Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Sarah Anne Crouch

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Sarah Anne Crouch!

Linda: Welcome to my blog. Congratulations on your recent release. What was the inspiration for the story? 

SARAH: Many years ago, during a time when I was thinking a lot about starting to write and my sister was going through a crisis of faith, I had the image of a woman becoming a Christian through the process of painting a picture of Jesus. That image turned into Madeleine and then blossomed from there. 

LM: What is your favorite part of the writing process? 

SARAH: I love all the little breakthroughs that come along the way. I especially enjoy when I’m brainstorming ideas or bemoaning a difficult part of the story with my writing group and someone else gives me the perfect solution that makes all the pieces come together. 

LM: What sort of research was required to prepare you to write the story, and did you find any tidbit(s) you knew you had to include? 

SARAH: I watched a lot of YouTube videos of artists painting murals in addition to reading blogs and listening to podcasts. The scenes where Madeleine and A.J. buy paint at the hardware store and where Madeleine transfers her sketches to the wall came from those YouTube videos. 

LM: Tell us a bit about your journey to publication and what lessons you learned along the way. 

SARAH: Ever since I was young, I wanted to write books. I always thought I’d write for children—and

I still may someday—but I found myself coming up with ideas for Christian romance stories. I wrote about half of the manuscript for A Summer in Shady Springs and gave up before I met an author at church who encouraged me to finish. She helped me edit, I sent it to a few more people, and we got the manuscript polished and ready. When I found out about Faith Pitch on Twitter, I decided to get a Twitter account just for that occasion. My editor at Anaiah Press saw my tweets, liked my pitch, and I sent her the manuscript. I’m very grateful to Kara for seeing the potential in my story and working with me to make it the best it could be!

 

LM: Do you do anything special to prepare yourself for writing your stories? (e.g., listen to music, go for a run, etc.) 

SARAH: I’d like to add more routine to my writing, but right now the main thing I do is find a quiet place away from my children, haha. I’ve got three little ones, so I take every chance I can to get a little writing in. 

LM: What is one piece of advice you can offer to fledgling writers? 

SARAH: Read, read, read! The best way to learn about writing is to read books in your genre, books about craft, books that are written well, and books that are written poorly (so you know what not to do). Everything you digest will help you become a better writer. 

LM: What is your next project? 

 SARAH: I’m currently finishing up a story about an ice cream man who falls in love with a chocolatier! “A Sweet Dream Come True” will be released in a novella collection called Love in Any Season in September 2022. The collection includes some really talented Christian fiction authors, Amy R. Anguish, Heather Greer, and Regina Rudd Merrick. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

SARAH: Here are all my links! 

Website: http://www.SarahAnneCrouch.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/SarahAnneCrouch

Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/SarahAnneCrouch

Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/SarahAnneCrouch

Pinterest: http://www.Pinterest.com/SarahAnneCrouch

About A Summer in Shady Springs:

 

The last place Madeleine Mullins wants to be is back in Shady Springs, Arkansas—the town where her whole world fell apart. But when her beloved Aunt Clara begs her for help, Madeleine reluctantly takes a job painting a mural at her aunt’s church. Her plan is to finish quickly and leave her bad memories behind. But the more time she spends with the handsome youth minister and the more she reads her Bible, the more she wonders if she has been wrong about God and the Church all along. 

Three years out of college and A.J. Young still doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. He knows he wants to settle down and build a family but hasn’t found the wife he’d like to share his life with. Then Madeleine comes to town. Their friendship buds quickly, although it can never be anything more as long as she isn’t a Christian. 

An undeniable attraction grows between A.J. and Madeleine, but she’s only in town for a few weeks, and he can’t date someone who doesn’t share his beliefs. How can Madeleine help A.J. discover a passion for the career he’s always wanted? And how can A.J. convince Madeleine to give God and Shady Springs a second chance?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3CiWfvC