Wednesday, August 24, 2011

5 Easy Questions with Sarah Sundin!


Every Wednesday, I ask a writer the same five easy questions. In an effort to support and promote fellow wordsmiths, I feature authors who write a variety of genres, from sweet inspirational to mainstream thrillers. The writers themselves may be aspiring, published, or  best-selling--all have made an impact on my life.

Thank you for joining me in welcoming… Sarah Sundin!!

I first learned of Sarah through my agent search. When I read her shining endorsement of Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Agency, it convinced me even more Rachel was the agent for me. Then I noticed Sarah had another release out and that it was getting fantastic reviews. We began an e-mail correspondence, and Sarah was so kind and generous to me. I had to read one of her books, and I promptly picked up A Distant Melody and loved it. She writes such relatable, real characters with huge obstacles, namely World War II.

The third book in the Wings of Glory series, Blue Skies Tomorrow, is already getting rave reviews and is available in stores and online now. If you like historical romance, pick up one (or all!) of her books.

Let's get to it!


1. Beverage of choice?

Diet cola, coffee, tea—anything in the caffeine family. I’m trying to phase out the cola and drink more tea. My favorites this summer are raspberry-flavored black tea and green tea with pomegranate and blueberry.

2. Any pets?

Oh yes. We have an adorable anti-social cat named Janie, and a hyperactive overly social yellow lab named Daisy, who eats my pens and runs away with my slippers when I don’t entertain her enough. Which is always. But Daisy’s a great source of material for Facebook posts, so I’ll keep her.

3. Dream vacation?

How appropriate—I’m doing this interview on the plane home from two weeks in southern France and Italy! This really was a dream vacation. In addition to seeing the usual tourist sites, I got to research my next World War II series. And my children consented! I got sand in my shoes from the landing beaches at Salerno, strolled through Greek ruins at Paestum where an evacuation hospital was based, watched my kids frolic in the surf at Anzio, and got surprisingly close to the Istres airfield near Marseilles—which is an active French military base. I took lots of notes, pictures, and video.
4. What are you listening to right now?
The hum of the engines of a 747, jabbering children, the clunk of overhead bins opening, the crack of my knees as the lady in front of me reclines her seat AGAIN!!! Seriously, why do they make the seats adjustable?????

5. What's for dinner?

Airplane food. I’ll just be happy if they feed us.

***
Oh, Sarah, I am laughing at the unfortunate sounds you were forced to listen to. Why do they give people 1.5 inches of leg room? No elbow room? I don't know, but for the price of a flight, I think they could do a little better on the personal space! I, too, love diet cola and tea. Your kitty, Janie, sounds like my kind of cat. I love the anti-social cats the best! We have a mini-wiener dog who sounds remarkably like your Daisy. She loves pens, attention, and barking at passing vehicles/bicycles. Always entertaining.

How awesome was your dream trip?? You described it beautifully--I can feel the sand between my toes. It sounds amazing! Thanks so much for being my guest today, Sarah!

***
Blue Skies Tomorrow

     Lt. Raymond Novak prefers the pulpit to the cockpit, but at least his stateside job training B-17 pilots allows him the luxury of a personal life.
    As he courts Helen Carlisle, a young war widow and mother who conceals her pain under a frenzy of volunteer work, the sparks of their romance set a fire that flings them both into peril. After Ray leaves to fly a combat mission at the peak of the air war over Europe, Helen takes a job in a dangerous munitions yard and confronts an even graver menace in her own home.
     Will they find the courage to face their challenges? And can their young love survive until blue skies return?

Blue Skies Tomorrow is the third book in the Wings of Glory series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II. Each book stands alone.

***

Sarah Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. When she isn’t ferrying kids to soccer and tennis, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. She is the author of the Wings of Glory series—A Distant Melody (Revell, 2010), A Memory Between Us (2010), and Blue Skies Tomorrow (August 2011). In 2011, A Memory Between Us was a finalist in the Inspirational Reader's Choice Awards and Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her website, her blog, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

So tell me...what historical period interests you the most?

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

23 comments:

  1. OK, I know Biblical isn't considered historical, but that's the time in history that fascinates me, specifically the books of Genesis.

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  2. Airplanes amaze me with how little they get away with.

    Cannot wait to dive into your work, Sarah. I've heard wonderful things and your teas are right up my alley!

    ~ Wendy

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  3. Wow! What a wonderful vacation! I love to combine research and vacation time. :)

    I'm phasing out diet coke too, opting for iced tea.

    Favorite historical period...US History from the Civil War through the Gilded Age. But I have a strong like for WWII, especially Winston Churchill. :)

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  4. Trying not to be insanely jealous over your vacation...but my mouth is watering just the same. :)

    My favorite historical period is pretty much any American History. I love civil war stories, love American frontier stories, love them all!

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  5. So jealous over your vacation! That would be amazing. Had to laugh about Daisy. My best friend's lab is a hunting dog, and when he was a puppy, they referred to her slipper as the duck. 8 years later, he's still after her slippers.
    Thanks!

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  6. Beautiful cover! I'm jealous over your vacation too. lol
    Any historical will do. I care more about the story and don't care too much about the time period. ;-)

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  7. Wow, what a fantastic vacation! I'm a sucker for anything from WWI to WWII, including the wars themselves. And it would be such a solemn and yet joyful thing to be able to visit the places where such events took place - maybe someday!

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  8. Thanks for the great interview, Jill! And lovely to meet you, Sarah. I just picked up the first novel in the Wings of Glory series. It's on my To Be Read shelf. I enjoy watching movies and reading hard boilers from that era, so I was happy to finally find inspirational romance.

