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Nothing says WWII romance like a Sarah Sundin novel! · The Biscuit Book Club

• Marci: Welcome to the Biscuit Book Club, where stories and shenanigans abound, and above all, historical accuracy should be left to today's guest. Sarah Sundon is an award-winning Christian historical fiction author who has made a career out of taking readers to World War II, where courage is tested, faith is strengthened, and romance somehow manages to bloom, despite air raids, rations, and espionage. Sarah's got 19 books and she's going on 20. Do you have is it do you have more? Because I know you've also done some collaborations. Sarah Sundin: Yes, I have three books contracted that are coming. Marci: Okay, so we are so excited about that. Sarah and I have known each other for over two decades. So I consider Sarah a personal friend, and she's most likely to bring Bail money, although she'll probably want the whole story before posting Bond just to see if it's worth putting in her next book. So welcome Sarah Sundin: Okay. Marci: to the show with Corey and Marcy, the Biscuit Book Club, Sarah Sundon. Yay! Sarah Sundin: What Cori: Yeah. Marci: Now I'm not sure which crime Sarah Sundin: Always such fun. Marci: I would be committing that would require bond money, but one never knows because Sarah Sundin: It might involve the nose flute. Just say. Marci: It might involve no s what do you have yours handy? Because you know, we could always use okay. Sarah Sundin: No, I do not. I do not, sadly. Cori: specifically left that one in the other room. Marci: So yes. So Sarah and I have known each other for a long time. One of the fun things was that we it was back before there was internet. I mean, it would be like, Sarah Sundin: No. Marci: you've got mail, you know. And so Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: we were writing and we just realized there was another writer. Her name was Marcy as well. and so we would print off what we had written that month and some goals and some prayer requests, and we would snail mail the first Monday of Sarah Sundin: Yes. Marci: the month each other's manuscripts to each other with the corrected version of what they had mailed the month before. So we were writing a It was over twenty years ago. It was before your first book came out. And Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Yeah. Marci: I think that was some of the most precious time. I mean, everything is internet now and, you know, quick change, but actually printing it off, mailing it to each other, see having some prayer requests for the for the month and then some goals for the month. And I do have to say, w sometimes when we hear when I hear, and Corey, I know you and I talk about this all the time, just the community of writers, is that You sometimes you just have to get creative and you have to work with what you have and take the time, even if it's printing it off, mailing it off, so that you can physically do the corrections. But I think that that those are some of my s the sweetest memories with you, Sarah, is those early days when we were like getting mail from each other, mailing it back, and just encouraging each other and I was so excited when I had thought about continuing the biscuit book club and Corey said, you know, if you want a guest host, I will be happy to jump in on that with you. And I love that because Corey is also somebody that I've been able to say, okay, let's do a writing sprint. I I will call you at this time. We're setting the timer and we will write for an hour at a time with this. We'll write for an hour at a time and then check back in. So I just think that that's one of the most important things is that Christian writers need God first and each other in our writing life, but we need Sarah Sundin: Maybe. Marci: that encouragement to keep going. It's not a competitive thing. It's we're writing for the same dad. So Sarah, I'm so excited that you're joining us today and that Sarah Sundin: Thank you. Marci: that Corey and I can talk about your newest book, which is a novella. So Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: Corey has yours. She just read it. so what did you think, Corey? Cori: Okay, so I really enjoyed this book, but and we're gonna talk a little bit about some specific, but there is one thing I have to point out that just really got me. It got me to the point where I almost screenshot it and sent a message to you on Facebook Messenger. And that was your your dedication, the dedication to Marcy. And I that hit my heart a little bit because she you had been the one that had given her as an example or as a reference to me. For Hearts Under Fire to review. And so I got a chance to work with her and get to know her. And so when I saw that dedication, I was like, my heart, Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Cori: and then and then after that, it just went downhill from there as far as like my heart. I'm just like over