An Author Interview with Sherri Sand & Giveaway

I welcome author Sherri Sand to my Authors-Helping-Writers Interview segment this week. Sherri’s debut novel Leave it to Chance was released this month and although I just received it two days ago, I can tell you I’m thoroughly enjoying this high-spirited story. I just don’t read fast enough, but then again, I don’t want it to end, either.

Sherri writes women’s fiction novels with a strong romantic element. I’m hosting a giveaway of Sherri’s Leave it to Chance this week, so be sure to drop a pertinent comment in this posting with an augmented e-mail address to be entered into the drawing. You won’t want to miss a chance at winning this wonderful story.

Okay, on with the interview:

Sherri, do have any hobbies?

Sherri Sand: My four kids are seven to eleven years old (including a set of almost ten-year-old twins) so running is a wonderful way to get out of the house and get those endorphins flowing. I also love racquetball. At this point there isn’t a whole lot of time left over for just “me.” I do occasionally padlock the bathroom door and take a bubble bath with a book surrounded by lots of chocolate.

Where can we learn more about you?

Sherri Sand: I blog on mommy and faith issues at http://www.sherrisand.blogspot.com/.

Tell us, Sherri, what was it like to receive the “acceptance call”?

Sherri Sand: Elated would be an understatement when I received the call that David C. Cook had offered a contract. It was a wonderful culmination of all the years of laboring and hoping. I floated around the house for a few months until it came time to edit. That’s when the real work began.

What inspired you to take up fiction writing? Or, who inspired you and what did they say or do to help you get started?

Sherri Sand: Growing up, my family loved each other but didn’t know how to function or relate as a family very well. Reading was my great escape from the tension I felt. I can even remember taking a flashlight in the car with me so I could read if it got dark before we arrived home. So writing sort of slipped into my being from all those years of absorbing other people’s stories. It always tickled the back of my mind, but it wasn’t until I was on bed rest with our twins that I actually started on this journey.

Is there something unique or special about you or how you write that you would like to tell us about?

Sherri Sand: In the beginning I wrote long hand. The story seemed to flow from my mind through my pen in an effortless way I couldn’t seem to duplicate with the keyboard. After writing an entire novel that way (with fingers cramping), I resolved to learn to write at a computer. Leave it to Chance resulted from that effort. Keyboarding is natural for me now, though if I do get stuck on a certain passage, I’ll grab my notebook and work through the issue in long hand.

How long did you concentrate on learning the craft of fiction writing before you received your initial offer?

Sherri Sand: I came across The Complete Guide to Writing and Selling the Christian Novel, by Penelope Stokes years ago and completely devoured it. Her book gave me the confidence to pursue publication. There are some excellent books on writing out there, but I think I’ve learned primarily through reading fiction.

How many novels did you have completed before your first sale? Do you intend to try selling all of them? Why, or why not?

Sherri Sand: I completed one novel before Leave it to Chance, and submitted it to just a handful of places. One agent and one publishing house requested the full manuscript before they declined it. At that point, I didn’t understand how many rejections come before a contract, so I assumed it wasn’t good enough and shelved it. I’ve considered dusting it off and letting my agent send it out, but I’ve learned so much since I first jotted it into a notebook that it would need to be rewritten to make it publishable.

What is a typical writing day for you?

Sherri Sand: I think I’m pretty typical. I shoot for 1000 words a day, and being the perfectionist that I am, I’ll get in those last hundred words even if it’s midnight.

As a fairly new author, how important do you feel agent representation is in this industry for first sales?

Sherri Sand: I think it’s very important. Although it seems to be just as difficult to get an agent as it is to get published. A writer certainly doesn’t need an agent to get published, but it is a wonderful thing to have someone who is an advocate for you and who understands the industry.

How do feel your agent benefits your writing career?

Sherri Sand: My agent is proactive with my career and he and his wife actually came up with the idea for a series that we are developing.

Do you have any further direction or thoughts that you care to share with weary authors-in-training?

Sherri Sand: I think the most important aspect of writing is pursuing a relationship with Jesus. It’s critical to know the path he has for you and His call on your life. Rejections don’t hurt as much and acclaim doesn’t take your emotions for a ride. I find that I’m much more restful in the “now” when I’m listening to His voice.


Sherri, thanks so much for sharing aspects of your road to publication with us. I pray for much success in your writing career and that your stories will touch many souls.

Here’s a peak at Sherri Sand’s debut novel that is on the shelves for your enjoyment:

Leave it to Chance
Women’s fiction (with strong romance)
May 2008
ISBN-10: 1434799883
To purchase a copy from Amazon click here.

From the Back Cover
Single mom of three, Sierra Montgomery is desperate to find a new job to keep from having to move back home and be smothered to death by her mother's good intentions and overbearing love. So when Sierra inherits Chance, a quirky old gelding she doesn't have a clue what to do with, she thinks her best bet may be to sell the horse to cover another month's rent--a decision that devastates her children.
Enter Ross Morgan, a handsome landscaper who just happens to have an empty barn and fenced pasture... perfect for an old horse to live out his days as the pet of three wounded kids. Ross develops a soft spot for eldest child Braden...and he just might have one for Braden's mother. But what he doesn't have is time for distractions--he's got a landscaping business to run and nursery plants to tend.
But there's just one problem. Sierra's terrified of horses and--thanks to her past--wary of attractive men. Yet seeing the way her angry son idolizes Ross and adores that old horse forces Sierra to confront her fears. Will she remain distrustful and self-reliant, or will she seek help from God and those who love her?

To learn more about Sherri, please visit her website and her blog tour spot page that lists all her visits with quick links.

Giveaway:

Remember to leave a comment in this posting with an augmented e-mail address to be entered into the drawing to win a copy of Leave it to Chance by Sherri Sand. The draw will take place Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 9:00 pm Eastern time.


June 5th update: The lucky winner is Carole! Congratulations!

Blessings and Good luck to everyone!

Eileen