Sadira Stone’s stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. We enjoyed having this Author Interview – Sadira Stone for our blog. Check out this fantastic author and follow them for more amazing stories.

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, and a vintage boutique. Her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together.

When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in dance class, strumming her ukulele, exploring the Western U.S. with her charming husband, cooking up a storm, and gobbling all the romance books, for a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!)

When did you start writing?

Waaay back in elementary school! I got serious about writing for publication in 2014 after retiring early from my teaching career, and my first book was published in 2018.

What was it like growing up?

I was formed in the 60s and 70s, so tons of time outside with little supervision. We were on our bikes for hours, traveling far from home without cell phones. How did we survive?

How was your early life?

I had some amazing teachers, especially in music, theater, and dance. Unfortunately, my family wanted a narrow life for me, one totally unsuited to my big, applause-addicted personality. I’m so grateful for the mentors who led me to imagine something bigger and more fulfilling.

With no $$ for college, I joined the US Army right after high school (GI Bill) and ended up stationed in Germany. Then returned to Germany in 1989 as a teacher (high school French, English, German, theater) and stayed until 2014.

What has been the biggest influence in your career?

Books! I was a bookworm since I taught myself to read (so Mama says) at age four. I haunted our public and school libraries and nearly fainted from excitement in bookstores. I’m so grateful to my parents for stocking our house with books.

Tell us about your newest release.

Passion in the Cards is Book One in my new Trappers Cove Romance series, set in a funky, kitschy Washington State beach town. Maybe you know the type: bumper cars, Skee ball, saltwater taffy, weird little souvenir shops, that one bar full of nautical decor that serves locally brewed beer and great pub food.

The most important shop in town is Madame Zora’s Psychic Emporium, where you can get crystals, a dragon figurine or two, a boho skirt to wear on the beach, and a tarot reading from Zora herself! Of course, there’s a wide, flat beach (typical WA) and a hidden cove accessible only at low tide.

Which book of yours would you call your favorite child?

Why, my latest one, of course! (Really, it’s impossible to pick. A good mama loves all her babies equally.)

What inspired you to write this book?

This novella, now expanded, was originally part of an astrology-based anthology, so I was assigned Taurus. That turned out to be a fun challenge, building a romance hero based on Taurus’s many fine qualities–dependable, practical, sensual, romantic–and some not-so-fine qualities–stubborn!

What are you usually found doing when you’re not writing?

“Mama said I was a dancer before I could walk.” (Name that tune!) So you’ll find me in Zumba class, the gym, the pool, our community chorus, or exploring Las Vegas, my new hometown.

What does your writing space look like?

My desk is a mess! But my bookshelves are stocked with tons of delicious books, CDs I couldn’t bear to throw away when the technology changed, photos, trophies, bookish tchotchkes, binders…and on the windows, gorgeous teal curtains (my favorite color) made from recycled silk sari cloth.

If you wrote your autobiography, what would you name it?  

Don’t Fence Me In.

How long did it take to write your novel, and what was your process?

This one is a novella, so it took a month or so for the first draft. Since it was an assignment for an astrology-based anthology, I started by researching Taurus (hero) and Aquarius (heroin), which gave me tons of ideas for their love story and conflicts. And because I was missing Washington State, having moved to Las Vegas for family reasons, I drew on all my memories of WA and OR beach towns. Thus was Trappers Cove born!

Favorite reads?

Impossible to narrow it down to just a few. I gobble romance books like Pringles, especially historical romance (gotta love those steamy dukes!), contemporary romance (but not too dark. No bullies or mafia dons for me), and romcoms. Lately, I’ve loved Ali Hazelwood’s STEM romances.

Do you have any book recommendations?

Besides my previous series: Book Nirvana and Bangers Tavern Romance? If you love beach romances similar to mine, try Laurie Ryan’s Willow Bay series, cozy romances with just a little spice, also set in a WA State beach town. Lovely small-town, found-family ambiance.

What’s your next big project?

I’ve got two more books in the Trappers Cove series finished: Passionate Brew (set in a brewery, of course), and The Billionaire’s Christmas Castle, a silver-fox romance, coming later this year. I plan to add several stories to this series.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Read TONS of books in your intended genre. Get to know reader expectations. Take some writing craft courses, or save money and read some of the very fine writing craft books available. Join social media gathering places for both authors and readers of your type of book. And, in the name of all that’s holy, get some eyeballs on your work, including an editor’s, before publishing it!

BTW, general critique groups can be helpful when you’re just starting, but as soon as possible, find a group (online is fine) of authors who write in YOUR genre. Ask me how I know 😉

Follow Sadira:

https://linktr.ee/SadiraStone

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