here going, my gosh, just rip me apart. but to be honest, I, you know, one of the things I talked to Marcy about that I really like about your book, Sarah, is, you know, I you come out with a one a year, usually pretty average. And even if you have that time away from your books, I think what's nice for me is that every time I read one of your books, it's like coming home. And so I just really appreciate just being able to just get in and read and kind of just get that that feeling of home every time I I, you know, dig into one of your books. Sarah Sundin: Thank you. That means a lot to me. Cori: So Marci: Have you ever had that comment before? Because now that after Corey had mentioned that, it's like, is it because it's nostalgic or is it because home is kind of a central thing, Sarah Sundin: I don't know. I think it's the first time I've heard that specific comment, other than people just, you know, returning to my books. They like the books. but the the home comment. I don't know. I if I build home in as a theme, it isn't intentional, but it probably you know, so much of it you write out of what you know, they say write what you know. obviously I know nothing about living in World War Two. I've never had lived under German occupation. I've never flown a plane. There's many things that I've written about that I know I I learn about. I don't know personally. But so many of the things that come out are, you know, they come out of the human experience, which is going to be universal. And and also out of, you know, what I live. So for me, homes are obviously very important. church and the Christian community is is so important. So some of those things are just gonna come out naturally. obviously there's going to be problems in those in the home because they are populated by human beings and human beings do stupid things. So, you know, there is some tensions between Maggie and her grandfather absolutely adore each other and that was a great it was such a fun relationship to write. but yes, he's ticked off at her for part of the book with good reason. And and then Prescott who doesn't have a home. And he finds it with Maggie and her grandfather and but he knows it really isn't his home because he's only there for a show for which is gonna last three months and when the show's over, it's all over. And so he he has this longing for home because he was kicked out of his own home at a very young age and just kind of been bopping around on his own for the past couple of decades. it's There's is a very, you know, normal middle class home. and Prescott has been dirt poor and he's been insanely rich as a Hollywood movie star. So he doesn't know the middle, the what many of us would consider a more normal home life. he's only had the extremes. Cori: I think that when you open up a a Sarah Sundon book, as a reader, you have an expectation and there's this brand promise of what you're gonna promise the reader as they go on this journey with you, this story. And that's what I guess I feel like that familiar home every time I open up one of your books, I'm not surprised by something out of left field. you you bring in a new story for me to enjoy every time, but I still feel safe and secure with what I'm getting from you is that you follow through on that promise that, this is what you're gonna get when you pick up a Sarah Sundon story. just this sense of. comfort that I get, even if it's not a comfortable story, I still Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Cori: get that sense of comfort picking up one of your books. And and I also know I could pass on one of your books to my niece and it wouldn't be anything that she couldn't read. And there's a sense of there's a sense of comfort with that as well. So I did have a question for you. if in this, you Marci: Mm-hmm. Cori: know, you talked about your hero and some of the struggling and this Actually hit me. This was one where I would flip back to the page a couple times and I was telling Marcy I had to write this down. You wrote a couple lines of dialogue. It's where your actor hero is saying, Why had the Lord chosen him to receive the gift of the story he was given? And then why hadn't the idea gone to a real writer? And that that hit me because I think. For the authors that are watching for advice from you and learning from you, that hit me a lot because I think as authors, we struggle with is this story the one we're supposed to be writing? How come God gave it to me if he didn't give me the brilliance or makes me feel inadequate when I'm writing? So my question is, coming up and putting that into your book, how is that, what would you advise an a a new author who's maybe struggling with something like that, like your character Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Cori: is? Marci: And maybe it's not a new author, maybe it's been somebody you've known for a very long time Sarah Sundin: And awesome. Yeah. yeah. Cori: We need to. Marci: and you used to exchange