Author Sunday, Interview with Sarah by Sherri Lupton Hollister
I am so excited to be a part of Sarah Maury Swan’s author friends’ group. We are getting ready for our next Author Sunday, October 29th at the New Bern Farmers Market 1 to 4 pm.
If you have been around New Bern, you may have seen a little lady on a trike or one of those rolling walkers. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is your average little old lady. Sarah Maury Swan is timeless. She is an adventurous soul from her days in the Peace Corps to raising horses, Sarah doesn’t balk at any challenge. I want to be her when I grow up.
Sarah, how many of these Author Sundays have you put together at the New Bern Farmers Market so far?
Sarah: This is my third.
How did you come up with the idea for this local author event?
Sarah: Julie McKeon, who runs the New Bern Farmers’ Market asked me if I would organize a semi-annual “Authors’ Sunday” similar to the one that was held years ago before the market was open every Saturday. Seemed like a good idea to me.
Sunday, October 29th we’re expecting close to forty authors from all over eastern North Carolina. How did you meet all of these authors?
Sarah: Some I knew through local events, but most of them I met thanks to Michelle Garren Flye and her store, Next Chapter Books and Art. When I mentioned the possibility of doing this, she sent out the notice to the authors who sell their books at her store. But I also sent out notices to Carteret Writers, Pamlico Writers and North Carolina Writers Network. We limited the area to eastern Carolina writers as those who live anywhere on the Eastern Raleigh edge. It’s been fun to get to know so many talented people in this area.
You’ve been writing for a number of years, but you’ve only been published a few, tell us a little of your journey to being a published author and why you chose to be indie published.
Sarah: I come from a long line of writers and book readers. So, any chance I had to write, I did. But I didn’t start writing for publication until I was in my sixties. I’m pleased to say I almost immediately got published in magazines. And when I submitted my middle-grade novel, Emily’s Ride to Courage, to the Dutton imprint of what is now part of Penguin/Putnam, the editor I sent it to liked it well enough to send it along the chain of editors until it reached the marketers who said they wouldn’t buy it because they already had a horse series in the works. So I sent it down to Peachtree in Atlanta. The editor there wrote back to me saying she liked my writing and the premise of the story, but didn’t connect with my main character, Emily. She asked me to rewrite the book and send it her again. Well, when an editor says that, by gum you rewrite the story. The second time I submitted everybody says it was a good book, but the marketers said they had another horse book in the works. I put Emily aside and wrote Terror’s Identity, which I published through Sable Books. By that time, I was in my mid seventies and decided I didn’t have the time to wait around for my books to be published through trade publishers.
What is your latest book about?
Sarah: Little Bits: A collection of short stories is a collection of short stories that had previously been published in Michelle Garren Flyes’ Next Chapter Literary Magazine. It came out this past summer. My latest novel, Earthquakes, came out just in time for COVID-19 to shut the world down.
What are you working on next?
Sarah: My first ever early reader book, Space Junk, is at my editor’s and I am finishing up another young adult novel, Bad Hair Day, about a sixteen-year-old girl who learns that her idea of having things go wrong is nothing compared to what her cousin’s bad hair day means. I am also in the beginning stages of writing a murder mystery, Serendipity’s Conundrum. Since the main character is a 82-year-old woman who rides a purple tricycle named Gertrude, the story is more a cozy mystery than Sherri’s spicy mysteries.
We will have a couple of food trucks and coupons for a local restaurant and Next Chapter Books, so come on out and choose a few books for yourself, family and friends, grab a bite to eat and support local businesses.
Sipping Sunshine Lemonade and Tea Truck will be there, along with The Burger Bus a new addition to the food truck scene from Swansboro that is US Veteran owned.
We will have live readings throughout the day by various authors.
Sarah will also be speaking at the Pamlico Writers luncheon, Tuesday, October 31st, 11 am to 1 pm at the China Bay Buffet Restaurant Chocowinity, NC. You won’t want to miss either of these events.
Confirmed author list for October 29th:
1.Sue Anger: Southern Murder Mysteries
2.Joan Aubele: religious/self-help+
3.Phil Bowie: Mystery www.philbowie.com
4.Dave Brown: Historical Fiction. https://www.davidbrownbooks.net/
5.Lori Closter: Religious Fiction
6.Rose Cushing: Podcaster/writer
7.Karen Dodd: Eclectic
+ quilter kedodd2@gmail.com
8.Bill Furney: https://www.billfurney.com/ swashbuckler/fantasy
9.Beth Garver: Cozy Mystery/Fantasy https://DrunkBeth/wordpress.com
10.Dina Greenberg
11.Melissa Harrell
12.Evelyn H. Heckhaus: children’s books
13.Allison Hendrix
14.Chad Hollaman:
15.Sherri L Hollister: Mystery and Romance https://sherrilhollister.com/
16.Deirdre Kiernan: Picture Books
17.Jo Anna Kloster: middle-grade fiction
18.Veronica Krug: eclectic mix https://krugbooks.com/
19.Julie Lombard: Eclectic https://www.you-niqueproductions.com
20.Casper Luna
21.Carol Lunney-Hampson: Children’s Book
22.Jay Manning: Childrens Books
23.Nina Makhatadze: Eclectic
24.Murdina D. MacDonald: nonfiction
25.Sue McIntyre: memoir and romance
26. Mandy Monath: poetry
27.Margaret Pollock: environmental children’s book
27.Natalie Singletary: Eclectic
28.Cyrus Spears (a.k.a. Sirius): Fantasy www.uncrownednovel.com
29.Stanley Trice: Fantasy Fiction
30.Sarah Maury Swan: Children’s YA & MG https://sarahmauryswan.com
31.Rebecca Weinrich Wheeler: Children’s & YA
32. John Williams: Sci-Fi
We’re over 40, now!!!
at New Bern Farmers Market
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