Yowza! All The Books! Day 1: Sarah Sundin

Sarah Sundin 

The Sky Above Us 

(Sunrise at Normandy, Book 2)

Have you ever had a “lightbulb moment?” A moment where a fully-formed idea popped into your head like a flash of light. That’s what happened to me on January 6, 2000. I awoke that morning from a dream so compelling I knew it was a novel. A novel I knew I had to write. As a pharmacist being an author was not in my original career plan, but I’ve been writing ever since.

I love coming up with characters’ names. As a writer of historic fiction, I try to be true to the times and the ethnicities of the region the characters come from. For The Sky Above Us, I wanted a “sky”-related name for my fighter pilot, and found the name Adler, which means eagle in German. I liked the different sound of it too, and it paired well with Paxton, the nice strong name I’d chosen for the three brothers who are the heroes of this series. Violet Lindstrom—I just knew her name was Violet. Sometimes a character just comes with a name attached. Violet is a name more common in her mother’s or grandmother’s era, and then I realized she was named after her great-aunt, a woman who serves as her role model. And Lindstrom is a good Swedish name you’d hear in her hometown in Kansas.

Some authors prefer research to writing, or writing to editing, but I love it all. Research is great fun, and yields so many story ideas—and so many interesting things in general. I could research all day. But the writing! That’s why I research in the first place, so I can understand my characters and the world they inhabit and the things they do. I get a bit giddy during the rough draft phase—it’s an absolute delight. But I also love editing. Not in a giddy way, but in a getting-down-to-business way. The rough draft always feels a bit flabby, and in editing I trim it down, get it into shape, and make it stronger. Like taking my story to the gym. And like going to the gym, it’s hard work and sometimes painful—but worth it.

I adore traveling. My husband and I are considering one of those Rhine River cruises in the future—combined with research for my next set of novels. We love Europe and history, so we’re very excited about it. And he’s remarkably tolerant of my research jaunts. When we were in Normandy researching the Sunrise at Normandy series, we went traipsing through old German gun emplacements in the mud and wind and rain—and loved it. I told him, “Aren’t you glad I don’t write stories set in dainty English tearooms?” The horrified look on his face was priceless.

About Sarah:

Sarah Sundin is a bestselling author of historical novels, including The Sky Above Us and The Sea Before Us. Her novel The Sea Before Us was a finalist for the 2019 Reader’s Choice Award from Faith, Hope, and Love, When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years,” and Through Waters Deep was a finalist for the 2016 Carol Award and won the INSPY Award. A mother of three, Sarah lives in California and teaches Sunday school. She also enjoys speaking for church, community, and writers’ groups.

About The Sky Above Us

Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights in the skies over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion.

Violet Lindstrom wants to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, arranging entertainment for the men of the 357th and setting up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement.

Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near . . . and secrets can’t stay buried forever.

Connect with Sarah:

Website: www.sarahsundin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahSundinAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahsundin

Your turn!

Visit Sarah’s website to be able to answer the following question to be entered into today’s giveaway of The Sky Above Us: How did Sarah’s grandfather serve during World War II?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Best-selling author Sarah Sundin!

Talkshow Thursday: 

Meet Best-selling author Sarah Sundin!

I'm pleased to sit down with fellow WWII author, Sarah Sundin whose books combine romance, drama, and daring. Grab your favorite beverage and read on!

Linda:  The third book in your Waves of Freedom Series has recently been released. You have three series under your belt. Do you prefer to write series rather than stand-alone books or does that just happen?

Author Sarah Sundin

Sarah: I do enjoy writing in series. First, a series allows me to get to know a cast of characters in more depth. Although each book stands alone, readers can follow the hero and heroine from book 1 as side characters in books 2 & 3, and get a preview of the hero and heroine from book 3 as side characters in books 1 & 2. I especially enjoy seeing how characters perceive each other and how they can perceive the same event in a different way.

Another benefit of a series is being able to explore history on a larger scale. For example, the Waves of Freedom series follows the US naval role in the Battle of the Atlantic, from escorting convoys in pre-Pearl Harbor 1941 (Through Waters Deep) to the U-boat battles off the US East Coast in 1942 (Anchor in the Storm) to the climax and turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic in 1943 (When Tides Turn). Bonus: a series makes research a bit easier too!

LM: Where did you find your inspiration for this story?

Sarah: While researching the first two books in the Waves of Freedom series, I kept reading about the climactic sea battles of 1943—and I wanted to put one of my heroes smack-dab in the middle! I also had two side characters who needed to have their stories told. Lt. Dan Avery is the single-minded, no-nonsense oldest brother in the series, a man determined to not let anything stand in the way of making admiral—especially feminine distractions. And Quintessa Beaumont is the fun-loving glamour girl who caused a bit of drama in the first two books—and she needed to step outside of herself and find purpose. It was SO much fun putting those two together!

LM: You obviously have a love for the WWII era. Your website says that drama, daring, and romance are what draw us to that time period. Which of those three is the strongest draw for you and why?

Sarah: That’s hard to say because I want all three in my stories. The romance is what fuels my stories, the growing relationship between two people who need each other but might not necessarily know it. I adore writing those scenes. But the drama and daring of history gives the characters a field to play on, to challenge them and cause them to grow.

LM: Lots of research goes into each story to ensure historical accuracy. What is your method for researching a story, and how much time goes into that before you begin to write?

Sarah: I start general and work my way down to specifics, often following bibliographies to lead me to great resources. By now I have a pretty good idea where to start for each novel, and I’m getting more creative and bold in seeking information.

As for time, I do some preliminary research when I’m writing a proposal to make sure the story will even work. The bulk of the research is done during the outlining phase (I’m a heavy-duty “planner” type of writer), which lasts about three months for me—and during the rough draft, which lasts about six months for me. But I do mop-up research all through the editing phase as well. I’m always in the middle of a research book.

LM: Have you ever experienced writer’s block, and if so, what did you do to push through it?

Sarah: Because I’m an outliner/planner, by the time I write my rough draft I know exactly what will happen in each chapter, so I don’t have the classic “what will I write next?” writer’s block. Sometimes I’m not sure how to start a chapter, and I’ll stare at the screen for a while. To break through, I do three things—read my notes for the chapter, reread the previous chapter or two to get a “running start,” and then give myself permission to write garbage. Once I get past the opening lines, I know the scene will flow—and then I can go back and edit those opening lines. 

LM: What is your next project?

Sarah: I just finished my publisher’s edits for The Sea Before Us (Spring 2018) the first book in the Sunrise at Normandy series, which follows three estranged brothers who fight on D-day from the sea, in the air, and on the ground. And I’m just starting to outline the second book, The Sky Above Us—yay! Character charts! My favorite part.

LM: Where can folks find you on the Web?

Sarah: 

Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com

Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahSundinAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahsundin

Here's Sarah's bio: Sarah Sundin is the author of nine historical novels, including When Tides Turn. Her novel Through Waters Deep was a finalist for the 2016 Carol Award, won the INSPY Award, and was named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years.” A mother of three, Sarah lives in California, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and teaches Sunday school. She also enjoys speaking for church, community, and writers’ groups.

More about When Tides Turn: When Quintessa Beaumont learns the US Navy has established the WAVES program for women, she enlists, eager to throw off her frivolous ways and contribute to the war effort. Lt. Dan Avery employs his skills in antisubmarine warfare to fight U-boats at the peak of the Battle of the Atlantic, but the last thing he wants to see on his radar is fun-loving Tess. As Dan and Tess work together in Boston, the changes in Tess challenge his notions—and his heart.