You mean besides reading books? 😅 I like to go for small hikes in the mountains. Trees have always made me happy.
Do you have a secret talent?
I’m not sure it’s a secret, but everyone says I sign like a Disney Princess.
What are your favorite books to read?
I have so many, and I find a new one regularly. I guess my top reads have been Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad, Pathways, and The Hunger Games.
What authors inspire you?
Susanne Collins, Vanessa Thurgood, Camille Peters, Kiera Cass, and pretty much every indie author I meet.
What genre do you primarily write?
Dystopian Fantasy
What inspired you to start writing?
I was laid off from work and caring for my dying grandmother. In part it was a coping mechanism for me that I eventually decided to publish.
When do you write?
Mornings
Do you consider yourself a Plotter or a Panster?
Something in the middle
How do you go about world building for your writing?
It depends on how to story comes to me. With the Forbidden Chronicles, the love story between the main characters came to me first. I knew they weren’t allowed to be together, and what better way to highlight that problem then a dystopian setting. Once I did some market research, the rest of the world settled into place.
What is your writing routine?
I start sometime between 5 and 6am, then join a silent online writing room most days. I like writing everyday because it helps me feel better throughout the day, rather than having time off. I start with music that fits the book or the scene I’m writing, letting the story play like a movie in my mind. After that I furiously write everything down. About every 500 to 1000 words I read through what I wrote, adding in details as I go, then continue the story until my time is up. If I’m having an off day, I’ll just story edit or update details in my story tracker file.
What is the most rewarding part of writing for you?
Writing is therapeutic for me. I’ve always been imaginative since I was little, and this creative release helps me cope with my stress.
What’s your favorite part about being an author?
When I meet fans of my series or they message me about how much they love my books, I’m floored.
How have your life experiences shaped your writing?
I thought I hated writing and reading when I was a kid, but it took my choir/English teacher to show me that I loved it. I just didn’t always love what they forced me to read in school. I wrote several horror short stories in high school based on my nightmares that I will never publish. Despite the positive feedback, I didn’t think I had what it took to write. When my husband started his company he needed someone to set up his website and write blogs which is the exact thing I needed at the time to start writing again. He ended up with a client who was a writer she passed along a slip of paper and on it was The Creative Penn podcast. Once I started listening, I was set to self-publish my books. It was such fortuitous timing that it all fell into place when it did.
Who is your favorite character in your short story?
Blaise
What are you most excited about with being part of this anthology?
This is a hard question because this is the first anthology I’ve participated in as a writer. Really, everything is exciting. I guess, I look forward to sharing our stories and hopefully the fans love them.
How did you come up with the idea for your short story?
When I was planning my main series, I had to give it a cultural background, lore, and all of those good things. So this story was born from those backstories.
Is your story in the anthology a standalone short, or is it part of a series?
It’s a prequel to the Forbidden Chronicles, but also ties into my debut series The Progenitor Chronicles.
Do you have other books out that you’d like to let readers know about?
The Progenitor Chronicles will be on sale the week of March 4th. Readers can also get Ruined Ashes, the villain’s story in the Forbidden Chronicles, when they signup for my newsletter for free anytime.
You can find out more about Sara and catch the free story, Ruined Ashes by signing up for her newsletter.
