Getting to Know Us...an Interview with Sierra Donovan

Interviewed by Jayne Ormerod

Yes, we all have bios on this website, but there is so much MORE to know about our Classic and Cozy bloggers.  So the 2nd Friday of each month is dedicated to getting to know us better.  This month I'd like to introduce you to Sierra Donovan, a sweet romance writer. And what's exciting for me is that I walked into my local Barnes and Noble a week or so ago and saw her latest release right there on the end cap!  Titled, "No Christmas Like the Present" you'll want to rush out and get it for your holiday reading pleasure...but wait, read the interview first!    

1. Okay, inquiring minds want to know…why a writer? Certainly not for the fame and fortune…or maybe it is?

Heh heh! Well, I'm still hoping for fame and fortune … but mostly, I just love words, and I love using them to make characters exist. And in the romance genre, there's the pleasure of making their dreams come true.

2. When did you first put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to create your classic and cozy characters?

In fourth grade, I was writing my own “script” for the old gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows. I had people screaming and fainting and falling in love on every page. Wish I could see it now!

3. Do you have a set writing schedule?

I still have a part-time job and a family, so it's A) when I can and B) when I can motivate myself. My self-discipline is … inconsistent.

4. Is there a certain routine, food/drink, or location that summons forth the muses for you?

Starbucks is my “office” away from home. It doesn't have the distractions of home, and although I know I could go online there, I pretend I can't, so I don't. (I'm considering claiming my iced tea receipts on my next tax return. But I know better than to claim Starbucks as a dependent.)

5. What do you do when not writing?

Watch movies with my husband and son. Drink tea and listen to music with my daughter. Pet and scold our two dogs. And read as much as I can!

6. I imagine you’ve been reading all of your life (all great writers have.)  What was your favorite book as a child?

Just one? I read Heidi repeatedly, as well as a little-known sequel, Heidi's Children. Later on, there were the gothic romances based on that soap I mentioned before, Dark Shadows. And there was another gothic author, Virginia Coffman, who I totally fell in love with. She wrote engaging stories with a nice smattering of humor – she may have introduced me to the idea of a writer having a “voice.”

7. Do you re-read books? If so, which one have you re-read the most?

Not much these days, because I don't have time to read as many books as I'd like to the first time! But as a teen, I read Virginia Coffman's “Lucifer Cove” series repeatedly. It involved an exclusive resort just outside of San Francisco, run by this unassuming-but-handsome man who was … uh … the devil. I did have a bent for dark-ish fantasy, didn't I?

8. But there is more to life than reading, writing (and arithmetic)…what is your most memorable adventure in your life?

<<I think this is the point where Barbara Walters would ask you if you were a tree, what kind would you be, but I’ll skip that and throw a softball…>>

My 21-year (and counting) marriage to my husband.

9. If you were on American Idol, what song would you sing to WOW! the judges?

Nothing showy. Either a '70s ballad like Elton John's “Your Song” … or if I got brave, maybe a Frank Sinatra-type standard – but done very simply!

10. Last question…movie rights…who will play your two main characters when Hollywood comes knocking on your door?

My hero is Fred, Scrooge's nephew from “A Christmas Carol,” brought to life, so Hugh Jackman would be great! My heroine? I'm thinking Jenna Fischer from “The Office.” 

You can read more about Sierra on her website: http://www.sierradonovan.com/about-us.php

And be sure and look for this the next time you visit Barnes and Noble: