Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Sarah Ballance to the blog. We are chatting about life, kids (and she has lots 6!!!) and her new book Tide of Lies. So lets get started.
Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Hi, and thanks so much for having me! I’m a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom to six children ages 13, 11, 8, 6, 4, and 23 months. That aside, I don’t have a “real job” so I get to say I’m a full time author, LOL. My husband and I live within minutes of the beach and spend as much time on a boat as possible (although it’s not nearly enough!)
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
No. In fact, I specifically did NOT want to be an author. It wasn’t until after my first book was published (purely a dare and a whim, lol) that I discovered romantic suspense and realized I’d found my calling.
Q3) What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I wouldn’t dare call any of my quirks interesting, LOL. The quirkiest, perhaps, is my tendency to listen to the same CD over and over and over. For the first couple of years, I wrote to Miranda Lambert’s Kerosene. Now I’m listening to Jason Aldean’s Wide Open. It’s like my brain is programmed to write as soon as I hear those first notes. It’s pretty awesome!
Q4) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
TIDE OF LIES is a contemporary romantic suspense about an old flame, a shocking secret, and a devastating betrayal. When an ex-love reappears in my hero’s life, a chain reaction is set off involving a cold case, a recent crime spree, and this woman he can’t seem to let go. But she’s only the beginning, and the end isn’t one any of them saw coming.
Q5) How did you come with the idea for this story?
I had to write a novella using the “Timeless Desire” theme for a blog tour, but my plot refused to stick to the 10k word count limit so I added a twist at the end of the first story, FAMILIAR LIGHT, so it leads into TIDE OF LIES. As for the plot itself, I had to sit down with my husband—who doesn’t read romance but rocks at plotting—to figure out how to tie the books together while leaving them as standalone titles. I dare say we pulled it off, but it all started with the blog tour prompt.
Q6) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
LAST CALL is a contemporary romantic suspense that will be out soon. Here’s the blurb:
An accidental witness to a murder-for-hire, ex-cop Rhys Clark becomes the target of ruthless killer—one determined to silence her at any cost. Playing dead seems to be the most likely way to stay alive, but when her protection comes in the form of mega-sexy former adversary Nick Massey, Rhys can think of a few fates worse than death.
Nick Massey may have walked away from his troubles, but he never got past wanting Rhys. Once paired undercover, they’d been nothing but fireworks until a botched assignment ended her career, sending his into a tailspin. Now a mysterious client is willing to pay Nick anything to keep Rhys safe, but it isn’t until fate takes a critical turn that he realizes the devastating truth: he’s been her greatest threat all along.
I’m also working on a free read called STAY THE NIGHT. ;c)
Q7) Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
Aside of the couple of authors I already have plans to meet, I have to say Rosalie Stanton tops my wish list. She’s an awesome person, an unfailing friend, and the extent to which she’s helped my writing career is immeasurable.
Q8) What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Find someone who will be honest with you about your work. As authors, we never stop improving (or we never should, that is) and the best thing you can do for yourself is find someone who will point out your weaknesses so you can improve upon them. A cheerleader is great, but endless enthusiastic praise is not how you become a better writer.
Q9) Can you share with us something off your bucket list.
My husband and I bought a boat last year—one we thought we were years and years away from owning—and one thing we really want to do is travel on it. (When the kids get a little bigger, you just might find me somewhere in the Florida Keys with my laptop, a cold drink, and my hubby there for inspiration.) We wanted to travel the Great Loop (a 5,500-7,000 mile voyage up the East coast, west, and down the Mississippi), but our boat is actually a bit too big to make that particular trip—we need more water to float than some of the passages can afford. *shakes head*
Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I am dying to see Melissa MacKinnon’s debut, RETURN TO ME, with a buy link next to it. The story is amazing, and Melissa is a phenomenal author.
Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
I offer a weekly gift card giveaway on my blog, and all email subscribers are automatically entered. Subscribers are also among the first to find out about the many other giveaways offered by myself and my guests, so it’s a definite win-win situation. *grins* I hope some of our readers will consider joining me. Full details are available at http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/weekly-giveaways/
TIDE OF LIES
A devastating secret. A shocking betrayal. A deadly obsession.
Haunted by three unsolved murders, Detective Holden Whitlow is stunned when his cold case takes a heated turn. Julia Cohen, his ex-lover, is back in town, and in the face of a brutal attack she’s ready to run. No matter how tightly she holds her secrets, for Holden, turning away from the woman he’s spent a decade trying to forget isn’t any more an option than walking away from his job . . .even when it threatens to cost Julia her life.
Julia is still reeling from a past she can’t bear to face. When she becomes the target of a killer, fate throws her back into Holden’s arms, but she’s yet to recover from a truth that has stripped her of everything—and everyone—she loves. Will she tell him the secret that will destroy him, or will her lie destroy them both?
BUY LINKS
SARAH BALLANCE | about the author
Sarah and her husband of almost fifteen what he calls “long, long” years live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She often jokes that she writes to be around people who will listen to her, but her characters aren’t much better than her kids. Fortunately, her husband is quite supportive of her writing career, having generously offered to help her research “the good parts” . . . and she’s never had to ask twice.
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Thanks for having me today! It's great to be here. ;c)
Wow how can you say you have no job when you are homeschooling and taking care of 6 kids? Amazing that you have even time left for yourself and writing. I take of my hat for you!
Good luck with the new book, it sounds very good.
LOL! I say it with tongue firmly in cheek. *grins* Most of my writing time is after dinner when my hubby takes over everything, wherever I left it, so I can dive into my WIP. He ROCKS!
Thanks so much for your well wishes!
Wow! You have your hands full with six kids…lol….and I'd say that you are definitely a full time educator though you aren't teaching in the traditional location (a school building), a full time mom and a full time wife ….all on top of being an author. I'm curious as to how you keep your energy levels up…I'm pretty much wiped out after a full day in the office and go home and crash! Good luck with your upcoming releases!
Sarah, I am such a huge fan of your work. Like the other commentors, I just have no idea how in the world you juggle everything and still have the ability to write amazing books.
Wow! It sounds good >.<
I love that she has a boat >.<
Thanks for the interview!
Maria, you're so sweet! Thank you for your kind words. As for energy, well, I sleep late. I don't have to deal with an alarm clock (and the kids don't either) so there's no dragging ourselves out of bed in the morning, and no strict routines. As long as they do their school work, I'm pretty flexible. Gotta say, it rocks! *grin* Thanks so much for the good luck vibes. I'll take 'em! ;c)
*sniffles* Thank you so much, Sandy. What an amazing compliment!
LOL! Thank you for the comment, Alba!
Hi, Sarah! Enjoyed the interview 'cause I find out a little bit more about you each time – so much fun. I love your sense of humor. You know I love Tide of Lies and I'm looking forward to Last Call and Stay the Night. Wish you continued success!
Karen, it's so exciting to see you again! Thanks so much for your vote of confidence and well wishes. ;c)
We WILL meet someday, Sarah! I promise! *glomps*