Sarah James is the author of Sand and Clay (Her Stolen Rock Star). There's something sexy and inviting about a rock star story. It's like that piece of candy you know you shouldn't have but really want.
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| Cover Design: Mayhem Cover Creations |
Synopsis:
Young New York socialite Caroline falls for a rock star bad boy Logan Clay, he's bad for her and she's bad for him (he has a fiancée after all). Against all reason and sanity, they know they belong together, but how can they make it work when time and fate seem to be completely against them? She was ready for love when he wasn't, but she moves on only to find that real love can't be replaced. Happy endings might not be for everyone...
I was born in the Washington, DC area but moved around a lot including some time in Southern Virginia and New Jersey.
Tell us your latest news?
I am recently engaged and working on planning a wedding!
When and why did you begin writing?
I have been writing poetry since high school and slowly branched into short stories which were sold through a publisher. That publisher then suggested that I write a book so I decided to give it a shot! Sand & Clay is my first book and I am currently working on a second.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I got my first royalties check!
What inspired you to write your first book?
It was never something I had really considered because it seemed like such a large task until a publisher told me it would be a good idea to give it a try. I am a hopeless romantic and the story came easily to me, although I did get stuck at a few points. I used my own experiences and emotions with love and put those into the characters in my book, Sand & Clay.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I think I have mainly been a poet for so long, published quite a few times doing that as well. So, adjusting to thinking of myself as an author now is taking some getting used to so I don’t think I have a style yet. Maybe after a few books, some sort of theme will appear.
How did you come up with the title?
Part of it was based off of the names of the characters, Logan Clay and Caroline Sanders. However, it was also meant to be symbolic of two elements that are so different and divided but still find a way to live in harmony.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The only message is that love isn’t simple and that love is pain. If your heart doesn’t ache when you are apart from your significant other, than you haven’t experienced true love. The pain of true love is somehow also the greatest pleasure of all.
How much of the book is realistic?
The book is entirely made up but there are characteristics taken from people I know or situations I have seen or experienced. Writers pull inspiration from all kinds of strange places!
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
While I would love to say that I had a love affair with a rock star, I think we can all guess that that probably isn’t true. Instead, I fell in love with a police officer- because who can resist a man in uniform?
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Notebook. Yes, that might sound cliché but I cry every time I read the book or watch the movie. My favorite book as a child was called The Cay, which very few people have ever heard of but is the first book that ever emotionally moved me.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
To be honest, I would choose the writers I have worked with, mainly professors. In high school, Mr. Frank Wagenblast was a great writing inspiration and then in college both Dr. Holly Karapetkova and Kathleen McCauley helped hone my writing skills.
What book are you reading now?
None! Isn’t that awful? Life is so busy wedding planning that I have only had time to read wedding magazines! This needs to change soon, any good book recommendations?
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Gillian Flynn. I definitely want to read all of her books.
What are your current projects?I am currently working on a book that combines several different genres including romance, drama, mystery, crime, and psychological healing. I think it will be a book that is much more relatable to people, women especially, and hopefully helpful to those who need it.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
I don’t think there was ever an entity supporting me. Most of my family didn’t even know I wrote until the book came out, I am a private person mostly. My writing has been very self driven.
Do you see writing as a career?
I don’t know if I would ever be able to support myself 100% on it which is why I have a full time job now but that would be a dream come true if I could.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Sometimes I think that I should have added this or that, but when I look back at it, I know that it was the best of what I had in me at the time and it is a great story. It has lines that still send chills down my spine even though I am the one who wrote them!
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Since I was a child, it was always a way I used to express myself. It’s been something I have done ever since whether it was journaling, writing poetry, or writing stories.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I wish but I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise!! All I can say is it is a love triangle and a coming of age story where a young woman is forced to see the world in an entirely new way and figure out her path from there.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Every once in awhile, you will hit a writer’s block period that you just seem to be stuck and don’t know what to say. When that happens, I just put it away for awhile, sometimes even weeks, until inspiration hits me again.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Honestly, I think I have too many favorites to pick just one. I love memoirs and biographies and stories that grip your heart. I love books that make me forget where I am and bring me into the story. I can only hope that my novel does the same for my readers.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
No, maybe one day when I make it big (if I ever do!).
Who designed the covers?
Mayhem Cover Creations, they did a wonderful job! Their website is http://www.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Letting go of it at the end! Finally saying okay, it is ready for the entire world to see and judge. Especially with your first book, that was absolutely terrifying but I think it has turned out pretty well.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
That writing a novel isn’t easy! 200+ pages is a LOT of words and a LOT of time. You really have to create complex characters and true situations in order to be able to do it.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Just keep writing and trying to get published and stay true to what you want and what you love. I never deviated from my personality or myself in this book and kept true to my style.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Your support of my first book has been so inspiring and encouraging! It makes me so excited to be able to write more and bring more stories and characters to you! I really hope you will return and purchase my next books as well!
~End Interview~
About Sarah Robinson:
Sarah Robinson is a native of the Washington, DC area and has both her Bachelors and Masters Degree in psychology while working as a mental health therapist with poor and homeless populations with severe mental illnesses.Writing has been her hobby since high school and she has been published several times from poetry to short stories. Her blog features her latest poetic accomplishments at http://www.
Her writing often concentrates on the complexity of love and emotions and the struggles of finding your destined path through life. Much of her inspirations come from the intense and beautiful love she shares with her future husband and the emotions around falling head over heels in love with your soulmate This is her first full length novel and will definitely be followed up by more, so stay tuned for more new releases!
You can find more information on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/
Buy Links: Amazon; Barnes and Noble; iTunes; Goodreads
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts. :-)