Interview
I’m so happy to be here today – thanks for having me! I live on the mid-Atlantic coast with my husband and our six children, ages 3-15. We’re a homeschooling family, which means I spend my days half crazed and wondering when bedtime is. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, though. :) I don’t have a “real” job, but my husband is smart enough to say there’s no way he could deal with what I do all day. Actually, my kids think I have a LOT of jobs, so I must be doing something right, lol.
2) How long have you been writing?
I started writing about four years ago…on a dare.
3) Do you have a favorite place to write?
My absolute favorite place is on our boat at the marina. It’s right off the ocean and utterly peaceful—all the comforts of home but without the steady interference of the never-ending to-do list. I love listening to the birds and the water lapping at the hull, and on holidays we have a great view of the local fireworks from the top deck. It’s the ultimate escape!
4) Why did you decide to write Her Wicked Sin?
OMG, the whole thing was just crazy. I was at Entangled’s Scandalous submissions page—not because I wrote historical, because I never had—but to send the submissions requirements to a friend. While there, I saw they had Salem on their wish list. I’ve always been fascinated by dark history, so I fired off an email to my editor telling her I should totally write a Salem historical. Next thing I knew, I was writing a proposal. Then I blinked and had a contract. I’m STILL shaking my head over it all!
5) Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
It’s a tough choice, but I think Lydia (the heroine) is my favorite. The difficulties she’s faced are actually fairly common for the time, but she took chances and made decisions that make me admire her. She’s strong—much stronger than I can imagine being in her situation—and smart and resourceful.
6) How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
Rebecca is the character I love to hate. I absolutely adored writing her, but she’s one nasty little thing. She lives to stir up trouble, though I suppose Lydia and Henry would have to thank her in the end, for she’s the one who “caught” them, necessitating the lie that brought them together.
7) Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I absolutely LOVE critiques and edits—no way I’d skip that step! I always read over my work before I send it off to someone and I always do a final read after all the fixes have happened, but input from others is invaluable. There’s no way to know how your words look to a reader without, well, bringing in a reader. And my editors, oh, how I love my editors. Saints, all of them!
8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Boating (though writing ON the boat at the marina is amazing), hiking, walking, hanging out at the beach, or—don’t laugh—watching re-runs of The Golden Girls or Mama’s Family. I also love to cook, bake, decorate cakes, and ride around in the car. Traveling is fantastic (though not always feasible, lol), but when the kids are driving me NUTS I just love to throw them in the car and drive. (It’s legal—and required—to strap them down in the car. Doing so in the house is frowned upon. I’m just sayin’…)
9) Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?
I almost have to read before I go to sleep. Since I write at night, if I don’t lose myself in another story, I’ll be up all night thinking of things to add to mine, LOL. My favorite books? I keep a steady supply of Harlequin Intrigues by my bed. I’ve read more than 200 and there have only been a couple I didn’t care for. That said, I don’t even pay attention to who the author is. I just READ.
10) What’s next for the Sins of Salem series?
Readers will find the series isn’t *about* the Salem witch trials, but rather co-exists alongside them. Within the stories readers will see how the threats and hysteria affected everyday decisions of those who experienced them firsthand. In this regard, Her Wicked Sin takes place when the first accusations and arrests occur, and you’ll find the characters don’t really understand the implications of being accused. The second story takes place at the height of the hysteria, where the threat of being accused of witchcraft causes them to make decisions they wouldn’t otherwise have made. The third book represents a time of reflection and healing, wherein love grows from a time of immense sacrifice and forgiveness. The rest of the series should be available from Entangled Scandalous in 2014.
YOU GUYS! I’d like to thank you all for hanging out with me today! If you’d like to check out HER WICKED SIN, you’ll find a smexy excerpt at Entangled and buy links @ Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads. And if you like haunted asylums, my supernatural novella RUBY HILL is now available from Entangled Publishing for just 99 cents. Go scare yourself up a copy!
PS: I'm probably hiking with grizzly bears as you read this, so bear (ha!) with me if I don't respond immediately to your comments. I do look forward to your replies--and I have been promised nightly wifi--so if I'm not mauled, eaten, or otherwise incapacitated, I will SO come back for you! J
Her Wicked Sin by Sarah Ballance
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: 9-9-13
ASIN: B00EMT2D5K
Number of pages: 147
Book Description:
Salem, MA 1692
On a moonless night, he rides into the winter forest on his beast as black as midnight...
Dashing stranger, Henry Dunham, comes to Salem on a mysterious errand, but is thrown from his horse in the dead of night and rescued by the local Puritan midwife, Lydia Colson.
Haunted by her past, Lydia is running from her own dark secrets, avoiding intrusive questions by pretending her dead husband is simply... away. But when she and Henry are caught in a compromising situation, one punishable by Puritan law, he saves her from scandal by claiming to be her errant spouse... and claiming her bed.
