Time Travel Stories: Author Interview with Sarah Hanks

You have now published several books, but what inspired you to write that first book?
Great question. I consider my official debut into professional writing to be Mercy Will Follow Me, the first book of the Mercy series. However, I was writing for over a decade before that book baby saw the light of day. I wrote my first novel when I was seventeen. I didn’t know it then, but I had so much to learn.

The three novels I wrote before Mercy were my hobby novels. I snatched pockets of time during my children’s naptimes as well as late at night. Something in me had to write, but I never saw it as end-game for me. I wrote because I couldn’t not write, but I never called myself an author. I was a children’s ministry director and a homeschool mom who wrote on the side.

My mindset changed when I got sick and those other roles were stripped from me. Though still a mom of many, I had to send them to school, and I needed help caring for them. (You can learn a lot about my battle with POTS from my novel Fall Back and Find Me.) During this season, I couldn’t function much, so I read. Then I began to write. I emerged from my cocoon as a writer with stories to tell. Mercy Will Follow Me was the first, and it took me three years. I wrote only on Saturdays at the library. The next books came more quickly as I found my footing and grew healthy enough to attend writers' conferences and grow in the craft.

How did you go about doing research for your dual timeline stories?  
All of my books save Braving Strange Waters are split-time novels that have dual timelines. The Mercy Series has two (or in the case of the 3rd book, three) storylines in present day and one in a historical time period. Awakened to Life has several contemporary POV characters intertwined with a Biblical fiction storyline. A Battle Worth Fighting, Fall Back and Find Me, and Whatever It Takes have contemporary storylines and each have a historical storyline featuring a secret female Civil War soldier. New Creations has a 1960s storyline, a 1990s storyline, and a modern day storyline.

Braving Strange Waters is my first actual timeslip or time travel novel in which a character travels from the contemporary time period to the past. People confuse the terms split-time, timeslip, and dual timeline all the time and even different people in the industry define them differently. Most people don’t mind what each is called, but some do. Way to make things ultra confusing, huh?

For my part, the same amount of research went into my split-time books as did my timeslip. It did help that I’d already done a ton of research on Bloody Kansas for Fall Back and Find Me as well as on steamboats and slavery for the Mercy series. Researching for me is a love/hate relationship. I enjoy discovering new things, but I’m always itching to write already, so holding myself back is the hard part.

I search the library for as many books as I can find on the subject, utilizing inter-library loans and all of their resources. I try to get a variety, but I need at least one or two great first-person sources. A diary, a collection of letters, a journal. Something. Once I get a pile as high as my house, I go through them and figure out which ones truly include information that will be useful to my book. I buy those books used on Amazon so I can write in them and mark them up with highlighters, so the weeding process is important to avoid bankruptcy. I also utilize documentaries, YouTube videos, podcasts, etc. I also try to visit historical places whenever possible. When it’s not possible, I take virtual tours.

As you can imagine, it’s a lot of work, and so much of what I learn never makes it directly into the book. However, it all comes together to flavor the work and to give me confidence as I write. Nothing is wasted. It is helpful to write in the same time period or about the same subject for several books, though, to get the most bang for my research buck.

How do you decide if a book will be a standalone or a series? Will there be more in your current series?
I knew from the beginning that the story I wanted to tell in the Mercy series could not be contained in only one book. Pain that is so complex and layered must be dealt with delicately lest it appear trite. For Natassa’s story, this meant I needed to show the ebb and flow of her healing. Otherwise, I ran the risk of treating victims of sexual assault as if they just needed to forgive and get over it—not my heart. The Sister in Arms books are considered a collection, not a series, which means they have a common thread but can be read as standalones. The second Time Sailor book comes out in January, containing some of the same beloved characters. I plan to do two more in the series, but a prequel short story. With these, it will work best to read them in order, but one won’t have to to enjoy the story.

You've won four Angel Awards for your writing and have been a guest speaker at their Faith and Fellowship Book Festival. How did you first hear about them?
I’m not positive, but I probably first heard about the Faith and Fellowship Book Festival from fellow author and ray-of-sunshine Joy Mehlville. She’s an Angel Award recipient herself and a huge proponent of the festival. I’ve participated in the festival as a panelist for a few years now and have won four Angel Book Awards. This year, I’ll moderate the historical fiction panel. The festival is always an uplifting and encouraging time to connect with other authors and readers, and it was such an honor to receive the Angel Book Awards.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
That’s a hard one. I absolutely love hearing testimonies from readers. Never underestimate the power of writing a review or sending an email to an author to let them know how a book impacted you. I received a lot of feedback from readers of my novel Fall Back and Find Me saying they have started putting into practice what the main character in that book does.

