Author Spotlight:
Sandy James
New Book Releases:
- Turning Thirty-Twelve, a mainstream romance from BookStrand, is currently available as an electronic release and will be available through Amazon.com by the end of February.
- Also, four more books this year from BookStrand: Murphy's Law (Feb. 24, 2009), Free Falling (April 2009), All the Right Reasons (June 2009) and Faith of the Heart (July 2009).
Recent/Upcoming Book Signings & Events:
- Sandy will be at Lori Foster's Reader/Author Get-Together June 5-7. Click here for more information.
Questions We Asked Sandy...
What is your favorite place to write?
In the winter, I light the fireplace, flop
into my recliner, fire up my laptop, and let my brain wander. God bless Lay-Z-Boy. I usually have warm feet because my Schnauzer
will curl up next to them, and my cockatiel is often on my shoulder.
In the summer, I love to work on my
husband’s computer because it’s in our bedroom and the window has a nice view
of a small lake. Just enough distraction
without being overwhelming.
Are you a typewriter, Mac, or PC person?
I’m a PC person. They’ll have to pry my Dell laptop out of my
cold, dead fingers to get me to give it up. I’m terrified of losing my Windows XP for
How many full-length novel manuscripts did you complete before selling?
That’s a complicated question.
Turning
Thirty-Twelve was technically my fifth book, but I was writing it
simultaneously with my sixth book. Turning Thirty-Twelve simply crossed the finish line first. I wrote it for kicks and giggles. After all, it shouldn’t have been
marketable. It’s written in first
person. It borders on “hen lit.” It’s about an atypical heroine. I was thrilled when the first publisher I
submitted to bought it.
Can you give us a quote from one of your best (or worst) rejection letters?
Heavens, yes. I sent an email query to a fairly well-known
agent because she was asking for paranormals. The email came back to me seven minutes later with this message: Not for me. I know agents are very busy people, but it seems to me they should still
use common courtesy.
What would you say is the most valuable writers' training course you've taken?
Actually, it wasn’t a training course that
had the most impact on me. It was the PRO
retreat at the RWA Conference in
What is your reason for writing?
I’m an avid reader, and I’m very loyal to
authors I love. I was thrilled to pick
up a book by one of my “keepers” that was a romance about a married
couple. But as I read it, I got angry. The heroine was supposed to be thirty-nine,
but several times, the author describes her as still looking seventeen. I pitched the book at the wall and sat down
to write a story about a married couple that showed all their foibles and
imperfections. Once I started writing, I
was hopelessly hooked.
What would the heroine of your latest book say if she met you on the street?
“Never be afraid to try something new!”
What would she DO?
Probably knock me on my butt before she
gave me her advice.
What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?
Always hone your craft. Always strive to make your writing better and better. Always write what pleases you, because if you don’t do that, you won’t please your readers, either.
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Still have questions?
If you want to know more about Sandy, visit her website at
www.sandy-james.com.
Author Spotlight Archives:
November 2007 December 2007 January 2008
February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008
July 2008 August 2008 September 2008