mail with. Sarah Sundin: Maybe it's me. honestly, when I was writing this, I was hearkening back to my early days as a writer when I had a story idea boom out of the So w Presscast experience when he's getting this idea for the screenplay. that's very much like my experience with my first novel, which will never be published, but it was a like a a surreal experience where the story kind of downloaded into my brain and I knew it was a novel and I had to write it. Okay. Background. no most normal authors, I majored in chemistry in college and I became a pharmacist. That is the career pathway I suggest to all aspiring writers. Tongue firmly in cheek there. So no, I wasn't I was a pharmacist. I was working on call. I had little kids. This was the perfect job for me. I loved pharmacy. It paid really well. I knew I could build up to more hours as the kids got older. I was set and then the story boom in my head. What is this? And I had this conversation with God. This is a great story. You must have meant it for somebody else who's actually writer because I'm a pharmacist. I've got a job. I've got little kids. I definitely can't add something else. I don't know what it what is this. And God kept it was clear, it was for me. Like, no well, you think you're a pharmacist? You may be licensed by the state of California, but guess what? Now you're writer. So so that was a very personal experience that he's going through when he's questioning who he is. And I keep that that is just always so fresh in my brain. I still, you know, people like, yeah, she's like this and awards. I'm like I am still in my brain this pharmacist washing diapers going what on earth is this story coming from? Because I'm not a writer. So this is common. The imposter syndrome is real. Every writer I know has experienced it from the brand newbie who somebody says you should write a book and they're like, I'm gonna write a book. To the multi, multi-published best-selling authors, we all have this imposter syndrome. It's part of who we are. writers tend to be very sensitive souls, which makes us good writers. We tend to pick up on all those nuances and how are people feeling. but we also tend to overthink things. And so those things go together. So yeah, my advice for a writer experiencing that welcome to the club. Cori: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: we I can tell you on any given day writing, I will write a sentence and go, absolute genius. That is the best sentence ever constructed in the English language. And the very next sentence go. What a load of hooey. Who do you think you are writing a book? They're gonna take your contract away, rip it up, and ask for all the money back that you've ever made. So that could be within a two-minute period, honestly. So we are all like that. Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: So part of it is just coming to the acceptance that, yes, this is what we go through. I know every book I write around chapter six, I want to throw the whole thing away and think to myself, I have no idea what's going on with the story. And but I now I know that. Chapter six, every time I'm gonna have that moment where I think the whole book idea stinks, and I don't know what I was thinking. So I know that. I'm like, okay, here we are, chapter six. the surreal moment of like, why am I doing this? Let's just keep barreling through because by s chapter seven you start to say, okay, it's not so bad. And by chapter eight, you're like, yes, this is amazing. I can't wait to tell the story. So now I just know this about myself. I know about this about my writing process. I know I'm gonna have those moments where I think I'm a genius and I tell myself, no, you're not. And then I have a moments where I tell myself I'm an idiot. I'm like, mm, no, you're not. And the truth is somewhere in between. Like, I'm a I'm a good writer, I'm not the best writer, and that's okay. But I write a decent story and I'm happy with that. My publisher's happy with that. My readers are happy with that. So I'm just gonna keep doing me and wait for until God tells me otherwise because he's the one in charge and I'm not. So I've learned that. I'm just along for the ride. Marci: Well, and I I love the fact too that you just do one story a year. There's so much to there's so much when it comes to story writing. And I think sometimes even in the Christian world, we're always looking like, well, she's doing four stories a year and doing a podcast and running marathons. Like maybe I should Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: am I just slacking or what? You know, and so I just feel like sometimes When the Lord gives us a task to do, He doesn't ask us to do somebody else's task. It's like, this Sarah Sundin: Exactly. Marci: is what I want you to do. And I want you to do it really well to the best of your ability. But it's hard to not be like, I know, but look at I haven't even sent a newsletter out for I think three years. I don't even