Can you share a little about your recent book?
Sure!! Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented
evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine
artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline
into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried
Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.
The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication
when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary
collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a
museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who
broke Eleanor’s heart.
Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her ability to be unbiased regarding
Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her,
and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and
actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on
his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.
With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the
baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving
Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith
in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after
all? As pressures mount and time runs
out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true,
brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.
Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?
My faith is central to my worldview and interests, so it informs the subjects I pursue in my books. Honestly, I felt it would be anachronistic to write about 19th Century England and not have any mention of or interaction with faith; it was completely integrated into daily and weekly life. I don’t seek to write inspirational fiction so much as it interests me how a strong Christian woman approaches a situation in her era and setting. I don’t set out, in fiction, to teach a specific message, only to show and reveal and understand through the heroine’s eyes. So hopefully that makes a good story whether the reader is a Christian or not.
Themes, I’ve found, reveal themselves as I write. I then only need to go back and fortify them!
How long have you been writing?
Like most authors – forever!! I knew I wanted to be an author at the age of six and wrote my first fiction at age fourteen. I didn’t become a Christian until I was nineteen, so I was a writer before I even knew God.
I wrote the first set of novels that were published (Secret Sisters Series) when my daughter, who is climbing toward twenty-five years old, was an infant.
And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? Or are you published non-traditionally? How did that come about?
Oh, I was rejected plenty. One publisher rejected me twice on the same series. I got a rejection letter, and then another letter came a few weeks later. I thought, “They’ve come to their senses and want to publish me!” Nope! It was a second rejection. They had either lost track or wanted to make sure I really, really knew they didn’t want it.
Ultimately, WaterBrook picked up the whole series, and I published seventeen books with them over some very happy years. Author Lisa Bergren was my first editor. So thankful!
How long does it take you to write a book?
It all depends! My current books are very research-heavy, so the whole process, from plotting to editing, is a year or a little more.
What’s your writing work schedule like?
Most writing days, I do “busy work” to get my brain warmed up, and then I find my most productive work hours are from about 10 am to 2 pm, so I make sure I’m always writing within those hours.
Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?
I like to crunch on things when I’m nervous, writing. Lemonheads. Bell pepper strips. Ice. My dentist is not so keen on this habit!
What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?
The satisfaction of finishing a book, reaching into the hears and minds of my readers and bringing the pleasure.
What has been your darkest moment(s)?
Self-doubt. It never goes away, entirely! The moment it does, I suspect the author’s blade is dull!
Which of your books is your favorite?
Always the one I am currently working on; it’s my most vulnerable child.
Who is your favorite author to read?
Oh, I have no absolute favorite. When I need comfort reads, I go back to the books I read as a child, when I need to be challenged, I read someone from the best seller list. Anyone whose book I endorse, I believe in, as a writer.
What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have listened too?
Press on. Art is hard. This is your calling, and the world will be a poorer place if your books aren’t available due to fear or discouragement!
How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?
Oh, too many to count. Rejection is truly redirection; I believe that 100%, but it’s hard to feel that in the immediate moment. Sometimes the project needs work, it really does, and it’s a kindness for someone to let you know that before you put it into the digital universe forever. Sometimes, lots of times, it’s just a market issue. The publisher already has books like yours or doesn’t feel it can sell them well, and needs to be a good steward of the funds. The beautiful thing now, is authors have many means by which to get their books into the hands of readers. If you work hard, there will be a place for your book. That makes those long hours and tough edits so much more worthwhile.
Do you have a favorite character or scene in one of your books?
A truth teased out in a scene from Lady of a Thousand Treasures:
She spoke of the twisted cornucopias, purest glass with threads of gold woven throughout, as intricate as any embroidery I’d seen and then the blown glass water jug that looked too delicate to drink from. When she held up the yellow perfume bottle, swirled like sunrise gauze, my heart felt no pain. Mama, I wish you well. But we are well and truly parted, now. I had learned that every circumstance in life doesn’t have to end happily for the Lord to provide a happy ending.
Where do you get your ideas?
Mostly I have an idea of the character, or the era (Victorian England!) or a few plot points. The rest grows naturally from research and plotting.
What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make?
Not plotting. Sensing a theme? 😉 I know there are pantsers, too, and I respect them, but I think they plot, too, to some extent, with plot structure imprinted on their hearts and minds from reading. I always say you can prewrite a lot or rewrite a lot. Pick your poison!
Many new writers feel that plotting – to some extent, not hundred level outlines – will take the fun from the discovery. But you are writing that plot, too. You are discovering. It’s a creative exercise, and it makes the reader’s enjoyment so much stronger.
Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market?
Well, as I have been a book coach, an author encourager, a manuscript midwife (like that one?) for so many years, I always suggest they start with editorial assistance. Get that book strong and unputdownable from the start. Learn skills you can use in book after book. Here’s my coaching website. I’d love to offer your readers 20% off their first package with me! www.sandrabyrdbookcoach.com
BIO
Bestselling author Sandra Byrd continues to earn both industry acclaim and high praise from readers everywhere. The author of more than fifty books, her work has received many awards, nominations, and accolades including the Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choice award, two Christy Award nominations, Library Journal Best Book selections, and inclusion on Booklist’s Top Ten Inspirational Books of the Year list. As an editor and an in-demand writing coach, Sandra is passionate about helping writers develop their talents and has mentored hundreds of writers at all stages of their writing careers. She lives in Seattle with her husband and with her grown children nearby.
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