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A Conversation with Sarah Wallace, a Romance Author
Sarah Wallace lives in Florida with her cat, more books than she has time to read, a large collection of classic movies, and a windowsill full of plants that are surviving against all odds. She only reads books that end happily.
Sarah Wallace is a queer Floridian writer. She writes queer historical fantasy stories, usually ones with romance or a romantic subplot involved. Her stories are always about hope and love and friendship, usually with found family mixed in. She has two books published in my Meddle & Mend series, which will include 8 books total. She also has plans for at least one sequel series, if not more. Sarah loves watching classic movies and hopes someday to write a series of stories inspired by old films but tweak them to all be queer in some way.
Let’s get started with a quick rapid fire.
Q1. If you could be transformed into one mythological creature, which one would you choose?
I think a dragon would be pretty great, especially if I can transform at will. Dragons can fly, they can breathe fire, and they seem to mostly want to sleep undisturbed in their homes, surrounded by their favorite things, which I find highly relatable..
Q2. What time do you usually go to bed at night?
I’m usually in bed by 11.
Q3. Favorite Authors?
Jane Austen, Gail Carriger, Georgette Heyer, Cat Sebastian, Patricia C. Wrede.
Q4. Where did you go on your last vacation?
Charleston, SC.
Q5. Would you rather find your dream job or win the lottery? You can’t do both.
Dream job, only because I want to be a full time writer who can sustain my lifestyle with my books.
Q6. What is one thing you regret spending money on?
Chik-fil-A.
Q7. What object do you misplace or lose the most?
TV remote.
Q8. What secret about the universe would you most want to learn?
How to end certain evils like police brutality, capitalism, transphobia, and child hunger. And how to implement more empathetic systems that make more people safe and happy.
Q9. What never fails to make you laugh?
That scene in Animal Crackers where Chico Marx plays “Somewhere My Love Lies Sleeping With A Male Chorus”. “I must have been drunker than I realized because all I remember is how well he tied his cravat and how perfectly his coat fit him.”Sarah Wallace, Meddle & Mend Series
Q10. What was one “before” and “after” in your life?
Before coming out to myself, and my friends, and after. Once I realized I was bi, I started understanding myself more. And once I realized I was demisexual, I felt like a lot of pieces fell into place. Ever since then, I feel like it’s been a great journey of self-discovery.
Q11. What do you think people misunderstand about you?
When I say I don’t like sad, scary, gory, or stressful movies/books, I really mean it.
It’s time for a more detailed conversation, Sarah.
You’ve answered our rapid fire brilliantly, Sarah. Now, it’s time for our readers to know more about the person behind the book.
Q. Tell us something about yourself that’s going to keep us wanting more.
That’s a lot of pressure! I throw really good movie marathon parties. And I’m very good at theming an event. If a friend says they want to wear a certain outfit, or eat a certain food, or watch a certain movie, I can build a whole themed evening out of it in order to make that happen.
Q. Well, that’s just…memorable for sure. So, what books have you read more than once in your life?
I reread books a lot but some of my favorites are Howl’s Moving Castle, Sorcery & Cecilia: or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot, The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt, and Red, White & Royal Blue.
Q. Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
My best friends have probably been the most supportive. I have friends who read multiple drafts of my books, one of my best friends is also my proofreader, and my friends never seem to mind me using them as a sounding board as I work through story ideas.
Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few die-hard fans will find?
A few. I’m a big fan of classic movies. So occasionally I’ll reference a movie I like, but try to do it in a way that isn’t obvious.
Q. Now comes the most anticipated question that every author must answer. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
That’s a work in progress. I definitely never respond to them. I’d like to reach a point where I never read them, but I haven’t gotten there yet, because I still love reading positive reviews. So I’m trying to quit the habit of reading reviews at all unless I’m tagged in them on social media.
