Showing posts with label Sarah Sundin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarah Sundin. Show all posts

Friday, November 26, 2010

Sarah Sundin ~ Interview + Giveaway!

*You can earn up to 6 entries in this giveaway. Read below for details*

Today author Sarah Sundin is telling us about her new book, A Memory Between Us (Wings of Glory series #2 -- September 2010). She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Here is Sarah's author bio:
Sarah Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. When she isn’t ferrying kids to soccer and tennis, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school. She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers and Christian Authors Network. She is the author of the Wings of Glory series—A Distant Melody (Revell, March 2010), A Memory Between Us (September 2010), and Blue Skies Tomorrow (August 2011).

Welcome, Sarah! Tell us about your salvation experience.
My testimony might be considered dull. I was raised attending church and accepted Christ at the age of ten at a concert put on by a church youth group choir. I’d learned all the stories and the verses, but those teenagers glowed with Jesus’ love. I wanted what they had, and I finally put it all together. I turned away from God in college (I call them my “stupid years”) but came back in my early twenties. Since then, God has continued to work in my life and cause me to grow. If you’d told me in college what I’m doing now, I would have laughed. I’m sure many of my college friends would be mystified at me now.

Are you:

A spontaneous writer or a scheduled writer?
I’m a rather left-brained writer. I do lots of planning and outlining before I start the rough draft. I do keep a daily schedule, especially now that I’m published and have to keep deadlines.

Stubborn, or compliant?
Stubborn. Didn’t even have to think twice about that.

Organized or completely chaotic?
In general, I’m a “messie.” I don’t mind piles on my desk or random items on the floor, which is good since I have three children. However, I like certain things just so. My spice rack is alphabetized, my research notes are carefully categorized, and I know where things are in my piles of papers. And my writing process is very organized.

How do you handle disasters/BIG problems? Do you have a funny or interesting story showcasing how you handle them?
Oddly enough, I handle big problems better than little ones. Ask my kids—I can’t find the scissors on Christmas Eve when I need to wrap presents NOW, and I’m a—well, a raving lunatic. Big problems come, and I’m the calm voice of reason, the one people lean on. Go figure.

In your opinion, what is your best trait? What is your worst?
My best trait is perseverance. If I set a goal, I stick to it. My worst trait is stubbornness. If I set a goal, I don’t know when to let go. Wait—that’s the same thing, isn’t it? Funny how strengths and weaknesses are often flip sides of the same coin.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
When my sister and I were little, we wanted to make our baby dolls into big girls, so we made little yarn braids and taped them to their heads. We made up elaborate plots—mine got so elaborate that my sister called them “forever games” because I kept thinking of some new disaster for them to contend with. I’m the oldest, can’t you tell? My favorite—the dolls were orphans! With polio! In little wheelchairs! And there was a fire in the orphanage! Will they ever get out? Will they ever walk again? Will they ever find a home?

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
Ooh, the question I hated most when writing query letters! I usually compare it to novels by Tricia Goyer, Lynn Austin, and Robin Lee Hatcher, because they also wrote stories set during World War II, with both action and romance as well as attention to historical detail. My first novel, A Distant Melody, is PG—plenty of kissing for romance fans, but not overly sensual. However, I’d call the second book, A Memory Between Us PG-13. The writing isn’t any more sensual, but it deals with a more adult subject.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
The third book in the series, Blue Skies Tomorrow, is at the publisher going through the editing process. It comes out August 2011. I’m now starting work on another series, also set during World War II.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

Book blurb:
Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge—until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth's heart a top priority mission. But he has his work cut out for him. Not only is Ruth focused on her work in order to support her orphaned siblings back home, she carries a shameful secret that keeps her from giving her heart to any man. Can Jack break down her defenses? Or are they destined to go their separate ways?

A Memory Between Us is the second book in the Wings of Glory series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II. Each book stands alone.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?
Ruth looks a lot like the woman in this Army Nurse Corps poster, which is funny because I didn’t see the poster until long after I had a mental picture of Ruth. Jack looks a bit like a young Clark Gable—more from It Happened One Night than Gone With the Wind, but without Gable’s dimples and ears.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter or an excerpt of this book?

