Author Interviews
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Interview with Sara Barnard
9/5/2015
About the Author Sara Barnard and her family of six make their home deep in the recesses of Native America with a trio of rescue dogs, a trifecta of rescue cats, a flock of Easter Egger chickens, and a "tiny" herd of Dwarf Nigerian pygmy goats. Some of Sara's works include The Calling (Prairie Rose Publications), The Saga of Indian Em'ly series (Painted Pony Books), Shootout in Old Amarillo (Prairie Rose Publications), The Everlasting Heart series, Rebekah's Quilt, and Desperado (all from 5 Prince Publishing). Sara is a certified elementary teacher and a bona fide coffee aficionado. The Interview 1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you? I got started way back in third grade with an essay on my late tomcat, J. Thomas O'Malley. I won first place in the school and hid in the hall as it was read at the PTA meeting. It wasn't until my husband was on his last deployment to Afghanistan that I began writing for publication. I was home, depressed, with three tiny children, a mess of inspiration, and a tempest of emotions -- and a wonderful friend named Rochelle who made me think I could put it down on paper and make something of it and an author mama who stood behind me every step of the way. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? A Heart on Hold, A Heart Broken, A Heart at Home, A Heart Forever Wild -- this is the four book series that was born from my debut novel and all historical romance with a family saga/adventuresome spin. (4) Rebekah's Quilt was my first Amish romance and I have several more books in her series on my desktop, staring at me daily, just begging to be finished. (1) Desperado and Shootout in Old Amarillo, both YA time-travel horror with wonderful reviews and a ton of old west fun. (2) The Calling is Christian western based on a Marty Robbin's song, The Master's Call. (1) The ABC's of Oklahoma Plants, The ABC's of Texas Plants, and The Big Bad Wolf Really Isn't so Big and Bad -- children's nonfiction. (3) The Saga of Indian Em'ly: The Apache and the Pale Face Soldiers, On the Colorado Trail, The Orphanage, and The Journey Home are Native American middle grade chapter books. (4) The Bank Robber's Lament is historical romance. (1) Chunky Sugars and Little Spoon are illustrated picture books (2). Old Amarillo is a three book series and is a new genre I created -- Amish western. (1) I also have several pieces in various anthologies, including MY DOG CAN DO MAGIC. That makes 19 finished books available on the market right now :-) 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I have a ton, really. I have a medieval nonfiction project that has kept me busy for over a year based on certain aspects of London that I can't force out of my mind. I also have a memoir I am working on and I am sharing bits and pieces on my blog weekly at sarathreesuns.blogspot.com. This is one woman's journey through the wilderness, through a PTSD-infected marriage, and a life-changing cancer diagnosis at the age of 32. All of my follow up Amish projects are also on my desktop :-) 4. What does your writing process look like? My writing process looks like late nights, lots of Keurig coffee, Craig Chaquico on my Pandora station, early mornings, and my laptop going everywhere I go. I have started leaving my laptop at home and carrying a mess of notebooks out on the town with me instead, so that cuts down on bulk when traversing Native America with four young children. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? Where the buffalo roam is my home. This picture was taken just down the road from my front door. This is where I write :-) My windows are open, light is streaming in, and my animals are everywhere. Kids are doing their thing, I'm multitasking and my muse is at its peak -- I wouldn't have it any other way.  6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? My names are so important. I choose names from baby name sources and historical guides of the day. If the name was popular in 1860 and that is when my novel was set, then it is in the running :-) Babynames.com is a wonderful resource! 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? Ann Swann is my leading favorite. She is also my mother. Cheryl Pierson, Livia Reasoner, Kathleen Rice Adams, Lucia Robson, Larry McMurtry, Kristy McCaffrey, Steve Sanders, and Christine Steendam are all writers whose work I enjoy very much! 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? My favorite place to read is in my boys' room at night when I'm reading them bedtime stories. <3 I WISH we were reading in a room that looks like this. . .  9. What period of history interests you the most? Oh there are so many. Medieval England and the American west are my favorites. 10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? I only get to pick one? Oh but there are so many . . .let's see here. I think the lovely Jonathan Rhys Meyers would make a WONDERFUL hero, Peter Wagler, for OLD AMARILLO. I can totally see him as a roguish Amish guy . . . sigh . . . 