<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Harris.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Harris.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Harris-300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Harris-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Harris-150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Harris-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“I’ve always looked at writing as a kind of therapy,” Lisa said. “But I also learned that you can’t wait to write until you feel creative. I think that’s been my biggest struggle [during the pandemic], if I wait to feel creative, I’m really just not feeling creative. … I’ve had to learn I have to sit down and write.”

The post How Lisa Harris Works Through Stress (Episode 14) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

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“I like to take what’s happening in and around me in our country and use those as ways to make people aware of them,” Margaret said. “In my books, the criminals always get caught, so I see them as a way to help us handle these issues.”

The post Why Margaret Daley Writes Happy Endings (Episode 13) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Dana-R.-Lynn.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Dana-R.-Lynn.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Dana-R.-Lynn-300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Dana-R.-Lynn-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Dana-R.-Lynn-150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Dana-R.-Lynn-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“When I first started, I started writing regular romantic suspense,” Dana said. “In my third book, I started to veer off into Amish adjacent, and what that is some of your characters can be Amish or not, but it’s usually set in Amish settings or there’s some connection with Amish side characters. I’ve had heroes and heroines who were Amish, but I’ve also had cops and paramedics. It doesn’t have to be strictly Amish, but there’s an Amish element.”

The post Dana R. Lynn on Writing Amish Adjacent (Episode 12) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Darlene-Turner.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Darlene-Turner.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Darlene-Turner-300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Darlene-Turner-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Darlene-Turner-150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Darlene-Turner-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“Every since I was a little girl, I loved mysteries—whether it was a Nancy Drew book, a game of Clue or Charlie’s Angels TV show,” Darlene said. “This is what started my love of trying to figure out the mystery, and this is why I love writing romantic suspense.”

The post Where Darlene Turner Searches for Plot Inspiration (Episode 11) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dani-Pettrey.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dani-Pettrey.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dani-Pettrey-300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dani-Pettrey-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dani-Pettrey-150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dani-Pettrey-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“For motivation for writing in general, the biggest thing is writing first thing in the morning,” Dani said. “If I do that, it’s really helpful because nothing else is weighing on my mind. … the afternoons, I do the other stuff like check email, marketing, etc. My advice is to find the most productive writing time of day is for you.”

The post How Dani Pettrey Avoids Writing Distractions (Episode 10) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/David-L.-Winters-.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/David-L.-Winters-.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/David-L.-Winters--300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/David-L.-Winters--1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/David-L.-Winters--150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/David-L.-Winters--768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“I’ve always loved suspense. My babysitter when I was probably five years old started me out on Edgar Allen Poe,” David said. “I’ve always thought it really a talent to tell a story that not only keeps the reader engaged but eager to find out what’s happening next.”

The post Why David L. Winters Writes About Cars (Episode 9) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharon-K-Connell.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharon-K-Connell.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharon-K-Connell-300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharon-K-Connell-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharon-K-Connell-150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sharon-K-Connell-768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“I connect with my readers mostly on social media,” Sharon said. “I’m on Facebook a lot on a group forum and author and book page, and also on Twitter to connect with readers there too.”

The post How Sharon K Connell Stays in Touch With Readers (Episode 8) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tanya-Stowe-.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tanya-Stowe-.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tanya-Stowe--300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tanya-Stowe--1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tanya-Stowe--150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tanya-Stowe--768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“I like to explore the unusual,” Tanya said. “And that tends to come out in my books. … We’ve visited some fascinating places, and … I’ve incorporated that into my books.”

The post Tanya Stowe On Killing Characters (Episode 7) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Patricia-Bradley-.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Patricia-Bradley-.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Patricia-Bradley--300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Patricia-Bradley--1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Patricia-Bradley--150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Patricia-Bradley--768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“When I started out, I had an outline for writing my books,” Patricia said. “But about three books ago, I couldn’t figure out the outline and had to start writing to figure the book out. I find out as much about my character as I can before I start writing.”

The post Patricia Bradley on Cats, Life Happens and BIC (Episode 6) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.

<img width="1080" height="1080" data-tf-not-load src="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kimberly-Rose-Johnson-.png" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kimberly-Rose-Johnson-.png 1080w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kimberly-Rose-Johnson--300x300.png 300w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kimberly-Rose-Johnson--1024x1024.png 1024w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kimberly-Rose-Johnson--150x150.png 150w, https://sarahhamakerfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Kimberly-Rose-Johnson--768x768.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" />

“The more I write, the more I get to know my characters,” Kimberly said. “As I get to know my characters more, I often will go back and write more things into my story. I also make notes in the margins … to make sure I put everything in.”

The post Where Kimberly Rose Johnson Finds Inspiration (Episode 5) first appeared on Author Sarah Hamaker.