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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Interview & Review - Tide of Lies by Sarah Ballance

Today, we welcome author Sarah Ballance who is promoting her book Tide of Lies.  Check out Sarah's interview with us after my thoughts on the book.  Welcome Sarah!

Publisher: Noble Romance
Date of Publication: April 2012

A devastating secret. A shocking betrayal. A deadly obsession.

Haunted by three unsolved murders, Detective Holden Whitlow is stunned when his cold case takes a heated turn. Julia Cohen, his ex-lover, is back in town, and in the face of a brutal attack she's ready to run. No matter how tightly she holds her secrets, for Holden, turning away from the woman he's spent a decade trying to forget isn't any more an option than walking away from his job . . .even when it threatens to cost Julia her life.

Julia is still reeling from a past she can't bear to face. When she becomes the target of a killer, fate throws her back into Holden's arms, but she's yet to recover from a truth that has stripped her of everything—and everyone—she loves. Will she tell him the secret that will destroy him, or will her lie destroy them both?

My Thoughts:
Tides of Lies is a quick and enjoyable romantic suspense.  I only wish it had been a bit longer.  I wanted more of Holden and Julia together.  Despite that, I felt like I got to know the characters pretty well. THe author did a nice job of giving me enough background on each of them.  I was rooting for their HEA. While I did figure out the secret Julia was holding pretty quickly, I wasn't able to figure out the identity of the killer until the end.  The motive behind it all was a surprise.  I definitely recommend you pick this one up.

And now some words with Sarah!
 
Thanks so very much for letting me hang out with you today! I'm looking forward to getting to know you and your readers.

Kari: What inspired you to become a writer?

Sarah: About four years ago I started writing nonfiction for stay-at-home work. (My husband and I have six kids, and we homeschool our six children. I, uh, don't have a job. Snort.) A friend suggested I give fiction a try, to which I said NO WAY. Fiction is so personal and leaving myself on the page felt … raw? But I didn't like the thought of *not* being able to do something, so I gave it a try just to prove myself wrong. I finished my 45k romance in six months, submitted it so my crit partner would stop insisting I do so, and was shocked when it was picked up by the one publisher I queried. That first piece of fiction is DOWN IN FLAMES, and it's on display for all the world to see, LOL.

Kari: Where do you come up with the idea for your books?

Sarah: I don't even remember where the first idea came from, but the second for RUN TO YOU was a dream, which was inspired by an after-dark, edge-of-a-storm walk on the beach with my husband. Since then, most of my plots are a result of hashing ideas out with my husband. He doesn't read romance, but he's really great at plotting. (But don't tell him I told you that. *grin*)

Kari: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?

Sarah: I'm almost finished with LAST CALL, a romantic suspense slated to be my debut release with For the Muse Publishing. I'm also working on a paranormal romantic suspense, STAY THE NIGHT, which is going to be a free read. (Yay!) There's a historical romance further down the plot line, and I'm also contemplating writing something horror, although it would have a degree of romance in it. (I keep trying to shed that idea, but it won't leave me alone. Maybe if I just call it dark romantic suspense …? LOL.)

Kari:Who is your favorite literary character and why?

Sarah: This is going to sound so cheesy, but I'm going to say it anyway: Nancy Drew. I used to DEVOUR the Case Files, and it was there my love of mystery sparked. My tastes matured into the romantic suspense of Harlequin Intrigue, but it totally started with Nancy Drew Case Files.

Kari: Just for fun, if you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

Sarah: I don't mean to sound boring, but I'd have to go with cat … one of the Garfield types. One who spends hours snoozing in that perfect patch of sunlight (which never fails to land on clean laundry) and gets the cat food that *almost* looks good (versus gnawing on some poor critter, meat and bones). I've loved a lot of animals—in addition to the regulars, I've had horses most of my life and we currently have three adult pigs and eight piglets—so I feel even more confident in saying those pampered indoor cats have it made. *grin*

About the author:
Sarah lives a charmed life as the mother of six incredible homeschooled children, all of whom are completely adorable when they're asleep. Her husband of many years (long, long years, he calls them) is the kind of guy who could teach those heroes from the books a thing or two about romance, not that he'd readily admit it. Completely supportive of her love for writing fiction, he's generously offered to help with any necessary research for "the good parts." She's never had to ask twice.

Although the idea of writing romance and romantic suspense initially intimidated Sarah, it has morphed into a favorite pastime since her characters, unlike her kids, actually listen to her. Er, sometimes.
You can find Sarah's books on Amazon , Barnes & Noble, or with For the Muse Publishing, Noble Romance ,and Astraea Press.

send her an e-mail

1 comment:

Sarah Ballance said...

Thanks for hosting and sharing your thoughts on the story. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!