Dear Readers, I first
met Sandra D Bricker at a national Christian writing conference in Denver several years ago . She’s another of
my redheaded writing friends. When we met, we were writing for the same
publisher. She writes wonderful books with humor and a lot of heart.
Welcome back, Sandra.
Since you’re being published regularly,
what new avenues will your future books take?
After losing four publishers in as many years because of the CBA avenues for fiction growing leaner and more narrow, I’ve become a bit of a hybrid. This has been The Summer of Everything for me as a writer. In August, Be My Valentino, Book 2 of my 3-book series for Abingdon Press, came out. Then in September, I published with a smaller boutique publisher that—while they don’t have the traditional houses’ promotion dollars behind them—they are able to offer a much higher royalty percentage than I got before. And in October, I’ll be embarking on the indie road with a unique and interactive project that will bring back the characters from my popular Another Emma Rae Creation series. From there, who knows! As quickly as the industry has been changing, other roads are being forged almost as fast.
After losing four publishers in as many years because of the CBA avenues for fiction growing leaner and more narrow, I’ve become a bit of a hybrid. This has been The Summer of Everything for me as a writer. In August, Be My Valentino, Book 2 of my 3-book series for Abingdon Press, came out. Then in September, I published with a smaller boutique publisher that—while they don’t have the traditional houses’ promotion dollars behind them—they are able to offer a much higher royalty percentage than I got before. And in October, I’ll be embarking on the indie road with a unique and interactive project that will bring back the characters from my popular Another Emma Rae Creation series. From there, who knows! As quickly as the industry has been changing, other roads are being forged almost as fast.
What conferences will
you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?
I won’t be attending any conferences until next year around this time.
I won’t be attending any conferences until next year around this time.
I wasn’t able to
attend the ACFW conference this year because of my knee-replacement surgery.
Since it was here in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, I did go over to the
hotel for a couple of hours one day, so I could see some of my faraway friends.
If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference,
what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and
why?
I think a really interesting, in-depth conversation would be had with guests like Debby Mayne, Kristin Billerbeck, and Janice Thompson, three of my favorite authors who dove into the uncharted waters of indie publishing long before I did. Then I’d add innovators in publishing like agents Steve Laube and Rachelle Gardner to level our heads and give it to us straight.
I think a really interesting, in-depth conversation would be had with guests like Debby Mayne, Kristin Billerbeck, and Janice Thompson, three of my favorite authors who dove into the uncharted waters of indie publishing long before I did. Then I’d add innovators in publishing like agents Steve Laube and Rachelle Gardner to level our heads and give it to us straight.
That would be a
dynamite panel. How important is it to you to be active in writing
organizations?
It’s crucial. There’s so much information available to writers, from aspiring to established, that is imperative when building a career. As much as writing feels like a lonely profession that we pursue from our own private islands, that just isn’t the case. We need one another for guidance, inspiration, and support.
It’s crucial. There’s so much information available to writers, from aspiring to established, that is imperative when building a career. As much as writing feels like a lonely profession that we pursue from our own private islands, that just isn’t the case. We need one another for guidance, inspiration, and support.
Where in the
community or your church do you volunteer?
I’m very active in my local church, CedarCreek. I volunteer for special projects and the like, but I’m also a regular moderator of their iCampus, an online stream of five live services each weekend. Because I found them myself via the iCampus, it’s very close to my heart, and my work with that team is a calling I eagerly fulfill.
I’m very active in my local church, CedarCreek. I volunteer for special projects and the like, but I’m also a regular moderator of their iCampus, an online stream of five live services each weekend. Because I found them myself via the iCampus, it’s very close to my heart, and my work with that team is a calling I eagerly fulfill.
Who are the five
people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?
Carlton Garborg – He was owner of Summerside
Press and gave me my first opportunity in Christian publishing. Carlton is someone ahead
of his time who understands marketing like very few people do. I have no idea
what he saw in me, but he swung open a door I’d been banging on for years.
Barbara Scott – She was the editor at Abingdon who responded to my writing very early on and extended herself to mentor me through several books. Barb eventually became more than an editor; she’s one of my closest and most cherished friends as well.
