Eric Woods, Author

Sara Elisabeth has been a writer since she was six years old when she was inspired by authors like Ursula K. LeGuin, S. E. Hinton, and Terry Brooks. She’s from the Pacific Northwest, spending most of her life with one foot in British Columbia and one foot in Washington state. She’s a self-proclaimed nerd with a passion for RPG video games, movies, and 90s alt-rock music. When she’s not writing romance novels, she’s certainly reading them. You can purchase her books at www.saraelisabethauthor.com .

Follow Sara Elisabeth!

Website: www.saraelisabethauthor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraelisabethauthor/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sara-Elisabeth/author/B0CDHN2CR3
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42762614.Sara_Elisabeth

Questions:

1. Tell our readers a little about yourself and your writing (including publications).
   My name is Sara Elisabeth, and I’m a queer indie author from the Pacific Northwest. I love to read, write, and edit, and I have an unhealthy obsession with cats and 90s alt rock music. My debut, Someday Away, released in January 2024. It’s a poly dark contemporary romance with LGBTQ+ rep, enemies-to-lovers vibes, PNW gloom, tons of snarky banter, and 80s/90s/00s throwbacks.
   Someone Like Me, book two (character series), will release in late February/early March and is available for pre-order. It’s a MMF contemporary romance that’s a little darker and a little gayer with some serious forced proximity, a few horror elements, and even more spice.
   
2. What writing projects are you currently working on?
   Right now, I’m finishing my edits for Someone Like Me, which have taken me a bit longer than anticipated, but damn, it’s worth it.
   Book three will be MM and it’s already rattling around in my brain, so I’ll start working on it pretty quick after my next release.
   
3. Are you a daytime writer, a mid-day writer, a nighttime writer, or just someone who writes when the mood hits you?
   I have an eight-year-old, so I write when my schedule permits, mostly in the morning or early afternoon while he’s still at school. 
   
4. Do you have a writing “Bucket List” (goals you want to accomplish as a writer)?
   I just want to build a backlist of books and novellas. When you’re an indie author, you’re in it for the long game, so I’m hoping that five to six years from now I can actually turn a profit. Until then, I’m just happy that I have readers out there who’re excited for my writing.
   
5. Who is your favorite author and why?
   Right now my favorite author is Nyla K. I adore her writing. She writes queer romance   with heavy spice, mental health rep, and taboo storylines, and I just eat it up. 
   
6. Who/what first inspired you to write?
   I read a lot of fantasy as a kid, so Ursula K. LeGuin and Terry Brooks were my inspirations from a very young age. I also loved S.E. Hinton. She wrote The Outsiders when she was just 16, and I always thought that was incredible.
   
7. What are your favorite book genres?
   I mostly read dark romance now. Conflict and angst are a must or I tend to get bored. But I always have a soft spot for fantasy and science fiction. I haven’t read much in those genres as an adult, but I hope to get back into them one day.
   
8. Do you have any “rules” when you write? (EX for me: the dog never dies!)
   I don’t have many rules other than I want my main characters to be redeemable. I have a hard time with storylines that include domestic violence or intentionally killing animals, so that’s a hard line when I consider backstories.
   
9. Speaking of animals, do you have any pets?
   I have two cats who are about a year old. They’re names are Anakin and Obi-Wan, and they’re a rambunctious pair.
   
10. What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a writer?
    Just write the damn book. Or short story. Or poem. Whatever you want to write, just get it on paper. You can polish it later, but putting it out there is the hardest part. I spent my childhood and 20s studying English, and then became a professional editor and writer, but I never wrote the book I wanted to because I was afraid to fail. Now, my only regret is that I wish I’d done it sooner.