Dear Readers, good evening! I hope the weather is sunny and beautiful--right now, in South Carolina, I'm getting a little tired of rain. At the same time, I praise the Lord for green grass and the fact we're not in a flood zone. Praying for those who have experienced damage from Debby. As always, if you need prayer, just email me!
Now, to enjoy learning about a new author!
Introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, and something people notice when they meet you?
Hi, everyone. I’m Sarah Hanks from St. Charles, Missouri, right outside of St. Louis. If you met me, you’d notice I’m expressive and I smile a lot. Yellow is my favorite color, and it fits with my personality.
Tell us about your book—title and back cover blurb?
My newest novel, New Creations, is a tribute to my grandfather. After a lifetime of listening to him tell his hilarious stories, I wanted to capture them, and the legacy he’s left, in fiction. It’s not a memoir and about half of it is the product of my imagination, but it does include many true family stories. Even in the fictional parts, I believe I captured my grandpa’s personality well.
This novel is heart-warming and nostalgic. It will make you laugh and bring on the tears. With a “It’s a Wonderful Life” vibe, you’ll be left wanting to hug your loved ones tight.
Here's the blurb:
Floyd Douglas is a blundering barber who faces retirement wondering if the past sixty years of his life have been a waste. When he's presented with the opportunity to go on a mission trip, it seems like the answer to his prayers and a way to finally make his life count for something. Now with a series of obstacles standing in the way of his newfound dream, he must decide whether to push through or find contentment in being the faithful family man he's always been. Emira has always looked up to her grandpa, especially since her parents’ marriage fractured and left her foundations shaken. Now, she scrambles to assure the man who taught her how to love what a deeply meaningful life he’s lived.
Share one thing that you found difficult or challenging about writing this book.
Writing the 1960s storyline was difficult because that’s the storyline that contains many of my grandpa’s true stories. He’s not the best at describing details, so filling in the blanks proved challenging. I wanted to honor his true history, but needed to weave everything together in a way that would work for a novel. I didn’t have as much freedom for my creativity to run loose. It took several drafts to mold it into a delightful blend of truth and filled-in details. I hope it honors him well.
Ask the blog reader a quirky question or two?
What’s your favorite family story?
My grandpa’s favorite story to tell is of when he cut a man’s ear off in barber college (but not all of it). Though I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time, the way he tells it always his audience in stiches. It’s one of the true stories included in New Creations. I hope you enjoy it!
Share your social media and buy links!
You can purchase New Creations here. It’s also free on KU.
Follow me on FB or IG @authorsarahhanks. There are also tons of freebies on my website (www.sarah-hanks.com) . There, you can also sign up for my newsletter, where I do a giveaway each month.
Thank you, Sarah, for joining us here at Christina's Corner. I appreciate connecting with you
here --and just subscribed to your newsletter. :) Welcome to all the new followers that came to this site that way!!
Sounds so interesting! I consulted for the salon industry from 2006 to 2013 and it sounds like it would make me laugh!
I love your style of books. I am 73 years young and love to read. I enjoy sitting in my backyard reading most days. My husband and I live in Harker Heights, Texas and love it. I can’t wait to get my first book from you. I love reading books from new authors and following them as they get better. I sincerely hope you have a blessed day.
Books look like good reads and since you are a new author for me I look forward to reading your books 📚 in the future