Discover The Twisted Oak and a GIVEAWAY

Check out the new book by Sarah Hadley Brook, The Twisted Oak and don't forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host. The tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions and you can find all the tour stops HERE

A moment with the author, Sarah Hadley Brook:

Thanks for stopping by to talk a little about your writing! Let's jump right in. When did you begin writing and why?

Thanks for having me! I started writing stories in elementary school, but looking back, even in first grade I was creating tiny little books for my dolls with “stories” I wrote. They were probably things like “The cat ran” or “The dog jumped”, but in my head I’m sure I thought I was telling a story.

I put writing aside for a few years, but when I was older, I found myself journaling all the time, keeping track of my thoughts and ideas until I realized journaling just wasn’t enough anymore. So I started writing in earnest. I posted some stories online and from there I just kept writing!

Do you have a favorite genre? Is it the same genre you prefer to write?

I could never pick just one genre! I love romance (MM and FM), sci-fi, historical romance, mysteries, erotica, anything about space, politics, ancient cultures, and fantasy.

Do certain themes and ideas tend to capture your writer’s imagination and fascinate you?

The chance at true love always gets me. When I read about a couple that has been married for 60 years, I wonder what their love story was like. Romance is important, but it’s the commitment, the dedication to each other that helped them reach that milestone. So I wonder, how did they meet? Was it love at first sight? In today’s swipe right or left world, are chance meetings still the best way to meet and fall in love? I don’t know, really. But true love, first love, second chances—these always pique my interest and get the ideas rolling!

How do you balance long-term thinking vs. being nimble in today's market?

Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out. I’ve been writing professionally for a few years, but I also have a full-time day job that I’m committed to. Sometimes I feel like I’m torn between two loves. For now, I just keep writing my stories and sending them to a publisher and see if I get accepted. At some point in the future, I’ll need to dedicate more time to writing, because I know, deep down, that’s my true passion. For now, I’m taking one day at a time.

How do you find readers in today's market?

I am still learning about marketing, but I’ve found social media to be a huge help. Of course, the publisher helps as well, by promoting my books. I think when I’m not trying to work another job while still writing, I’ll have more time to dedicate to marketing. I’ve learned a lot from other authors, though. I’ve found that most authors are welcoming and want to help you succeed. Book review sites/blogs are amazing, too and when they share your book, that information is likely going out to a lot of people who have never heard your name. It’s kind of like we’re all in it together, all pulling for each other.

Do you come up with the hook first, or do you create characters first and then dig through until you find a hook?

I do both! Sometimes a character pops into my head and I end up at my laptop, furiously writing down everything about them before I forget. Then I wait until I have a story that would work with that character. I have a file full of “Possible characters”.

But, I also come up with the storyline first and then work on the characters, especially if a publisher has a themed call out to writers. Those are fun because sometimes I’ll come across a theme that is outside the box for me and it energizes me.

How do you create your characters?

As I said, sometimes character ideas come to me and I keep them in a file until I find the right story for them. Other times, I need to build characters as I am writing. One of the first things I do when creating characters is create a Pinterest board—and then I go crazy pinning pictures of people, clothing, animals, anything I feel represents the character. Once I begin writing and getting to know my character even better, I weed out the pins that I don’t think fit any longer.

I am a very visual person, so Pinterest boards are incredibly helpful to me.

What's on the top of your TBR pile right now?

The next book on my TBR list is Outside the Wire, by Jason Kander.

Tell me a little about the characters in The Twisted Oak.

Wade Dwyer lives on a ranch with this two brothers. He’s smart, quiet, slightly introverted, and has dreams he hasn’t shared with anyone. He’s loyal to his family, even when the death of his hateful father leaves him in a terrible situation. He’s also been in love with his brother’s best friend, Lance Matthews, since he was a teenager. After an awkward incident, Wade has avoided Lance for years.

Lance Matthews practically grew up at the Dwyer Ranch. His best friend is Casey Dwyer, Wade’s older brother. Lance became a lawyer and came back home to practice law. He’s determined to help Wade out of the mess his father left him in—and not just because he’s in love with Wade. At least, that’s what he keeps telling himself.

Where’s the story set? How much influence did the setting have on the atmosphere/characters/development of the story?

The Twisted Oak is set in the fictional town of Ruby, Wyoming, a small town surrounded by ranches and farms. Everyone knows everyone and keeping something hidden is just not a possibility. The classic Main Street of an older town, with small businesses and local boutiques lining the sidewalks, make up the downtown.

