Monday, August 12, 2013

VBT Interview: Sharon Struth



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 My first book (unpublished and hiding in a drawer) was about a psychic and while writing it, I got super into researching thing about people who have this unique ability.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

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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:  



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



OTHER LINKS:

THE HOURGLASS Webpage and Trailer: www.thehourglassnovel.com










14 comments:

  1. 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

    junegirl63 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi June! Thanks for stopping by and for your interest in The Hourglass :-)

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    2. Lol, I just noticed your name is Maria. Sorry about that :-)

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  2. Thanks 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

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shannon. It was a scary decision, but life's too short to NOT take a chance.... you know?
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. I enjoyed the interview, thank you. By the way chicken is my favorite meal too.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  4. Gotta love good old Abraham Lincoln! Thanks for the great interview!

    andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com

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  5. Good 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.

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  6. When 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?
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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  7. 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.

    No, 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!

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  8. I enjoyed the interview thank you. Sometimes ice cold water is the best.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  9. 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?

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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