Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews Sarah. It is great to have you here. We appreciate the chance to speak with you.

Thank you, Amanda. I'm thrilled to be invited.

Your latest book, Bayou Rhapsody has recently been released by Echelon Press. For fans that have yet to read Mae and Daniel’s romance, can you tell us a little about their story?

Mae is the wildest woman in Marshall's Bayou, a small settlement on the coast of southwest Louisiana where nothing ever happens. She's modern, and anxious to make her mark in the world. The story is set in 1920, the beginning of a time when our country underwent great social and economic changes, and Mae is fighting for the right to vote. When she returns to Marshall's Bayou, it's to tell her family goodbye, although they aren't aware of her plans to leave.

Daniel is a Methodist minister from Atlanta, exiled to Marshall's Bayou by the church because of a misunderstanding involving a young female parishioner. If he can stay out of trouble, he'll be allowed to return to Atlanta. He has decided to make the best of things and use the time to search for his lost faith. He's trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, a great preacher and missionary, but he's finding it difficult to do so.

Mae and Daniel meet on the boat to Marshall's Bayou as he's suffering from sea sickness, and she makes a pass at him before she realizes he's the new preacher. They're attracted to each other right away, but Mae quickly discovers that her attention could cost Daniel his career when the stuffy head of the church board threatens to send in a bad report. Mae tries to stay away, and is about to leave when a hurricane moves in and rips Marshall's Bayou apart.

I can't say more without giving too much away, but be prepared to laugh and cry as Mae and Daniel work through the social prejudices of the town and the harsh realities of living in the marsh.

Bayou Rhapsody is the second in your Hearts of Marshall's Bayou series. Can you describe this series for fans?

The Hearts of Marshall's Bayou follows the romances of the Strickler siblings as they each find love in unexpected places. The books are set two years apart, starting in 1918 with Just Kiss Me. The wonderful part of the series is that we get to watch a family mature together and adjust to surprises, losses, and additions. The series follows some of the tough times in southwest Louisiana in the twenties, marked by droughts, hurricanes, and social challenges. In that area, prejudices existed between the French Acadians (known as Cajuns these days), and the European immigrants who had migrated down from the northeast, and the series follows people in both social groups.

One of the things I love about the Hearts of Marshall's Bayou series is that we get to hear about life in the marsh and see the people from different points of view. In Just Kiss Me, Alberta refers to her father as "the Judge"; she can't stand him, and she can't stand up to him. Mae, on the other hand, knows exactly how to handle her father and doesn't think he's all that bad. Lydia, the apple of her father's eye, has him wrapped around her little finger. And they are all talking about the same man.

What can readers look forward to next from the Bayou?

The next story belongs to James. We've watched him grow from a sullen teenager into a young man who doesn't know what he wants to do. He has found it difficult to win his father's approval because he doesn't have the stomach for raising cattle, but he hates his job in the oilfield. The only thing he truly loves is the marsh, where he moves in silence to watch the wildlife. He knows more about the marsh birds than anyone else.

When James meets Anna, the new schoolteacher, he's struck dumb by her beauty and is enchanted by her Irish brogue. Anna is barely older than her oldest students, and trying to prove herself in Marshall's Bayou, but runs into problems with the local bully's son.

James's story is one of action and adventure, and culminates in a kidnapping. The only person who can save Anna is someone who can travel silently through the marsh.

The fourth in the Hearts of Marshall's Bayou stories is Lydia's, and it brings scandal and lots of spice to the sleepy marsh when she falls for a much older man, Joshua Wakefield. (This one may end up being my favorite!)

Having read your work, one thing that stands out in your writing is your ability to craft believable characters. How does a character come to life for you?

Thank you! I’m not really sure what happens, but my characters tell the stories. Once they start to form in my head, I let them stew awhile—carry on conversations with them when (hopefully) no one else is around. Once they feel real to me, I start writing down whatever they're saying. My stories are definitely character driven.

Of all the individuals you have created, do you have a particular favorite? What appeals to you the most about this character?

In the Hearts of Marshall's Bayou series, I have two favorites – Isaac Broussard (the hero in Just Kiss Me), and Joshua Wakefield, a broken war veteran in the first three books and the hero of the fourth. But I love the other characters, too—Mae, Daniel, Alberta, James, Anna, and Lydia. They're all like family to me.

Isaac is a wonderful character. He's Acadian and fun loving, but also honest, hard working, and determined to get his way when faced with a dilemma (such as winning the favor of Alberta Strickler). He's the first one to help, the last one to desert a friend in need, and a man of infinite patience. I call him Mr. Wonderful, but not to his face—I don't want to embarrass him. Joshua is Isaac's opposite in many ways. After losing his family, he becomes a man with no soul who doesn't care if he lives or dies. And then he meets Lydia, a woman many years younger than himself, and he gets a second chance at love. Joshua is strong, like Isaac, but a loner and a man who doesn't trust the world. He has seen too much in his life, and is haunted by the ghosts of his past.

You have lived a very full, diversified life. How does this contribute to your characters and stories?

Working for the government, I've had a chance to move around quite a bit. I love to set books in places I know, and now I have quite a few choices. Marshall's Bayou (a fictitious town placed near Johnsons Bayou, Louisiana) is an area where I spent a lot of time while growing up. I also have romances set in New Orleans (my hometown), Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Texas. The best part about the varied settings is getting to use people like those I've met over the years, and trying to incorporated their different value systems, customs, and beliefs. I find myself wishing I were more of a sociologist. I also have a romance in mind for Siberia where I spent a few weeks, but that might be a hard sell.