Forced to fake a marriage, Lydia and Henry find their passion overwhelming and their vows a little too real. As their lies become truths, a witch hunt closes in on Lydia, threatening not only their burgeoning love, but her life.
Excerpt:
Murder.
Lydia Colson’s nightmare lived and breathed on these moonless nights. When the world was at its darkest, remnants of her haunted past seemed to lurk in every shadow, denying her again and again
the chance to start anew. No matter how justified the actions of her past, the peace she had hoped to find in Salem Village escaped her. It was her burden to bear.
The cruelly twisted body in her path was not.
Though stationary, the sight had crept upon her with silent ease, an aberration on a cold, lonely stretch of road with nothing but the woods to keep company. Lydia purposefully avoided night travels here, but babies did not keep time, and Goody Louder’s child had chosen to make entry in the witching hour. As a physician and midwife, it was Lydia’s purpose to see to the birth, and what a child he was. Healthy and rowdy, the stout babe named John had a roar not to be ignored. The first instance of life never failed to
bring joy, to make Lydia forget. But now an unsavory reminder of her past misdeed rested in the dirt, nearly buried in forest litter.
And he was not alone. A stallion, the same pitch as the night, danced and pawed the earth. Its capsized rider jerked, his long frame shuddering when the hooves clipped his torso. Might he be alive?
“Easy,” Lydia said, fighting for her own control as she edged closer. She placed her hand on the animal’s rump, her fingers tingling alongside the quivering flesh. The contact revealed tightly bunched muscles alongside a tension made visible in the rolling whites of the beast’s eyes. “Easy, boy.”
At the more intimate distance, she could see the man’s leg caught in the stirrup and bent unnaturally to his position on the ground. He’d fallen from his mount. Had he been dragged? What bit of the path visible in the night showed little sign of disturbance, though the wind might easily have stirred the leaves to hide
remnants of a struggle.
A smell of sweat mingled with a distant trace of smoke, hinting danger. The horse snorted and hopped, the strain on the stirrup eliciting a groan from the prone man. Would he lash out from his pain?
Lydia bundled her nerves against the perceived threat and scoffed at her insecurities. This stranger was in no position to cause her harm, but should he try, the mistake would be his.
She had killed before, and she would gather within herself to do it again.
About the Author:
Sarah and her husband of what he calls “many 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 never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids).
When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or seeking that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her.
She loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children. (Really.) Though she adores nail-biting mystery and edge-of-your-seat thrillers, Sarah writes in many genres including contemporary and ghostly paranormal romance.
Her ever-growing roster of releases may be found on Amazon , Barnes & Noble, Kobo, For the Muse Publishing, and coming soon to ENTANGLED PUBLISHING.
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Schedule Her Wicked Sin by Sarah Ballance
Sept 23- Oct 7
September 23 Spotlight and review
Love Saves the World
http://www.lovesavestheworld.com
September 23 review
Nicky Peacock Author
http://nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com/
September 24 Interview
manga maniac café
http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/
September 25 Spotlight
Jody's Book Reviews, Giveaways & Tours
http://www.jodysbookreviews.com
September 26 Spotlight
Sapphyria's Steamy Book Reviews
http://saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com/
September 27 Spotlight and review
Snarky Mom Reads…
http://www.snarkymomreads.com
September 27 Spotlight and review
Share My Destiny
http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
September 30 Guest blog
Books Books and More Books
http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/
Topic:Three Most Challenging things about writing Historical Romances
October 1 Guest blog
Paranormal Romance Fans for Life
www.paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com
October 2 Spotlight
Tanya's Book Nook
http://tanyasbooknook.blogspot.com
October 2 Spotlight and review
Ramblings of a Book Lunatic
http://booklunaticramblings.blogspot.com
October 3 Guest post and review
Victoria's Gossip
http://victoriasgossip.com/blog/
October 3 Spotlight and review
Shut Up & Read
http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/
October 4 Interview
Dalene’s Book Reviews
http://dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/
October 4 Character Interview
Author Karen Swart
http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
October 7 Guest blog
Ramblings From This Chick
http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/
October 7 Interview
Mochas, Mysteries and More
www.mochasmysteriesandmore.blogspot.com
October 7 Spotlight
Mila Ramos
www.jademystique.blogspot.com
Learned a few more things about you, Sarah, so enjoyed this interview. I had an immediate dislike for Rebecca, too, but those kids ranked right up there on the dislike meter! I'm so glad there are going to be more books in this series and I'm really looking forward to reading them!
ReplyDeleteI liked your interview your answers were great.I really liked that you read just to read and just for who wrote the books
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dalene, for the interview! I enjoyed my visit with you. :) Karen, I'm thrilled you found a new tidbit in there! I always hope you're not getting tired of me, LOL. Felicia, many thanks for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview!
ReplyDelete