Sarah Ballance: Down in Flames - Hot new release!

Sarah Ballance 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 newfound love of writing fiction, he's generously offered to help with any necessary research for "the good parts." She's never had to ask twice.

The whole boisterous lot of them live within boating distance of the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina, suspiciously close to the setting of Sarah’s second novel – a romantic suspense which gives a whole new meaning to the idea of escaping to the beach.

She joins us today to announce the exciting news of her new release, Down in Flames!

What inspired you to start writing fiction?

After writing little more than a grocery list throughout my entire adult life, I jumped into freelancing on a blind whim. I ended up making quite a bit of money through contract clients and scored a couple of national print credits to boot. One of my friends then suggested I write a novel, to which I replied “I can’t do that.” It’s one thing to write nonfiction … it can be impersonal. Fiction dives into the heart and mind of the writer and leaves pieces of the author’s soul on the page. As THE introvert, just the thought of putting myself out there like that scared me. But at the same time, I don’t like being told I can’t do anything – not even by ME – so I gave it a shot. Almost exactly a year after I typed the first words of Down in Flames, Noble Romance Publishing released it. I’m still an introvert, but I’m hooked!

As a homeschooling mom of 6, how do you find time to write? Have you created a schedule or do you work better when life is flexible?

In theory, I get up around five in the morning and spend four blissful, uninterrupted hours writing. In reality, 7:00 a.m. hits me like a boulder to the forehead and I wake up feeling totally behind and frazzled, which is a lousy way to start the day. I do my best writing in the morning, though, so it’s my goal to write early. The kids sleep in and begin their day around nine or ten and from there I’m in mom mode. I usually don’t get another chance to write until after dinner. I think overall our schedule IS “flexible,” LOL!


How did you decide on Noble for a publisher?

I did my research on a few publishers and found the buzz on Noble to be fantastic. No one had anything negative to say about them, I noticed many of their authors repeated, and the covers are stunning. You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but covers do sell books! I didn’t think for a moment they’d accept my story, but they were definitely my top choice. And my experience has far exceeded any expectations I managed to form through the shock of the contract offer. The Noble team is friendly, professional, and both supportive of and available to their authors. I’m so blessed to have wandered through their front door with my homeless manuscript!

Promotion is such a big part of being an author. What are you doing to advertise Down in Flames?

This is something I’m still experimenting with. I’ve been fortunate with the number of blog interviews I’ve been offered, and eventually I worked up enough nerve to do a couple of guest blogs (to a fantastic response!). My focus now, aside of writing more books, is to get my name out there. Pretending to be an extrovert is tough at times, LOL, but the friends and connections I’ve made are amazing. And I’ve been told my book cover has been seen “all over the place” by more than one of these friends and readers, so I feel as if my small steps are good ones. The biggest response thus far has been in site hits originating from my paid ad, but it’s too soon to know if those hits will translate to sales.

Is there anything else you would like to share with my readers?

Thanks so much for hanging out and reading through to the end! To check out the latest news, read my favorite excerpt from Down in Flames, or take a peek at my news archives – including two guest blogs readers loved – please visit my website at SarahBallance.com. All of my contact info is on the home page, so if you’d like to connect that’s the place to go to make it happen!

Sarah, thank you for visiting us at Writers in Business. We wish you all the best with your new book, Down in Flames.

Sarah can be reached at Down in Flames @ Noble Romance, Blog and Facebook.

L. Diane Wolfe - Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK

Known as “Spunk On A Stick”, L. Diane Wolfe is a professional speaker & author who averages over one hundred appearances each year. She conducts seminars on promoting, leadership and goal setting. Her new book “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting” is an inspirational self-help book that explains the five Keys to success.

~Can you tell us about the five Keys and why they are important?

There are a lot of books with success formulas, but success principles are really pretty simple. If we just learn to master five basic aspects, Five Keys - developing a positive attitude, learning people skills, raising self-esteem, overcoming fears, and setting goals – then we’ll have all it takes to lead a successful, productive and fulfilling life. These Five Keys work in conjunction with one another, too. We cannot focus on just one aspect, nor is any one Key above the rest. We can’t have a good self-esteem if we allow fear to continue holding us prisoner. Or possess a positive attitude if we refuse to deal positively with other people. It’s all or nothing!
~Can these Keys be applied to all aspects of life or are they better suited for work related goals?

All aspects! Human beings need goals to survive – they motivate us and force us to grow and change. (“Where there is not vision, the people perish.” – Proverbs 29:18) We need goals in all areas of our life, and the Five Keys help us to accomplish those dreams. Again, success principles are very universal.

~As a member of the National Speakers Association, you travel the East Coast for seminars. When traveling, have you found a good system to keep track of your business expenses?

I keep a small notebook in the car for mileage and I am very diligent in writing down each business-related excursion. Any expense – from buying a coffee to hotel rooms – I save the receipt and organize upon my return. (I am an uber-organized person – I have lists for my lists!) I’ve had several years of accounting and really enjoy it, so I stay on top of recording monthly expenses and income. I’ve never used a computer program, either. I created my own ledger instead, and even my accountant says it is scary organized!

~When you approach a bookstore to schedule a promotional event, are they usually receptive? Can you share one tip with us on how to make this a positive experience?

Yes! Now in my home state, Barnes & Noble prefers multi-author events, although I’ve done numerous solo appearances elsewhere. Borders also seems gun-shy to do events right now, but everyone else is very receptive.

My one tip – make the event fun for the manager and staff as well! I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard the staff tell me that most authors ignore them. Involve those working while you are in the store – take photos of them, talk with them, give them bookmarks… And be sure to send a thank you card – most authors forget this as well. Even if you don’t move many books, if you were a joy to work with, the store will welcome you back anytime!

Over the years, though, bookstores have become less ideal for authors. A bookstore really is the worst way to move books! I still make store appearances, but I’ve found far greater success as far as book sales at my speaking engagements.

~I understand you manage an online writer’s group. Can you tell us about the group?
It’s on the social site Deviant Art. I and two other members founded it almost three years ago and we have close to 500 members now. Only a small percentage of members are active at any given time, just like any organization, but that’s probably a good thing! We have contests & exercises, and the members submit their work to the club for feedback and critiques. We’ve stressed from the beginning that it’s family-friendly and we want encouraging comments. (Which is really the definition of critiquing – to make a thing better with positive suggestions of improvement.)

L. Diane Wolfe is also the author of a young adult series of books entitled The Circle of Friends, which are available online & retail. She enjoys life with her husband and two cats in North Carolina. You can catch her on tour this fall as she makes stops in GA, NC, SC, and VA. Visit her page on Book Tour for specific locations and dates: Book Tour or visit her online at Spunk on a Stick.net or The Circle of Friends.net.