know what a substack is. Like I all these things that I know I should be doing. But it's like, you know, if you could just keep doing what you're doing, that's good. So I love that. Sarah Sundin: Yeah, one of my favorite Bible stories is the last chapter of John when Jesus appears to the the disciples at the lake and he's telling Peter, some bad things you're gonna leave my church, but some bad things are gonna happen to you. And he looks behind him and he looks at John and says, What about him? And Jesus says, Stop it. It's like I'm not talking about him, I'm talking about you. And you know, he had a different he had a different plan for John than he had for Peter. Both plans Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: were amazing. He did great work with both men. We have books in the Bible written by both men. He needed both men doing their unique different stories. And he needs each of us as writers doing our own unique different stories. So we mustn't compare ourselves. and sometimes that path might not look like what we want it to look like. Sometimes that path is you will never be published. that's a hard one to swallow. that's a hard Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: one to school. But sometimes that path is, or you'll have one contract and then none. I've had that happen Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: to too many of my friends. so Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: Our path might not be the path we want, but it's still a good path. God has great plans on that path. And we just need to we need to surrender ourselves to that because that's where the joy comes in when we see where God is working, even in our crazy path. And I don't know why God has me on a path that a lot of people want. I definitely not because I'm a better Christian, definitely not because I'm a better writer, definitely not because I'm better at anything. It's just he said, Okay, you're on that path. And I don't know the reason why. I Cori: Mm. Sarah Sundin: know so many writers than I have who Marci: Okay. Sarah Sundin: have not had as many books published as I have. So it's not Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: anything in me. It's just he said, This is your path and this is somebody else's path. So Marci: No, but I do and I do like the fact that I I remember you talking about this early on, the fact that you had World War II. That was settled in your heart. That was something that was like, this is what I need to be writing. And at the very beginning of your writing journey, when they're like, if maybe you could just turn that to contemporary Christian romance, that would could you please fit this mold? Could you please go down this path? And you were like, you know. I can't. Like I've got to stick with it. And sometimes we are so worried about those kind of things and writers can get so caught up in like what is the trend? And when the Lord puts you on a path, sometimes the answer is wait, because that path needs to catch up to you. And that's exactly Sarah Sundin: Yes. Marci: what happened with the World War II series. With at first they weren't selling, you know, it wasn't like, hey, hot market. You know, pretty much it was Amish or Demons. Like present darkness or Bodithone. So so Sarah Sundin: That's about right. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, World War Two had had its time with Brock Brackabod. and it was huge in the eighties, early nineties, and then they overdid it and it died. And by the time I started coming along in two thousand three, they're like, We don't want they didn't want historical fiction at all. And they especially didn't want World War Two. it's dead. We don't want it. and here I am with this World War Two trilogy in my brain that wouldn't leave me alone. And I kept telling God, you know what? If you gave me a rom com, that would sell. And he's like, finish the trilogy. So, but then the market was doing its own thing. And I started noticing in the mainstream market that World War Two is was picking up steam. And the Christian market tends to be about five years behind the mainstream market's first trends go. Like and I at that point had been Going to conferences long enough to know that that was a real thing. huh, I wonder if this trend will catch on in the Christian market. And I had a publisher, Vicky Crumpton Ravel, who was willing to take a chance on me when it still was not a hard market. but then the market caught up. with what I was writing. And I joke, this is the first time in my life I've been trendy. I'm I'm the nerd girl. I've never been trendy. So I was like, okay, now I'm trendy. But not on not because I was chasing a trend, but the trend caught up with me. Cori: you ask I think if you ask Christian friction authors, they're gonna say you started the trend. that's I think what I think that's how that's gonna work. Sarah Sundin: Some people say that but I honestly don't see that because there were