Interview with writer Sara Ohlin

Romance author Sara Ohlin joins me today to share a bit about her new contemporary romance, Handling the Rancher.

During her virtual book tour, Sara will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Puget Sound based writer, Sara Ohlin is a mom, wannabe photographer, obsessive reader, ridiculous foodie, and the author of the upcoming contemporary romance novels, Handling the Rancher and Salvaging Love.

She has over fifteen years of creative non-fiction and memoir writing experience, and you can find her essays at Anderbo.com, Feminine Collective, Mothers Always Write, Her View from Home, and in anthologies such as Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak about Healthcare in America, Take Care: Tales, Tips, & Love from Women Caregivers, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Although she’s the author of many essays about life, grief, motherhood and the connections we make through delicious food and shared meals, Sara loves creating imaginary worlds with tight-knit communities in her romance novels. She credits her mother, Mary, Nora Roberts and Rosamunde Pilcher for her love of romance.

If she’s not reading or writing, you will most likely find her in the kitchen creating scrumptious meals with her two kids and amazing husband, or perhaps cooking up her next love story.

She once met a person who both “didn’t read books” and wasn’t “that into food” and it nearly broke her heart.

Welcome, Sara. Please share a little bit about your current release.

In Handling the Rancher we meet the oldest Brockman brother, Cruz who has just returned home to inherit the family farm in Graciella (a fictional town on Oregon’s rugged coast). His tyrant of a father did not take good care of the farm or the employees, and it has been Cruz’s long buried dream to make Brockman Farms an amazing and thriving farm/ranch/community. Seemingly cold and closed off accountant, Miranda Jenks, arrives to potentially threaten his dream if her audit shows foul play.

Miranda hasn’t had much love in her life, even from her parents. Having recently lost her mother, she is literally alone in the world. Slowly, the beauty of the landscape, the lovely people and Cruz’s attention thaw the shell she’s built around her heart and she realizes she deserves love and happiness. The question is, can she convince Cruz that he too is worthy of her love?

What inspired you to write this book?

I was living in a place with not too many friends and family close by. I decided to write a fictional place that I would want to be a part of. A place full of gorgeous geography, great friends, community, delicious food and love.


Excerpt from Handling the Rancher:
Shouldn’t things seem easier between us? He’d apologized. They’d cleared the air on that whatever-it-was that had happened in the library. ‘Kiss’ was too mild a word. He’d practically blown all the fuses in her brain. He’d devoured her. Nothing felt easier. Instead the space seemed to shrink and she felt as though someone had sucked all the oxygen out of the barn. She started walking backwards toward the barn door.

“I should go.”

“I need to get—”

They spoke at the same time. He laughed and let a breath out as he faced her. “Miranda.”

“Yes,” she said, caught in his gaze.

“I’m not sorry for that kiss,” Cruz said, his face serious again as he pinned her with that look of desire. He took a step toward her. “I’m sorry for being rude, for putting you in an awkward position.” He continued walking closer. “But I’m not sorry for that kiss, for feeling what I felt. You confuse me.”

“Bossy accountant not your type?” She tried to joke, but the words came out jagged.

His strides were long. In an instant he’d caught up to her so their bodies were almost touching. “I don’t know what my type is.” His voice deepened. “I haven’t been in one place long enough or spent enough time trying to figure out if I have a type. The only thing I’ve ever been sure of is my work and this land, the farm, the people.”

He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. The intimacy startled her more than his gaze. She felt raw inside with need. She only had to stretch up a little to meet him. Her lips could be on his again. That delicious fire could consume her, which was exactly why she took a large step back and kept going.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I just finished Lily and Turner’s story, the 2^nd book after Handling the Rancher, which was so much fun! I also have another series debuting in December, also published by Totally Bound/Totally Entwined Group. It’s called Salvaging Love, and I’m working on the 2^nd book in that series. Writing 2 different series at the same time makes me feel like I have multiple personalities, but the characters won’t leave me alone!!! I’m also working on some essays.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered myself a writer from the time I started writing in 2000, but I didn’t actually say it out loud to others until years later. I always had other/additional jobs too so I would say, “I’m a teacher.” Or, “I work here.” before I ever mentioned I was a writer. Even today, with my first book out and my second book coming I still feel like someone is going to jump out and say, “Gotcha!!! It’s all one big joke!” Imposter syndrome is real!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I try to write every day after my kids get to school, for several hours. I’m much more productive if I stay off social media! But I also love connecting with people, so I often let Friday be my day when I’m more involved with social media. Although that can change based on if I’m trying to promote something for myself or my writer friends. When I’m really jamming on a story or a deadline, I write in the evenings too. I have two kids, a husband and a dog, so there’s lots of other stuff going on!!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m usually carrying on conversations in my head with my characters at 3am. Ahhh, insomnia! Sometimes it drives me crazy, but often that’s how I solve problems in my manuscript.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer, a chef, and a restaurant owner.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I would love to hear from you!! The writing life is great for an introvert like me, but it can also be really lonely. And it’s the connections with readers and other writers and other people obsessed with making the perfect French macaron that keep my heart happy.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | BookBub | Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Totally Bound

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you so much for having me!!!!

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