Welcome to my blog, Sarah! Where do you find inspiration?
Most of my stories start out as a ‘what if…?’ question. What if gargoyles came to life every evening? What if a vampire wanted to live a normal life? Sometimes it starts as a single piece of dialog—a clever line I want someone to say, or an image I can’t shake. The Boys of Summer began with the image of a WW2 pilot leaning against a Spitfire. The Sixth Sense series started when I imagined what would happen if accidental contact with a mysterious artifact gave you unwanted powers, as it did to Flynn in Unspeakable Words. From there, I daydream about the story, the characters, and the problems they face in unfettered glory until I finally dump the worst of the unrealistic elements and start actually writing the story. Nothing is too bizarre at first. I don’t want to limit myself until I actually begin the writing.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
Ack. A typical day begins with me dashing out the door late for work. I usually have all sorts of lovely ideas percolating in the back of my mind as I go about the day, looking forward to going home and writing them down. Most days, however, it’s nearly 9 pm before I can get to the keyboard, and by then, I’m usually too whipped to act upon my earlier ideas. On a good writing day, I usually get up, take the dog for a run in the forest, sit down and try not to waste too much time on social media, and then crank out several hours of writing. I write best earlier in the day, but often get more done on a ‘busy’ day than a day set aside just for writing. Sometimes the structure of having a small amount of time to write is more useful than a big block of time. I tend to get to work and not waste it when I have less to work with.
Do you utilize beta readers? Why or why not?
I do. A good beta reader is worth his or her weight in gold. That having been said, I think it is important that you work with a variety of people. My experience has been that different people see different things. Someone that has worked closely with you for a long time will eventually become blind to your bad habits. Sometimes, too, you can overwhelm a single reader—they have lives of their own, too, you know! I find some readers are wonderful cheerleaders and hand-holders, others punctilious grammar and typo checkers, while some are perfect for gauging flow and overall readability. I’ve moved from beta readers per se to critique groups, and I find hearing different opinions on the same material very useful. A good beta reader won’t let you get away with anything, but will also accept that in the end, it is your story. If you have a reason for doing something that your beta reader disagrees with, then you probably need to make sure your intent is crystal-clear when you write it.
You also have to work with people you trust. I can’t emphasize that enough. If your beta reader is holding you back, then you need different beta readers.
How do you handle literary criticism?
I used to scour the internet looking for reviews. I don’t do that anymore. In part because while the thrill of having a new release remains as high as ever, the need for validation through reviews is less of a demand for me these days. In fandom, leaving feedback on a story you like is considered part of the ‘currency’ of fanfiction. It’s how you pay the author for writing a story about your favorite characters and sharing the fun with you. That’s not how it works in original fiction. Your readers have bought your story with money. They may or may not like it, but either way, they invested in it. So I remind myself that for many years, I happily read stories with no way of ever telling an author how much I loved their work. Not getting the same level of feedback doesn’t mean no one out there liked it. Likewise, when I check out the reviews of some of my all-time favorite stories ever, I am stunned at how many people leave reviews saying this book was boring, or they didn’t like something about that book that I adored. The very things I think make certain stories AMAZING are the things other people hated.
Then, too, there is the fact that the more people who rate a story, the lower the average rating goes. I’d rather have a story rated 3.8 by 1500 readers than a solid five star review across the board by five readers. When I get the occasional review that feels mean-spirited in its degree of unnecessary nastiness, I weigh that against the other fifty or so people who loved the story and took the time to say so.
How do you celebrate a new release?
I used to treat the boyfriend and myself to a nice dinner out, and I still tend to do that with contact signings. These days, new releases have so many deadlines and promotional things associated with them that I’m fairly worn out when the release date finally rolls around. I usually pour myself a glass of Merlot, take a deep breath, and go back to working on the next project. :)
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
BUY LINKS: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Find it at Goodreads
BLURB:
Six months after starting their hunt for a serial killer who is still at large, FBI agents Jerry Lee Parker and John Flynn are partners in every sense. But Jerry has serious doubts about their relationship and whether they would even be together if not for the way Flynn changed after touching a mysterious artifact in a museum.
Flynn hates the extraordinary power bestowed on him by the artifact and wants nothing more than to have a normal life again. Jerry fears that without the unusual connection they forged, Flynn will no longer want or need him. Chasing after a similar artifact takes them back to Flynn’s old stomping grounds in Washington D.C., where his newfound abilities uncover long-buried secrets, the kind people would kill to protect. But they aren’t the only ones looking for these powerful relics, and what they discover will threaten their relationship—and their lives.
EXCERPT:
Jerry returned his attention to the tableau unfolding in the aisle. Flynn was making his way casually toward Jerry; he yawned, taking his time. 15-A hesitated; Jerry could see that he had stepped into the aisle, but was thinking of sitting back down again. Just then, the door to the toilet opened and the toddler came out into the aisle. Picking up on the air of tension, the child immediately started to wail.
15-A snapped like a wire stretched beyond its tensile strength. Whipping off his sunglasses, he reached into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a glass vial. Holding it up high over his head for everyone to see, he shouted, “Everybody stay where you are!”
People glanced up and turned around in their seats, startled and immediately alarmed. 15-A looked around sharply, making sure that no one was trying to rush him. Several people had started halfway up out of their seats to see what was going on; Jerry knew they were remembering United Flight 93.
15-a moved his hand in a broad semi-circle so that everyone could see the vial tucked in his palm. “I have Sarin!” he announced. “If anyone moves, I break the vial. Someone make that child shut up!”
PRIZE GIVEAWAY:
Enter the drawing for an e-copy of Unspeakable Words (Book 1).
TOUR STOPS:
October 3: Louise Lyons, Parker Williams
October 6: Multitasking Mommas, Kimi-Chan
October 7: Prism Book Alliance, 3 Chicks After Dark
October 8: Amanda C. Stone, Emotion in Motion
October 9: Andrew Q. Gordon, Inked Rainbow Reads, Love Bytes, Smoocher’s Voice
October 10: Romance the Night, Cate Ashwood
October 13: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, The Hat Party
October 14: Wake Up Your Wild Side, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Fallen Angel Reviews
October 15: Queer Town Abbey, The Blogger Girls, Butterfly-O-Meter
October 16: MM Good Book Reviews, Jade Crystal, Velvet Panic
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah Madison is a veterinarian with a big dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. She is a terrible cook, and concedes that her life would be easier if Purina made People Chow. She writes because it is cheaper than therapy.
Author Contact:
https://twitter.com/SarahMadisonFic
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sarah-Madison-Author/106445646104338
http://sarahmadisonfiction.tumblr.com/
