RISE AND SHINE - Sandra D Bricker - One Free Book

Readers, I first met Sandra when we both attended a writers conference in Denver several years ago, and we’ve both been published by one of the same publishing houses. She’s a lot of fun to be around, and her books are a hoot to read. I think you’ll like reading them as much as I do.       

Welcome back, Sandie. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?  

I’ve recently transitioned my brand from Laugh-Out-Loud to Live-Out-Loud fiction. My agent and I made that decision because of the unique response my readers had to my first more serious book, Raw Edges for the Abingdon Quilts of Love series. I had become known strictly for light and fun romantic comedy prior to Raw Edges, and I really didn’t know how much my readers would love something a little deeper from me that still maintained a thread of humor. So going forward, this has opened up a real opportunity for me to dig deeper with my characters and their stories. I’m very excited about that. Meanwhile, I’m still looking into several opportunities for translating some past books to film or television.

I know that the ones I’ve read would make good movies. Actually, I’m soon going to be adapting another author’s novel into a screenplay for a Christian movie. What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?   

I’m not planning to attend any conferences this year because I’ve recently made a pretty significant move (from Florida to the arctic state of Ohio!), and I spent anything I might have spent on travel for the move. There is a possibility, however, that I’ll turn up at ICRS in Atlanta in June. Stay tuned.

I’m really wanting to go to Atlanta right before the ICRS. The banquet for the Golden Scroll awards are the day before ICRS opens, and I’m a finalist. I’m not sure if my husband and I will get there or not. 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 really enjoy this kind of thing. I’d love to have a panel discussion about author branding because I’m a big proponent … and many of my author buds feel like it’s unnecessary or overrated. So I’d invite people like Julie Gwinn (marketing guru), Rachelle Gardner (agent extraordinnaire), Brandilyn Collins (branding genius), and Barbara Scott (former agent and current editor). These are people I think have a lot to say on the subject, and they’re also all really personable, fun women I’d love to interact with.

I love all those women and they are a powerhouse of information. How important is it to you to be active in writing organizations?

ULTRA important. When a person works in Corporate America, or even elsewhere, they have colleagues with whom they can exchange ideas, keep current on marketing trends, and learn new ways to improve. As writers, group meetings and organizations help us to do that. A stagnant writer isn’t going to cut it, especially in today’s changing publishing environment. We need each other.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?       

I participate in fundraising and awareness campaigns for various dog rescues and ovarian cancer organizations; in particular, Ovacome – the support group in Tampa for ovarian cancer patients and survivors. In addition, I am a weekend moderator for my church’s iCampus, the live stream chat room for five services a weekend at my home church, CedarCreek Church. I’ve been doing that for about three years now, I think. Previously, I also served on the writing team of their Living It Out Bible studies. I had to give it up temporarily but, now that I’m getting settled in the Toledo area where my church is headquartered, I’ll probably get involved with Living It Out again in the spring.

Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?        

1. Marian Miller. She’s been one of my closest friends for something like forty years (No, you didn’t misread that! 40 years!), and she’s got what we describe as a “servant’s heart.” She’s been so good to me – and so many others. She credits me for showing her the way to her faith, but I credit her for helping to keep me strong in my own faith. She’s just inspiring.

2. Rachelle Gardner. She’s my agent, but it goes so far beyond an author/agent relationship. She inspires, encourages, counsels, listens, cares … And beyond the friendship we’ve forged and even beyond anything that she actually offers ME, I really admire her as a woman and aspire to be more like her.

3. Donna Eoff. She’s someone I work with in my volunteer duties at CedarCreek, and over the last couple of years I’ve started to realize what an amazing person she really is. One of those women who causes you to question when you first meet them if they can possibly be as great as you think they are. I can honestly say Donna is, and I’m fortunate and blessed to call her my dear, sweet friend!