Is there anything you would like to add, or tell your readers?
If God has given you a dream, have the courage to do what He asks you to do. Persevere, learn, seek support, and keep praying.
~~~~~
**USA or Canada residents only, please**
Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of A Memory Between Us!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

*If you leave a comment you will be entered unless you specify that you would not like to be entered.

*Here are the ways to get entries:

(First entry) The mandatory comment saying you would like to be entered with your email address.

+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

Read and leave a comment on one or more of my recent book reviews.
+2 Becoming a Woman Who Loves
+2 A Suitor for Jenny

**You can earn a total of 6 entries if you do all of the above entry options. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries.**

*The contest will run from today (November 26) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (December 2). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner either directly after choosing him/her or on Friday the 3rd, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Monday, September 27, 2010

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin ~ 5 stars + favorite!

 A Memory Between Us
Sarah Sundin
Wings of Glory series #2
Revell Publishing
About the book:
Can they overcome the past to find a brighter future together?

Major Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge--until he meets army nurse Lieutenant Ruth Doherty. When Jack lands in the army hospital after a plane crash, he makes winning Ruth's heart a top-priority mission. But he has his work cut out for him. Not only is Ruth focused on her work in order to support her orphaned siblings back home, she also is determined not to give her heart to any man.

As the danger and tension of World War II rise to a fever pitch, Jack and Ruth will need each other more than ever. Can Jack break down her defenses? Or are they destined to go their separate ways?

From the English countryside to the perilous skies over France, A Memory Between Us takes you on a journey through love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

My review:
I’m a little unsure as to what I should say about this book. I loved it so much, and there are so many great things about it that I can hardly choose just a few to talk about. But, I’ll start here: both Jack and Ruth are struggling with issues in their lives and their own character, which made them so real to me. One thing I’ve noticed about Sarah’s books is that her characters learn a lesson without the story seeming preachy or boring. She really does an excellent job with that, and the lessons learned by the characters are totally applicable in my life too! Love that.


The story is engaging and has many different parts, without seeming like it doesn’t have a central plot or that it’s pointless. The fast-paced battle scenes will kick up your heart rate and keep you focused on the book and what is coming next. And the romance is so wonderfully written that you are certain to fall in love with this book. I would recommend you read this as soon as you can!

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Distant Melody Blog Tour!

About the book:
Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love.

Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives.

As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

A Distant Melody is the first book in the WINGS OF GLORY series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.


About the author:
Sarah Sundin is an on-call hospital pharmacist and holds a BS in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. Her great-uncle flew with the US Eighth Air Force in England during WWII. Sarah lives in California with her husband and three children. This is her first novel.

For more info please visit her website at http://www.sarahsundin.com/!

About the contest:
A Distant Melody, Book 1 in Sarah Sundin’s exciting Wings of Glory series, is in stores now! To celebrate the release, we’re offering one Grand Prize winner the chance to get NOSTALGIC!


Enter the Netflix and Nostalgia contest from author Sarah Sundin!
About the prize:
The Winner of the ‘NETFLIX® & Nostalgia’ giveaway will receive a vintage prize package, including:

*A 6 month NETFLIX® subscription
*$25 Starbucks® gift card
*A box of See’s Famous Old Time Chocolates®
*A jar of homemade strawberry jam
*A Big Band music CD
*A Mini B-17 Model airplane
*Vintage stationery and pen
*British specialty tea
*WWII style playing cards

To enter just click on the icon above! Contest will be live April 5th and run through April 25th!

Here is the link to A Distant Melody's blog tour through LitFuse.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

This Week's Winners!

Winners:
A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna White--
Julia (julesreffner@...)









A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin--
Charity (esterried@...)









Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren--
Trinity Rose (wandaelaine@...)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin ~ 5 stars + Favorite!

A Distant Melody
Sarah Sundin
Wings of Glory series #1
Revell- Publisher
About the book:
Will a chance meeting in a time of war change her life forever?

Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval--even marry a man she doesn't love. While Allie has nearly resigned herself to that fate, Lt. Walter Novak--fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women--takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas.

Walt and Allie meet and begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

Book 1 in the Wings of Glory series, A Distant Melody is an exciting and tender story of love, courage, and sacrifice during World War II.

My review:
Fantastic. All the time that Sarah Sundin spent researching, studying, and perfecting this book paid off in rich historic details that transport you to a different time and place. This book will make your heart soar, and then bring you to tears with depths of sadness, then bring you back up again.

This book is a double-winner in my mind, because it casts off clichés! The main characters are not super-model gorgeous… they are only beautiful in each other’s eyes. Also, this book doesn’t have the usual “spiritual clichés” either. Rather than the typical “one of the people destined to fall in love isn’t a Christian, so the saved person must wait or deny the relationship”, it has two people who are already Christians. However, they still go through a spiritual journey and grow in the areas that God is showing them needs improvement. I loved that. Very different from the usual CF book. This is highly recommended.

Available March 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Sarah Sundin ~ Interview + Giveaway!

