Author Interview: Sarah Spann on "Wildflowers Come Back"

Ana: Today we have Sarah Spann introducing her novel, Wildflowers Come Back. I haven't read this book myself, but Sarah was kind enough to agree to guest blog about her book to any readers who might be interested in the subject. Sarah, how would you describe your novel to your prospective readers? In broad terms, what is your novel about?

Sarah: Wildflowers Come Back is a paranormal mystery. The story follows a snarky twenty-something named Lyss who finds herself broke, jobless and living in a cheap motel after the break-up with her boyfriend. Just when everything is going completely wrong, something finally goes right. She is given the opportunity to start over when she is offered a live-in position at an historic inn. The inn will become her sanctuary and the colorful characters who work there will become her family. However, Lyss will soon discover that the walls which surround her hold much more than history. As fear of a serial killer spreads throughout the city of Santa Fe, Lyss begins to wrestle with her own sanity. Is she hallucinating or is she really seeing ghosts? Just when she thinks she’s found the connection, her world is turned upside down. Will Lyss listen to the voices that haunt her? Or will she trust the one person who can’t be trusted?

Ana: What themes does your novel explore and what do you hope the reader will take away from the experience? Is there a particular feeling or experience that you hope to evoke in the reader? Essentially, do you hope your novel will mean to a reader?

Sarah: Wildflowers Come Back explores how the opinions and expectations of others (or our perception of said opinions and expectations) affect how we live our lives. It also begins to explore karmic bindings and forgiveness, which will be further explored in the sequel. In addition to being surprised by the twists and turns the story takes, I also hope that readers will connect with the protagonist, Lyss, on a personal level.

Ana: What prompted you to write this novel and did you have a specific inspiration in mind? Were you influenced by a certain author or work that inspired you to add your voice to this genre? Besides the boatloads of money and rockstar fame, what motivated you to write this book?

Sarah: The inspiration for Wildflowers Come Back actually came from my own personal experience working at an historic inn which many believed to be haunted. Slowly that personal experience began to meld with a growing interest in the paranormal. There's something special about working at a small, historic inn like the one portrayed in Wildflowers Come Back. I wanted to share that experience with readers, from the delicious smells that float through the building to the creaking wood floors and the co-workers who become your family.

Ana: If you could compare your novel to any other existing works, which ones would it be and why? If the one thing you could say to a prospective reader was, "If  you like X, you'll love my book!", which work would be invoked so that a reader could judge whether or not your novel is their cup of tea?

Sarah: I honestly can't think of a specific novel right now that I would compare to Wildflowers Come Back. However, I do believe that fans of Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters, and the like might enjoy Wildflowers Come Back. The paranormal aspect of the book is ghost oriented, but it is very organic and not necessarily in your face or overdone. There's a little nod to romance here and there, but no overt sexuality so if you're looking for steamy sex scenes you won't find it here. This isn't a gory horror novel, but it is a paranormal mystery that has it's moments that will make you say, "What the hell?!" There are strong emotional connections, questions surrounding a serial killer, and a deep rooted mystery that readers have said kept surprising them up through the last page.

Ana: Is this your first or only published work, or have you published other novels? If you have published other novels, how do they compare to this one? Do you have any more novels planned, either as a follow-up to this one, or as a completely different novel or genre?

Sarah: Wildflowers Come Back is my first published novel. I do have the sequel, Wildflowers Come Back: Karmic Flames, set for release at the end of March 2012. After that I do also have plans for another paranormal mystery novel as well as a horror novel.

Ana: Where can readers obtain a copy of your novel for them to enjoy? How can they contact you with any thoughts or questions? And do you have a means by which they can "sign up" to be notified when your next novel comes available?

Sarah: Wildflowers Come Back is currently available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Readers can connect with me by following me on Twitter, liking me on Facebook, or finding me on Goodreads. I also have a website with a blog at www.sarahspann.com.

Ana: Thank you, Sarah. I understand you have the first chapter of your novel available as an excerpt for interested readers? And is there anything else you wish to add for our readers?

Sarah: Thank you, Ana. A sample of Wildflowers Come Back is available to readers on Amazon. Simply click on the cover image to read it using Amazon's "Look Inside" feature.