Wednesday 1 May 2013

Playing 20 Questions with Sarah Cass



EM: Welcome to My World, Sarah. Thank you so much for stopping by to play twenty questions with me :-)

Before we begin, could you tell us a little about yourself?

That’s easiest done with my bio…it’s a little “third person-y” in a first person interview, but dude, I got work to do and books to write:

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. Now officially multi-published, she's still working on bringing new stories to fill out her year and your reading lists. While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog, Redefining Perfectwhich gives a real and sometimes raw glimpses into her life and art.

EM: Are you ready to play 20 questions? *Rubs hands together*

SC: You bet :-D

Feel free to answer in as much detail as you like!

Which do you find harder to write?

1. First person POV or Third?

First, most definitely.  Right now I’ve been writing weekly installments of a story in 1st to stretch myself, but that’s hard.  Every week is a struggle…but one that I love ;)

2. As a male or female?

Male. Only because I’m not one.  And really, in the end, it depends on the man. Some men make it so much easier to slip into their heads ;)

3. Beginning, middle or end of the story?

End. I get depressed and sad that the story is over.  ~sigh~ Sad bye-bye time.

4. Fight scenes or smex scenes?

Ummm…both? Okay, fine.  Fight scenes. No, sex scenes. No… BOTH.

5. Synopsis or blurb?

~snort~ Really? Blurb. All my glorious story into 150 words?  What evil creature came up with that?


As a writer, do you prefer:

6. Writing in the morning, afternoon or evening?

I’m a night owl. I love camping out in front of the computer when the house is quiet, turning on the tunes and getting to work. It’s a nice cathartic way to work out the days stresses.

7. Writing with music, or in peace?

MUSIC. Sets the mood. Gets me in the groove.

8. Planning, or Improvising?

I’m such a pantser.  If I plot, the characters always end up, at some point in time, laughing in my face and throwing the plot out the window.  So they’ve all come to a consensus that I can loosely plan, but there has to be much room for flexibility.

9. Juggling a few projects, or concentrating on one at a time?

Well, right now I’m working on 6 projects…sooo….

10. Sticking to one genre, or exploring many?

I don’t believe in genres. I believe in stories. ;)


As a reader, do you prefer:

11. Story being told from female view or male?

Depends on the story. I like ‘em both ways.

12. Good guys or bad boys?

I’m a 50/50 girl. I like good guys that are sweet and caring and still strong…but I’m such a sucker for a bad boy with heart.

13. Feisty females or fragile damsels?

Feisty females all the way (just don’t be a bitch…feisty, not bitchy)

14. Stand alone stories or series?

As a reader? I don’t have a preference. I like stand-alone stories. I also love a good series, but I don’t love a series that loses its power. An author needs to know when to step back, bread and butter or not…sometimes a character is just done.  I hate it when they go on too long.

15. Quick reads or long stories?

Mix it up. I have to have some quick, fluffy reads in my life…but I also like a thick and meaty story too. They balance each other out.

16. Romance as a side dish or the main course?

Depends on the story, again. I like a good center-stage romance, but in some cases I want the plot, and the romance can exist on the side.

17. Erotica or soft romance or something in-between?

I admit to preferring more on the softer side. I’ll take in-between (and write in between), but I get squirmy in the hard core stuff (even the well-written ones…the poorly written I move quickly away.

18. More action or humor?

A good mix of both. I love the drama and being ripped open by a story, but there has to be a balance, moments of lightness.

Just for fun:

19. Vampires or Angels?

Hmmm….I suppose vampires for the pure mystery of them.

20. Werewolves or Demons?

Werewolves.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on edits for Derailed (The Dominion Falls Series #2), the sequel to my first novel, Changing Tracks. I’m also working on rewrites of books 4 & 5 for submission.  Outside of those, I have two genre-busting stories that are WIP’s, an Urban Fantasy I’m co-writing with a friend, a short horror, a PNR and another Urban Fantasy.

Do you have any current release?

Yes.  Masked Hearts just released at the end of April.

Blurb:

Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she's lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy's attempts to gain her favour. Her fate's sealed. She's never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.

Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction - her. He knows she doesn't want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She's the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.

As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they'll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.

Purchase link: Sweet Cravings Website -  http://bit.ly/12z5EuC


Excerpt:

Roy grinned at how fast her anger melted across her features. It would be suicide to yank her close and kiss her, though at the moment he wasn’t sure if he cared. He leaned closer. “I have been trying to get you to talk to me every day for the past year. I think you’re running out of excuses not to.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
“I don’t bet anymore.” He caught her finger when she jabbed at him again. The moment her hand opened to pull free he flattened it to his chest.
She tugged against his hold. “I do well not speaking to anyone. You’re the only one that seems to have an issue with it. Even the Mister prefers me silent.”
“You don’t want me talking to the braves. You won’t talk to me. I suppose you just want me to be silent too?” He held onto her hand a moment longer before setting it free. “Why do you hate them so much?”
“They’re weak.”
“That so?”
“They stay.” Her chin lifted. Like a lifeline she held the tomahawk in a white-knuckled grip. “They say they owe the Mister more, but they don’t. They choose this. Weak little men.”
“How does that make them weak?” Roy furrowed his brow.
“They prefer this disgusting display to life on the reservation. They are afraid to live on a reservation. They are afraid to try to escape and go be free out on the land that was once ours—because there are so many of you white men to catch or kill them.”
“You stay.”
“I have no choice.” Her jaw worked. A glimmer of a tear shimmered at the corner of her eye before a rapid blink carried it away.
“And Max?”
“There’s a price on his head, and he’s old. He has no choice.”
“And me?”
“You don’t matter.” She tossed aside the tomahawk, and then turned to leave. “You’re one of them.”

Any upcoming releases?

In July of 2013 Derailed (The Dominion Falls Series #2) will be released, quickly followed by Dark Territory (The Dominion Falls Series #3).

Until then, you can meet Jane & Cole in their first book: Changing Tracks (The Dominion Falls Series #1)

Blurb:

There’s nothing simple about forgetting your past.

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

Until the night Jane Does 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 or amnesia she managed 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:


Where can readers find you on the internet?

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

EM: Thank you so much for joining me!

SC: Thank you for having me!  It was a lot of fun!!

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for stopping by, Sarah. Congrats on the new release. Wishing you many sales! :-)

    ReplyDelete