This week I’d like to introduce you to fellow indie author, Sarah M Reed. I first came across Sarah’s work when I read If I Fell In Love last summer and I’ll be honest I fell just a tiny bit in love with Ray in that book.
The lady herself has a new novel, The Boyfriend Pact, out today- yes, today! (The link to purchase it is below.)
So without further ado, here’s how my recent virtual interview with Sarah went :-
Tell me a bit about yourself. Have you always wanted to be a writer?
When I was seven years old, my first-grade teacher did a unit with our class on how books are created. We all wrote our own story and made it into a book. My book was entered into a schoolwide contest and won a blue ribbon for first place. I have been writing ever since!
Your latest book The Boyfriend Pact is due to be released on 21 Jan 2021. What can you tell me about it without giving away any spoilers?
“The Boyfriend Pact” is a best friends to lovers story that has a little steam and a whole lot of feels. It actually started as a novella that I wrote in high school twenty years ago, but when I dusted it off and set about trying to expand it into a full-length novel, it became something completely different. I love the way it turned out.
Which of your characters do you like most? Why?
Lauren, from my first book, “If I Fell in Love,” is my favorite because she is the most like me. However, Michael, the main character of “The Boyfriend Pact”, is the best book boyfriend a girl could have, so…
Is there one particular person who inspired you to write?
There have been many – starting with that first-grade teacher and on through the years. Recently, I’ve been inspired by the community of other female indie authors who have welcomed me and accompanied me along this journey.
A cruel question, but what’s your favourite book/who’s your favourite author?
Just one?? I am a big fan of rom-coms, so I love Jennifer Crusie, Jill Shalvis and Jo Watson. I’ve read pretty much all of their books. “Faking It” by Crusie and “Nobody but You” by Shalvis are the two books that I could (and have) read over and over again and never tire of.
Tell me a bit about your approach to your writing. Are you a meticulous planner or do you tend towards letting your characters go with the flow?
I am a go with the flow type of writer. I have the characters in mind ahead of time, and a general idea of where the book is heading, but sometimes the characters have their own ideas about things and I have learned to go with them. Their ideas are often better than mine…
I love to write outdoors. Where’s your favourite place to write?
Since I have two little kids to keep an eye on, I do most of my writing at the kitchen table. Keeps me right in the middle of the action!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
In terms of life? Be today who you want to be tomorrow. In terms of writing? Just get it on the page and then clean it up later.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I have found that usually writer’s block happens when I am trying to make the story go in a direction it doesn’t want to go. If I take a step back, think it through, let me imagination go… oftentimes the right path will come to me.
So, what’s next creatively? Are you working on anything else just now?
I am writing a love story for two of the side characters from my previous books: Lexi from “The Boyfriend Pact” and Simon from “If I Fell in Love”. Then I have a romantic suspense I’d like to write, which will be similar in style to my second novel, “In Pursuit of Happily Ever After.” After that, I don’t know.
Let’s finish with a few of Sarah’s favourite things…
Favourite food – ice cream
Favourite drink – just water (boring, I know)
Favourite band – the Beatles
Favourite holiday destination – Disneyland. Seriously. Disneyland at Christmastime is magical.
If you want to catch up with Sarah, here’s the links to her social media:-
I was lucky enough to be given an ARC copy of The Boyfriend Pact a couple of weeks ago. I was curious right from the start about where this storyline was headed. Within a few pages I felt totally invested in these characters’ lives. This is one of these books you can hear in your head as you’re reading it. More importantly, its one you can feel too. I’m not about to give any spoilers away here but this tale is filled with love- the kind of love you find in friendships, family and in relationships. I love how Sarah captures the quaintness of Winston Prairie. I could also hear the buzz and smell the cooking in the scenes involving Michael’s family. Great read. Don’t believe me then check it out for yourself.
Last week the proof copy of Book Baby 6 aka Long Shadows arrived. Look isn’t it pretty?
Now I’m scrutinising it for errors- inverted commas that are the wrong way round, spacing errors in the text, spacing errors in chapter headings, spelling mistakes, grammatical mistakes, continuity errors…. and, of course, those evil commas that move around pages when your back is turned!
The list goes on and on…..
These last few weeks before the launch of a new book baby into the world are the most stressful part of the whole process.
Writing it is the easy part!
Then comes the next challenge- promoting it and marketing it. I’m going to be brutally honest – I suck at that part!
I’ve tried Facebook ad campaigns. I’ve tried Amazon ad campaigns. I’ve self-promoted on numerous book promotion sites. I’ve updated my GoodReads page and my BookBub page. I’ve self-promoted on my own author Facebook page. I’ve shared it on Instagram and Twitter. I’ve shared it on this blog page. Several wonderful friends have helped by sharing my posts on their social media.
I feel like I’ve sold my soul and there’s still over a month till its release date!
So, if you want to take pity on the poor wee stressed out indie author and want to pre-order a copy of Long Shadows, here’s the links:
I was checking back on my previous first blog posts of the year and noticed that I never set any goals for 2020…maybe some sixth sense was already at play there.
While I was out for a walk at the weekend, I was thinking about potential goals for 2021. (Ever the optimist)
Creatively, there are two that I’ll strive for:
Publish Long Shadows on 14 February 2021 (with the hope of getting at least 25 pre-orders before then…. yes that was a hint!)
Post one blog on here every week.
In life, there’s just one:
To live in a world once more where we can hug our friends and family.
I think the first two might be easier to achieve….
It’s a crazy, screwed up, cruel world we’re living in. No matter what goals you set for yourself this year, I wish you health and happiness to achieve them. As my mantra says – dreams get you started, discipline keeps you going.
This time last year little did I know what lay ahead…….
I’m not going to reflect on the past 12 months. I daren’t look forward to the coming 12 months (learned that lesson this time last year) so all that’s left to say is..
As always, thank you for all the love and support you’ve shown me and this blog this year. May 2021 be kinder to us all. Stay safe, folks
Like most houses, there’s a Christmas tree in the corner of the living room taking up more than its fair share of the room.
I’m more than a little biased but I love my Christmas tree. This year it’s 27 years old.
When the Big Green Gummi Bear and I moved into our first one-bedroomed flat together, I broke the budget and bought the best artificial tree I could find and then blew the budget out the water with a dozen glass baubles, some red and gold strings of beads and a gold star. With the exception of one red glass bauble, that broke a long time ago, these all still adorn that same tree today.
There are so many memories intertwined in that tree’s branches.
Even the cardboard box it lives in, holds some fun memories. Girl Child hid in it one year and Boy Child and I taped her in! I can still hear those squeals and giggles.
Over the years, I’ve added a few extra baubles- some snow globe ones with the kids’ names and the Big Green Gummi Bear’s name on them, one handmade one that Girl Child made in school, one Black Stone Cherry one (don’t tell the Big Green Gummi Bear, he hasn’t spotted it. I need to find an Alter Bridge one….) and one tiny red one that says Jake on it (never could find matching one that said Lori). This year it’s even gained an elf!
I know some folk swear by a real tree but to me that just lasts one Christmas (unless you buy a rooted one in a pot) and then it gets dumped at the recycling centre in early January and the moment’s gone.
I’ve almost half a lifetime of memories around my “antique” tree and each one sparkles and twinkles as brightly as the fairy lights draped round it.
This Christmas will feel different – we’re living in a different world this year – but it’ll still make its own precious memories. The top section of my tree is suffering a little from wear and tear… a bit like the rest of us. But like the rest of us, it’s hanging in there.
Have a wonderful Christmas. I hope Santa is good to you all. But above all, stay safe.
Coral McCallum 