Thanks for stopping by my spot on The Hourglass tour! I've got the author, Sharon Struth here for an interview today!
Sharon will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour.
Be sure to leave a comment with a valid email address, and follow along the tour! Check out the following tour stops here
Tell
me about yourself, and your writing.
A.
A resident of Connecticut for the past thirty years, I originally
grew up in Poughkeepsie, NY. I’ve always loved to write, like
papers for class, business letters, etc. And I always made up stories
in my head, like when you see someone at the grocery story line and
analyze their purchases. But it was after one adult education writing
class I knew I needed to make a career change.
How
long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and
what genres?
A.
Five years ago I became a full-time writer, ending a twenty-five year
career in accounting. The Hourglass is my debut novel and is romantic
women’s fiction. My agent has another book called Share the Moon
that is more of a contemporary romance.
Do
you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever
consider straying outside your genre?
A.
It’s mostly women’s stories, with romance and a little mystery in
the background. I’m tackling a cozy mystery right now, with romance
in it, of course.
Are
you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?
A.
I cling to the seat of my pants most days, wishing I was more of a
plotter!
What
is a typical writing day like for you?
A.
Up and showered by 6:30 and on the computer by 7:30. Now that my kids
are gone, I sometimes forget that I have to stop and fix dinner for
myself and my husband. Thank God the dogs remind me to get off the
computer once in a while.
Who
do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?
A.
Romance, women’s fiction, mystery. I love Jodi Piccoult and
Jennifer Weiner and Harlan Coben.
If
you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?
A.
I’d want to be psychic. My first book (unpublished and hiding in a
drawer) was about a psychic and while writing it, I got super into
researching thing about people who have this unique ability. I kept
telling my kids I was psychic. They’d only laugh. Mom’s can be,
though
Tell
us a little about your latest release.
The
Hourglass
is a work of romantic women’s fiction that shows how sometimes--in
the thick of mid-life--our world can take an unexpected sharp turn.
The take-away lesson is that no matter what our circumstances are or
our age, we can always start over.
What
is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than
family members)
A.
My dogs. They are a joy and make me relax.
If
you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who
would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?
A.
Abraham Lincoln. I’d ask him how he found the courage to stand up
to so many people who were against what he believed in. True courage.
What
is a talent you wish you had, but don't?
A.
Play the piano. Wait…play the piano beautifully.
Weather:
Hot or cold?
A.
Cold. Nothing like getting warm under a blanket with tea on a cold
day.
Favorite
meal
A.
Chicken. Anything with chicken.
Favorite
non-alcoholic drink.
A.
Water. How boring, right? I love ice cold water.
If
you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding
you back, where would you go?
A.
Tuscany. I’d buy a house where I could write from a room with a
view of a rolling Tuscan hillside.
The
Hourglass
by
Sharon Struth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Can
forgiveness survive lies and unspoken truths?
Until
Brenda McAllister’s husband committed suicide, she appeared to have
the ideal life: a thriving psychology practice, success as a
self-help author, and a model family. But her guilt over her affair
with Jack’s best friend prevents her from moving on. Did Jack learn
of her infidelity? Was she the cause of his death?
The
release of Brenda’s second book forces her into an unexpected
assignment with arrogant celebrity author CJ Morrison, whose
irritating and edgy exterior hides the torment of his own mistakes.
But as she grows closer to CJ, Brenda learns she wasn’t the only
one with secrets—Jack had secrets of his own, unsavory ones that
may have led to his death. While CJ helps Brenda uncover the truth
about her husband, she finds the path to forgiveness isn’t always
on the map.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
An
unexpected gravitational pull swelled Brenda’s anger. Her cute quip
ran into hiding. She no longer cared about winning this man’s
favor. His rudeness left her feeling as if she’d been doused with
hot coffee this time. Brenda clenched her fists. A year of internal
browbeating over Jack’s suicide had left her easily irritated.
