Author Chat with Sarah Pekkanen (Author of Skipping A Beat)

Published on by Sheila (Book Journey)

 

 

This is an exciting chat for me today as this is the first time I have had the honor of interviewing an author – twice.  Last year Sarah Pekkanen and I chatted about her book Opposite Of Me.  I am beyond thrilled today to have her back to talk about her book that hit the shelves today:  Skipping A Beat.

Sarah is one busy lady so I will not keep her waiting with a bunch of chit-chat… please welcome an incredible author, Sarah Pekkanen.

 

Sarah Pekkanen

 

First off…. wow!  A second book was released today!   I am so excited for you!  What does that feel like?

Sarah:  It feels amazing. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a young girl, and walking into bookstores and seeing my name on the cover of a book is an indescribable feeling. I just grin from ear to ear and lurk around, wondering if anyone will buy it when I’m there (yes, I’m a bookstore stalker)!

 

 



I just finished Skipping a Beat on Saturday evening and I was up until 1:00 am crying and feeling… wonderful if that makes sense.  When you sent this book off to the publisher, what did that moment feel like for you?  really I want to know… did you bawl like a baby too?

Sarah:  Thank you! I’m so glad Skipping a Beat touched you this deeply. It’s what I was hoping for when I wrote it. I go through that same tumble of intense emotions when I write. And when I send off the final version of the book, it’s with a mixed sense of elation and sadness and reflectiveness. It’s bittersweet, really, because the process of writing a book can be so tough and intense, yet you miss it so deeply when it’s over.



Sarah I have now read both your books and found that you have a gift for creating characters that feel so real that I would know them if the were three-dimensional and walking down the street.  Could you share with me how these characters come to be that you can write them so well?
Sarah:  Wow, another amazing compliment – you are making my day! I tend to be a visual person, so I “see” my characters, if that makes sense. I can picture what they look like and their mannerisms. It’s one part of the process, at least, that comes easily for me.


The main character in Skipping A Beat, Julia and Michael,  have extended family issues on both sides…. what was your reasoning for building this into the story line?
Sarah:  I really wanted to show how our families shape who we become as adults, and how we can hold on to the good in that, while releasing the bad parts. I think we carry with us the lingering shadows of our families and our awareness of that can really help us make authentic choices that are good for us, rather than reflexive reactions to situations.



Often I hear about authors writing the story without knowing the outcome until it flows out of them later in the writing.  Without giving anything away – when you started writing Skipping A Beat, did you know how it would end or did the ending come as you wrote?

Sarah:  I did know the ending – some twists during the middle of the book surprised me, but I felt all along that it needed to end this way. I plotted out this book fairly loosely, with plenty of room for inspiration, but the broad outline of the book remained just as I’d originally planned it.



What are your hopes that readers take away from this book?

Sarah:  It’s a simple message, but one I think we can never hear enough: Love is the most important thing in this world.

 

 

 


That is a great take away message.  What is next for you?

Sarah:  This will be a very happily busy week. Skipping a Beat comes out today, and I’m doing a signing tonight at my local Barnes & Noble. Then I’m heading to New York to meet with my publisher and do a book signing in the city! And while I’m at my publisher’s office, we’ll be talking about my third book, which I need to turn in by May 1. It’s the story of three very different women who become roommates in New York.

 

 

 


Oh!  I can not wait for the third book it sounds wonderful!   So, for purely selfish reasons I have to ask, will you be at BEA this May?

 

 

Sarah:  Yes – and I so hope to see you there! I’m also hoping to go to the Book Blogger Convention because I’ve gotten to know quite a few book bloggers, like you, and it’s wonderful to meet up in person. You guys are great to hang out with!

 

 

 


You are too sweet!  Since I interviewed you before and have already asked for a little known fact, my new question for you is – what fictional character(s) would you like to hang out with and why?

 

 

Sarah:  It’s been a long few weeks – I’m getting over the flu and am a bit run down – so I’m up for a bit of fun. I think for a good girls’ night out, you can’t beat Bridget Jones!

 

 



Thanks so much Sarah for chatting it up with me and best wishes with the new book!  I am still gushing about it!

 

 

Sarah:  Thank you Sheila! It’s always good to talk to you and hope to see you again soon!   xoxo

Readers:  Please take time to check out Sarah at her website:  sarahpekkanen.com

You can also find her on Facebook and on Twitter

* Be sure to check out my giveaway today for a copy of Skipping A Beat!

41 thoughts on “Author Chat with Sarah Pekkanen (Author of Skipping A Beat)”

  1. Great interview! This is my third visit to your blog today!! Well planned, my dear!! I’ve learned something from you today about blogging. Thank you!

    Reply

  6. Great interview and post! If the last two gushing posts weren’t a good enough reason to run to the bookstore, or online to load it onto your ereader, I think this one would have closed the deal! You brought a lot of attention to Sarah Pekkanen today and for that I thank you!! This has been fun today and has broken up the monotony of this snowy day. Thank you!!

    Reply

  8. I really enjoyed reading Sarah’s responses to your questions. This sounds like such an amazing book. It is very true about how our families shape us. Thanks for sharing this interview with us!

    Reply

  10. What a great interview and without any spoilers – even better. I sooo want to delve into the pages Sarah has created they sound absolutely amazing and conveying the message that love is the most important thing, not only is this message true and imperative for people to think, feel and believe it sends the heart racing also!

    Thanks for the post

    😀

    Reply

  11. What a fantastic interview! I loved reading all your thought-provoking questions and Sarah’s insightful answers. It’s always fun to go “behind the scenes” with authors, and this interview is no exception 🙂

    Reply

  14. I’m baaack! Yes, I have been lurking around today, but then again, since I subscribe to your posts, I always know when something new is published.

    I would love to read this book. Families are my favorite thing to read about, next to friendships between women.

    And, BTW, that is a gorgeous cover!

    Great interview…thanks, Sheila and Sarah.

    Reply

  15. Great interview, ladies! Bridget Jones! Great choice, Sarah. She is my kind of gal. My copy of Skipping a Beat was just delivered today…perfect timing! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Pingback: Tweets that mention Author Chat with Sarah Pekkanen (Author of Skipping A Beat) « Book Journey -- Topsy.com

  20. I still find it humorous when authors say they are surprised when something happens in their books. Since I’m not an author, I don’t get how they wouldn’t know where there book is going! lol

    Reply

    1. I can see that characters take a life of their own sometimes… when I think of characters that I would love to write about I usually do not know all the details of where they are going… sometimes it just happens as you go 🙂

      Reply

Hmmmm... what do you think?

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s