On the personal side, I'm a frazzled maid, chauffeur, and personal assistant (aka mom). I tried a stint as a landlord of two uninvited squirrels. (The Bravest Squirrel Ever is the fictionalized version of that experience from the squirrel's point-of-view!) I'm crazy about country music and the drama of NASCAR. And I have my very own happily-ever-after romance with my hero husband.
Follow my blog, like me on Facebook or email me for the latest updates on my books and writing projects or to debate the best race car drivers!"
Q) What inspired you to write this story?
I saw a submissions call for a series called Finally Ever After. The stories were to be short, happily-ever-after romances about lovers who had loved each other and lost. I love characters with a past history, especially in a short word count. They have instant attraction and long-standing unresolved conflict—the perfect elements for a fast-paced, emotion-packed read. Zane’s Art had all these things coupled with a strong present conflict. The story flowed out of me so fast I knew it was meant to be!
Q) How long did it take you to write?
Zane’s Art is a short story and took me a week to write. I fell in love with the characters and didn’t want to leave them, so I ended up writing a sequel with their siblings (Wyatt’s Guilt, to be released December 2012)…which took me three times as long to write.
Q) What is your favorite thing about writing?
My favorite part of writing is brainstorming "what if" scenarios for my characters. I brainstorm while walking and driving. Eventually, I sit with a pen and paper and channel these half sentences and random musings onto the page. I write down everything I know about each character’s past, personality and present situation. Then I write what I see as the story conflict. Finally, I start typing up a synopsis. By this time, I’m usually dying to dive into the actual writing of the book, but I’ve found it critical to get my details and plot figured out first (even if I go back and change everything later).
Q) What is your least favorite thing about writing?
The hardest part for me is getting all the logical points lined up to make the plot believable. Again, I go back to my what-if scenarios and make sure my characters have good motivations to make their actions believable.
Q) If you could be any famous person for one day, who would you be and why?
I’m going to go with Amelia Earhart, preferably not on the day her plane goes down and she’s never heard from again! I would love to have her courage and determination to follow her dreams in the face of so many naysayers and other obstacles.
Q) What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
The oldest thing in my fridge is probably a bottle of mustard from when we moved into our house 15 years ago. No one in my family eats mustard, so it just sits there. I bought it case we had guests over who liked mustard, but we’ve had the bottle so long I’m afraid to offer it to them! Perhaps I should think about throwing it out some day…except if it hasn’t gone bad, that would be a waste of good food.
Q) What can readers expect from you in the future?
Psychic Lies, part of the Wiccan Haus series, comes out on Friday. Fiona must keep her ability to read minds during sex a secret from those determined to exploit her, especially a sexy truth-finding investigator who needs her psychic power to save his job. Wyatt’s Guilt will be available in December. Nicole trusted Wyatt with her heart once. She won’t make the same mistake twice.
Zane’s Art (available now) A high school art teacher must choose between her students and the artist she never stopped loving.
Connect with Sara Daniel:
http://www.SaraDaniel.com
http://saradanielromance.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/SaraDanielSaraShafer
http://www.facebook.com/SaraShaferDaniel
http://www.twitter.com/SSaraDaniel
