How did you go about selecting a suitable publisher?
Over the course of my career I’ve been with several. I believe it’s key to work with an editor whose opinion you value and trust, one who is first and foremost a fan of your writing, and who enthusiastically represents you inside the publishing house through every stage of a book. I have all that with my current publisher Grand Central Publishing. On the heels of MEAN STREAK’s success, they’ve really gotten behind FRICTION.
With over 60 books published, what is your writing schedule like?
Actually I’ve published 77 books. I’m never NOT writing. Because even when I’m away from my current book, I’m wondering what the characters are up to in my absence! When I’m in the thick of it, I write for several hours each day. At crunch time, I get out of town – literally – and clear my schedule and, hopefully, my mind of everything else except the book. During those times, I write 8-10 hours a day. Those are the times I enjoy the most. I get to play with my characters all day – which isn’t hardship duty when it’s a character like Crawford from FRICTION.
Where do you find inspiration for your novels?
Ideas spring from a variety of sources. Sometimes I start with a character. Or I’ll explore a profession that I find interesting. Such was the case with FRICTION. I wanted to write about a Texas Ranger – the law enforcement agency, not the baseball team. Or I’ll hear something on the news and wonder how in the world people got themselves into that fix, and an idea will come of that. Then there are the times when I have NO clue where the idea came from. It’s just there. I start seeing and hearing characters inside my head. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
What keeps you motivated?
I love my job. I have the best job in the world. I get to daydream for a living. My workday consists of playing make-believe. I can’t fathom anything I’d rather be doing.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Spend more time listening to your gut than to industry gossip. The buying public doesn’t know what it wants until it’s given to them. Follow your instincts, not trends. Work harder at writing than at promotion. A good book will be found by readers. My first editor told me,
“When you get the world’s attention, you’d better have something good to say.”
Great advice. Bottom line: Keep your head out of the clouds, your mind on your work, and your butt in the chair.
Friction by Sandra Brown
Published by: Grand Central
Publication date: August 18th 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a gripping story of family ties and forbidden attraction.
A Texas Ranger, relegated to deskwork due to past recklessness, petitions to regain custody of his five-year-old daughter, and his case is assigned to a family court judge who is as attractive as she is ambitious. When a masked gunman barges in during the custody hearing with his sights on the judge, the Ranger reacts instinctually and goes after him. But authorities apprehend the wrong man, and the real gunman remains unknown, at large, and a threat. Will this take-charge lawman jeopardize his chances of custody by going after the would-be assassin? And will this unlikely pair be able to deny the forbidden attraction building between them?
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About Sandra Brown
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including DEADLINE(2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), & HELLO, DARKNESS (2003).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program “PM Magazine.”
In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Connect with Ms. Brown: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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