Sandra: A lot of my writing is
done in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep and I get “monkey brain” - too
many things going on in my head. So I will get up, go to my desk, and put my
earphones on with some music playing. Before I know it, it is daylight outside
and I have written quite a bit.
Paul: What
types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?
Sandra: I love to read
biographies, or character-driven novels. One of my favorite authors is Anne
Rice because of her descriptions, and subjects she writes about.
Paul: If someone had the power to step into your
creative mind what would they see?
Sandra: If someone were
to step into my creative mind, it would look like a huge wall of filing
cabinets with too many drawers left half open with files scattered
around - papers lying about, cobwebs in the corners, tables piled with all kinds
of projects, and a stream of light filtering in through a half-haze.
Paul: What
is a typical day for you?
Sandra: I have no
typical days! But all my days wind up
with a walk with my dogs.
Paul: Do
you have a favorite character in each of your series, aside from the lead? If
so, which one and why?
Sandra: I love Sera
because she is happy with her ordinary life, and everyone is always happy being
around her.
Paul: In
all the years you’ve been publishing your work, what is the biggest mistake you
made that you could share so others can avoid making it?
Sandra: I think it is by
not writing every day, because that is what counts - even if you don’t use it.
It is like a muscle that you have to work.
Paul: How do you find the
time to write?
Sandra: I will write in the middle of the night, at
work when no one is looking, and just when I feel emotionally pent up - because
it helps.
Paul: What is one thing
you hope I do not tell the readers?
Sandra: I hope you don’t reveal that even though my
book is listed as a novel, most of the plot was my life at one time.
Paul: If you are self-published, what led to you
going your own way?
Sandra: I didn’t want to wait for a publisher to
figure out that my work had meaning and worth.
Paul: Do you plot your
stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Sandra: I do plot to an extent, but there are times
when I am in the middle of a page and thoughts come to mind and they find a way
on to the page.
Paul: Do you do a lot of editing or do you find
that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?
Sandra: Perhaps I should do more editing, but I had
computer issues (two hard drive crashes) and had to completely rewrite it three
times. That wound up being my editing for the most part.
Paul: Do you have to do much research for your
stories?
Sandra: I do some research for details in history or
location to “flesh out” the characters or situation.
Sandra: I went through a
really terrible year when I lost my uncle who was like a surrogate dad, my nine
year marriage broke up and then my mother died. It was really difficult for me
to absorb it all and cope at times. I kept thinking that surely other people
have had to deal with this amount of loss and gotten through it, but how? So every time I wanted to share something
with my mom, and would pick up the phone and realize I could not call her. I
started writing her letters and mailing them with the address “To Mom in Heaven”.
The plot of Letter Writer takes us through someone coping with the same kind of loss, and trying
to make sense of the profound losses. She writes letters that are found by an
established artist that is experiencing a complete creative block. These
letters inspire him and change him.
Paul: Do you also write any poetry, non-fiction or
short stories?
Sandra: I have written poetry all my life, and hope
to complete my next novel soon.
Paul: Do you have any pieces of work that will
never see the light of day?
Sandra: Poetry? No! It is usually too personal to
even share with others.
Paul: How much marketing do you do for your
published works or for your ‘brand’?
Sandra: Book People (store) here in Austin, held a
book signing/meet the author.
Paul: What’s your favorite / least favorite aspect
of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?
Sandra: My favorite aspect is the look on people’s
faces and in the voices after they have finished the book and the emotion that
is there. The least favorite aspect is not knowing if someone will react
favorably. My surprise has been with everyone that has read it so far - loving
it with enthusiasm!
Paul: What do you do when
you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?
Sandra: When I am not writing, I love to do black
& white photography of landscapes and architecture, and I love to paint on
a large scale. The paintings are inspired by something I see that I would like
to have on my wall. I have had showings of the photography including Austin
City Hall, and have sold quite a few.
Paul: Thank you, Sandra, that was most interesting. I wish you every success for the future.
As a young woman, I loved the music business so much that I had various jobs in it for almost twenty years. I did everything from being a Music Director at a radio station, an assistant at a major record label, a roadie for a touring band, and an associate editor for a music trade publication.
At present, I am living in Austin with my two dogs Angie and Ava. When I am not writing I like to paint and photograph landscapes.
Sandra's Blog: Unknown
Sandra on Twitter: @SandraBobek
Sandra on Facebook: Sandra Bobek
Sandra's latest book: Letter Writer (Amazon)
Follow Me: 
No comments:
Post a Comment