The setting definitely influenced the way the story unfolded. It was important to keep the characters close, even when angry, so they were still carrying that small town loyalty within them. In Ruby, people stuck together and when the Dwyers faced adversity, the town was behind them.

If you had to write your memoir in five words, what would you write?

She helped make a difference.

How often does your muse distract you from day to day minutiae?

More often than I should allow it! It happens all the time when I’m at the day job, making it very hard to concentrate. It’s less distracting at home, but even then I’m pulled from whatever I’m doing to write. The need to create is strong!

What do readers have to look forward to in the future from you?

Right now, I’m working on the sequel to The Twisted Oak, a new romance that takes place in Ruby, Wyoming and also continues the original storyline.

GENRE: LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance

Wade Dwyer's life is turned upside down when his father dies and he learns he must marry or he and his siblings will lose the ranch. One last jab of the knife from his father. On top of that, his father's only friend knows about the stipulation and is determined to own the property by any means necessary.

He's facing the very real possibility of being the reason his family loses their home when his brother's best friend, Lance Matthews, offers to walk down the aisle with him. A faux marriage to the man he's loved for years is a torture he isn't sure he can endure.

Can he keep the ranch ... and the man of his dreams, too?

Excerpt One:

Over an hour later, covered in dirt and grime and smelling like cattle, Wade walked through the back door into the kitchen and was immediately met by a furious Allyson.

“What the hell? Do you know people are already arriving? The wedding starts in fifteen minutes, Wade.” She stood in his way, her hand on her waist. Her purple dress clung to her small frame, ending just above her knees, and Wade couldn’t help think that Casey was a lucky man. Allyson was beautiful in a wholesome, girl-next-door kind of way. Her auburn hair, more red than orange, hung down in ringlets around her shoulders. Her cornflower blue eyes sparked with anger as he met her gaze and he wanted to take a step back, but refused to cower to someone standing barely over five feet.

“Well?”

He lost the battle and took that step back. It didn’t matter. She took a step forward.

“Cattle got out. I texted,” he explained, his eyes flitting around the kitchen. Something smelled really good, like apples and cinnamon, and his stomach rumbled. He was starving.

“Lance and Casey have already brought everything over from Lance’s and they’ve dressed for the wedding,” she accused, pointing a finger at him. “You know you could have let Charlie handle this.”

His hackles up, he straightened and looked her in the eye. “He’s got some people fixing the fence right now, but no, I needed to handle this. Milton Randle tried to steal some of our cattle. A Dwyer needed to be there.”

Her shoulders sagged a little and she let out a huff. “Fine, but you owe Lance an apology. He thinks you don’t want to do this.”

Wade stared at her. “It’s a fake wedding. Of course I don’t want to do this.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line and looked at him hard. “Go get ready, Wade. And you better think about what you just said. This man is uprooting his life to ensure you and your brothers can keep your land. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never known anyone that kind. Have you?”

No. Definitely not. Properly chagrined, he nodded. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am.”

Wade smiled. She may not be married to his brother yet, but she was already part of the family.

“What?” she asked, obviously not quite ready to let go of the mad.

“Casey’s lucky.”

She blushed and shook her hair. “Right again. Now go get ready. You’ve got maybe ten minutes, tops. Your suit is laid out in Casey’s room. Use his shower—your room is a mess with the move right now. I’ll stall for as long as I can, but you make sure you look and smell good when you come downstairs.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied and watched her turn on her heels and leave the kitchen, mumbling something under her breath—something that sounded suspiciously like “idiot,” but he didn’t have time to dwell. He took the back stairs two at a time.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sarah Hadley Brook lives smack-dab in the middle of the Heartland and is the mother of two wonderful young men, as well as two cats. During the day, she works in the non-profit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures up in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. In her ideal world, Christmas would come at least twice a year, Rock Hudson and Doris Day would have co-starred in more than three movies, and chocolate would be a daily necessity to live. She dreams of traveling to Scotland some day and visiting the places her ancestors lived. Sarah believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.

Website: www.sarahhadleybrookwrites.com

Email: contact@sarahhadleybrookwrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahhadleybrook

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SHadleyBrook/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SarahHadleyBrook

Instagram: @sarah_hadley_brook_author

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/?s=sarah+hadley+brook&search_type=book_search

GIVEAWAY

Sarah Hadley Brook will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

a Rafflecopter giveaway