Eva Marie Everson – A few years back, we ended up in a critique group together, but it was a five-person group and it started to feel to both of us like herding cats trying to get everyone together. Finally, Eva said, “You know, why don’t we just create a private group, just you and me?” My writing hasn’t been the same since. In addition to her storytelling talent, she’s a phenomenal editor and idea person. I can bounce anything off her, and she won’t hesitate to tell me what she thinks, even if the idea is a stinker.
Lynn Herring – She plays Lucy Coe on ABC-TV’sGeneral Hospital . Lynn
was one of my first clients when I worked as a personal assistant and publicist
in L.A. , and
that was 25 years ago. Our relationship has only grown and blossomed since
then, and I think she’s one of the most exceptional people I’ve ever known. Her
friendship has become more valuable to me with each year that passes, and I
learn so much from her upbeat positivity and joy for life.
Marian Miller – I’ve known her for something like 40 years, and she’s my BFF. What can I say? She’s just a spectacular human.
Barbara Scott – She was the editor at Abingdon who responded to my writing very early on and extended herself to mentor me through several books. Barb eventually became more than an editor; she’s one of my closest and most cherished friends as well.
Eva Marie Everson – A few years back, we ended up in a critique group together, but it was a five-person group and it started to feel to both of us like herding cats trying to get everyone together. Finally, Eva said, “You know, why don’t we just create a private group, just you and me?” My writing hasn’t been the same since. In addition to her storytelling talent, she’s a phenomenal editor and idea person. I can bounce anything off her, and she won’t hesitate to tell me what she thinks, even if the idea is a stinker.
Lynn Herring – She plays Lucy Coe on ABC-TV’s
Marian Miller – I’ve known her for something like 40 years, and she’s my BFF. What can I say? She’s just a spectacular human.
If you could write
the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?
“Well done, good and faithful servant! Well done.”
“Well done, good and faithful servant! Well done.”
Tell us about the
featured book.
Moments of Truth centers around Girl Power, and the lives and loves of five women who have each other’s backs no matter what comes. The most exciting thing about it–to me, anyway–is the underlying theme that really speaks to me. I feel like so many of us wander through life feeling like our thin little rays of faith are pretty insignificant in the bigger picture. But the truth is that even the most meager light reaches out and touches all the lives around us in some way. That’s what happens in Moments of Truth.
Book blurb: Regan Sloane was married once. Eight years, no kids, she got the house. In the years since the divorce, she’s managed to keep afloat with the only real skill she has: Writing. She hadn’t really noticed how her readership had blossomed until a well-known reviewer noticed her sweet little lifestyle blog. When had it transformed into a single woman’s go-to? With the life and loves of her four BFFs to fuel the content and have her back at every turn Regan realizes that something magical happens when women join forces. Girl Power just might be the new super power!
Moments of Truth centers around Girl Power, and the lives and loves of five women who have each other’s backs no matter what comes. The most exciting thing about it–to me, anyway–is the underlying theme that really speaks to me. I feel like so many of us wander through life feeling like our thin little rays of faith are pretty insignificant in the bigger picture. But the truth is that even the most meager light reaches out and touches all the lives around us in some way. That’s what happens in Moments of Truth.
Book blurb: Regan Sloane was married once. Eight years, no kids, she got the house. In the years since the divorce, she’s managed to keep afloat with the only real skill she has: Writing. She hadn’t really noticed how her readership had blossomed until a well-known reviewer noticed her sweet little lifestyle blog. When had it transformed into a single woman’s go-to? With the life and loves of her four BFFs to fuel the content and have her back at every turn Regan realizes that something magical happens when women join forces. Girl Power just might be the new super power!
Please share the
first page with us.
Eight years of marriage. No kids. She got the house.
Eight years of marriage. No kids. She got the house.
Regan felt as
if those words might make a great tattoo—assuming she were inclined to get a
tattoo, of course—maybe right across her forehead. Anything to keep from
explaining it time after time. With the long bangs she still wore acting as a
curtain of sorts, when someone inquired yet again, she could just lift them
with the back of one hand, give the inquirer time to read her forehead, and be
on her way. Story told. No muss, no fuss.
