Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As well as writing I deliver management development training courses, with the hope that one day I can say I’m a writer full stop. I live in Scotland and look out over farmland and a river, although when I’m in full writing flow I don’t look up long enough to enjoy the view!
I have 3 books out just now. It would have been more but I got hit by the big C last year and everything came to a stand still. But now I’m back! I’ve had quite a bit of training so far this year and I’ve been recreating my websites but as of next week my head should be back in the land of make believe.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’m half way through a 4-book series about the Duval-Adams family. I’ve always been fascinated by twins and created a family with two sets in. I’ve covered Matt and Zander’s stories and this year I want to get Tess and Ronnie’s stories out there.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Does procrastination count? One thing I do tend to do is sketch out the homes that my characters live in. Maybe I’m a frustrated architect!!! I just seem to need to be able to visualise the space they inhabit even though it is only a rough 2-D drawing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
This is where I’ll lose a lot of readers but since I was 15 years old I’ve read Mills and Boon (Harlequin in the States). I love the escapism and dream of happy ever after. They’re also books I can skim read to relax with as opposed to having to concentrate hard on the story line. They have to be well written though otherwise they get left on the sofa, unread.
What are you working on now?
Tess’s story. I got about 3,000 words written before I succumbed to evil treatment but now I’ve had a chance to think about it I may rip it all up and start again. That’s the beauty of writing fiction – if you’re not keen on the direction you can change it really easily.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have to say that the opportunity to promote your books for free on Amazon has been very successful for me. Having said that there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme nor reason as to why it’s a great success one month and a disaster the next time you do it.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make sure you plan your story and characters before you start writing. The characters are especially important. You need to get into them deeply – what makes them laugh, get angry; what habits do they have, who are their friends? When you start writing you have to try and get inside their head and look out. It isn’t easy but if you succeed you’ll have wonderful characters that jump off the page.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To keep on writing, even if what you’re writing is rubbish, going back to edit it is far easier than continually staring at a blank page.
What are you reading now?
More Mills and Boon – I have a library van comes into our village every fortnight and the staff always have a stack of books ready to hand to me – they know what I like. It’s a wonderful service and I feel thoroughly spoilt.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Once I’m back on the horse and in full writing flow, I need to get better at marketing myself. I want to do more speaking engagement and need to work out who to promote myself to for that to happen.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Aargh, that’s so hard. Okay, I’ve decided. I’ll take one book and a pad of paper. The book would be a survival guide so I could stay alive until I was rescued and I’d use the the pad of paper to create my own stories.
Author Websites and Profiles
Sarah Fredricks Website
Sarah Fredricks Amazon Profile
Sarah Fredricks Author Profile on Smashwords
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