Thank you so much for being on my blog, Sandra! It’s wonderful to have you here. Readers, Sandra is offering a giveaway for a chance to win a copy of her Christian YA book, Asking for Trouble, which is the first in her London Confidential series! Enter here, and then enjoy my interview with Sandra Byrd 🙂
LB: My daughter loves your London Confidential series. She hasn’t been out of the United States, but she is crazy about London, so I think she secretly wishes she had Savvy’s life. Can you tell us why you chose to have Savvy move from the States to England as a teenager?
SB: Probably because when I was a teenager, I wished I had Savvy’s life! I’m a lifelong anglophile and thought that would have been very fun. When I visited England for the first time, I remember whispering to the Lord, “We’re finally here together!”
The UK has a lot of history, which I love, and it is easy to access culturally because of a shared (almost!) language. It’s the gateway to European travel for many Americans – a safe half-jump.
LB: That’s so cool that you dreamed of visiting England in your youth, too! I really appreciate how you incorporate Savvy’s prayers in her story. Why do you think it’s important for young readers to see this example in their fictional role models?
SB: In the author’s world, we talk a lot about story friends. A novelist’s goal is to write characters that are so three-dimensional and real that they become friends with readers, no matter their age. I’ve been blessed when people have written to me to tell me that they have prayed for my characters before remembering that they’re fictional. And yet, they aren’t. Not entirely. They’re created from a blend of real people and those in my imagination who have characteristics, goals, hopes, and vulnerabilities we do.
I want my readers to become friends with good people on the page and in real life. Seeing that modeled on the page is a step toward that.
LB: You do have a gift for making characters that seem like real friends! I thoroughly enjoyed your adult novel Let Them Eat Cake. Lexi faces totally relatable internal battles as she emerges from her cocoon, so to speak, yet the whole book has a very upbeat, lighthearted vibe. What is the importance of this type of entertainment?
SB: I remember that books are competing with other books, movies, games, and all sorts of entertainment. Readers settle in with them during their valuable and limited free time. So I want them to enjoy the read, but not serve them something too light to savor, digest, and enjoy, if I may borrow a food metaphor from that very foodie series!
LB: The food metaphor works very well 🙂 You also love history. In your historical fiction novels, how do you balance the facts with the fiction?
SB: When I write historicals, I try to stay as close to the facts as possible, whether in recreating real people or fictional characters who are faithful to and not anachronistic to the time. I research extensively and hew closely to the vast majority of known history. However, I am primarily a novelist, so there are places where fiction enters the story to be true to that dramatic art form. When fictionalizing, I focus on the plausibility for the era and draw my conclusions and insights from it as I shape the story to fit fiction’s structure. Writing historical fiction gives me a bit more latitude than nonfiction.
LB: That’s interesting! Can you give us a sneak peek at what you’re working on now?
SB: I’m working on a new devotional for women, to be published with Our Daily Bread Publishing. It’s an approach I’ve never seen taken and have always wanted to do, so stay tuned!
Thank you for inviting me to your blog!
LB: Thank you for such a fun interview and for offering a giveaway!
The author of more than fifty books, Sandra’s work has received many awards, nominations, and accolades, including a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and multiple starred reviews and Best Book selections from Library Journal. Other awards include the Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choice award, two Christy Awards nominations, a Bookpage Top Pick for Romance, and inclusion on Booklist’s Top Ten Inspirational Books of the Year list.
Sandra is an experienced devotionalist. Her newest devotional, Dwell, will be published in Spring 2023. Previous devotionals for women include The One Year Home and Garden Devotions (from which Dwell was drawn) and The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional, which was named by Called Magazine, the #1 magazine for Christian Women, as among their favorite, must-read books. In addition, her tween devo, One Year Between You and God, is a bestseller.
As an editor and an in-demand writing coach, Sandra is passionate about helping writers develop their talents and has mentored hundreds of writers at all stages of their writing careers. For testimonials about her editing and book coaching, please visit sandrabyrdbookcoach.com.
A dedicated foodie, Sandra cooks through the topic and location of every book she writes. In addition, she collects vintage glass and serve ware in her free time, loves long walks with her husband, and Sunday Suppers with her growing family.
Readers, be sure to follow Sandra!
Remember to enter the giveaway before June 29th.
Comment below with your favorite Sandra Byrd book 🙂
M Liz Boyle 