Book Giveaway & Interview With Sarah Sundin

              

Happy Thursday! 

Today's post features an interview with author

Sarah Sundin. So glad you could join us. 

In addition to the interview, Sarah has offered a copy of her latest book, A Memory Between Us, to one of my readers. Be sure and check out the giveaway details below.

Karen: It’s good to have you back, Sarah. Congratulations on the release of A Memory Between Us! You must be excited about the second book in the Wings of Glory series.

Who is your favorite character in A Memory Between Us? Why?

Sarah: It has to be the heroine, Lt. Ruth Doherty. She fascinated me. On the surface she is so strong she doesn’t need another human being—and she has a great sense of humor. But underneath she has deep hurts and shame. It was fun for me to tease out what made her the way she is and to watch her change and grow.

 

Karen:I’m looking forward to reading Book Three. When will it be released? Can you tell us a little about it?

Sarah: Blue Skies Tomorrow releases August 2011—I’ve just seen a preview of the cover, and it’s gorgeous! Lt. Raymond Novak prefers the pulpit to the cockpit, but his stateside job training B-17 pilots allows him to court Helen Carlisle, a widowed mother who conceals her pain under a frenzy of volunteer work. The sparks of their romance set a fire that flings them both into peril. Ray leaves to fly a combat tour at the peak of the air war over Europe, while Helen takes a job at a dangerous munitions yard and faces an even graver menace in her own home. Can they both find the courage to face their challenges? 

Karen: What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Sarah: Almost everything! I really enjoyed the historical research, to the point of getting ecstatic when I found copies of the pilot’s manual for the B-17 bomber and the Army Air Force B-17 training film. Sick, really. But I also love the pre-writing stage, the actual writing, even the editing. And my favorite part of all is when I’m deep in a scene and it flows.

Karen: What are your favorite fiction books? Non-fiction? 

Sarah: For fiction, I gravitate toward the classics, women’s fiction, and contemporary or historical fiction—and I love a romantic thread. I also enjoy a good suspense novel and anything with humor. I’m easy to please. That’s why I don’t write book reviews. 

My all-time favorites have to be Jane Austen’s books—she has it all—drama, romance, delicious humor, and wonderfully gooey endings. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction except for research—it feels too much like homework, and I read to relax and escape. Currently I’m reading Christa Parrish’s Watch over Me for fun and Medical Services in the Mediterranean and Minor Theaters for research. Quite a combo, huh?

Karen: Has your life changed much by becoming a published author? Are you ever recognized when you go out? How would you travel incognito if you had to?

Sarah: Life’s a bit busier as a published author. The nicest part is people take my writing more seriously. It used to be, “Isn’t it cute that you’re writing a book? Oh, and you have plenty of time since you’re home all day, so you wouldn’t mind doing such-and-such.” Now they’re more likely to see it as a career and understand my time constraints. I’ve had to make the same mental transition to career writer. Before publication, I spent long luxurious hours playing with my stories and chasing research rabbit trails. Now I have to be more efficient and focused to take care of research, writing, and publicity. 

As to being recognized—that’s really funny! Um…no. Although I had an incident this week that’s close. I attend a large church, and I teach a children’s church-type class for about a hundred fourth- and fifth-graders. This Sunday, one of the girls studied my nametag. “Did you write a book?” My jaw dangled. “Why, yes—I did!” “My mom read it. She loved it.” That made my day! 

Traveling incognito? Now I’m snickering. Should I get a big floppy hat and dramatic sunglasses and call everyone “daaaaarling?” 

Karen: Thank you for joining us again at Write Now! It’s been a pleasure. I am sure my readers would join me in wishing you success and blessings.

Sarah: Thank you!

For more info on Sarah and her books, click here.

Giveaway Details 

Please read carefully.

• Leave a comment to this post, include your email address.Entries without email address are not eligible.
• Receive an extra entry by becoming a follower, or by reminding me that you already follow.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook and/or Twitter. Please be sure and comment telling me so.
• Deadline to enter is midnight Eastern Standard Time, Saturday October 23, 2010. Winner will be  notified via email and announced on Monday's post.       
• This is open to US residents only. My apologies to those who follow outside the US.                                                                                                                                                                           What exciting things are happening in your neighborhood this weekend?                                                                                                                                                                                             Have a wonderful weekend!           Karen                                                                                                                                               

Winner of A Distant Melody

Congratulations to Kenda, the winner of A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin!

If you happened to miss the interview with Sarah, click here for Part One, and here for Part Two.

Thanks to everyone who commented and participated. It was great fun and I appreciate your input.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Karen

Interview with Sarah Sundin, Part Two

Part Two   

Thank you for joining us for Part Two of Sarah Sundin's interview! If you missed Part One, click here to read it. Don't forget, Sarah has agreed to provide a copy of A Distant Melody for a giveaway.  Details follow the interview.  

Karen: Can you give us a sneak peek at A Memory Between Us, which is due out in September 2010?

Sarah: A Memory Between Us is the second book in the Wings of Glory series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II. Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge--until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth's heart a top priority mission. But he has his work cut out for him. Not only is Ruth focused on her work in order to support her orphaned siblings back home, she carries a shameful secret that keeps her from giving her heart to any man. Can Jack break down her defenses? Or are they destined to go their separate ways?

Karen: What writing advice have you found most helpful in recent years?

Sarah:

1)  Join ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers)! Their e-zine, e-mail loop, and monthly courses are outstanding—like a mini-writers’ conference in your inbox every day.

2)  Join a local writers’ group if available or an on-line critique group. Not only will your writing improve, but you’ll meet other writers. We’re an odd lot really. We work in solitude. We talk to our characters. We have strange interests (how many women do you know who get excited about B-17 manuals?). We need each other.