No muss, no
fuss.
The words made
her chuckle as she stirred vanilla creamer into her morning cup of bold roast.
Had she ever had a muss- or fuss-free day in her life?
Regan twisted
her long dark hair into a knot at the top of her head. She pushed her
brown-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose before snapping the lid on her
travel mug and padding, barefoot, across the cold stone tile of the kitchen.
She climbed the oak stairs to the loft and pushed the large window wide open,
stopping to inhale the salty Pacific Ocean in
the distance. She flopped into the creamy Italian leather chair in front of her
desk, flicking the power button on her laptop as she did. It wasn’t much of a
commute to work, but she set the alarm every morning, showered and dressed, and
filled her travel mug with coffee before setting out across two thousand square
feet of house. It made her feel as if her role as blogger for Vertical Magazine carried more
importance than a simple lifestyle blog for women might tend to hoist. Regan
knew a little something about the challenges of remaining spiritually vertical,
after all, especially in the face of adversity.
It didn’t pay
much, but her one lone skill for putting words on the page combined with an
abundance of random opinions on just about any topic concerning women made the
job a good fit for her now. She’d almost thought it was a joke when Vertical’s senior editor called.
“I ran across
your blog this morning,” said Delores Cogswell. “And I was so drawn to it that
I spent hours reading the archived material. This is really something special,
Miss Sloane. The way you tie your friends and your life with the lives of your
readers. Oh, and I love how you refer to your ex-husband as 30-Watt.”
Actually, it
was 40-Watt; a metaphor for the realization that his 100-watt smile—the one
promising a shiny future together filled with wonder and joy and children—soon
grew dim in the face of reality.
Oh, Sandie, I love
it. I can’t wait until my copy arrives. Where can my readers find you on the
Internet?
Author website: www.SandraDBricker.com
Author website: www.SandraDBricker.com
Book website: www.moments-of-truth.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SandraDBricker
Twitter: @SandieBricker
Thank you, Sandie, for sharing this new book with us. I know my readers will want to read it, too.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Moments of Truth - AmazonMoments of Truth (Contemporary Romance) - Kindle
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Sounds like a great book! Shelia Hall sheliarha64(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank, Sheila! Maybe you'll win a copy?! Good luck. :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome. I think we'd make a great panel too. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'd like to read this one ;)
ReplyDeletedee from Nebraska
I loved "meeting" Sandra through this interview and reading about her very busy life! I also enjoyed the first page of this book. Thank you Lena!
ReplyDeleteConnie from KY
cps1950 (at)gmail (dot)com
This sounds great. I would love to read it.
ReplyDeleteCalifornia
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I have long loved Sandra's books and I love her personality. Thank you for the chance to win another of her wonderful books!
ReplyDeleteI have long loved Sandra's books and I love her personality. Thank you for the chance to win another of her wonderful books!
ReplyDeleteDeanna, Connie, Linda, and Debbie: Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by and spending some time with us today! Best of luck to each of you. --Sandie
ReplyDeleteI love the blurb & the cover.
ReplyDeleteMary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
Sandra writes wonderful books and I would love to win a copy of this one.
ReplyDeleteI live in Indiana.
Blessings,
Cindy W.
Thanks for the interesting interview and first page of the book. I'd love to read this.
ReplyDeleteBeth from Iowa
Nice interview. Interesting book. kamundsen44ATyahooDOTcom. North Platte Nebraska.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. Sounds like a great read. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteBrenda in VA
I so enjoy reading Sandra's books.
ReplyDeleteKarenskrayons(at)gmail(dot)com
Sandra's books are always in my MUST read stack! Would love to win this!
ReplyDeletePam in Ohio
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI love Sandra's books... the excerpt makes me excited to read Moment of Truth!
ReplyDeleteMerry in MN
This sounds like an encouraging book. :)
ReplyDelete-Melissa M. in TN
Sounds great! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMelissa O in NC