out on him, leading to my excommunication and, in turn, being shunned by my family. I was excommunicated over twenty years ago and have family members that live in my neighborhood whom I cross paths with from time to time; however, they believe they have a responsibility to the church to avoid me. It still gets to me at times but I’ve learned to live with it, plus I married into a very supportive and caring family, so that helps.

Since publishing “My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect,” I have had many people thank me for sharing my story. It is so difficult for victims of domestic abuse to open up about their situation for so many reasons. If that same person is also a member of an insular religious group and the abuser holds a position of respect, the victim feels that there is nowhere to go and no one to whom they can turn. You feel very alone. My hope is that, by sharing my story, others will see that although it may be difficult, there is a way out and there are others who have been in that same predicament and care about you. I’ve come across so many people who are living such a life and they truly believe they have no choice but to continue living in those circumstances. I want them to know that they do have a choice. I want them to know that they have every right to look out for their own well-being and live life on their own terms.

Below is the description of “My Short-Lived Life at Being Perfect.” It is available in paperback and e-book format on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords:

“Brenda Thornlow shares her story of being raised a third-generation member of a strict religious sect, forbidden from celebrating holidays, birthdays and associating with anyone outside of her faith. From a young age, she struggles to accept what her devout family believes, to no avail. Eventually marrying an abusive member with a position of authority in her church, Brenda struggles to extricate herself from this dominating religious group who attempt to manipulate her into staying married to her abuser.”

Brenda Thornlow is one of the finalists for the 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading for 2016 contest. To vote for her click here: 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading

To read Brenda Thornlow’s work, visit her pages here:

Brenda Thornlow’s Amazon page

Brenda Thornlow’s Barnes & Noble page

Brenda Thornlow’s Smashwords page