Q. What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?
It’s a bit of a mix. Most of the time it’s the characters, especially when I’m working on a series like the one I’m doing now. With this series, I know which characters I want to have as my protagonists, so the characters come first in those instances. But sometimes I think of story ideas and then work backwards to see which characters might work in the story. If it’s not specific to a series, or it’s a new series, I usually start with a plot. Letters to Half Moon Street, for instance, was originally supposed to be an enemies to lovers story told through letters. But then a few letters in, I realized they weren’t quite enemies and I also needed a third character for the letter exchange, so I went back to the drawing board a bit.
Q. How do you develop your plot and characters?
Since I tend to start with characters, I usually try to develop the plot based on what I think the character needs, and then I go from there. Also, since my stories are fantasy, I try to figure out how I can incorporate magic into the storyline, so that can take a lot of reworking.
Q. You got 100 points. You need to divide them on the basis of how relevant and important they are to you as a reader and a writer for your book or someone else’s as a reader. Your options are Plot/Story, Book Cover, Marketing, and, Reviews.
Plot/Story- 25.
Dialogue- 25.
Book Cover – 20.
Marketing- 15.
Reviews- 15.
Q. So, now, about your book. Talk to us about it. No major spoilers.
My first book is called Letters to Half Moon Street and it’s a story about a shy young man, Gavin Hartford, who is sent by his family to stay in London alone. While there, he inadvertently befriends a dashing stranger, who offers to show him around town. The two become friends and Gavin has to decide if he’s brave to admit he’s falling in love.
Q. What part of the book did you enjoy the most while writing?
The banter was very fun to write. I think I enjoyed writing the little notes that are sent back and forth between Gavin and Mr. Kentworthy.
Q. What is your kryptonite as a writer?
I tend to reuse the same phrases a lot. It’s a common problem, I’m sure. But both my proofreader and my editor have sent back drafts with the number of how many times I had a character nod, or how many times I used a certain expression. It’s always a little humbling, but I like to think that it will get easier to avoid that tendency eventually.
Q. What risks have you taken with your writing that have paid off?
I think my world-building was a bit of a risk. I knew that I didn’t want the society I was writing to be queer-phobic, and one of my early readers challenged the fact that the society I had written was still misogynist. So I reworked the world completely and I think it’s better now. Some readers haven’t loved that choice. But I love seeing reviews where people are happy to spend time in a world that is queernormative and isn’t quite so driven by gender roles. So whenever people say that they liked that, I feel like it was worth the risk.
Q. Let’s talk about the process of writing. Do you do research while writing a book to add more authenticity? What kind and how far do you go – ever travelled to a foreign place just for the sake of your book?
I’ve never traveled for writing, sadly, not yet. I have a bunch of books on life in Regency England that I reference a lot when I’m writing. It can be very helpful when determining what sort of card games they’d play, what sort of food they’d eat, what the London Season was like. As this is a fantasy world and an alternate history, I can take some liberties, so I use the research as a starting point and go from there. “Gerry, London is already a right bore. If you were a kind sister, like you ought to be, you would not make me suffer alone. Terribly unsporting of you.”Sarah Wallace, Meddle & Mend Series
Q. What was your hardest scene to write?
In Letters to Half Moon Street, there’s a scene where Gavin meets a young sex worker named Lino Bowles. That scene wasn’t hard to write exactly but it did go through several iterations before reaching the version you read in the book. Originally, Lino was rude and dismissive towards Gavin, and that version was consistent all the way until right before I sent it to the editor. And then I realized that it didn’t make sense for Lino to treat a potential customer that way, so I changed it, and then the scene took off. However, in that version, I’d accidentally given him the same name as one of my relatives, so I spent a long time trying to figure out a good name for him. In the end, I landed on Lino, and I’m very pleased with it.
Q. Well, this has been great. Now, before we wrap this up, do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?
My suggestion is to write the book you want to read. I think that’s how I’ve found the most fulfillment with my own stories. I thought through what sort of story I wished I could read in that moment, and then sat down and started writing it. It means that I love reading my own work, and I take a lot of pride in it.
UPDATE:- Her book, The Education of Pip (Meddle & Mend Book 3) will be available on Amazon starting February 25, 2023.
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