I thought I’d start today with the reason I have Writer Wednesday. Back in February, when One Choice released, it was important that I find a number of blogs willing to let me “sell” my book. I didn’t realize how difficult it was to do. So, Writer Wednesday is my way of allowing authors and readers to connect. You get to find out about new books that you might not have seen otherwise, and the authors have a new place to possibly make a sale or two.
It’s hard work being a writer and having to market your product on your own–harder than you can imagine unless you’ve done something similar. So what I ask of you, my dear readers, is to read the posts, buy the book if you desire, but most of all, I ask that you share the posts on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever social media network you participate in. Help an author today. 🙂
So now, with no further ado, A Bed of Roses…Thorns Included welcomes Sarah Varland.
Sarah Varland lives in the woods in Georgia with her husband John, their two boys, and their dogs. Her passion for books comes from her mom, her love for suspense comes from her dad who has spent a career in law enforcement. Her love for romance comes from the relationship she has with her husband and from watching too many chick flicks. When she’s not writing, she’s often found, reading, baking, kayaking or hiking.
A Novel Start
by Sarah Varland
Hey! I’m so excited to be sharing about Treasure Point Secrets with you today—thanks Ginger for hosting me! Today I thought I’d share a couple of things about my debut novel, which came out in May with Love Inspired Suspense. We’ll start with my writing process and then I’ll tell you a little bit about this book’s journey to publication.
One of the things people ask the most is where story ideas come from. I know this is different for every author, but for me they usually start with a character. For this book, I saw a woman sitting in downtown Savannah, drinking coffee in one of the squares in mid-afternoon, while the sunlight made shadows through the branches of the tall oak trees laden with Spanish moss that surround the square. I knew this woman was scared, and I knew she was running from someone.
And I wanted to know who she was running from and why. So I started writing!
Somehow the story evolved from its original setting in Savannah (a fabulous town that you should visit if you haven’t had the chance already), to the fictional town of Treasure Point, which I’ve set just a little south of Savannah. If you’re familiar with Coastal Georgia, it would be very close to Darien. As the story progressed in my mind (and on my computer…), several of the plot elements caught me off guard. (And yes, sometimes my stories do that. It’s part of the writer mystique, right fellow writers???)
There was pirate treasure in this story.
And pirate legend.
Whaaaat?
Several times the twists in my own fiction have surprised me and made me smile, but let me be honest here…This twist made me a little bit nervous. I was writing the manuscript with Love Inspired Suspense in mind and well…I wasn’t sure how they were going to feel about pirates. Really? Pirates??? I wasn’t sure how I felt. Haha.
I sat tensely during the online pitch session Love Inspired Suspense was hosting while I waited for the editor to read my manuscript. Pirates really?
Her response finally came. They wanted me to send the entire manuscript.
And do you want to know the funny thing I discovered several months later? After the contract, after working on edits for a while…I realized that there’s a good chance it was the pirate treasure angle that set the book apart and caught their attention. It just goes to show you that sometimes we should let our stories take us where they will and embrace the surprises they throw our way.
Kinda like life, right?
About Treasure Point Secrets:
PERILOUS PURSUIT 
It’s been five years since Shiloh Evans encountered the murderous gold hunters seeking Blackbeard’s hidden stash. After they killed her policewoman cousin, Shiloh left town to regroup, and earn her own police badge. Because she would see this case solved—someday. She just didn’t expect the killers to attack her new home in Treasure Point, Georgia…on the same day her ex-fiancé arrived in town. Adam Cole has tried to overcome his love for Shiloh. But he won’t just sit by when she’s in danger. Working together, they plan a trap. But springing it requires getting to centuries-buried treasure before the killers get to them.
You can find Treasure Point Secrets in many bookstores, including Walmart, or online at places like Barnes and Noble, or Amazon.
And to find Sarah visit one of her blogs:
espressoinalatteworld.blogspot.com
thenaptimenovelists.blogspot.com – for writing mommies
scribblechicks.blogspot.com – for young writers
Blessings,