In the novel, Amber asks the Lord for a word about her identity each day and writes it down. It is so exciting to me to get comments and emails stating readers have started going to Jesus for their identity and it’s changing the game for them. People who have struggled with their self-worth are being set free by the power of Jesus’ love! How thrilling that my little book could play a part in something so life-changing. It makes every hard writing session worth it.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
That’s a bit of a trick question. In a way, I kind of wish I would have attended writing conferences and attended classes/workshops sooner. I was a hobby writer for over a decade before I started taking myself seriously. But truly, I believe everything happened as it was supposed to. In the right season, the Lord showed me what I needed to know and led me to the people I needed to walk with during the journey.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
I’d say to just write and not worry about perfection. Get that first draft down. Worry about making it pretty later. I can be such a perfectionist and fear of putting something less-than-stellar on paper can paralyze me. Realizing that even the greats aren’t great on their first pass helps take the pressure off.

Everyone needs an editor. Every author needs an extra set of eyes. None of us can do this alone … so I shouldn’t try to. I can ask for help when I need it. Help brainstorming, help problem-solving, help with critiquing. That doesn’t make me a weak writer; It makes me a smart one.

Find your people. Writing can be an isolating profession, but it doesn’t have to be. Seek out community. It’s there. Be intentional to nurture it. And then … write!

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next release is a novella that’s part of a Brave Author Books collection. I’m the founder of Brave Authors and we’re coming out with three novella collections starting next month. Every Life Treasured features pro-life stories. Every Captive Freed features stories about human trafficking. And Every Voice Heard features stories about church hurt and abuse. My novella For the Love of Truth is part of the third collection releasing in December.

Here's the blurb: Candi loves her role as personal assistant to megachurch pastor Richard Blake. But when she meets Justice, he exposes the flaws of her "perfect" church family and she discovers her pastor isn't who he seems to be. Freedom lies on the other side of truth, if only she'll allow Justice and the Lord to lead her there.

When you purchase a copy of Every Voice Heard, 10% of all proceeds go to beEmboldened, a non-profit that exists for the prevention of and healing from spiritual abuse.

That's all for today's interview. Hope you'll use the links below to learn more about Sarah's books. If you go to her website, she has links for several freebies with one of them being a free eBook that you see on the left.

Amazon: here

Website: www.sarah-hanks.com

Follow me:  Facebook or Instagram. 

Sweat Equity Writing: Author Interview with M.A. Rothman

You’ve already published several novels, but what made you decide to write your first novel?

I started mostly as a bedtime story for my kids. It got out of control and I decided to write it down ahead of time. Things spun out from there.

Has that first novel been published? Or is it in the tucked away like many first novels?

Oddly enough, it’s out there somewhere, but not under M.A. Rothman.

Who encouraged you along the way?

I have several friends who are NYT bestselling authors, so I got encouragement from there. My wife thought I was nuts, but she thought I was nuts before that, so - no change there. ;-)

Are you active with any writing critique groups? 

No critique groups. I found that all too often, especially if the critique group is composed of inexperienced or unproven writers, your feedback may be unreliable. I tend to have beta readers and I look for common trends in the feedback. If someone says too much X and another says too little X, I figure I’m probably doing okay. However if the feedback seems to poke at some of the same things, it’s something I’ll pay careful attention to.

I see in your bio notes that you’ve considered Bruce Willis for the lead of Primordial Threat if it becomes a film? Do you picture actors as you develop your characters?
Rarely do I do that. However, I do tend to have some idea of what kind of person a character represents, and sometimes that translates into an actor we might all recognize. For instance, one of the main characters in Primordial (in fact the hero) is a black gentleman who I always jokingly thought of an anti-Urkel. Urkel, being the nerdy smart kid from TV, my character was brilliant - certainly, but not awkward, upstanding, and somewhat buff.

What kind of research do you do for writing your thrillers to make them more

believable? 

I'm a research scientist, so for me, I have some advantages in that I have a strong background in the sciences. And having advanced degrees in anything doesn't mean much, to be frank. It means you have a strong clue about a very narrow thing, and a good grasp of the way things generally works, but all specialties require research in some sense.

Even a physician, when faced with a new disease, goes to reference manuals. In this case, Google is a godsend. Most of my work has a good bit of science in it, but I've also had security clearances in the past and am pretty familiar with how some aspects of our IC (intelligence community) works, so I can make things pretty realistic.

What has surprised or frustrated you the most in writing/publishing?

