Spotlight Interview: Sandra Barret

Today we have the pleasure to learn a bit more about Sandra Barret, author of Lavender Secrets, In Keisha’s Shadow, Blood of a Traitor and Face of the Enemy.

Several years ago I read one of Sandra’s short stories, Touch of the Traakyn and never forgot about it. I’m very happy that Sandra allowed us to include the story in our anthology Spread the Love.

So, Sandra – Coffee or tea?
Oh tea, always tea.  Coffee makes me bounce a bit too much on my toes.  It’s embarrassing to all…

What puts you in a bad mood?
These days it’s the day job.  Too much foolishness in one working day.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Given that there is over a foot of snow outside I have to shovel, I think I’d want laser vision…to melt it all…

Where is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to?
Maui, Hawaii

Fav chocolate?
White chocolate…. And anyone who says that’s not real chocolate, well we’ll have to have words.

What would you do if you won the lottery?
Quit aforementioned day job from hell

And now on to the writing-related stuff:

For how many years have you been writing now, and how did you come to it?
I’ve bee writing since about 2007 or so.  I started with NonoWrMo, which got me Lavender Secrets.

Why do you write? What does it mean to you?
I write because I have stories rattling around in my head that need a place to live.  Some of them are good enough to share,  some just stay on my hard drive.

How long does it take you to write a novel?
Longer than I wish!  I think I’m averaging two years per book now. I’d love to get that down to one a year.

How much time per week do you spend writing?
Less than I wish?  I need to get into a much better habit of writing. I can spend a week or more without writing a word.

How would you describe yourself?
Short and cranky?

How much of yourself is in your characters?
I think it’s more how much I wish I was in my characters.  I wish I had the scruffy sarcasm and wit they show, and the fearlessness.  I think the only part of me that actually shows up is the freckles.

What do you find the most challenging part of writing?
Dedicating the time.  If I sit down and write regularly, it all flows well.  But mostly I make excuses.

What are you reading right now?
Stephen Erickson’s Chain of Dogs.  It’s s big book in a big dark fantasy series in which nothing good ever happens to anybody.  Don’t know why I love it, but I do.

What do you think makes a good romance novel?
A slow buildup to the attraction.

What advice would you give new authors?
Spend more time writing than I do?  Really. It’s like a mental muscle.  The more you write, the better you get.  And read quality work.  Don’t depend on learning writing if most of your reading is free online stuff.  Some of that is good, a lot is not. And you do have to learn through reading as well as writing.

What are you working on right now?
My third SF novel in the Terran-Novan universe.

What future writing projects can we look forward to?
I’d love to pen more short stories between novels.  I enjoy a little wit and sarcasm that can stand on its own.

Thank you for your interesting answers, Sandra. It was great having you here.

Astrid Ohletz
Publisher