it wa as I said it was a trend that was already building in the mainstream market. Cori: Mm-hmm. Sarah Sundin: so I was the one of the early ones on board in the Christian market, but Trisha Gorrier was already already writing World War Two. there are a couple of other authors who were already writing World War Two. I just happened to hit it at a sweet spot and I stuck with World War Two when some of the authors were experimenting with different ones. So I I look like the pioneer, but I'm not really. So Cori: Well they'll probably go as far as to say you're the goat of World War II for Christian fiction. Because when it when that comes up, your name is o synonymous with it. I actually learned about you. I was searching World War II Christian Fiction and I learned your name before I even learned who you were. So when I showed up at West Coast and you were there, I was like, wait a second, I feel like I know her name. And I went back to the website. I'm like, yeah, that's the website that Google sent me to. So it was crazy that I knew about you before I knew you, which was kinda it was crazy but cool. And I and I thought that's a god thing. Marci: Mm-hmm. Cori: Hands down, that's a god thing. Marci: Well, I I loved your book that it was set in Balboa Park and San Diego area because we lived there for eight years. not in Balboa Park, but Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: near there. And so I just think that sometimes people forget about some of those places for World War II. you know, San Diego is such a naval area and Marines, the Marine Corps depots there and stuff. And I mean, having been at Balboa Park. I just love the fact that you did bring some of that history in because I'd been there before, but I never thought of it being taken over for the military operations Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: or, what they were using it for. So how fun was that and how long had you researched that project? I know that you had mentioned it was something that was sitting, but you were excited when they said yes to that. Sarah Sundin: Yes. So that that was so much fun. I I was actually working on that project. I'd proposed it, I don't know, I'd say in the five to ten year go range, with a couple of other authors we were trying to put together a collection. And I was still living in the Bay Area at the time and I but I wanted to write Navy. My son was in the Navy, so that that that definitely dates it after twenty sixteen. And some I was like, I wanna write a Navy story, and like it'd be fun to do USO show. And so I thought well, San Diego, obviously. And so I researched vintage theaters and most of them like, you know, they just were kind of you know, they were there, but they weren't terribly exciting. Then I found the old globe was like, now that's interesting. here's this little Shakespearean theater in Balboa Park, beautiful scenery. And the funny thing is I grew up in Southern California. I didn't know about Balboa Park. I had gone there to go to the zoo, but I don't think I'd ever gone to the park itself. And so I'm looking at this place going, This is amazing. How did I not know about this? And we were down there for my son's wedding and they were married on outside San Diego. So like we're going to Belboa Park. And at this point my novella was still on hold and we weren't getting any traction. And I wandered around this place like this is a hidden gem in in California, period. Like and I I lived in San Francisco for four years and I said this is what Golden Great Park wanted to be and failed. It's like Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: this is amazing. It's just so beautiful. It's got all the the n natural beauty that you expect in a park, but these incredible buildings and all these museums. It's phenomenal. So anyway, at that I'm seeing it in person going, I now I really want to write this story. And and finally when I put together my last proposal, my publisher said, Hey, we would like to see a Christmas novella from Sarah if she if she could come up with something. And my agent's getting back to me, she says, Sarah. Like, I already have it. This is gonna write itself. So yeah, I was so excited. and Balboa Park is just amazing. And now every time I have now I live in Southern California, I'm only about an hour away. In Temecula, so every time we have guests, you we need to go to Balboa Park, you've got to see this place. So it was kind of fun Marci: No. I loved the fact that you brought in the USO show and then also it was such a distinct time for Hollywood. And so to Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Yeah. Marci: combine those two and to have your act I love the I love the characters in your book. I was gonna ask, I know you did where treetops glisten. That was with Kara Putnam and Trisha Goyer. Sarah Sundin: Mm-hmm. Marci: But Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: we just talked to Michelle Greep about a novella and it seems like