Let's get to know Sarah Louise Smith, a British author of women's contemporary romance.
I found Crooked Cat Publishing through a simple Google search and then did a bit of research on their authors. I was impressed and decided to submit my ms to them... I was thrilled when they offered me a contract and they’ve been brilliant to work with – hence going back to them again with my second novel!
How do your juggle a writing schedule?
It can be really tricky to balance life/work/writing. I try to write early in the mornings and at weekends, in and around my social life. It isn’t easy but I love it so I do it! :)
What's the best/worst part of being a writer?
The best thing is the lovely comments I’ve received from readers, it’s so nice to hear that someone has enjoyed my stories and makes all the work feel worth-while! The worst part is just the lack of time I have to dedicate to it; I never have enough time to do all the writing I want to do!
What/who do you draw inspiration from?
All sorts of places – songs, books, films spark little ideas. Quite often my storylines are daydreams that got carried away!
Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?
No... I have to be in the right frame of mind to write, so there’s no point in trying to reach a set word count if I’ve lost the inspiration... I tend to set a goal though, as in, I will finish this novel by a set date. So far though, I’m always late!
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My husband always reads my work and it quite honest if he feels it’s good/bad or if a character seems to be doing something unrealistic, etc. Crooked Cat provide an editor, and in both instances this has been invaluable to me.
Promoting is something most authors struggle with. How are you managing yours?
I have worked in marketing communications for over eight years so before I became published I was already experienced in writing marketing campaigns, building websites, using social media, etc. So I’m quite lucky in that regard. Mostly, I just try to put myself in the reader’s place (I read a lot of chick-lit myself so this isn’t hard) and think about what would make them want to take an interest in my books/me as an author and go from there. I think it’s mostly about building a brand for yourself.
What is your book about? Genre, theme, essence etc.
My new novel, Izzy’s Cold Feet, is about a girl who’s about to get married. However, she’s not sure about her groom. Does she really love him? She starts to compare him with her ex-boyfriends and takes the reader through her past relationships one by one. To complicate matters and confuse her further, each boyfriend turns up in the week leading up to her wedding and Izzy has to question which of them she’d be happiest with. As a subplot, Izzy’s sister Helen has been missing since Izzy was twelve, so she’s got quite a few issues and problems due to that, too.
Was there a character you struggled with?
Yes... I can’t reveal too much but the ending didn’t go the way I had originally planned. The characters kind of took over and I had to change the ending to make Izzy happy!
If your main character were a real person, how’d they perceive you?
What a great question! I think Izzy and I would be friends; we’re similar in some ways as I am a bit of an over-thinker and so is she. We also both love to cook!
Thanks so much for having me visit today :)
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| Sarah Louise Smith |
Sarah Louise Smith lives in Milton Keynes, UK, with her
husband, two cute cats and a loopy golden retriever. She has an extremely
lovely step-daughter and spends most of her free time writing, reading,
cooking, and taking long walks.
She’s the author of two chick-lit novels: Amy and Zach and
Izzy’s Cold Feet, both published by Crooked Cat.
Izzy's Cold Feet
One bride to be. Three ex-boyfriends
Izzy is engaged to Greg, who is everything a girl could
want. The trouble is – all she can think about is the men she
loved before she met him: sexy Ewan, the first love of her life; dependable
Jason, who loved her more than she deserved; and irresistible Dexter, who broke
her heart…
Then there’s the fact that her sister has been missing since
Izzy was twelve. After such a traumatic childhood all Izzy wants is a normal,
happy, settled life, but love is never simple.
In the week leading up to her wedding day, Izzy is forced to
ask herself who she loves the most. And, given the choice, who would she want
to spend her life with?
Thank you for that, always find details about another author fascinating.
ReplyDeleteLovely interview Sarah! Your books sound like a fun read! All the best! :)
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