Today author Sarah Sundin is telling us about her new book, A Distant Melody. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Sarah! Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in northern California with my husband and three children, a skittish cat and a yellow lab who eats my pens. When I’m not ferrying kids to soccer and karate, I work on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teach Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. A Distant Melody is my debut novel.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I’ve been writing for ten years. My debut novel, A Distant Melody, released this month. A Memory Between Us, the second book in the Wings of Glory series, comes out September 2010, and the third book comes out Fall 2011.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
Ooh, the question I hated most when writing my query letters! I usually compare it to novels by Tricia Goyer, Lynn Austin, and Robin Lee Hatcher, because they also wrote stories set during World War II, with both action and romance as well as attention to historical detail. I think my writing is PG—plenty of kissing for romance fans, but not overly sensual. As a mother of a fourteen-year-old girl, I have no problem recommending it even for young teens.

In your own words tell us a little about A Distant Melody.
A Distant Melody is the first book in the Wings of Glory series, which follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.

Blurb:
Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie Miller will do anything to gain her approval—even marry a man she doesn't love. Lt. Walter Novak—fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women—takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt's muddy bomber base in England and Allie's mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?

What made you want to write this story?
This story came out of a “what if” question in a contemporary novel I wrote (very badly). What if a man and woman met at an event, truly clicked, and parted before exchanging contact info? Wouldn’t it be romantic if he went through great effort to track her down? Obviously it wouldn’t work in a contemporary setting—he’d “Google” her—but it made a sweet premise for a historical. My husband and I watched a History Channel special on the US Eighth Air Force based in England which flew over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, and I had my link. My great-uncle was a B-17 bomber pilot with the Eighth, so I had access to family stories plus his personal letters. My research fascinated me so much, the story expanded to become a trilogy, with each book focusing on one of three brothers.

What research did you have to do for this book?
As a reader, historical inaccuracies throw me out of the story, so I wanted my own novels to be as accurate as possible. I have to confess, I now have over two hundred books and websites in my bibliography. Yes, that’s sick. Since the heroes in this series are B-17 bomber pilots—but I’ve never flown a plane—I read a “How to Fly a Plane” book to get the basics, purchased copies of the actual B-17 pilot’s manual and the training film (pure gold!), and ran the flying scenes past a pilot friend. For home front information, I use everything from Top Ten lists, to fashion style guides, to the Time Capsule series with extracts from Time Magazine. Lately I’ve been poring over microfilm of my local newspaper for everything from the price of a dress, to rationing updates, to the weather. Plus fun little trivia, like how the PTA met at Mrs. So-and-So’s house on D Street where they knit socks for soldiers.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?
That would be hard! Neither Allie nor Walt is considered good-looking—except in each other’s eyes—and almost all Hollywood types are gorgeous. I haven’t seen anyone who matches the characters in my mind—including the very cute cover models.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
Right now I’m doing publicity for A Distant Melody, going through Revell’s edits for A Memory Between Us, polishing Book 3 before I turn it in, and preparing a proposal for another series, which will follow three flight nurses during World War II. I’m doing the published author juggling act!

How can readers get in contact with you?
I love to hear from readers!

Email: sarah@sarahsundin.com

Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com/

Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.blogspot.com/

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

What are you currently reading?
I’m reading Abigail by Jill Eileen Smith in the Wives of King David series. I’m really enjoying it, but I’m so busy right now with my book release that I don’t have time to read. Grr.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
During summer breaks in college, I worked as a ride operator at Knott’s Berry Farm. I knew how to jump on and off a moving merry-go-round. Don’t ask to see it now.

What is your favorite birthday memory?
When I turned twenty-two, my husband and I had been dating just a few weeks. He took me out to dinner at the Charthouse in Sausalito, where we watched the sun set over the San Francisco Bay, and then he took me to the symphony. I think we beamed at each other the entire evening. I was tumbling in love with him.

FAVORITES:

Cake flavor/kind?
Homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting—no nuts!

Most treasured birthday gift?
Another tough question! A meaningful gift I received a few years ago was my mother’s sapphire ring, which has been in the family for several generations. I love the heritage—plus blue’s my favorite color.

Disney Princess?
Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Hands down. Not only is she bright, strong, loyal, and a head-in-the-clouds reader—but she falls in love with Beast because of who he is, not what he looks like. Sigh. Now that’s romance.

What is/was this book’s release date?
March 1, 2010!

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Here!

~~~~~
**USA residents only, please**
 
Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of A Distant Melody!


TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

*Please specify that you want to be included in the contest!

*If you want an extra entry, become one of my followers.

*The comment is mandatory. (Please, say in the comment if you are a follower!! It makes my job easier when you do.) You will not be entered unless you leave a comment. If you are already a follower, and then you leave a comment, you will still get two entries in the contest.

*The contest will run from today (March 23) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 25). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 26th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.