is this true or not that there's trending towards just having standalone novellas? Sarah Sundin: Yeah. They're still doing collections. It depends on the publisher. Marci: Okay. Sarah Sundin: but Ravel has decided they used to just do one Christmas novella a year. It was always Melody Carlson's and writing a cute, fun rom-com type novella, and she does one for them every year. And they decided that those were doing so well that they wanted to expand it. So they're it they're they were asking for standalones from a lot of their existing authors. So I know Laura France has one coming next year. But yeah, there there does seem to be this trend toward the standalone novellas, which is interesting because the collections were huge for a long time. And I think I do see them getting published too, a lot of the collections also. But yeah, I'm glad to see it. Marci: Yeah. I I think probably if you're thinking just of a a light read, hold up the book, Corey. If you're thinking of a Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Yeah, it's it's Marci: light read, you know, there's a big difference between saying I can commit this feels like I something this is a vacation read. This isn't a commitment read. I just felt like that's an easy ask, an easy vacation. Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Cori: So five hour read Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Cori: for me. Sarah Sundin: Yeah. It is longer than most most novellas are like a twenty five to thirty thousand words. This one was forty five. So it's a little but it's half the length of my normal novels. So Marci: Mm-hmm. Sarah Sundin: but yeah, it was fun to write. So and it was It it was like a vacation for me to write. A lot of my novels lately have been a little heavier, set in Europe with the occupation, resistance, espionage, obviously a lot of danger, there's death, there's you know, children in peril, you know, you know, lots of stuff like that going on. Marci: Mm-hmm. Sarah Sundin: And so it's just heavier for me to write. And this one was just pure fun. And I loved to, I was a dancer growing up, ballet and then I did, jazz and stuff like that. When I was in high school, I loved being on stage, total ham. And so it was it was fun for me to go back to the joy, you know, let's put on a show, boys and girls. And that joy of the camaraderie you get on in a in a cast. And you know, and also the the little rivalries and nonsense that goes on with in any group of human beings amped up and not because you've got theater people. And it was just it was it was fun to write. So the whole putting on a show, but I but it felt a little more serious because of Prescott's s story where he's you know, he's scarred. He has nothing left in life. He he was a huge Hollywood star and now he is nothing and trying to find his purpose again in life. So I felt that gave it a little bit of of gravity, but overall just a joy to write. Marci: Mm-hmm. Well Cori: reminded me of the nineteen forties movies that I would watch, Anchors Away and all of those classics. And I'm just like envisioning these actors and actresses from that time period in your book, you know? Marci: Mm-hmm. Sarah Sundin: was the feel I was going for 'cause I love those movies. So it was just fun. Marci: Mm-hmm. Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: Yeah. And then also the thread of I don't know if I've ever done this, but Sarah Sundin: What? Marci: the the busy body, like I'm just Sarah Sundin: I saw where that was going. Marci: trying to like, hey, maybe we could just, you know, maybe we could do this. And it's like so just the fact that she gets into a little bit of trouble because she's already like trying to come up with with things. I just thought that that was a fun thread for her as well. So Sarah Sundin: Yeah. And I think that's for I'm actually getting some pushback on that from readers. Like, I can't believe she did that. Like, have you never known a an optimistic extrovert? Because optimistic extroverts come up with plans. And when they have the plan in their head, the plan is the plan and it is, it is what it is. And you can't tell them no. And and I love that about that personality because I am not. I am a A pessimistic introvert by nature. And I'm always like, I'm more like postcast, like, it can never go right. well, I can't it went right. Well, well, it wasn't due to me. So I'm more the Eeyore. And but we have tigers in this world, and tiggers are amazing. And Maggie is definitely a tigger. She's got energy, she's got enthusiasm, she's got optimism, she's got great plans, and she knows they're amazing. And And most of her plans are excellent, and one isn't, but she goes Cori: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: in she goes, she's good hearted, she really loves people and she wants to create extraordinary experiences for people, so she c she's got a good heart. she just gets a little carried away, yeah, but it's real. Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: She needs a prescot to tone her down a bit, and that's good. Cori: We we all get a little carried away now and then. We just don't have it written down in the book most of the time. So Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: Or so you think. Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Cori: No, right? I'm like sitting here going, Huh, I know a lot of Sarah Sundin: Was that tweaking nurse? No. Marci: Okay. Cori: How much of that stuff did I get put in a book? Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: Corey's got Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Marci: a rapid she's got some fun rapid round prompts. Cori: I have a rapid fire. I like to do I think it's fun to try to do a rapid fire round of questions where it's the first the answers are easy. It's just authors And it's the first one that comes to mind when you think of the sentence. And you can take your time and and come in back with it, but I think that these will be easy for you. I try to keep them easy anyway. Sarah Sundin: I hate naming it. Okay. Cori: There's no wrong answer. Just whatever. Yeah. Marci: There's no wrong answer. Cori: even if it's Marcy, that's okay. She can be Mar you can be Marcy for all five. It's not gonna bother people. All right. Sarah Sundin: Can I just say Marcy for all five? I'll just say Marcy for all five. Marci: Yeah. Cori: So we're we're gonna kind of go in. We're gonna do a couple with World War II vibe and then a couple just author vibes. So the first one is which author is most likely to trade in an entire month's ration coupons for one chocolate cake? Sarah Sundin: Gosh. Cori: Ha ha Sarah Sundin: That might be me, actually. Marci: I was just gonna say that sounds like if you said chocolate candy, it definitely would be if it was a piece of chocolate, it would definitely be sarascendent. Cori: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: I just I just made a chocol I just made my favorite chocolate fudge cake. We have our church has a harvest you know festival type thing for the kids. And we did a cake walk and I made it and like but I don't get to eat it. My house smells like chocolate fudge cake and I don't get to eat it. So yes. Cori: So now we know your chocolate is your secret kryptonite. Sarah Sundin: I yeah, yeah. Cori: So okay, so which author is most likely to hide or editor or publisher? hide classified documents inside a Christmas fruit cake? Sarah Sundin: Who wants a fruitcake? Cori: most likely to eavesdrop on a stranger's conversation, but turn that into their novel. Sarah Sundin: Well, I'm going to say Lorraine Snelling because she told us to do that. So I'm gonna Cori: Okay. Sarah Sundin: Yeah, she actually trained us. She's like, and she talked about how she'd sit in cafes and be studying people. And her husband I d the story just always stuck with me. And her husband said to her, What are you looking at? What are you studying now, Lorraine? She said, Noses. I'm looking at noses. So yes, I'm throwing Lorraine. I'm the best for that one. I'm sorry. Cori: have suspected that I wouldn't have suspected that about her. So now I know. Now I can keep that in mind. Sarah Sundin: Yep. Marci: And you and I were writing during some of the busiest years of our lives, and you have to start somewhere. So what kind of advice would you give to somebody who might be Postponing their writing journey. Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Actually this it goes back to Marcy Weidemuller. We were at our we were in in in-person critique group way back. This is probably before I even met Marcy Seither. And we were talking about goal setting, which is really funny coming from Marcy Weidemuller, who was, you the squirrel with the ideas. But she we were talking about goal setting and she said, You will never find time, you have to make time. I was like Bingo. time can't be found. Time there you will never like, look, I have an hour. That doesn't happen in real life. So you have to make that time. You have to decide, is this something that's important to you? Then you make that time. For me, when I got my first story idea. I had a one-year-old, a four-year-old, and a seven-year-old. So I had everything from diapers to soccer practice. And so I was in the car constantly. I was picking up a preschool. So I like two, yeah, I two different school schedules, two different schools, a diaper, you know, the whole thing, I was I I my life has probably never been busier. and I wrote. I wrote during nap time when the older kids were doing their homework and I would just pick up a pen and write. I wrote at the karate studio. I wrote on the stocker sidelines. I wrote in the doctor's office. I sketched a ski scene idea on a napkin in line at Disneyland. So if you really want to write, you will make the time. And that can be 15 minute blocks. Honestly. I'm at the point in my life right now I'm mostly an empty nester. I have an adult son who lives with us, but he