Author Sandra Sookoo Week: Day 3 - Interview

ABOUT YOU

JJBC~How did you get into writing?
SS~I got into writing when I was a kid and needed an escape from “real” life. Creating worlds and making characters became so fascinating, I kept up with it until I finally became a published author.

JJBC~Is writing your full time job?
SS~I do try to write full time. A few years ago I was laid off from the real estate industry and decided to give “serious” writing a go. I’m now getting ready to start my fourth year in the publishing industry and can’t wait to see what happens.

JJBC~What’s a typical writing day for you like?
SS~Usually in the morning I take care of busy work (usually promo stuff) then start writing in the afternoons or evenings. A couple days a week are set aside for errands or anything else not writing related. I generally try not to write on the weekends but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.

JJBC~Do you set a daily writing goal?

SS~I’d like to say yes. But that’s just not feasible everyday. I’m happy if I can get in a thousand words. More would be nice but it hasn’t happened in recent months.

JJBC~Are there any processes you use when writing? Do you keep journals, sticky notes, chicken scratch on the back of receipts?
SS~I like to make an outline of chapters, like a roadmap. I have a white board over my tiny desk but since I work on a laptop, I’m rarely at the desk.

JJBC~What are 3 things that are must haves for you when you sit down to write?
SS~Background noise (music or TV), water, and drive to write.

JJBC~Can you tell us about a favorite / strangest fan experience?
SS~Hmm, well I don’t get the opportunity to meet many fans face to face. Generally, I interact with readers through social networking.

JJBC~Is there a question you have always wanted to be asked in an interview? If so how would you answer it?
SS~Actually, I don’t think there is! LOL



YOUR READING

JJBC~What type of genres do you prefer to read?
SS~Just like in my writing, I love reading across all sub-genres of romance. I think it prevents the brain from becoming bored or burned out.

JJBC~What are your favorite types of Heroes &/or heroines?
SS~I like heroines that can hold their own but still have a soft side. I like heroes that know what they want but aren’t overly Alpha.

JJBC~What are you reading at the moment?
SS~I’m slowly working my way through the backlog on my e-reader right now. In the last few days I finished the Halloween stories I’d bought.

JJBC~Who's your favorite Author/s?
SS~In any given sub-genre, I have my favorites and it seems to change from month to month LOL

JJBC~do you have a favorite series you like to read?
SS~As a general rule I’m not a big fan of series. I like books to stand alone and not revisit the same story with the same characters. It’s fine to have the same “world” but not the same players.



Blink

Which man is her destiny? Charlotte Jackson knows everything about her small portion of the galaxy but nothing about the secrets of her heart.

Her life is as unstable as a supernova when her ship—the Copernicus—is visited by a blue-haired alien who calls himself Garreth. He tells her he’d like to build an alliance with Earth to improve the dire problems of both their planets. As if intergalactic space negotiations weren’t complicated enough, Charlotte finds herself more than a little attracted to the man who she should be thinking about in only the most professional terms. This does nothing to make her second-in-command—and would-be lover Jax—any more relaxed about the whole cooperation.

When her ship is attacked by the very beings Garreth wants to save them from, Charlotte and Jax will have to put their feelings for the blue-haired alien aside and focus on saving not only themselves but the entire galaxy. What the three find at the end could be the most valuable commodity of all.

JJBC~Can you tell us a little bit about Blink?
SS~Blink is a special bit of sci-fi. It deals with the preconceived ideals from two humans from Earth as well as the growing conflicts of an alien coming into the realization that emotions aren’t necessarily bad.

JJBC~How did you come up with the idea for Blink? From a dream, from watching tv, while reading another book?
SS~Uh, it actually came about as a challenge. I’d never written in the sci-fi genre before so when I decided to try, it ended up being the hardest genre I’d ever tackled. Thank goodness I met my editor and she guided me into making Blink the story it is today. The funny thing? Even though it’s the hardest sub-genre I’ve ever attempted, it’s like a craving and I have 3 other books planned for next year.

JJBC~Who’s your favorite character and why?
SS~That’s a hard question. Each of the three characters—Charlotte, Jax and Garreth—have a unique way of looking at life. I like them all equally LOL

JJBC~Are any of your characters based from people in your life?
SS~This time around, no. Usually I’ll include bits of folks I’ve gleaned through life but Blink is a bit of a different animal. Straight from the imagination.

JJBC~Was there any part of this book that was harder for you to write than the others?SS~LOL The whole book was difficult. What I thought I knew about sci-fi was debunked quickly after submission and I basically had to start over. Every single chapter was hard, but in retrospect, I firmly believe it’s as it should be.

**My Bonus Question**

JJBC~If you could be trapped in any series/book which would it be and why?
SS~LOL After reading my answer to series above, quite frankly I think it would be a nightmare for me to be trapped in a series LOL Over the years I’ve loved books before but I’m not sure I’d like to be trapped. Even the best of work becomes a chore if that was the only thing you had to read from here to eternity.

Author Bio:

Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction. Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, sci-fi and paranormal romances. She loves to blend genres and spice them up and often times will add humor as well.

After catching the writing bug at the young age of ten, she’s gone on to grow her unique writing style. She’s a regular contributor for the Paranormal Romantic’s blog and has a great time keeping things interesting at the Believing is Seeing blog.

When not immersed in creating new worlds and interesting characters, Sandra likes to read, bake and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours is Walt Disney World. It’s where dreams come true and the soul can play. That suits her just fine.
Writing is her ultimate dream job.

You can write to Sandra at sandrasookoo@yahoo.com visit her website at http:///www.sandrasookoo.com or look her up on Facebook and Twitter.



Snippet:

“In the last few weeks you’ve been like a powder keg in a blast furnace. You’ve always been rash and impulsive. It’s one of the things that people love about you, one of the things that makes you have the potential to be a good leader, but now I’m worried. I can’t help remembering your prior assignment. Will the Copernicus be another black mark on your record? Are we destined for the same fate as the Merlin?”


Charlotte shook her head for a brief moment as the customary pain stabbed at her heart. The Merlin. “That was a huge mistake. I should never have been there. I wasn’t ready.” She stared at Jax’s impassive face, wondered how much to reveal. Finally, she blew out a tired breath. “The rumors are probably true.”


“Tell me your version. Let me make my own decision.”

~*~*~* GIVEAWAY*~*~*~

Whats your favorite genre to read?

Sandra is going to be stopping by and chatting throughout the week, so don't forget to say Hi and chat.

Sandra will also be giving away 1 copy of a book off her back list to 1 lucky commentor on friday. So every comment this week on her posts gives you 1 entry into her givaway!

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Check out Sandra's other days

Monday Guestpost HERE

Tuesday Teaser HERE