You write a variety of genres. Do you find that your style differs between each genre? Is there a particular genre you find more difficult?

The only genres I've managed to complete books in so far are romance (contemporary and semi-historic), mystery, and erotica. My writing style actually differs more between characters than between genres, although my mysteries are quite a bit different because they're written in first person. I have a few characters in series that have definite voices (and sometimes won't shut up!), and in general I write a lot of dialogue, action, and humor. I always have to go back and look around in my stories to get the description filled in, but that's probably not too unusual. I find that each genre has its challenges. I don't believe any are harder to write than the others, just different. One thing I've never been able to write is true sci-fi. I think you have to have a much better memory than I have to create a believable world from scratch!

As a writer, are there certain authors or genres that you can’t resist?

Many and all! I guess the authors I have the hardest time resisting are James Lee Burke, Ellis Peters, Sandra Brown, and Amanda Quick. I've also recently discovered John Straley and Carl Hiaasen. I love a romance with a good mystery, a mystery with romance, and anything with action and interesting characters.

Writing is not an easy career. What finally prompted you to put pen to paper?

While I'd love to make writing my career, it isn't yet. To me, it will be a career when I start to earn a living at it—and that can't be soon enough! I used to write short stories and started out with fanfic when the Net was young. One of my online editors encouraged me to "write a book," so I did. I wrote my first novel in 1997.

For me, writing is both consuming and energizing, and the business side is an emotional roller coaster. But I'm a writer because I can't stop writing. Before I discovered writing, there was something missing from my life—my artistic outlet. I tried drawing, painting, and three-dimensional art, but I can't handle it if it isn't symmetrical. (Did I mention that I'm an engineer?) Writing is a wonderfully symmetrical thing—I can't explain why it seems that way to me. I just wish I had started earlier in life.

What is an average work day like for you?

Because I still have to earn a living, my workday involves going to an office from 7:30 to 5:00 or so, but I'm fortunate enough to have a great job. I'm an engineer for the Forest Service, so I also get to work in the woods, building and designing things like bunkhouses, water systems, and campgrounds. As soon as I get home, I jump online to check my email, then start either editing, writing, or marketing. I try to quit by 9:30 so I can spend a 1/2-hour with my very supportive husband before turning in. Weekends and holidays center around writing, with occasional breaks for meals, exercise, and socializing. I hear a lot of people talking about how they make themselves write. Sometimes, I wish I could figure out how to stop!

Since we know that everyone needs a break now and then, how do you like to spend your free time?

I actually spend my "free time" writing, but I do take a break from writing now and then. My favorite things to do are to visit the hot springs in the area, spend the afternoon with my mother and stepfather, who moved to New Mexico recently, and travel to Louisiana and Texas to see family and friends. I also enjoy sharing a good DVD and popcorn with my husband, and I love to read.

You also write under the name S.H. Baker. Is it difficult to keep the personas separate?

It gets tricky sometimes. My biggest difficulty is remembering not to sign engineering reports as Sarah Storme! But I love to do book signings, and often go as both Sarah Storme and S.H. Baker. The next time I get a solo book signing, I plan to set up two chairs and jump back and forth when I'm signing books. That should be fun. Maybe I'll even have two hats and try to remember to change them!

In addition to the Hearts of Marshall's Bayou series you have also created the Dassas Cormier Mystery series. Can you tell us a little about this?

I'd love to! I adore Dassas.

Dassas Cormier is a young Acadian—somewhat dashing and self-deprecating—who left Marshall's Bayou to seek his fortune. He returns in 1924 after a disastrous end to his law enforcement career in New Orleans.

There are two books in the series out right now. In the first, Murder in Marshall's Bayou, Dassas returns home where he finds the love of his life, Grace, married to a horrible man who just happens to be missing, and the local chief of police murdered. Dassas works on solving both mysteries as he's reconnecting with his family and with Grace. In the end, he agrees to become the new chief of police.

In the second book, Death of a Dancer, Dassas takes his young nephew on vacation with him to New Orleans in 1925, and they stumble into a web of deceit and danger. Dassas finds a dear friend murdered, and has to deal with bootleggers and corrupt politicians to find her killer.

The third book in the series, The Colonel's Tale, is coming out this year. It's actually set between the first two, and takes place in both Lake Charles and Marshall's Bayou. It's a lot of fun with a little lighter tone, and has Dassas trying to sort out tall tales in order to solve a murder.

One thing I love – the same characters walk across stories in the Hearts of Marshall's Bayou and the Dassas Cormier series. If you end up reading both, you'll even find at least one scene in both series, told from different points of view. It's fun!

What are you currently working on?

I'm working on three projects right now (a very dangerous thing to do!), and all under different names. I'm halfway through a single title contemporary romance that I'm really enjoying (as Sarah Storme), editing The Colonel's Tale (as S.H. Baker), and starting a vampire erotica (as Lydia Parks). I'm hoping to keep them all straight so that vampires don't start wandering around Marshall's Bayou – that would be a huge mess! I don't think Dassas keeps garlic or wooden stakes handy.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I have a newsletter in Yahoo Groups where I give away to one of the members a free signed copy of each of my books as they come out, so please sign up! Also, I love to hear from fans. I'll gladly send you an autographed bookplate if you email. I really appreciate all of my readers! And I appreciate Fallen Angel Reviews for being kind enough to interview me and review my books. You gals are great!

Thank you to Sarah. It definitely sounds like I have some more books to go check out. Readers if you have not had a chance to pick up one of Sarah’s books, you are definitely missing out. Stop by her site or visit her Yahoo Groups and see what she has going on.


Interviewed by: Amanda