Welcome back Sarah Elle Emm. Sarah first visited Plain Talk on her Harmony Run tour, she shared 20 reasons why she loved Florida. Check out her post here. Get to know more about Sarah and her new novel Last Vacation.

If you had a choice to live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

This probably sounds crazy, but I think I’d live near my hometown of Evansville, Indiana. Since graduating the University of Evansville in 2001, I have lived in thirteen different cities, in the U.S.A. and abroad. While I enjoy experiencing different places, there’s a constant desire in the back of my mind to go back to my hometown. I doubt it will ever happen, but who knows? I really miss living there. The people are so nice, and I feel so much more relaxed when I am there visiting. Of course, I love to travel. So, Evansville could be my home base, and I could continue traveling to visit other places.

What is your writing process?

First, I take a lot of notes and brainstorm. Then, I work on the first draft. Next, I torment myself, questioning myself over and over about what I’ve written. Then comes editing, editing, overanalyzing, and more editing. Also, I call my mother a lot throughout this process to vent. And I may or may not binge eat Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies during a few of the aforementioned steps.

Describe your journey as an author so far.

My first book, Marrying Missy, was published in 2011. After that, my YA fantasy series, the Harmony Run Series was published with Winter Goose Publishing. It was a four book series that was released over the last few years. Last Vacation was just released in January 2016. It is my first suspense novel, although the Harmony Run Series was very suspenseful.

How do you stay motivated?

I drive myself insane when I am not writing. The only way for me to have peace is to write. So basically, my desire to feel rested motivates me to keep writing.

What has been your biggest obstacle while writing and how have you overcome it?

My biggest obstacle has always been being too concerned with what people think about what I write. That has slowed me down from time to time. I’ve had to overcome insecurities to share what I write with the world. But at the end of the day, you get negativity from people regardless of what you are doing. So, I’ve overcome it for the most part because I am a writer, and there is no escaping that.

[bctt tweet=”I’ve had to overcome insecurities to share what I write with the world. @SarahElleEmm “]

Why did you write this book?

I grew up visiting the island of St. Croix and later lived there as an adult. I always thought it would be a great setting for a fiction novel. I love reading suspense novels, and I finally made time to write one.

What do you hope readers would take away from this book?

I hope readers would think about giving people chances to change for the better and to think about really being there for those who might need you.

How long did it take you to write this book?

It took me about six months.

What’s next for you?

I hope to write another suspense novel, and I am also working on another young-adult series.

What genres do you read?

I read women’s fiction, suspense, chick-lit, non-fiction, fantasy, young-adult, dystopian, Christian, poetry, inspirational, romance, mystery, and a little middle-grade fiction.

Synopsis

Seven days have passed since Naples real estate agent Megan MacKenna has heard from her twin sister, Madeline, who was vacationing on the beautiful, Caribbean island of St. Croix. Though authorities are not convinced there is a case to solve, Megan knows with all of her heart something happened to Maddy. When Megan receives a direct warning to leave the island or end up like her sister, she turns to the only person who has taken her seriously since she arrived, Gabe, a breakfast cook at a local diner.

Undercover DEA agent, Gabriel Walker has been building his cover for months, waiting for the opportunity to work his way into the infamous Torrez crime ring. When Megan shows up asking questions and Gabe realizes her twin’s disappearance might be linked to the Torrez men, he has to convince her to go back to Florida before she becomes their next victim.

The closer Megan gets to the truth, the more Gabe begins to suspect he is missing a huge piece of the puzzle. And someone is closing in on Megan…

Purchase Last Vacation on Amazon | Kobo | Smashwords

About the Sarah Elle Emm 

Sarah Elle Emm is the author of the Harmony Run Series, a young-adult fantasy and dystopian series, released in May 2012 by Winter Goose Publishing. (Prismatic, May 2012, Opalescent, February 2013, Chatoyant, September 2014, Nacreous, August 2015) Her debut fiction novel, Marrying Missy, was published by Bird Brain Publishing in October 2011. Sarah is a graduate of The University of Evansville, she has lived and worked in Mexico, Germany, England, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and has traveled extensively beyond. Sarah lives in Naples, Florida with her family. When she’s not walking the plank of her daughters’ imaginary pirate ship or snapping photos of Southwest Florida scenery, she is writing.

Connect with Sarah: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Giveaway

Enter to win $20 Amazon Gift Card | 2 Paperback Copies of Last Vacation

Excerpt

Gabe sighed as he glanced over the report again, wishing he could just make her leave the island. Megan was about to be way in over her pretty little head. Everything the DEA had dug up on the two sisters verified that Megan had been completely honest with him at Captain Sully’s. The twins were identical in looks and opposite in behavior.

The missing twin, Madeline, had never owned anything, never gone to college, never had had a job for more than a few weeks, and a trail of travel receipts since the age of eighteen, revealed she had been all around the world, basically living out of a backpack as she went. Travel records showed a stop now and then back to her sister’s place in Naples, but Madeline never stayed for long.

The report further revealed the tragic, mountain climbing accident of the twins’ parents when the girls were only eleven-years-old. The parents had left the twins in their paternal grandparents’ care, the MacKennas, six months of the year for their adventure trips. Until the accident, after which the grandparents were granted full custody. The remainder of their youth was spent living in a small farm community outside of Naples in Immokalee, Florida, at the farm their grandparents helped run. Two years earlier, their grandfather had passed away, and Megan had moved Lynn to the retirement home in Naples.

It was easy for Gabe to conclude, especially after the brief conversation in Captain Sully’s, that Megan had chosen a calculated, rational existence not like the adventuresome nature of her parents, and Madeline had chosen to follow in her parents’ footsteps. Yet this time, her carefree lifestyle had landed her in the company of real bad guys. The kind that killed to protect their lifestyle. If he didn’t get this message across to Megan, she could end up like her twin. Missing.

And more than likely, dead. Gabe noted Megan’s hotel and room number, then pulling a lighter from his pocket, set the report ablaze. He dropped the burning papers into the street barrel and made a decision. He was going to pay Megan MacKenna a visit.