Guest Author Series -Q&A with Author Sarah Grimm

I'd like to welcome author Sarah Grimm to the blog today. Sarah is the author of "Not Without Risk," a romantic suspense set in San Diego. I just recently read her book and LOVED it!
Smiles
Steph

****

STEPH: Sarah, thank you for visiting Romance Under the Moonlight. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

SARAH: Thanks for having me here today, Steph. Let’s see, I live in West Michigan with my husband, two teenaged sons, three miniature schnauzers, and a guinea pig named Lilly. Recently I went from being a stay-at-home mom who kept the books for my husband’s business, to working full time as an Office Manager/Bookkeeper.


STEPH: How long have you been writing?

SARAH I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I have notebooks filled with poems, story ideas, and partial chapters from as far back as age five. Yes, thanks to my older sister, I could read and write by age five. And I did. I read everything I could get my hands on, usually re-writing the story in my head as I went.

STEPH: What attracts you to romance writing?

SARAH: I’m a romantic—a die hard romantic. I believe in love, not just as a fundamental part of human relationships, but as a force that really can heal emotional scars. I truly believe there is someone for everyone—the person they are meant to find.
Their other half. Their soul mate. So it makes sense that I chose to write about two people finding each other, falling in love, foiling the villain and living happily-ever-after.


STEPH: What genres of romance do you prefer to write?

SARAH: I write romantic suspense—stories where the romance and the suspense play an equal part—and also contemporary romance, with a bit of suspense woven in. I’ve tried to write without any danger or suspense, but can’t seem to do it. No matter my plans when I begin a story, before I know it, one of my characters is facing an enemy that wants them dead.

STEPH: Where do you find the inspiration for your stories?

SARAH: From everyday life: The stories I read, the music I listen to. Even conversations I overhear while grocery shopping or sitting at the DMV.


STEPH: Not Without Risk is a Nominee for Book of the Year with LASR! Congrats. Can you tell us a little about it?


SARAH: Thanks. Not Without Risk was the first time I saw down and wrote a book from the beginning to the end, so it will always have a special place in my heart. As you can imagine, I’m absolutely thrilled by the great reviews it’s received, even more so when I learned of the nomination from LASR. I didn’t win, but came in third behind Toni Blake and Jill Shalvis respectively. Pretty good for a debut author, I thought.

Not Without Risk is a romantic suspense with a wounded hero—the story of Sergeant Justin Harrison, who returns to his job as a San Diego homicide detective after six months of medical leave. Determined to prove he’s fit for active duty, he doesn’t need the self-doubt that plagues him, or his growing feelings for the leggy brunette who is at the center of his homicide investigation.


STEPH: How long did it take to write Not Without Risk?

SARAH: I have at least four different, completed versions of the book, a couple from when I called it by a completely different name. I wrote it, set it aside, went back and rewrote it from the beginning, then set it aside…well, you get the idea. I have no idea how long it took before I was satisfied with it. A long time. ☺


STEPH: How important was setting? Have you been to San Diego?

SARAH: The setting isn’t really important beyond the fact that it’s so far away from Boston, where Paige grew up. Any city in California would have worked. I chose San Diego because of its beauty and history. Have I been there? Unfortunately, no, but the next time I’m in LA visiting my brother, I plan to go.


STEPH: Did you do a lot of research for Not Without Risk?

SARAH: I didn’t do any research for Not Without Risk specifically. It was all things I’ve learned over the years of reading both fiction and non-fiction. Wait, I guess I did quiz a security system installer to make certain what I wanted to do with Paige’s system was feasible.


STEPH: Cast the movie! Who plays the leads Justin &Paige?

SARAH: Paige is easy, from the first draft of the story, I've always pictured Angie Harmon as Paige. I changed her hair and eye color, but the height, build and smile...all Paige.

Justin, hmm…that’s a tough one. I guess I’d have to pick Joe Manganiello.


STEPH: Do you own an ebook reader? If so, which one?

SARAH: I have a first generation Amazon Kindle that I love. Until a few weeks ago I had no plans to upgrade to a newer e-reader, then I saw a special on e-readers and discovered that Barnes and Noble has plans to add Apps to their Nook color. I want one!


STEPH: Do you have an advice for aspiring authors?

SARAH: Don’t let anything keep you from achieving your dream. Anything is possible when you want it badly enough.


STEPH: For fun: Monet, Picasso, or Renoir?


BUY LINK:
KINDLE LINK FOR NOT WITHOUT RISK: http://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-Risk-ebook/dp/B00365FI5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1302012249&sr=1-1
SARAH: Monet.


Sarah's Next Book: