Today I've got a special treat for you, dear readers--an interview with my friend and fellow author, Sandra D. Bricker, about her newest release: Always the Baker, Never the Bride.Let's start with the book's summary:
They say you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. But who would want a cake they couldn’t eat? Just ask Emma Rae Travis about that. A baker of confections who is diabetic and can’t enjoy them? When Emma meets Jackson Drake, the escapee from Corporate America who is starting a wedding destination hotel to fulfill a dream that belonged to someone else, this twosome and their crazy family ties bring new meaning to the term Family Circus. The Atlanta social scene will never be the same!
Hi Sandie. Welcome! Tell us about Always the Baker Never the Bride.
This book has been an absolute joy! Even before it hit bookstores the first of September, the reviews have been phenomenal. Something about these characters really appeals to readers on a broad level. It’s receiving four- and five-starred reviews, we’ve taken a couple of queries about the possibility of translating the book to film, and I’ll be doing interviews for the likes of Walmart and Southern Living magazines. It’s been so exciting to see Emma and Baker develop a life of their own.
Tell us why you decided to pursue a career as a writer.
Well, I’m not sure there was ever a time when I didn’t know I wanted to write. However, I was a big fan of film, and the writing I wanted to do was for the movies. I moved to Los Angeles in my twenties, and went to film school to learn my craft. Just about the time I started to make a little headway, my mom became ill in Florida and I had to give up my life in California so that I could move there and take care of her. At the time, I thought my life was pretty much over. But what I found was that God had a plan for my life that I hadn’t quite found yet. When I walked into a local chapter meeting of RWA writers in Tampa, I knew I’d found it. Some of my best friends and supporters to this day came out of that little meeting room in the back of a Picadilly restaurant more than ten years ago.
What did you love about writing Always the Baker Never the Bride?
When I finished writing Baker, it was excruciating to leave the characters behind. Emma Rae is a diabetic baker who can never eat her own creations. From her family to the hero and his family, it was an absolute hoot to write!
What is your most difficult obstacle as a writer?
My greatest obstacle these days is trying to hold down a 40+ hour a week “day job” to pay the bills while building a writing career. It’s quite a challenge to compartmentalize all the areas of my life and keep all the plates spinning at the same time.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
Quirky is my middle name, I am sorry to tell you. I’m the kind of person who can find humor in anything, even the most UNhumorous things. Fortunately, I have a couple of friends who are just like me, so we can giggle together at a funeral or laugh through tears at our misfortunes. It’s not so bad being an oddball when there’s someone else just as strange as you are to share it with … or at least someone who understands!
Are there themes you like to include in your books?
I’m a big fan of destiny. I think it comes from the belief that was developed in me very early on that there are no real accidents in life. God whispers a direction in our ear, and then opens up the path for us with road signs all along the way. I LOVE to write about those unexpected, often unrecognizable signs that point the way.
What else are you working on right now?
I’m collaborating with Kristin Billerbeck, Debby Mayne, Diann Hunt and Trish Perry on a devotional for Summerside Press. It will be titled Delight Yourself in the Lord…Even on Bad Hair Days, and like last year’s Be Still…and Let Your Nail Polish Dry, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
When the devo is all pulled together, I’ll jump right to The Big 4-OH!, the second in my Abingdon series about the life and loves of three sisters, ten years apart in age.
Thanks for visiting Sandie! I can't wait to read this one!
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Sandra D. Bricker has been publishing in both the Christian and general market for years with novels for women and teens, magazine articles and short stories. With 11 novels in print and 4 more slated for publication through 2012, Sandie has carved out a niche for herself as an author of laugh-out-loud comedy for the inspirational market. Sandie was an entertainment publicist in Hollywood for 15+ years. Her first comedy for the inspirational market, Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas, garnered three readers’ choice awards in 2009, and Love Finds You in Holiday, Florida has followed up with two more in 2010. Check out her blog here.
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