Writer Wednesday Interview: Sarah Grimm
Today I'm delighted to welcome Sarah Grimm, author of 'After Midnight' and 'Not Without Risk'. Hi Sarah! I'm looking forward to hearing more about you and your books. ‘After
Midnight’ is a contemporary romance with a musical theme. Are you musical?
Growing up our house was constantly filled
with music. Whether it was The King and I or Anne Murray, Styx or Simon &
Garfunkel, there was always music playing. We are a music loving family. And on those rare occasions when the stereo
wasn’t going, one of us was usually practicing for an upcoming band or
orchestra performance.
Me, I played the bass (string and
electric). I was good at it, first chair. But what I always wanted to be good
at—hell, great at—was playing the piano. I adore the piano, and it is that love
that I put into AFTER MIDNIGHT.
Can
you tell us about the inspiration behind the story?
Honestly? I have no idea where the story
came from. One day – many, many years ago – Isabeau (the heroine) just began
‘talking’ to me. She lived with me for a long time before I wrote her story.
You’re
working on a book called ‘Midnight Heat’. Did you know when you started writing
‘After Midnight’ that it would have a sequel?
I had no plans to write a sequel to After
Midnight, let alone turn it into a four book series! But then Dominic Price –
the best friend and band mate of After Midnight’s hero – walked onto the page
and I instantly fell in love with him, something that most of my readers have
told me happened to them, too. LOL It
quickly became apparent to me that Dominic would need his own
happily-ever-after.
‘Not
Without Risk’ sounds very dramatic and suspenseful. Do you have any tips for us
on how to keep the reader on the edge of their seat?
Hmmm…I guess my advice would be read the
genre. The best way to learn to keep the reader on the edge of their seat is to
read and see what it is about the books that keep ‘you’ on the edge of your
seat.
You’ve
won or finalled in several contests. Which accolade for your writing are you
most proud of?
It sounds cliché, but the accolade for my
writing which means the most to me is when my sister told me she read After
Midnight in one sitting because she got sucked into the story and couldn’t put
it down. Why? You see, my sister is both brutally honest, and has a severe
dislike of the romance genre. By dislike, I mean she hates romance fiction. The
morning she called me to ‘yell’ at me for her not getting any sleep because she
was reading my book and ‘It’s fantastic. I mean, it is so much more than what
you said it was!’ still makes me smile when I think about it.
What
have you found most useful in learning your craft, and what would you recommend
for new writers?
I always dread this question – probably
because I’ve learned by making mistakes and breaking the genres ‘rules’. I guess what I would recommend to a new writer is to seek out other
writers. I’ve learned the most from fellow authors, and the most useful
learning tool that I only recently discovered is having a couple of writers who
will go over your writing with a fine tooth comb and pick it apart…er, I mean
point out what does and doesn’t work for them and where the holes in your plot
are.
You
have a day job and a family and still manage to write and blog prolifically.
How do you fit it all in?
Lately I’ve been so busy that I haven’t
been able to fit it all in. Working 14 hour days…my writing has suffered,
especially my blogging, which I really need to get back to. Usually how I fit
it in is I wake up at 4:30 in the morning and write before anyone else in the
house is awake. It’s the only way I get anything done as by the time evening
rolls around, all I want is sleep, no matter how loudly my characters are
talking.
When
you do get a spare minute, what do you like to do besides write?
Read!
I also like spending time with my husband, who makes me laugh, and my
two teenage sons.
Besides
romance, what do you like to read?
Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Where
should we go to find out more about your books?
Website:
http://www.sarahgrimm.com
I also have boards
showing my inspirations and how I picture my characters on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahgrimmauthr/
Stephanie- Thanks so much for allowing me to visit with you!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview Sarah and Stephanie. I love learning more about fellow writers. Can't wait for the next book.
ReplyDeleteSarah, thanks for visiting! Sandra, I enjoyed hearing about Sarah's books too. Writers always have an interesting story to tell about their books.
ReplyDelete