Today I welcome author, Sharon Saracino, to my blog! I've read her book,
Death Benefits, and loved it so much that I just had to have her on my blog! She's agreed to an interview!
So pour yourself a cup of coffee (or beverage of choice) and enjoy getting to know Sharon!
When writing, Sharon, do you require quiet or do you listen to music?
I know that a lot of writers develop playlists that help to inspire them or put them in the mood for the piece they are working on. While there are songs that might hit the mood for me, I can't listen to music while I'm actually writing...I have a tendency to sing along and chair dance...it's not pretty. Just saying!
What genre(s) do you write?
I'm currently wrangling a contemporary romance, (which you do so well!) but as a rule, most of my writing incorporates some paranormal or supernatural element. I really like being able to bring an alternate reality or weave some myth or legend into the story.
What is your typical day like?
Hmmm...typical day...up at 4:30 a.m., check email, read the paper, check in on Facebook and Twitter, then head out to work by 5:45 a.m. Spend eight hours saving the world, or trying to clear my desk (they're the same thing, right?) then blow out of there by 2:30 p.m. if all goes well. Home to park my butt in front of the computer, check email, check in on Facebook and Twitter, indulge in a little shameless self-promotion, occasionally provide sustenance for the family, then either read or write for a couple of hours.
When you're not writing, what do you like to do?
I love photography and genealogy. I like to cook. Mostly I love to read. There are so many wonderful authors out there whose work I love and admire; there really aren't enough hours in the day. I honestly believe that you can't be a writer unless you are also a reader. There is so much to be learned from great writers who really know how to develop characters, build a clever plot, and put together awesome, awesome stories. To read is to grow.
What advice can you offer aspiring writers?
I'm not sure I've been in the game long enough to give advice, but I guess the most important thing I've learned is to actually write. That may seem obvious, but you can't re-write, revise, or submit anything if you never get it down. I wasted years telling myself that 'someday' I was going to actually finish a book and seek publication. One day I realized that I wasn't getting any younger and 'someday' was going to be here and gone if I didn't stop dreaming and start writing. I also can't say enough about joining writer's groups. I've found other writers to be the most supportive and encouraging group of people out there. Take classes, hone your craft. Whether you've written one book or one hundred, there is always something to learn.
What is your writing routine like?
Oh! You're serious, aren't you? Honestly, I don't really have one, I just fit in writing time wherever I can. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
Total pantser! I wish I could be more of a plotter. Having an actual direction in mind at the start would probably eliminate many of those pesky and painful periods of banging my head against the wall. But for some reason, it just doesn't work for me. I may try to work out a more organized system for myself at some point, but at the moment I just go with the flow.
You are planning a fun book signing. Can you share the details?
I will tentatively be signing at O'Donnell Winery in Berwick, PA sometime in June. I'll be posting details on my website and my Facebook author page when they become available. There may also be chocolate involved. Books, wine, and chocolate...how can you go wrong?
Can you share tidbits from your new release? Perhaps the blurb and an excerpt?
My debut, DEATH BENEFITS, released from Whiskey Creek Press on May 1, 2013. It can be found on their website, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
Blurb:
Max Logan's insecurities have consumed her to the point that she has allowed them to skew her perceptions of people and circumstances. She has grown progressively more bitter, sarcastic, and solitary since her divorce and feels as though she has spent a lifetime getting the short end of the stick through no fault of her own; still she trudges on. Things can always get better, right? Of course, it's hard to cultivate optimism when she finds herself dead; the victim of D.I.E. (Death in Error) caused by an overeager Grim Reaper in Training. She brokers a deal to be sent back to Earth as a temporary substitute for the Superintendent of Spiritual Impediment. Can a girl who can't recognize her own problems rectify the issues of the living impaired? Or will she discover that concentrating on their issues gives her a new perspective on her own?
An excerpt:
Sir Chicken Caesar still hadn't moved, nor did he so much as twitch when I tossed my damp tee shirt over him after I peeled it off my sticky body on my way into the bathroom. He has his priorities; sleep being one, food another. I probably fell somewhere near the bottom of the list, only slightly above hairballs.
I stripped down to my thirty-five year old birthday suit, avoiding the full length mirror on the closet door, and yanked open the top dresser to peruse the underwear selection and simply savor the delicious coolness of AC on damp, bare skin. Steak on the patio did not seem to demand Victoria's Secret, then again, nothing in my life these days did, and serviceable cotton Granny panties would be far more practical in the heat. I grabbed a pair from the top of the pile and added shorts and a fresh tank from one of the laundry baskets near the bathroom door. One for clean clothes, one for dirty. Guess which one had the bigger pile? The only household chore I love more than laundry is standing on a chair in the living room and letting the ceiling fan whack me in the head repeatedly.
Thanks so much for having me today, Jan! It's always fun to visit with a wonderful friend who also happens to be a talented author and a funny, funny girl!
Thanks so much for the sweet comments, Sharon, and for sharing a snippet of your amazing talent with us!
** If you would like to continue reading,
DEATH BENEFITS, you can find it by clicking any of these three links:
Whiskey Creek Press -
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1108&zenid=cf59bb72c2bba2c2f7f3e6a1f03a3d71
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Death-Benefits-ebook/dp/B00CLRRHUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367606571&sr=8-1&keywords=death+benefits+by+sharon+saracino
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-benefits-sharon-saracino/1115232793?ean=2940016583129
** Here's how you can follow Sharon --
Website:
http://SharonSaracino.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sharon-Saracino-Author/309710765720741
Twitter: @SharonSaracino
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073851.Sharon_Saracino
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Saracino/e/B00CLXDNYO/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