Brenda
gripped the frail edges of her self-control. “I once again offer my
apologies for the accident, by definition an unplanned event with
lack of intent.” He looked down his sturdy, Grecian nose at her, so
she stood and put her hands on her hips. “Shouldn’t you, as a
writer, know that?”
Every
line on his face tensed. “I could do without your sarcasm.” He
leaned closer. “Thanks to you, I missed my meeting. Maybe tomorrow
morning you could get room service.”
The
brunette unleashed a tight smirk. CJ motioned for them to move on.
Brenda
fumbled for a good retort. As he stepped away, the last word went
with him. The same way Jack had the last word in their life together.
A silent explosion went off inside Brenda’s head and propelled her
anger forward.
“Mr.
Morrison?” She raised her voice to be heard above the crowd.
He
looked over his shoulder and arched a questioning eyebrow.
Brenda
crossed her arms and fixed a phony smile as she nodded toward his
companion. “It’s so nice of you to bring your daughter to the
conference.”
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
.jpg)
Novelist
Sharon Struth believes you’re never too old to pursue a dream. The
Hourglass, her debut novel, received first place in the Dixie Cane
Memorial Contest and second place in the Golden Heart. She writes
from the friendliest place she’s ever lived, Bethel, Connecticut,
along with her husband, two daughters and canine companions. For more
information, including where to find her published essays, please
visit http://www.sharonstruth.com.
Discover
more about Sharon Struth here:
Blogs at
"Life in the Middle Ages”
http://www.sharonstruth.wordpress.com
Website:
www.sharonstruth.com
Facebook
Author Pagehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Sharon-Struth-Author-Page/139641182749036?ref=
OTHER
LINKS:
THE
HOURGLASS Webpage and Trailer: www.thehourglassnovel.com
All
Romance Ebooks:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thehourglass-1173513-149.html
Good interview - Sharon is a new to me author and I like the sound of her books. Thanks for the info on The Hourglass and for the excerpt - it sounds like a book I want to read
ReplyDeletejunegirl63 at gmail dot com
Hi June! Thanks for stopping by and for your interest in The Hourglass :-)
DeleteLol, I just noticed your name is Maria. Sorry about that :-)
DeleteThanks for the great interview. I love that after 25 years of your normal job you took the leap and started to pursued this dream. I wish you more sucess
ReplyDeletefencingromein at hotmail dot com
Thanks, Shannon. It was a scary decision, but life's too short to NOT take a chance.... you know?
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
I enjoyed the interview, thank you. By the way chicken is my favorite meal too.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Gotta love good old Abraham Lincoln! Thanks for the great interview!
ReplyDeleteandralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
Honest Abe! Thanks for stopping by Andra!
DeleteGood morning! Thanks for hosting me on the blog today. Sorry to get such a late start on your site. Busy morning but everything just calmed down.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting
ReplyDeleteWhen you made the decision to leave accounting and pursue writing 5 years ago, were you able to do it cold turkey? Did you have to continue to do accounting PT for a while? Have you looked back at all? Do you miss accounting? Tax season?
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100 at gmail dot com
Hi Catherine. Yes I still had to work at my accounting job for a while. My two jobs overlapped for a while. As a career, writing takes some time to start making enough money to support yourself. Some of my author friends also have "day" jobs.
ReplyDeleteNo, I never look back. At one point, I was agonizing over if writing was what I should be doing but my horoscope kept telling me to take all these chances. Lol, I decided it was a sign. I'm so happy I did! Do I miss accounting? Well, I can't say no because I love organized data and the logic of it all. However, putting together a novel does use some of those "organized data" moments I seem to enjoy. Tax season, however, I NEVER miss! Sounds like you come from the voice of experience with the accounting :-)
Thanks for posting!
I enjoyed the interview thank you. Sometimes ice cold water is the best.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
The more I read about this book, the more I believe it would make a great 'made for TV' movie. If that were to happen, who do you see playing the lead parts?
ReplyDeletekareninnc at gmail dot com