11. What inspired the idea for Old Amarillo? How many books do you plan to have in this series? Old Amarillo is inspired by the real life migration of an Amish family from Gasthof Village, Indiana (where Rebekah's Quilt) was set to Amarillo, Texas. But I just fictionalized it a bit and made a strong-willed female lead the charge. There are three books in the series and they are all set in the west -- Old Amarillo, followed by Old Santa Fe, then concluding with Old Montana. I think readers will like them <3 I do <3 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? Well, I have four children, all of which are in school this year, so that keeps me busy. I'm also an MD Anderson patient, so trips to Houston are frequent. My family also has a flock of Easter egger chickens which my daughter raises, a tiny herd of Nigerian pygmy goats, and a mess of rescue cats and dogs. Nope, never a dull moment around here! Check out my review of OLD AMARILLO.  Interview with Charlotte E. English
9/1/2015
About the Author Originally from England, Charlotte now in the heart of windmill country in the Netherlands. She has a degree in Heritage, and her interests include books, crafts, cooking and social history. She likes to write whimsical, colourful tales full of character and humour. The Interview 1. How did you get started as an author? What or whom inspired you?I can't trace exactly when I decided to be an author. I've always enjoyed writing stories ever since I can remember, and I've read voraciously almost since I learned to read. Stories have always had a profound impact upon me, and I began to feel at a very young age that I wanted to achieve the same for other people, someday. 2. How many books have you written and in what genres? I've written six novels so far, and four novellas. They are all fantasy fiction, though across a range of sub-genres: high fantasy, steampunk, dark fantasy/mystery and fairytale with a historical setting. 3. What writing projects are you currently working on? What can you tell us about these projects? I'm currently writing the second book in my series Tales of Aylfenhame, of which Miss Landon and Aubranael is the first. This story is about Isabel Ellerby from book one, and her adventures (and romances!) in Aylfenhame. 4. What does your writing process look like? I'm not sure that I have a process; that makes it sound almost ritualistic! I pick a place to write depending on how I feel that day (this is a mysterious impulse which I can't explain...). At the moment I'm writing about 4000 words a day, fuelled by tea and biscuits. It helps if I can contrive to have a cat in my lap while I do this, but that's not always possible. They're contrary. 5. Where is your favorite place to write? I write in a few different places around my house, but my favourite is my office, which I have decorated with all of my favourite things!  6. How important are the names in your novels? How do you choose names for your characters? Do you have any name resources you would suggest? Names are very important to me. I always try to choose names that sound "right" for the character, though I couldn't precisely explain how that works. I don't usually use name generators. Sometimes names pop into my head apparently out of nowhere, and sometimes I have to spend a while playing with sounds and spellings until I find a combination that I like. 7. What authors/novels that you enjoy would you recommend? My favourite fantasy authors are numerous! Kage Baker is the author of my favourite fantasy book ever, The Anvil of the World. I also enjoy Lois McMaster Bujold, Jim Butcher, Sarah Zettel, Susanna Clarke, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Patricia C. Wrede, Robin Hobb, K. E. Mills, Galen Beckett... I could go on! 8. Where is your favorite place to read and why? I tend to read more in the colder months, and my favourite place at those times is on the sofa in my attic. There's a big window directly above through which I can see the sky, and it's a warm and cosy spot. Usually I have a cat curled up somewhere about me, too. 9. What period of history interests you the most? My favourite is the early nineteenth century (Regency) - no surprise that it was the first period I chose to set a novel in! I'm drawn to the whole of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, however. 10. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made to a movie, who would you choose and for which character? I don't have an easy answer to that question, as I don't picture any of my characters as resembling any particular actors. That would make it very odd, I think, if there was ever a film someday! I'd have to do a lot of mental readjusting. 11. What inspired the idea for Miss Landon and Aubranael? I wanted to combine two of my favourite things - fairytale fantasy and Regency England. I also wanted to write about a heroine who was less beautiful, highly skilled, powerful or wealthy than they often tend to be. The rest... I don't know! Sometimes ideas pop up out of my mental fog and I can't trace where they came from. 12. What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing? I like crafts - sewing is a favourite thing (I particularly like to make historical costumes). I cook and bake a great deal, I enjoy walking and naturally I love to read. I also enjoy knitting blankets for my cats... Check out my review of MISS LANDON AND AUBRANAEL.
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