Interview with Author Sandra D. Bricker and Giveaway!
I was so excited when Sandra stopped by my blog a few weeks ago and offered to do a blog interview and book giveaway on MY blog! This was my very first "famous author" interview and I was honored to "meet" her and hope you get to know a little bit more about her and her wonderful books too! Be sure to read all the way through to see how you can be entered to win a signed copy of Sandra's newest release from Summerside Press, Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida!
Thank you Ms. Bricker for the wonderful interview and the generous offering of your book to one lucky reader!
Sandra D. Bricker
BIO: Sandra D. Bricker has been publishing in both the Christian and general market for years with novels for women and teens, magazine articles and short stories. With 8 novels in print and 5 more slated for publication through 2010, Sandie has carved out a niche for herself as an author of laugh-out-loud comedy for the inspirational market. Sandie was an entertainment publicist in Hollywood for 15+ years for some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she left Los Angeles to provide care … and begin her writing career!
RECOGNITION:
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the inspirational category of The Write Touch Readers' Awards.
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the inspirational category of The National Readers' Choice Awards.
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest.
RC: For those of my readers who don't already know, please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started writing.
SB: Well, I'm a goofball, which is why I write comedy. I work a day job as an editor in Corporate America. And I've wanted to be a writer ever since I can remember. I went to film school first in hopes of becoming a screenwriter. Then a few years later, my mom became ill in Florida, and I left Los Angeles to provide care for her. That's when I started writing novels, and she was able to hold my first romantic comedy in her hands and read it just a few months before she passed away.
RC: What was the hardest part of becoming a published author?
SB: Back then, I was “too secular” for the current Christian market, and “too Christian” for the general market. By the grace of God, I found Avalon Books, and they published right down the middle of the road with sweet romance so that I was able to get started. And then Summerside finally opened the door to inspirational.
RC: Is there a certain place you need to be to write or can you just get on the laptop or get out the journal and write anywhere?
SB: I have an office, and I usually do my more technical writing there, like synopses and chapter outlines. But when I want to just really get down into it, I take my laptop to my prayer place in my bedroom, pile pillows behind me, prop up my feet and go for the gusto. It's become my favorite spot for finding my creative flow.
RC: What are your current works in progress?
SB: I'm just putting the finishing touches on my second novel for Abingdon Press, Always the Baker, Never the Bride. It's a comedy (of course) about a baker who is diabetic and can't indulge in her own creations. I'll be sorry to say good-bye to these characters, but I'm really looking forward to putting daily thoughts of cakes and pastries behind me!
RC: Tell us a little bit about your latest release, Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida.
SB: When Summerside came calling and asked me to write Holiday as my follow-up book to Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas, I jumped at the chance because I live about 30 minutes from Holiday, Florida. Unfortunately, when I went to explore the little town, I discovered that there isn't much to it. I said a little prayer asking the Lord to help me find something to inspire me, and when I drove around the next corner, two elderly women in neon spandex with fanny packs were power-walking down the middle of the street in front of my car. Then I glanced over at one of the houses on that street, and I saw two plastic flamingos in the yard. That was the answer to my prayer, and I was inspired! Holiday is filled with quirky characters, including a couple of elderly women with fanny packs!, and two neon pink flamingos are right there on the cover.
RC: Who has been the most fun character for you to write?
SB: That's really hard to say because I love my characters so much. Lucy in Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas was all of the clumsy, goofy parts of me, and I adored her. Cassie in Holiday has that fish-out-of-water quality that became a part of me when I moved to Florida. Liv in The Big 5-OH! survived cancer, just like I did, and then found a way to embrace life again. And then, now that I've gotten to know Emma Rae from Always the Baker, Never the Bride, I think she has become my new favorite. I identify with her on so many levels, and I wish I could be more like her.