I spent a tremendous amount of time trying to get published. Let's just say there are barriers involved where it really comes down to finding the right person for the right story and to do that, it often takes a long, long time. I've had an agent, I've fired an agent. After getting sick and tired of the hassles, I self-published and my first book hit the USA TODAY bestseller's list. So much for the whole traditional publication thing.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I wouldn't have spent almost five years knocking on the doors of traditional publication. I know almost everyone there. And let's just say that I've soured on the process.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

Write what you know/love. I actually started writing epic fantasy, and frankly, it was okay - I did it mostly for my kids, and they enjoyed it, and heck, I even sold probably 25,000 copies over a year or two, but it wasn't what I loved. My true love is technology/thrillers/ current-time hard-SF.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Writing is about 99% sweat and 1% skill. Most people don't put in the time needed to learn the craft. I call it "sweat equity". Without sweat equity, you're basically saying that you're brilliant and can write something without any study whatsoever and beat everyone who has been honing their skills for years.

That's akin to a 20-year-old going to an NFL training camp, never having played football, and expect to get a position. It takes work. 10,000 hours is what they say before you get proficient at something. And for those who do it quicker, I'm jealous as hell. ;-)

What is the next book coming out?
I have a book 2 coming out in the Levi Yoder series on April 4th.

Can you give me a short synopsis?

As a member of a New York Mafia family, Levi Yoder's role is unique: he's a fixer, a solver of problems, a man whose code puts loyalty above all else, yet he's a man with a conscience.

In THE INSIDE MAN, Levi's search for the kidnapped grandchild of a Japanese

mob boss plunges him into a world filled with chaos.

When he's falsely accused of a heinous series of crimes, the FBI makes Levi an offer he can't refuse: use his mob connections to help investigate the murders of several undercover agents or find himself in jail awaiting trial, without a way to clear his name.

With the threat of incarceration hanging over his head and the life of a five-year-old at stake, Levi finds himself tracking a serial killer who he fears might lead him to suspects that are very close to home. Jail or the life of an innocent little girl, Levi's left with no choice.

That’s all for today’s interview. If you’re looking for a new thriller to read, here’s the link to learn more about Michael’s books:  michaelarothman.com 

Reasons for Writing: Author Interview with Marius Cipolla

Your bio says your first published writing was steamy romances to finance your college debt. What made you decide to write in that genre?

I started with that genre because I assumed romances would be quick and easy to write and would give me time to do my academic work. That was all true. What I didn't foresee was that I would enjoy writing so much that I soon became addicted, and wanted to do nothing else!

Fast-forward to your current writing which is historical romance and dealing with the rise of Hitler and the Nazis and WWII. What made you decide to write about that period of history?
This is the history of my parents' and grandparents' generation, and thus intimately connected with my own family history. I found it fascinating to write about their lives.

How long did it take you to do the research for these books? 
Research for my books can take anything up to two years of reading and travel. 

Part of your storyline includes Christian Dior, a real-life character who designed dresses for Nazi wives and French Collaborators. Why do you think that many wealthy people were drawn to Hitler's regime and ignored the atrocities he did?

Hitler's power was based on the carrot and stick technique – rewards if you followed obediently, a concentration camp if you resisted. As a famous American general once said, if you have their balls, their hearts and minds will soon follow.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? Starting? Creating a scene? Dialog? Tension, etc?
The hardest part for me is saying goodbye to my characters when I have to stop writing.

What made you choose the indie-route for publishing for your latest book?
Most of my books have been published by major publishers – at the moment I am with Amazon Publishing's Lake Union imprint – but I am always happy to take over independent publication of the books which publishers consider no longer in fashion!

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

No question – it's from the readers themselves. Both their praise and their criticism has been a major force in educating me as a writer.

We have all experienced rejection. Give me an example of one you’ve had, and how you learned to write past it.
Every novel involves a degree of rejection since the editing process invariably means sections need to be cut or rewritten. Someone else takes a hand in reshaping your work, and that can be hard to accept.

What has surprised you the most in writing/publishing? What frustrated you the most?
The most surprising development I've seen in the last decade has been the success of self-publishing, and the arrival of so many talented new authors whose work was not considered worthy by conventional agents or publishing houses.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
The loneliness!

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
The harsher the criticism you get, the more you need to listen to it.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Write from the heart. Nothing else matters.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
Since The Designer, I have published two novels, The Ocean Liner (2018) and The Parisians(just out, Jan 2019). They are set in a similar time period, and once again, involve some very famous historical characters.

That’s all for today’s interview. If you would like to learn more about Marius’s books, here are two links to get you started. 

The Ocean Liner on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0746KXXLY/

The Parisians on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DN8RWCS/