November Local Author Profile: New York Times bestseller Sara Raasch
Q: You've mentioned that you live in West Chester. Are you from this area originally? Please give a brief bio-- education, other jobs you may have held, anything else that might be of interest to your current and potential readers.
A: I am from Ohio originally, just more north -- up in Sidney! I graduated from Wright State University in 2010 before moving first to Utah, then Virginia, and ending up back here to be closer to family. Had to get a bit nomadic for awhile! But I'm so happy to be back in Ohio, going on three years now, and I love getting chances to get more involved in local community events!
Q: You were creating "hand-drawn picture books" at the age of five. Apparently you displayed a vivid imagination and talent even then! Do you recall what inspired you to write/illustrate at such a young age? Did you continue to compose fiction throughout school?
A: There wasn't so much one single inspiration as it was an overarching need to tell stories. From as early as I can remember, I wanted to have my books on a shelf in a store, and I always had stories that needed to be told! I continued to write all throughout school and into college (when studies allowed!) which really helped me hone my craft. Trial and error is a huge part of any art, so I just let myself have the space to figure out what each story needed and how best to present it.
Q: Who were your favorite authors and/or illustrators as a child, teen? Anyone you're particularly fond of today?
A: I loved (and still love!) Sharon Shinn, an adult fantasy author. I first read her when I was a teen though, and what she does with world-building, particularly in her Twelve Houses series, still leaves me breathless. I also really adored the Felicity: The American Girl books growing up! They still influence my work to this day, that kind of immersive story with characters that live and breathe.
Q: You obviously enjoy creating fantasy fiction. What was the genesis of that? Were you impressed by a particular novel and/or writer in that genre?
A: I definitely was! Sharon Shinn (as mentioned above) was a huge influence on my love of fantasy fiction. Seeing what she could do with world-building made me hungry to try it myself. I still salivate over truly well-crafted worlds and I could go on long-winded spiels about minute details in fantasy worlds. I adore the chance to create something new from the ground up!
Q: Do you follow a certain routine when you write -- at a certain time of day, at a special place? Do you compose on a laptop?
A: Since I had my son (three years ago now!), I write whenever his schedule allows, so I've had to learn to more fluid with my time. I do have a nice little office in my house though, so I can retreat there whenever I get a chance and do my best to block out the distractions. I do all of my writing on a laptop because I have the worst handwriting of anyone ever.
Q: When did you begin to seriously entertain the thought of a career as an author?
A: From the moment I first knew what books were! My dream of being a career author changed over the years, but I always knew I wanted to be published. In college, I realized that supporting myself as an author wasn't a goal I had control over (art is always incredibly difficult to build into a reliable life), but I kept pursuing my dream of publication. Now, I'm lucky enough to have a partner who supports me, a publisher who helps me sell books, and I take on freelance writing projects on the side.
Q: Please describe your journey to becoming published by HarperCollinsPublishers and ultimately distinguishing yourself as a New York Times best-selling author.
A: Magical, terrifying, long, arduous, fast, overwhelming, wonderful -- all the adjectives! Publishing is such an odd little process. I knew I always wanted to be traditionally published, which is through one of the Big Five publishing houses, so I first sought out a literary agent to represent me and my work. She was able to sell my first book, SNOW LIKE ASHES, in January 2013 (well, it was my "first book" in that it was my debut, but that draft was my seventh completed novel by that point, and the third one we'd taken out to editors without getting any interest). SNOW LIKE ASHES came out in October 2014, and it's been a whirlwind ever since. Every author hopes their books will find readers, and I'm still honored by the reception SLA gets. When it hit the New York Times list, I was eight months pregnant, and I just sobbed. Hitting the list has nothing to do with how hard an author works, but it still felt like the best kind of validation.
Q: How do you, the author, describe the "Snow Like Ashes" series, "These Rebel Waves," and "These Divided Shores"? What inspired you to write them? Are they available worldwide? Do you hear from fans?
A: SNOW LIKE ASHES is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Meira who is one of the last surviving refugees from the Kingdom of Winter. She, along with the other surviving refugees, is trying to free their enslaved people from the Kingdom of Spring.
THESE REBEL WAVES (and its sequel, THESE DIVIDED SHORES) is about three characters -- Lu, a former soldier; Vex, a pirate; and Ben, a prince -- who are recovering from a war between the country Ben will one day rule and the island nation that Lu helped free. It's based loosely on a mash-up of the Spanish Inquisition and the Golden Age of Piracy.
I'm very lucky in the fact that all of my books are available in multiple languages, and yes, I hear from readers all the time! I have the best fans who make the most incredible art and send the sweetest notes. Their talent inspires me!