RC: Would you ever consider writing a historical fiction novel? I'll have to admit that historicals are my favorite...so I had to ask this :-P
SB: I've tried a few times, but me and historical … not so much! I'm a very contemporary girl, and the historical thing just doesn't flow for me. Sorry! (RC: I'm not at all sad about this since your contemporaries are so good, Sandra)!
RC: If you could use 3 words to describe your novels what would they be?
SB: Funny would have to be first. Quirky, because most of my characters are a little offbeat. And I think Unexpected because people usually tell me that they hadn't anticipated the tug at their heartstrings with a comedy. I like that. Unexpected is a very good thing for a writer to be called, don't you think? (RC: Definitely!)
RC: What do you love to do besides write?
SB: I'm a bit of an armchair animal activist, so I love animals of all kinds, especially dogs. I spend a lot of time with my Collie, Sophie (who is also a real character in Holiday!). I enjoy scrapbooking and painting pottery and ceramics. I also enjoy graphic design, like creating brochures, flyers and the like for myself and my writer buds. I think my creative genes are on steroids.
RC: What do you hope your readers take away after reading your books?
SB: The best thing I can hope for when someone reads my books is that, while they were laughing (because the scriptures say that a merry heart is like medicine!), they came across something that inspired them to change and draw closer to God. If they don't get that, then I'm not doing my job.
RC: And finally, I'm a car enthusiast so I have to ask this, what's your dream car/truck/SUV?
SB: Oh, I wish I could give you some impressive answer, but I don't know much about cars. I liked the old Jaguar, but not this new one. And a convertible PT Cruiser almost always turns my head on the freeway, but I'm not sure I'd own one. All I really care about is that it runs and there's a big enough back seat for my dog to be comfortable. (RC: Hahaha...back seat?! My collie tries to drive! She needs to learn some manners from Sophie!)
Wasn't that a fun interview?! Sandra is so sweet! It's no wonder her books are so enjoyable! For more info on Sandra and her books visit her:
Website: www.SandraDBricker.com.
Personal blog - http://sandradbricker.blogspot.com
Group blog - http://bestilldevos.blogspot.com
Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida:
Bostonian Cassie Constantine is only in Florida long enough to use her Christmas break to get the vacation house that she's always despised ready for the real estate market. But her widow
status is like a target on her back, and the elderly matchmakers around town manage to sidetrack her mission at every turn. Holiday is a land mine of golf tournaments, ballroom dancing competitions, shuffleboard and day trips. But the biggest obstacle of all? Nope, not Sophie the crazy Collie. It's Richard Dillon, the stuffed shirt she's paired with on the dance floor. He makes her heartbeat tap faster than the rhythm of The Quickstep.
Now for some more fun! If you would like to win a SIGNED copy of Sandra's book, Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida all you have to do is leave a comment!
~Sorry no extra entries in this contest, only one entry per person please.
~You MUST leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you for your mailing address if you win!
~U.S. residents only please!
~Contest open until November 15, 2009 at 11:59PM EST.
~One winner will be chosen, their name posted on this blog, and they will be notified by email on November 16th and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.
Thank you Ms. Bricker for the wonderful interview and the generous offering of your book to one lucky reader!
Sandra D. Bricker
BIO: Sandra D. Bricker has been publishing in both the Christian and general market for years with novels for women and teens, magazine articles and short stories. With 8 novels in print and 5 more slated for publication through 2010, Sandie has carved out a niche for herself as an author of laugh-out-loud comedy for the inspirational market. Sandie was an entertainment publicist in Hollywood for 15+ years for some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she left Los Angeles to provide care … and begin her writing career!
RECOGNITION:
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the inspirational category of The Write Touch Readers' Awards.
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the inspirational category of The National Readers' Choice Awards.
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas is a 2009 finalist in the Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest.
Without further ado here's Sandra!!!!
RC: For those of my readers who don't already know, please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started writing.
