Sandra Orchard: A Master At Intrigue

Everyone's Story welcomes back with much fondness author Sandra Orchard. I've been watching Sandra grow from debut author to now a multi-award winning author and if it's been fun for me can you imagine what it's like for Sandra? This week Sandra answers a few questions and shares a blurb on her new release BLIND TRUST--which is also her Giveaway Novel. Drop Sandra a comment--she's looking forward to hearing from you. 

Book Giveaway:
Sandra is offering one copy of her newest romantic suspense novel BLIND TRUST, Book 2 of the Port Aster Secrets Series, as a Giveaway Book to one  randomly chosen commenter. The winner will be announced here on Friday, May 30th, between 5-6 PM EST. To be eligible, please leave your contact information within your comment. Thanks!

Blurb for BLIND TRUST:

Kate Adams had no idea she was carrying counterfeit money, and she can’t believe that it came from her sweet neighbor. Or that it lands her in the middle of another one of Detective Tom Parker’s investigations. Determined to prove her neighbor’s innocence, Kate stumbles into a pit of intrigue that is far deeper than a two-bit counterfeit operation–and strikes too close to home for comfort. As family secrets come to light, her world–and her budding romance with Tom–begin to crumble. To Kate, it’s clear that she won’t be safe until she uncovers all of Port Aster’s secrets. But is it too late for her and Tom?

Questions for Sandra Orchard:

I’ve roomed with you when you were a debut author and have hosted you twice prior to this present guest appearance. While others have watched you grow as an author, what changes have you noticed in yourself as your writing career has flourished?

Thinner hair! I’m told stress will do that to you. And um, ten pounds heavier, which I’m sure has more to do with sitting at a computer for eight hours a day then the chocolate stash I keep on hand for those moments when my characters make me want to pull out my hair. J

And honestly, I’m probably more insecure about my writing than ever. Not sure why that is, but at least it keeps me on my knees. And I always feel totally blessed when the story finally comes together, and all the more when I hear from readers who’ve enjoyed it.

When did the passion for writing plant itself in your heart? Was any one person or event a trigger?

Yes, seeing two of my stories typed up in the school yearbook when I was in grade one planted the desire in my heart. Having my husband comment on the piles of books in our bedroom thirty years later, and saying I should write my own, triggered the adventure of fiction writing. Little did he know how many more books I’d accumulate as a result!

Tell us some about how you write: Do you work in faith elements around the suspense plot or the suspense around the faith core?

 With the exception of Critical Condition, all my books began with the suspense plot. I then created characters that would grow in some connected way to it. In my medical suspense, Critical Condition, I wanted to explore the question: how do you believe in God when he doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers? My hero had lost his wife to cancer and she’d made him promise to not blame God. My heroine had been abandoned by her husband soon after their first child was born, and as a nurse, often saw people’s heartfelt prayers seemingly go unanswered. The backstories gave rise to interesting conversations within the book, ones that were being mirrored in my own life at the time, as I lost a dear writing friend to cancer while writing it.

Please share with us about your June release, BLIND TRUST. Where is it set? Any intriguing suspense points? What kind of research did you do?

Blind Trust is the second book in my Port Aster Secrets mystery series set in a small fictional town in Niagara. The heroine is an herbal researcher caught up in a counterfeiting mystery and the deepening mystery surrounding her father’s death that appears to be connected to the big bad pharmaceutical company that wishes to partner with the research facility where she works. So…I had to do a wide variety of research, including how bills are counterfeited, which isn’t easy with Canadian bills. Sadly my editor recommended keeping those details to a minimum since they’d be foreign to American readers. But…if you’re interested, I blogged about it on ICFW this past Tuesday.

I also delved into herbal remedies and unusual poisons and a myriad of unethical and sometimes illegal things pharmaceutical companies tend to be accused of doing. All were great fodder for the series.

As a reader, what frustrates you as you turn pages in a novel?

I wouldn’t say things frustrate me so much as make me skim. The first is repetitiveness. I usually read a book in two to three days, so I don’t need to be reminded repeatedly about a character’s romantic conflict or issues.

The second is too much static description. I don’t care what characters are wearing (and too be honest, when I don’t know what an item is, it bugs me; I’ve probably googled more clothes, shoes and purse names than anything else while reading a book). And if that embroidered pillow from Aunt Martha, sitting on the sofa, is going to score any page time, I’m expecting it to be used to smother someone later on in the book. Hopefully, the woman who spends far too much on shoes. J

What’s it like to have your youngest daughter striving to become a novelist?

Tons of fun! I love having someone in the house I can talk shop with. We write totally different genres so we’re not much help to each other in brainstorming, but we understand each other’s trials and tribulations and joys. She’ll commiserate when I have uncooperative characters, and whereas the rest of my family were happy for me when I got my first book contract, Jen alone jumped and squealed and hugged me with pure abandon.

If you had oodles of spare time, hitched with no worries, what 3 novels would you re-read, and why?

Hmm, considering I have a bookshelf full of books I have yet to get to, not to mention, an overflowing Ereader, I’d probably devour many of those that I’m itching to read.  But if I could only choose from the shelf in front of me, I’d say one of Karen Witemeyer’s historicals, one of Susan May Warren’s Team Hope or Noble Legacy romantic suspense, and Lisa Wingate’s contemporary romance Word Gets Around, because I loved those books and these talented authors have inspired me time and again.

You can also check out Sandra's August '11 visit on Everyone's Story and her September '13 visit.

Sandra's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
Enjoy romantic suspense fiction? Meet award-winning author Sandra Orchard. #BookGiveaway (Tweet This)

Behind a great author is a heavy-duty reader. See what author Sandra Orchard shares about reading. (Tweet This)

Win #BookGiveaway of Sandra Orchard’s #ChristianSuspense novel BLIND TRUST. (Tweet This)

Author's Bio:

Sandra Orchard is a multi-award-winning Canadian author of inspirational romantic suspense/mysteries with Love Inspired Suspense and Revell. An active member in American Christian Fiction Writers, The Word Guild, and Romance Writers of America, she enjoys helping writers hone their skills. Learn more about Sandra’s books and check out the special bonus features, such as deleted scenes and location pics, at http://sandraorchard.com.

Places to connect with Sandra:

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