Stevie Turner interviews author Sahara Foley

 

It was Sahara’s enthusiastic support of Creativia publishing that eventually made me send off my latest novel to them, which I’m pleased to say was accepted.  Sahara is an author who is part of Creativia’s Street Team, and tirelessly supports other authors’ work.  Today I’m pleased to be able to promote Sahara’s novels by way of this 20 question interview.

You can find out more about Sahara’s books by checking out her Amazon author page (link is below).

http://www.amazon.com/Sahara-Foley/e/B00J9ST32U/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1458670356&sr=1-1

1.  Did you have to make many changes to your husband’s short stories after his death to get them ready for publication?

Most of the short stories, no.  I did have to rewrite them for showing instead of telling, make sure they were in the right cause & effect sequence.  The actual books have taken a lot more rewriting.

2.  Did you or your husband ever send  the stories to any literary agents?

Yes, back in the late 1980’s Bob sent his books to quite a few publishers.  At that time, I didn’t realize they still needed a lot of work.  Now, I do.  Bob was one of those writers that didn’t believe in changing anything in his stories.  They were perfect the way they were.

3.  Where did you find the inspiration for ‘The Secret of Excalibur’?

Since these are Bob’s stories, I have no idea where they came from. The original title was Arthur Merlin, but Miika wanted a catchier title, so I changed it.  I could swear Bob was glaring holes in me at the time.  Since then, he’s learned to live with all the changes I make to his stories.  He doesn’t have a choice.  LOL.

4.  Did you carry out all your research for the book beforehand, or did you research as you went along?

I’m not sure what type of research Bob did, but I have done research for The Secret of Excalibur.  St George was not the knight that threw Excalibur into the lake, but I wanted to keep the story the way Bob wrote it.

5.  Which social media has helped you the most regarding building up your author platform?

Without a doubt Twitter, then Facebook.

6.  Why did you choose Creativia Publishers?

I always knew I wanted to put The Secret of Excalibur with a publisher.  I ran across them on Twitter and joined them as part of their Street Team.  I became friends with a few of the authors, loved when they told me about them, so I signed up.  Where else can you find a publisher that pays for your promotions?  Or you only have to give a 90-day notice to get your rights back?  None that I’m aware of.

7.  The Secret of Excalibur earned an Amazon #1 bestseller badge in the Arthurian category. Were you contacted by literary agents or publishers whilst the book was at #1?

No, it was already under Creativia Publishing.  I wouldn’t have reached #1 without them.

8.  What are you working on at the moment?

The second book in the Excalibur saga: The Revenge of Excalibur.  That one is with beta readers now.  While it’s going through those trials, I’ve started on the third one: Karrin: Warrior Child.  This one is much darker, and takes place decades later.

9.  Are you a full-time writer, or do you have a day job?

I work 10 hour days with an Insurance Company in the Agent Sales Support Department. I’m also a licensed agent and make commissions from sales.

10. If you could ask a famous writer one question, what would you ask and to whom?

That’s a tough one.  I love a variety of genres and writers.  I could ask the same question from 3 or 4 famous writers and get totally different answers.  I’ve studied enough books since I started my writing process that I think I’ve covered any answers they would give.  My biggest shortcoming is marketing and how to connect with readers.  That would be my question.

11. In your opinion, what’s the best resource for authors who are looking for readers?

Haven’t found it yet.  I use Twitter, and I do generate sales from there.

12. Where in the world do you call home?

Omaha NE

13.  Will you be travelling anywhere this year for a holiday?

I have plans with my family to visit the Wisconsin Dells.  I’ve never been there.

14. Do you have a favourite song?

OMG.  Too many to name.  Whatever comes on Pandora.

15. Do you prefer the city or country life?

Country.  I used to have a small farm (3 acres) where we had chickens, ducks, geese, and other critters.  I loved it, but the Missouri River decided to reclaim it for several months and I had to move back into the city.  Bob died shortly after that.

16. Are you vegetarian?

Heavens, NO!  I love my meat.

17. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Introvert.  My whole life.

18. Which one thing would you save in a fire?

All the outlines of Bob’s stories that I haven’t touched yet.

19. What’s number one on your bucket list?

To win the Readers’ Favorite Award for one of my books.

20. Could you survive alone for 6 months on a desert island?

Yes.  Wouldn’t want to, but I could.  I’d lose some weight and get back into shape.

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Here are some more social media links for Sahara Foley and her books:

The Secret of Excalibur: 

EBOOK  http://amzn.to/1w8UMSe

PAPERBACK  http://amzn.to/1wwyXfw

B&N   http://bit.ly/1WMU3Un

AUDIO: http://amzn.to/1Lpt2R7

 

We Journey No More:

EBOOK  http://amzn.to/1IP3r3O

PAPERBACK  http://amzn.to/1V2hMOD

B&N  http://bit.ly/1JdNEuq

AUDIO:  http://amzn.to/1nXJ5On

 

It Lives in the Basement: 

http://amzn.to/1xbEwTe

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksbysaharafoley

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaharaFoley

Blog: http://saharafoley.com/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SaharaFoley

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/saharafoley/

Riffle: https://read.rifflebooks.com/profiles/151923

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8029282.Sahara_Foley

Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/5wPlj