4. Barbara Scott. Without going into too many details, I’ll just say that I was dying (literally), and when no one else could invest the ridiculous amount of time and care-giving I needed, this woman put her entire life on pause and flew from Nashville to Tampa (twice!) to take care of me for a period of more than six weeks. She became my advocate with doctors, nurses, hospitals, insurance, you name it. She prayed with and for me every single day. She even loved on and cared for my lonely, confused dog! She provided the kind of assistance no one really wants to need or give, without one word of complaint, without ever making me feel “less than.” I attribute the fact that I’m still alive to God and to Barb, without question. Every time I look back on that period, I ask the Lord to help me demonstrate love for others the way she did … and does.

5. Roanne Eisenbise. Roanne was my business partner for 18 years, and my friend for something like 30 years. She was unique and multi-faceted, and often difficult for others to understand. But I discovered that Roanne had the heart of an encourager. She is the person who pulled me out of an abusive marriage, set me on my feet again (along with her mom, Tone – who led me to the Lord and is my dear friend to this day). Roanne boldly told me my writing was “genius” and that, if I wanted to be a writer, I needed to start making it a priority. And then she filled in the gaps in our business so I could do just that. We went our separate ways for many years, but she called and asked me to pray with her just a week before she passed away a few years ago. When I get to Heaven, I really do want to make sure she knows I wouldn’t be who I am without her support and encouragement.

You don’t know this, Sandie, but through a dear friend of both of us, I knew about your serious illness time and about Barbara ministering to you. I prayed for both of you a lot during that time. If you could write the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?

Well done, good and faithful servant. You made a difference.

Tell us about the featured book.     

Rise and Shine is the second book in my Contemporary Fairy Tales series; this one is based (loosely) on “Sleeping Beauty.” Shannon Ridgeway’s diving accident happened on her honeymoon, and she has been in a coma for nearly ten years. Waking up to the news that she’s 30 years old would have been daunting enough … but she also learns that her young groom has recently died. He has provided for her ongoing medical care, and the tiny home they bought but never moved into is still available to her, but nothing else in life is much of a sure thing. Her gorgeous doctor Daniel Petros seems to know everything about her and becomes Shannon’s tour guide into a whole new world of madness where reality television has taken over the planet and everyone’s life appears to revolve around a tiny screen on their cell phones!

Sounds intriguing. Sorry I had to change the ampersand to the word and in the title, because ampersands do strange things on the blog post. Please share the first page with us.     

PROLOGUE

Bega Lagoon, Fiji

August 2005

“I picked up the workbook for our marriage class before we left Austin. Let’s work on filling out the first exercise over breakfast, okay?”

“Shannon, we’re on our honeymoon.”

“What better time to investigate how we can become a stronger couple?”

Edmund couldn’t think of a single retort.

“Besides, we can totally smoke the rest of those losers in the class by showing up prepared on the first night,” she said, wide-eyed and pen poised over the page like an Olympic runner standing at the line, ready to sprint. “They’ll never expect us to have the first questionnaire filled out and ready on the very day we return from our honeymoon, baby. So let’s go. Are we in this to show them who’s boss, or what?”

Edmund chuckled and shook his head as his bride leaned forward, slumping over the first page of the workbook as if it might run off somewhere.

Shannon paused to twist her long copper waves into submission, twirling them around her fist and forcing them into a messy bun secured with a second pen that she produced from her handbag. Her greenish eyes glistened with golden flecks as she lifted her eyebrows in anticipation and stared at him.

“So?” she prodded. “Are we gonna do this thing, or what?”

“Alright,” he conceded. No use in dousing the fire. “But the shuttle arrives to take us to the marina in an hour, so we eat while we do it.”

“Deal,” she said, and her perfect merlot lips curved into a victorious smile.

That smile got him every time.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

My website: www.SandraDBricker.com

My reader page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SandraDBricker

My Twitter page: www.twitter.com/SandieBricker

Thank you, Sandy, for sharing this new book with us. I can hardly wait for my copy to get here.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Rise & Shine - Christianbook.com
Rise and Shine: A Contemporary Fairy Tale - Amazon
Rise and Shine - Kindle

Christian Book Store

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