SB: Well, I'm a goofball, which is why I write comedy. I work a day job as an editor in Corporate America. And I've wanted to be a writer ever since I can remember. I went to film school first in hopes of becoming a screenwriter. Then a few years later, my mom became ill in Florida, and I left Los Angeles to provide care for her. That's when I started writing novels, and she was able to hold my first romantic comedy in her hands and read it just a few months before she passed away.
RC: What was the hardest part of becoming a published author?
SB: Back then, I was “too secular” for the current Christian market, and “too Christian” for the general market. By the grace of God, I found Avalon Books, and they published right down the middle of the road with sweet romance so that I was able to get started. And then Summerside finally opened the door to inspirational.
RC: Is there a certain place you need to be to write or can you just get on the laptop or get out the journal and write anywhere?
SB: I have an office, and I usually do my more technical writing there, like synopses and chapter outlines. But when I want to just really get down into it, I take my laptop to my prayer place in my bedroom, pile pillows behind me, prop up my feet and go for the gusto. It's become my favorite spot for finding my creative flow.
RC: What are your current works in progress?
SB: I'm just putting the finishing touches on my second novel for Abingdon Press, Always the Baker, Never the Bride. It's a comedy (of course) about a baker who is diabetic and can't indulge in her own creations. I'll be sorry to say good-bye to these characters, but I'm really looking forward to putting daily thoughts of cakes and pastries behind me!
RC: Tell us a little bit about your latest release, Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida.
SB: When Summerside came calling and asked me to write Holiday as my follow-up book to Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas, I jumped at the chance because I live about 30 minutes from Holiday, Florida. Unfortunately, when I went to explore the little town, I discovered that there isn't much to it. I said a little prayer asking the Lord to help me find something to inspire me, and when I drove around the next corner, two elderly women in neon spandex with fanny packs were power-walking down the middle of the street in front of my car. Then I glanced over at one of the houses on that street, and I saw two plastic flamingos in the yard. That was the answer to my prayer, and I was inspired! Holiday is filled with quirky characters, including a couple of elderly women with fanny packs!, and two neon pink flamingos are right there on the cover.
RC: Who has been the most fun character for you to write?
SB: That's really hard to say because I love my characters so much. Lucy in Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas was all of the clumsy, goofy parts of me, and I adored her. Cassie in Holiday has that fish-out-of-water quality that became a part of me when I moved to Florida. Liv in The Big 5-OH! survived cancer, just like I did, and then found a way to embrace life again. And then, now that I've gotten to know Emma Rae from Always the Baker, Never the Bride, I think she has become my new favorite. I identify with her on so many levels, and I wish I could be more like her.
RC: Would you ever consider writing a historical fiction novel? I'll have to admit that historicals are my favorite...so I had to ask this :-P
SB: I've tried a few times, but me and historical … not so much! I'm a very contemporary girl, and the historical thing just doesn't flow for me. Sorry! (RC: I'm not at all sad about this since your contemporaries are so good, Sandra)!
RC: If you could use 3 words to describe your novels what would they be?
SB: Funny would have to be first. Quirky, because most of my characters are a little offbeat. And I think Unexpected because people usually tell me that they hadn't anticipated the tug at their heartstrings with a comedy. I like that. Unexpected is a very good thing for a writer to be called, don't you think? (RC: Definitely!)
RC: What do you love to do besides write?
SB: I'm a bit of an armchair animal activist, so I love animals of all kinds, especially dogs. I spend a lot of time with my Collie, Sophie (who is also a real character in Holiday!). I enjoy scrapbooking and painting pottery and ceramics. I also enjoy graphic design, like creating brochures, flyers and the like for myself and my writer buds. I think my creative genes are on steroids.
RC: What do you hope your readers take away after reading your books?
SB: The best thing I can hope for when someone reads my books is that, while they were laughing (because the scriptures say that a merry heart is like medicine!), they came across something that inspired them to change and draw closer to God. If they don't get that, then I'm not doing my job.
RC: And finally, I'm a car enthusiast so I have to ask this, what's your dream car/truck/SUV?