3)  Don’t submit to agents and editors until you’re ready. That means a complete manuscript, positive feedback from experienced writers, and enough knowledge of the publishing industry to know how to submit properly. You want your first impression to be stellar.

Karen: Thank you, Sarah, for sharing this great info and your thoughts with us. I can't wait to read A Memory Between Us.  

To Contact Sarah

Sarah's website offers facts, links, and great information for readers and writers. Her blog posts include interesting facts about World War Two history and Sarah's insightful musings and wisdom.  Stop by and say hello; she'll be happy to see you!

Here are the Giveaway Details:) Deadline is Friday, July 9, 2010 at noon.

To Enter:

• Leave a comment to this post, include your email address like so: karenelange(at)gmail(dot)com. Entries without email address in comment box are not eligible.
• Receive an extra entry by becoming a follower, or by reminding me that you already follow.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your Facebook page. Please leave a comment telling me so.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a comment with the link.
• This is only open to US residents. For those of you who follow outside the US, I apologize:(
• Deadline to enter is noon eastern standard time, Friday July 9, 2010. Winner will be announced here, and notified via email, and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Happy reading and writing!

Blessings,

Karen

Interview with Sarah Sundin

  

Sarah Sundin is the author of A Distant Melody, an exciting and heartwarming tale set during World War Two. This wonderful historical romance introduces us to Allie Miller and Lt. Walter Novak, two very different people whose paths happen to cross at a wedding. I won't give any more away other than to say that Sarah is a gifted writer who has a knack for bringing characters to life. I highly recommend her book! 

A Giveaway Too :)

Sarah has graciously offered a copy of A Distant Melody for a giveaway.  Check out the details at the end of the post.

The Interview: Part One 
                                                                                                                           

Karen: Thank you for joining us here at Write Now!  When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Sarah: January 6, 2000. How’s that for exact? Although I always read voraciously, I didn’t consider a writing career. Instead I chose a practical career in pharmacy which allowed me to work on-call and stay home with our three children. Then in 2000, I had a dream with such intriguing characters that I felt compelled to write their story. That first novel will never be published, nor should it, but it got me started.

Karen: Did you do anything in particular before or as you began writing for publication (like take writing classes)?

Sarah: I wrote that first novel without any training whatsoever. It showed. After I finished my 750-page simple contemporary romance (no kidding), I went to my first writers’ conference and learned I’d done almost everything wrong. So I decided to learn. I read books on writing craft, joined a critique group, attended more writers’ conferences, and joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). I kept writing and kept learning. I’m still learning.

Karen: Congratulations on A Distant Melody, and your upcoming book, A Memory Between Us. What inspired you to write this series?

Sarah: The idea for A Distant Melody came out of a “what if” question—what if a man and woman met at an event, truly clicked, and parted before exchanging contact info? Wouldn’t it be romantic if he went through great effort to track her down? It wouldn’t work in a contemporary setting—he’d “Google” her—but it made a sweet premise for a historical. My husband and I watched a History Channel special on the US Eighth Air Force based in England which flew over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, and I was hooked. My great-uncle was a B-17 pilot with the Eighth, so I had access to his stories and letters. A Distant Melody was meant to be a standalone, but while doing research, I became enamored with the Eighth Air Force and wanted to tell the full story to V-E Day. Since my hero had two pilot brothers, I decided to write a series, with each book focusing on one brother.

Karen: How long did it take from the time you began A Distant Melody to when it was published?

Sarah: Almost nine years. I had the idea late in 2001 and began the research. I started the manuscript in 2002 and finished it in 2004. I first submitted it to editors and agents in 2003, and began receiving a stack of “good” rejection letters. I continued writing the series. In 2008, Revell offered me a three-book contract, and A Distant Melody came out in March 2010.

Karen: What are your writing habits like? Are you a plotter or a SOTP writer?

Sarah: I’m definitely a plotter. That’s the science nerd in me. First of all, I do lots of research beforehand—not only does this let me know if my story idea will even work historically, but it gives me ideas for scenes, problems, and characters. Then I fill out character charts (I love character charts!) and a plot chart which helps me track subplots and story arcs. Then come scene lists with everything from the date, the weather, what characters are wearing, goals and conflict, what’s happening historically, and an outline of the scene. Finally I get to my rough draft.

Karen: How did you go about developing your characters for these books? Were any inspired by people you know?

Sarah: I got the idea for Allie Miller, the heroine of A Distant Melody, when I visited a particularly gorgeous friend after her daughter was born. The first words I heard the mom say were, “Thank goodness she’s pretty.” My thought? What if she wasn’t pretty? That thought expanded—what would happen to a plain-looking daughter of a woman who thought beauty was a virtue? Would she think she could never find true love? So, Walt came about primarily as Allie’s counterpart. I gave him two brothers and no sisters so he’d be clueless about women.

Don't forget to come back for Part Two of Sarah's interview on Thursday, July 8. Sarah gives us a sneak peek at Book Two in The Wings of Glory series. 

For more info about Sarah, stop by her website or blog.  She has lots of goodies to share!

 
Giveaway Details

To Enter:

• Leave a comment to this post, include your email address like so: karenelange(at)gmail(dot)com. Entries without email address in comment box are not eligible.
• Receive an extra entry by becoming a follower, or by reminding me that you already follow.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your Facebook page. Please leave a comment telling me so.
• Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog. Please leave a comment with the link.
• This is only open to US residents. For those of you who follow outside the US, I apologize!
• Deadline to enter is noon eastern standard time, Friday July 9, 2010. Winner will be announced here, and notified via email, and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Happy reading and writing!
Blessings,

Karen