·
What
made you decide to become a writer? I’m descended from story tellers and also
was the one in the office people turned to for the final look at important
letters or documents. The impetus to write romance came during an extended trip
to visit my brother in Costa Rica. Reading became the logical thing to occupy
hot, humid afternoons. After plowing through seven romance novels, I declared
to my husband that I enjoyed witty dialogue and the chase way more than the sex
scenes, and certainly I could craft a love story without those details. The
challenge landed squarely onto my laptop.
·
Who
are some of your favorite authors and why? Mary Balogh, Fern Michaels, Jayne
Anne Krentz, Deborah Coonts, and most recently Beatriz Williams. I love snappy
banter between a hero and heroine. I don’t enjoy backstabbing female secondary
characters or indecisive heroes and leave them out of my stories.
·
If
you could be any character in any book, who would it be and why? Annie, from
Fern Michael’s Sisterhood series. She’s wealthy and able to put her money to
work exacting revenge on people who thwarted the justice system. I’m a Libra
and that scale needs to balance.
·
Do
you have any hobbies you would like to share? I make water colored, stamped
greeting cards with my best friend. I plan to revisit spinning and knitting
this summer, to transform the bins of mohair trimmed years ago from my goats into
sweaters.
·
Tell
me about your first kiss? Was it magical or not so magical? The back story moments
were magical. Overweight kid (moi) lost forty pounds over the summer. Freshman
year in high school, the new-to-town and very cool southern dude invites me to
his year-end basketball party in another kid’s basement. His braces—not so
magical during the first kiss.
·
Do
you have another career besides writing? If so, what is it? I’ve remained a
technical consultant to a commercial French pastry company. The owners and new regional
manager are my friends. I enjoy seeing customers at local trade shows.
·
What’s
an item on your bucket list that you haven’t done yet? There are two things I
hope to combine in one trip. First, I’d book a prime seat to view the Radio
City Rockettes dancing. Next, embark on a river cruise including a visit to The
State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. I recently read The
Madonna’s of Leningrad, a book creating a stunning backdrop to the
heartaches and beauty surrounding the paintings which were saved when Germany
invaded Russia in WWII. I’ve been involved volunteering with art museums
throughout my adult life, and the show which moved me the most contained pieces
from The Hermitage collection.
·
Tell
us the best vacation you have ever been on. My husband and I traveled to
Moorea, Tahiti. We encountered flawless coral reefs, fabulous Polynesian
people, and met dear Italian friends whom we treasure.
·
Where
do you find the inspiration for your books? Many things I describe occurred while
growing up in rural Michigan, other ideas zoom into my imagination with the conviction
of an angry hummingbird protecting the feeder.
·
Is
there anything else you would like to share with your fans? I grew up being coached
by wonderful older brothers, successfully worked in a male dominated industry,
and co-parented two sons with my loving husband. Women
have gifts which can intertwine with male partners to make the union stronger.
By supporting each other without jealousy or insecurity, the world wins.
Blurb from The Hitman's Mistake:
Miranda
Whitley’s been told to flee from a felony crime scene in Seattle involving a
crooked cop and a mob boss. She tracks FBI Agent Grant Morley to a mountain
near his vacation home in Montana to enlist his help, but after he finds her
wounded in the woods, threads of deceit weave her version of the circumstances
into conflicting patterns. Witness or accomplice? Discover how Miranda and
Grant fight off killers intent on silencing her, while losing their battle
against a love that can’t be denied.
Excerpt from The Hitman's Mistake:
Story, as in fable? Seems you’ve questioned my innocence
and then sugarcoated your views like the apples on my plate.”
"Whatever.” Miranda
jabbed a tiny piece of apple, and chewed it slowly. Irritation thrummed in her
chest. “I’d bet lucky women have found you at their stove in a gingham apron
with your tool, Agent Morley."
His eyebrows shot up.
"You owe me a home cooked feast after that comment, Ms. Whitley."
"Your personal chef? I
think not. Maybe I’ll spring for a real cup of coffee for you at the espresso
shop to pay my debt."
"Too good for the
Coffee Klatch?” He cast her a side eye. “I observed you spying on us a couple
times when you weren't bending over your flower pots."
She raised her eyebrows.
“Bending is what you noticed?”
Crimson rose from his collar
to his cheeks. “Whatever.”
Logs sputtered in the fire.
She glanced at his revolver.
"Corrin needs to know I'm safe. My phone’s zipped in my coat pocket, with
my tube of gloss." She rubbed her fingertips across her dry lips.
His eyes followed the
movement. "Your cell got damp. We'll use mine.” He fished the gloss out
and placed it on the table. "Let’s go before the temperature drops anymore."
“Good plan.” She grabbed the
strawberry scented lip balm, ignored the arm he offered, and took small steps
out to where the animals stood huddled together.
Red's distinctive
mule-nicker welcomed her. "You're happy I'm here, aren't you?" She
ran her fingers through the warmth of his winter coat, and rubbed slow strokes
the length of his cheek. "With a fearless mule, who needs a G-man?"
“Oh brother,” he grumbled
from a few steps behind her.
She turned sideways, took
out the lip-gloss and slowly glided it across her upper and then lower lip.
Grant stopped dead in his
tracks.
His blazing eyes were
anything but dead.
Bio of Sally Brandle:
Multiple award-winning author Sally Brandle writes clean, contemporary,
romantic suspense stories hoping to empower her readers to connect with their
inner gifts. Growing up in a tightly knit, multi-generational community, Sally’s
core values reflect those of the village where she was raised.
When she gets time away from her
functional engineer husband and spirited sons, Sally hunkers down in her office.
Her trusty Aussie, Tallulah, waits patiently at her feet for belly rubs as
adventures unfold. For a head-clearing ride in fresh air, Sally saddles her Quarter
Horse, Lance, and trots along wooded trails in the Pacific Northwest.
Sally holds
a BA in Special Education from MSU and a Fine Arts Minor. She left a career as
an industrial baking instructor so she could bring to life her stories of
courageous women supporting one another, while they discover men who deserve
their love. A member of Romance Writers of America, Greater Seattle RWA,
Eastside RWA, and She Writes, Sally’s current series, Love Thrives in Emma Springs, is set in rural Montana. The first story, The Hitman’s Revenge,
will be released by Soul Mate Publishing. Her newest series is Double Vision, romance with a scientific
twist. Check out her website at www.sallybrandle.com
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