    That pomegranate and blueberry tea is great, isn't it? I couldn't believe it came in a bottle. It doesn't taste store bought.

    I have several favorite historical periods, but if I had to choose it would be the Victorian era. I love the detail in clothes, the study in manners. They made social interaction into an artform.

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  9. Sarah likes cats and diet soda? I'm sold! ;)

    Also, I’m a new follower— wonderful blog! Stop by my blog and follow me too? :) http://rachelbrookswrites.blogspot.com/

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  10. My favorite period is 1849 to the turn of the century, although Sarah has turned me into a WWII romance fan. I've been delighted with all three of her books and am a huge fan. She's a masterful storyteller and one of my must-read authors. I'm sooo excited because I live just two hours away from her and get to attend her book launch for Blue Skies Tomorrow this weekend. I've met her at a writers conference and am eager to see her again.

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  11. Good afternoon!

    I just sent my kids back to school so I'm a little late here! I forgot how quiet a house can be. :)

    Em: I'm fascinated with Genesis also. I recently read Havah by Tosca Lee, which was a fictional account of Eve's life. It was so well-researched and imaginative--I loved it!

    Wendy: I know. You can hardly get an entire can of pop on a flight anymore. :(

    Erica: I LOVE that time period too! But I'm finding more and more that all American history fascinates me. I'm just thankful we have so many talented romance writers tackling different eras!

    Lacie: I'm insanely jealous, too, don't feel bad! And I'm with you on American history. Love it!

    Stacy: Ha! So he fetches "ducks" often? :)

    Jessica N: An odd historical era won't put me off on a well-written book, but I tend to gravitate toward 1870's America. :)

    E Louise: Fascinating time periods, I agree!

    Brandi: Ooo, nice! I love reading about the homes and social life during the Victorian age, too, but I don't come across tons of romance novels in that period, anymore. Maybe it will make a comeback?

    Rachel: Welcome! And I'm with you--cats and tea make me happy!

    Keli: Lucky you! I wish I could be there too! And I agree. Sarah has a special gift for writing. It's a pleasure picking up one of her books!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  12. I love all historical periods. And, now, I must go add Sarah's books to my list.

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  13. Yeah, I'm with everyone else about your vacation. So green with envy! One day I'll make it to Italy. One day. :)

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  14. Another fun interview. Your vacation sounds amazing just from reading your lovely descriptions. My favorite time period is the 40s.

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  15. Your interviews are so fun.
    I also have a dog named Daisy, and she chews my pencils!

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  16. Sounds like an amazing trip! And, I know, some people are really inconsiderate on flights. Sad, really!

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  17. I love history, period, but my favorite era starts about 1666 and ends by about 1830. I'm known to read a World War II book every now and again.

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  18. Susan: They are wonderful! Add them!

    Ralene: I've been dreaming about traveling lately. Must be something in the air!

    Lisa J: Well, Sarah's books will be right up your alley! She brings the 40's to life!

    Kelly: Thanks! And my sister has an adorable kitty named Daisy who always meows when we're on the phone!

    Eileen: Thank goodness for iPods, right? :)

    Jill: Oooh, I'm assuming the setting is Europe? Awesome!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  19. Whoa. I run to Costco, and look at what happens. Jill - you have an amazing following :)

    I'm with so many of you - I love reading about practically any era - just give me a great story.

    So...from the top...

    Em - I'll never understand "biblical isn't historical" - though I keep hearing it. Um, it was over 2000 years ago! Sounds historical to me :)

    Wendy & Erica - love that tea :) And Erica, doesn't Churchill look so huggable? And yet, one of the greatest men ever.

    Lacie & Stacy & Jessica & Ralene - I'm kind of jealous of myself :) Really, I feel spoiled. I keep apologizing to people and reminding them that we went on frequent flyer miles.

    And Stacy - I don't know if labs EVER outgrow the puppy/chewing phase. Sigh.

    Louise - it really gives you goosebumps to stand in those places. Of course they've changed. Anzio's a resort town, and the beaches are loaded with beachgoers, not military hospitals dug into the sand getting shelled. And that's EXACTLY what they were fighting for.

    Brandi - I hope you enjoy it! And I love the Victorian era too.

    Rachel - what if I told you my cat liked diet soda too? Actually that woul be a lie, so I won't.

    Keli - can't wait to see you!!!

    Susan - I hope you enjoy them!

    Lisa - it really was a great trip. Everyone liked it - which is rare in my family :) Teen girls....

    Kelly - what is it with "Daisies?" And honestly, I do not know how her digestive tract handles all that stuff she puts in there!

    Eileen - I always, always get the "seat-leaner-backers" in front of me. Made using my laptop extra fun!

    Jill - that is such a wide and rich swath of history you enjoy! I'm so glad to see Christian fiction expanding to include more than just late 1800s prairie - I like that era too - but I love to explore other eras.

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  20. Sarah: It was a delight having you here today! And don't apologize for your dream trip--God makes our dreams come true and we can just be thankful! Also, I just found another cool setting/era last night: Jody Hedlund's new book, The Doctor's Lady took place in 1836 heading west in America. What a treat!!

    Thanks again for being my guest!
    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  21. Hello to Sarah from a fellow Sarah-with-an-H! :) Those teas sound divine and so does the vacation!

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  22. Sarah F: Sarah with an H is one of my fave names! And tea does sound lovely, doesn't it?

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  23. Another author to add to my list.
    Her books sound wonderful. Hope she had a save flight home.

    Kathi

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