Sunday, July 7, 2013

Welcome author Sarah Cass today

Please give a warm welcome to author Sarah Cass, who sat down with me and answered these burning questions.

To get us started can you tell us a little about what you are working on or have coming out?
I think it would be best to ask what I’m not working on. I have so many irons in the fire right now, it’s hard to keep track.  I’ll try to narrow it down,
1.      I’m waiting on edits for book 3 in this series to come in – release date is in September.  Book 3 will wrap up the original trilogy and answer the mysteries of books 1&2. I have 2-3 more books (in progress) that I’ll be reaching for a 2014 release, that give my MC’s new mysteries to deal with.
2.      I have 2 separate shorter stories I’m working on for self-pub.
3.      My first ever straight contemporary story will be out for Christmas. After I submitted it, I realized after I submitted it that it was a series, and with any luck, I’ll follow that up with releases for New Years, Valentine’s, Independence Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. So, fingers crossed!
4.      Beyond those, there are about 10 other books in various stages of completion, from just plotting to actual words on the page. Like I said, I can’t keep track.


If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Oooh, that’s a tough one.  I’d love to live in Colorado in the mountains…or in the beautiful country of Germany…or right here where I am. It took me a while, but I’m sort of falling in love with Indiana…but…

If money was no object and I could live anywhere, I think NYC would call my name.

Are your characters able to love or do they need to be taught?
In 85% of the cases, in my books, they need to be taught.  They’re capable, but I write damaged and flawed characters.  Sometimes it takes them some time to figure out that the feeling they’re feeling is love, and they deserve it.

When you begin your stories, do you go with the flow, or go with an outline?
I do things a little oddly backwards.

For my longer, full-length stories (especially with series), I just go with the flow. I get my basic idea and I just let it right. Write it out in a rough first draft that I can fix later. 

With my shorter stories, anything 50k and under, I require some plotting.  A good general idea of where the story is going helps me keep with my word count goals.

Anything under 10k? I outline. After all, with how lengthy my outline would be, it would be like a first draft. lol

Is it hard coming up with titles or characters names?
Sometimes it’s impossible.  I’ve had to call in the cavalry of title-makers I have around me to help me come up with some clever names.  Sometimes, the titles just work for me and snap into place.

Characters are usually easier.  Surnames are hard, but most characters are pretty open about their names.

If you were to replenish your cabinets with one junk food, what would it be?
White Chocolate Kit Kats. Hands down. Yum.

What makes your characters so vulnerable yet strong? Can you describe them to us? What do you do when characters stop talking to you when writing?
My characters are often damaged by fate. Some in extreme ways by extreme situations, some just by life itself. None of them give up, though.  They all fight for happiness, and strive toward it, even when denying they wanted it all along. 

When my characters stop talking to me?  It’s shower-time…or time for a drive.  For some reason these two activities just get the juices flowing and the characters frisky.



Derailed (Dominion Falls Book 2)

Blurb:
The sins of a past she can’t remember could destroy a present she’ll never forget.
The crimes of her forgotten past threaten the very life Jane Doe has learned to cherish.

Jane is out of time. With a warrant on her head, a maniac out for her blood, and a secret baby on the way, something has to give.

Without Cole Mitchell's help to find the answers, there may be no hope left.

Cole has nowhere left to hide. He unwittingly let Jane into his heart, and is ready to share the secret of his dark past.

Fate has a way of playing its hand, and tragedy strikes. With the world crumbling around them, it's easy to lose faith. If they can't forgive past sins, they have no hope for the future.

Because the noose waits for no man or woman.
 
Buy Links:
Secret Cravings Website -  http://bit.ly/15aVSjt
Amazon -  http://amzn.to/14Gm6IF

Excerpt:
“Jane.”
She yelped when he grabbed her wrists and yanked her close. Like a startled deer, she froze in place. Then a small gasp of air and she sagged. “I’m sorry. My head. It’s racing. I don’t know what to think.”
“First off, stop worryin’ about Graham. He ain’t sendin’ no telegram.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Sure I do. After Michael broke his nose, he shut up real fast.” Cole laughed when her jaw dropped. When the amusement started to light up her features, it warmed him all the way to his toes. “Yeah. Graham was running his mouth, and Michael beat on him. He got knocked out cold.”
“Michael?” Through her tears, a laugh escaped. “He’s half Graham’s size. Goodness, he’s barely bigger than I am. How did he do that?”
“He said something about five brothers and a mean older sister.”
She shook her head with a sigh. “That is no guarantee, Cole. He could just be biding his time until he has something to get me on. He doesn’t care for me.”
“Let me worry about Graham.” He tugged her close, shoving the papers from his lap. Once she was settled there, he smirked. “Now ya got some stuff here that you gotta go through, and it’s all reading. That should excite ya.”
“You know what, Cole? I’m not excited. The more I learn about myself, the more trouble I seem to be in. I really am at a point where I don’t care anymore.”
“That don’t sound like the Jane I know.”
She snorted. “No one knows me. Not even me.”
“Bull.”
“I’m not in the mood for arguing with you.”
“But arguin’ is what we do second best.”
“Cole.”
He grinned at the small twitch he saw at the corner of her mouth. “And much as I’d love to remind ya what we do best…I don’t think you could handle it right now.”
“Please.”
“Besides, if we got ourselves hurt again because of our…best…Daisy would be awful mad.” He chuckled when she turned away as far as she could to hide her smile. “But that ain’t ever stopped me before.”
She let out a small squeal when his hand slipped under her skirt and along her thigh. Swatting at his hand, she playfully beat at his chest when he leaned in to capture her lips.
Her lips were warm and inviting. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed her touch until she was there. He pulled her close and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. She opened up to him so fast it took his breath away, and he shifted to lay her down on the floor.
She planted her hands on his chest and pushed him back. “Wait.”


BIO:

Sarah Cass’s world is regularly turned upside down by her three special-needs kids and loving mate, so she breaks genre barriers, dabbling in horror, straight fiction, and urban fantasy. An ADD tendency leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day, knowing the battles are her crucible and though she may emerge scarred, she’s also stronger. Changing Tracks is her debut novel, but she’s already ahead of the game with another novel set for release in April. While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog, Redefining Perfect, which gives a real and sometimes raw glimpses into her life and art. 

Where to find me:
Redefining Perfect – http://redefiningperfect.com
Sarah’s StoryLines – http://authorsarahcass.com


Changing Tracks (Dominion Falls Series Book 1)

There’s nothing simple about forgetting your past.

Cole Mitchell runs the busiest saloon and brothel in Dominion Falls. He keeps his women at a distance, unwilling to relive a past he worked hard to forget.

Until the night Jane Doe falls into his saloon bleeding and near death.  She wakes with no memory, only the firm belief someone tried to kill her. In the strange world of amnesia she manages to find solace in Cole’s arms and he finds home in hers.

While they work together to solve the mystery of her appearance, their pasts – her lack of, and his buried – build a barrier between them.

To make matters worse, Jane’s past isn’t willing to let her go. A stranger proves he’ll kill to keep his secrets safe. With those she loves in danger, Jane’s errant memory is all that stands between them and death.  Cole can only do so much to protect her, will it be enough?
Buy Links:
Secret Cravings Website -  http://bit.ly/14XQPTl
Barnes & Noble -  http://bit.ly/XcTs0R
All Romance Ebooks -  http://bit.ly/WJxSiA
Bookstrand - http://bit.ly/12dl2PB


1 comment:

Naomi Shaw said...

Great excerpt. I've put the book on my tbr list. Good interview too

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