Welcome to the AdultFic interview book. Inside you'll find interview sessions with inspiring authors posted each month, as well as helpful hints for readers and writers alike.
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Interview with Sarahbeth552002 - The author of our July Book of the month.
First of all, I'd like to thank Sarah for taking the time to answer our questions and letting us into the inner workings of her mind.
Millie: I have read many of your books from the Stevens Family to your latest Love Me series. Your books have always had an element of relatability. How do you manage to keep your characters relatable?
Sarah: I think to myself; what might I do in their situation? Common sense rules the day with some wiggle room for strong emotions. Even though I am writing fiction I feel that a character's reaction doesn't have to be fictional.
Millie: As an author who has written more than 20 books, how do you manage to keep each character fresh?
Sarah: For me that's not hard. Each character is different, it's like I'm being introduced to new people all of the time. I like to focus on what each individual character's defining characteristic is and let that lead the way. For Silas it was his confidence and for Faye it was her meek solitude. What is the most challenging is trying not to repeat situations. Sometimes repeating a situation is alright, especially if it is with two very different characters, but overall I have to fight not to return to the same scene over and over.
Millie: In connection with the previous question, what would you say is your favourite genre and why? Would you say that your favourite genre to read is also your favourite genre to write?
Sarah: Romance and Romance of course.
Millie: When I read the story of Faye and Dr. Degraff, Faye stood out to me. There was something about her vulnerability and wanting to comfortably hide away in crowds which appealed to me. This is not to say that I found her to lack confidence, but there was something unassuming about her. What inspired you to write her?
Sarah: I used the author Betty Neels as inspiration for Silas and Faye's story. Betty wrote in the 60s, 70s and 80s. I wanted to do a modern version. Her female characters were always a bit meek but strong when it was needed. Plus, who doesn't like a Cinderella story and Faye is a definite Cinderella.
Millie:Dr Silas Degraff gave me McDreamy type of feelings or even Rhett Butler. What were you thinking of when you wrote him?
Sarah: I wanted him to be strong and level headed while remaining a mystery. The beauty of Silas was he has everything going for him, but he is down to earth and comfortable in almost any situation. I also wanted his and Faye's relationship to be very private and intimate. Something neither one of them had experienced before. Silas doesn't boast or brag and his silent confidence draws people to him.
Millie: When you are writing a story which has conflict, how do you balance the relationships and the conflict which is meant to drive the story forward, without losing the central themes?
Sarah: The characters lead the way. I heard somewhere that every good story has at least three conflicts. Sometimes I have more but I always try to shoot for that. I try to think about my end goal for the character and then gauge their reactions against the final outcome. An example of this is Silas's continued relationship with Chloe. Silas has to be true to who he is by keeping Chloe's secret. He realizes he missteps with Faye, he moved too soon and too fast, so how can he fix it? With as much honesty as he can by telling her to have patience and trust him, that there are things that he can't share. Boom! A conflict while Silas is being who he is, honest. Faye, meanwhile, suffers from insecurity where Silas is concerned so she has a hard time believing what he says is true. The only thing they can rely on in this situation is their patience, which both have an abundance of thankfully.
Millie: There are a few Dutch sentences in Love me True which help maintain the authenticity of Silas' character. How much research went into forming his background?
Sarah: A little, I read Betty Neels, whose characters are almost always Dutch. I relied heavily on her stories and researched the holes that I needed filled. Readers also helped me with a few mistakes that I made along the way. I rely heavily on the readers to correct what I get wrong. It is like having a bunch of free editors. My husband is in the medical profession and I relied on him for what was realistic in the hospital scenes.
Millie: There was never a moment that I doubted that Faye was a nurse or Silas being a doctor. What is the main thing that you focus on when it comes to world-building?
Sarah: The characters are what I focus on the most. If you are focused too much on the world around them you are losing track of the characters. If there is something that I don't know I try to keep it vague and not go into too much detail. I also ask people for help, such as my husband or readers, someone who occupies the world that I need to know about. I trust someone who lives it more than what I read online.
Millie: If you could describe Love me true in five words, what would you say the story is about?
Sarah: An honest and abiding love.
Review by Pfunzo18. Thank you for your time and sharing your insight with us. Read Love Me True if you want a story led by a working woman who is as real as you and me.
