Interview With Author Sherry Roberts
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Everything I write is about enjoying the journey. Of course, sometimes the journey stinks, and sometimes it smells like fresh-baked bread. I write about both.
I started writing essays as a reporter in Missouri (Springfield Daily News) and Vermont (The Burlington Free Press). For a few years, I wrote op-ed pieces for USA Today. Those were sometimes insane trips, where I got the topic at 4 p.m. and was expected to do research, write, and dictate a piece by 2 p.m. the next day. (Yes, to all those who weren’t even eating solid food in that pre-fax, pre-email, pre-internet time, I said dictate.)
I have written six novels: contemporary fiction (Up There, Book of Mercy, Maud’s House) and cozy mysteries (Down Dog Diary, Warrior’s Revenge, Crow Calling). In my On Writing blog I talk about writing and try to give you the “scoop”—the stories behind my stories and how they came to being. You’ll find my essays on www.hearth.sherry-roberts.com.
I live in Apple Valley, Minnesota, where I feed the hummingbirds, take walks, read by the fire, bake cookies, and practice yoga.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Up There came out in October 2023. It was inspired by watching videos of people in wind tunnel competitions. It is about a woman born with the gift of flight and how she struggles to manage this secret throughout her life. As she tries to navigate her connection with the wind and find her place in a small town in Minnesota, Ariel Lee faces obstacles that challenge her identity and relationships. This novel offers elements of magical realism, love, and self-discovery.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I am stuck, I take walks to stir the writing juices. I often get ideas while I’m trying to sleep. To get the ideas out of my head, I stay in bed and record them in an email to myself on my phone (whispering in the night). My best time to write is morning. I bring my work to a writing critique group every other week.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love the writing of Dennis Lehane, Amor Towles, and Anthony Doerr.
For writing inspiration, I like books explaining the hero’s journey.
What are you working on now?
I am writing a sequel to Up There. It will be set in the same small Minnesota town and will further the adventures and love life of Ariel Lee.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still investigating that.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Make a map of your fictitious places early (you will get lost). Keep a notebook with character descriptions handy (you will forget ages and other particulars). Study and learn more about character arcs, dialogue, the hero’s journey, the three-act structure, and plot points (if you think you know it all when it comes to writing, you don’t). Be humble (give up your sacred cows).
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“There is always next year.” (This works if you are raising a feisty 4-year-old grandson or disappointed in your writing. Don’t give up on either one.)
What are you reading now?
Just finished Julia Alvarez’s Afterlife and Emily Henry’s A Million Junes. I’m heading toward some paranormal by Kelley Armstrong, and I am eagerly awaiting Leif Enger’s new book, I Cheerfully Refuse. Enger’s Virgil Wander was magical.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am promoting Up There, which has received a great response. I didn’t realize how many people dream of flying. I also will be working on the sequel which does not have a title yet.
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?
My own novel, Up There, to remind me who I am.
Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow to remind me to find compassion in all people.
A Dennis Lehane mystery featuring detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro for fun or his novel, Shutter Island (the book that left me gasping).
Author Websites and Profiles
Sherry Roberts’s Social Media Links
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