SB: Oh, I wish I could give you some impressive answer, but I don't know much about cars. I liked the old Jaguar, but not this new one. And a convertible PT Cruiser almost always turns my head on the freeway, but I'm not sure I'd own one. All I really care about is that it runs and there's a big enough back seat for my dog to be comfortable. (RC: Hahaha...back seat?! My collie tries to drive! She needs to learn some manners from Sophie!)
Wasn't that a fun interview?! Sandra is so sweet! It's no wonder her books are so enjoyable! For more info on Sandra and her books visit her:
Website: www.SandraDBricker.com.
Personal blog - http://sandradbricker.blogspot.com
Group blog - http://bestilldevos.blogspot.com
Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida:
Bostonian Cassie Constantine is only in Florida long enough to use her Christmas break to get the vacation house that she's always despised ready for the real estate market. But her widow
status is like a target on her back, and the elderly matchmakers around town manage to sidetrack her mission at every turn. Holiday is a land mine of golf tournaments, ballroom dancing competitions, shuffleboard and day trips. But the biggest obstacle of all? Nope, not Sophie the crazy Collie. It's Richard Dillon, the stuffed shirt she's paired with on the dance floor. He makes her heartbeat tap faster than the rhythm of The Quickstep.
Now for some more fun! If you would like to win a SIGNED copy of Sandra's book, Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida all you have to do is leave a comment!
~Sorry no extra entries in this contest, only one entry per person please.
~You MUST leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you for your mailing address if you win!
~U.S. residents only please!
~Contest open until November 15, 2009 at 11:59PM EST.
~One winner will be chosen, their name posted on this blog, and they will be notified by email on November 16th and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.
Hi, Ladies! Sandra, you sound like you are very much at home in your writing genre. Fun, quirky, and unexpected sounds great! You are not only surviving, but you are thriving! Congratulations.
ReplyDeletegcwhiskas at aol dot com
What a fun interview! I don't think I've read anything of Sandra's, but I'll definitely keep an eye out - sounds like her books would be right up my alley.
ReplyDeleterachel85137[at]gmail.com
Great interview! Please sign me up.
ReplyDeletesundaisy920 at gmail dot com
Thank you! :)
ahhh i REALLY want this book! please enter me! my email address is in my blog profile. thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win this book!
ReplyDeleteSuko95(at)gmail(dot)com
Terrific interview! Very good questions and interesting answers as well. Thanks to you both for this giveaway.
Please enter me! I am a new follower and this book looks great!
ReplyDeleteMollydawn1981 at aol dot com
Oooo! You know I've been wanting this book, so please sign me up! :)
ReplyDeleteSandra is a new author for me, but she sounds like my kinda gal. LOL I think it's great that lots of her characters carry a part of her in them...that should make them really interesting.
Thank you for the great interview, Renee & Sandra, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
~ Lori
sugarandgrits{at}hotmail{dot}com
Great interview! Sounds like a fun book. Please sign me up.
ReplyDeleteleesmithwriting(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thank you all for stopping by and commenting on the interview! It was fun doing it and I hope to do more author interviews in the future! Happy reading!
ReplyDeletexoxo~ Renee
Please enter me in your giveaway!! I would love to read this book:) Have been trying to collect the series. Thanks!! Lori L.
ReplyDeleteblessed6mom[at]yahoo[dot]com
This sounds like an awesome book=) Have it on my wish-list and would very much like to win it. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteesterried[at]yahoo[dot]com
Please enter me in the drawing! This looks like a neat book.
ReplyDeleteonepilgrim86@yahoo.com
This is a comment for Donna K. she contacted me and said for some reason she couldn't leave a comment! Thank you for your interest Donna!
ReplyDeletedjkeoppel(at)yahoo(dot)com
You've got to love those flamingoes. I loved reading how inspiration struck, and would love to read the book.
ReplyDeletesdeeth at msn dot com