doesn't count because he's an adult and he Barely see him. where's Matthew? I don't know where he is. Anybody seen him today? I know. So yeah. But anyway, so I'm an empty nester. I've got, I don't have an outside job. This is it. So I my day, I have all the hours. I wasn't always that way. But I had to learn to schedule. And it was often 15-minute blocks. Like, okay, great. Everybody's everybody's outside playing. Quick write. Just grab and write. I had a little box, one of those clipboard boxes. Have you seen those? And I kept, and Marci: Mm. Sarah Sundin: this is I didn't have a laptop at the time or they didn't have tablets, and I just kept paper in there and pens and grabbed going to soccer practice. I grabbed that and I'd be writing. I was critiquing. I would print off copies to critique. I would always use that time. Nowadays we have less ex fewer excuses because we have tablets and laptops and our phones. We can dictate stories to ourselves on our phones. So we have really no excuse. you have but you have to be very intentional. You have to say this is important to me. I will make time And you have to find out where it works for you. I have a friend who just started writing and I'm so proud of her. She's she's now got involved with West Coast. She's our hospitality director and our membership director. She's only been writing for about a year and a half, two years. She's brand new to this. But what she did was she is a morning person and she said, I'm gonna get up an hour earlier and write before everybody else gets up. I'm not a morning person. That thought just no way. I can't possibly do that. Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: but for her, it was literally waking up at 4 a.m. and writing. And it's working for her. She's churning out tons of work. we know Rick Acker, who's a he was I don't know if he's still doing this, but he lived in the Bay Area in the East Bay. He was commuting to San Francisco on BART. He wrote in BART an hour one way, an hour the other way, two hours a day. You can get so much written in two hours if you're con if you're really paying attention to it. So look at your schedule. maybe it means if you work, if you have corporate job and you have an hour lunchtime, you shut that cubicle door if you can and you write neat. yeah, so you have to find, or maybe it's after everybody goes to bed, but you find those, you make those times and you schedule them as you would a professional meeting. And you learn to tell people, I'm sorry, I can't, I'm working. That was Marci: Yeah. Sarah Sundin: the hardest because people like, well you're you're a stay-at-home mom. You have time to do this committee and that committee and be the room mom and da da da all the things I hated. And I had to learn to say, I'm sorry, I can't, those are my working hours. They didn't have to know I wasn't a published author. It wasn't Marci: Mm-hmm. Sarah Sundin: none of their business. I was working. So I had to learn to protect that time. And I still do. I still have to protect that time jealously. Being a work at when you work at home, your time is your own, but it's everybody else's. So you have to be really, really set down those guidelines, especially if you have a retired husband. Yeah. Marci: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So, well, that's that is great advice. And I think that that's something that you know we need to remind ourselves of whether you've been writing for a short amount of time or whether you've been writing for a long, a long time, making that time because our seasons change too. So as those seasons change, we have to be willing to adapt and change. I I remember hearing something one time, writers write. Waiters wait. So when you hear people saying, I'm waiting, waiters wait. Sarah Sundin: Yeah yeah, good point. I like that one. Cori: So thank you everybody for joining us on the Biscuit Book Club. And don't forget to check out Sarah's newest Christmas novella, Twelve Days and Twelfth Night. So you can experience some of the finding home and belonging during the time when things didn't feel so certain. And Sarah, we just wanna thank you so much for joining us on the Biscuit Book Club today and taking some time for us. We know how busy you are and we just really appreciate you and and all that you brought to the table today for us. Sarah Sundin: Well, it was an absolute joy. Thank you for having me. Marci: thanks so much, Sarah. Yeah. Always. Anytime you're here, Cori: You're welcome. All right. Marci: come come on over. Biscuits are hot. Books are fresh. Cori: Yeah. I guess Sarah Sundin: Yeah. Cori: we say until next time, keep reading. As Sarah Sundon writes about those who survived World War Two courage, faith, and determination. Marcy and I will just be over here surrendering the moment that coffee is being announced as being rationed. So Marci: Yeah. Cori: stick with Sarah when it comes to World War Two, everybody. Bye. Marci: Bye. Thanks, Sarah. Sarah Sundin: Fine.