Guest Author Sandi Underwood

Nancy: Sandi Underwood, welcome back. Again, congratulations on Mountain Laurel, your latest book, as well as Blood Money and The Secret at One Belmont Lane. Is it true there may be a sequel in the works? 


Sandi: Thank you, Nancy. It’s great to be back, and thank you for asking about sequels. I often say I’m humbled when someone asks about my books and especially when they ask for more−and that is exactly what happened with all three. I have finished the sequel to Blood Money, my adult romantic-mystery, so I have my fingers crossed that it can find a home at a publisher.


I am interested in a sequel for my first book, The Secret at One Belmont Lane−a Middle Grade Paranormal Mystery−and have a plot in mind, but that one is still in plotting stage.


As for the last one, Mountain Laurel, I simply must write a sequel so folks will know which boy Laurel chooses. The story is about my parents’ first date and the main character (Laurel) is ‘struck’ on one boy but invites another to go on a church outing to Norris Dam. She finds herself in one pickle after another.  


A sweet side note happened after my first book signing for Mountain Laurel. A lady from my Church tracked me down to buy a book for her future granddaughter-in-law, whose name is Laurel. When the lady read the article in the local newspaper promoting my book, she decided she just had to present the future bride one of my books at her upcoming wedding shower. I thought my heart would burst right out of my chest!


And just last night, another friend from church called to ask if she could drop by to pick up a copy of Mountain Laurel. It seems her daughter works with a lady whose brother “thought the world of my dad.” Encouragement like that spurs me on and makes me want to be a better writer. That’s why I pour over your blog. I always find some little nugget that sticks, either with a WIP (work in progress) or I’ll file it away for when I slam up against that wall known as ‘writer’s block’.


Back to your question, yes, I do plan sequels for all three books. Apparently, in my case anyway, one book will just not work. There’s more to the stories that need to be told.


Nancy: Wow! You’ve got characters chasing characters in that brain of yours. I don’t know how you keep them all straight, but it sure sounds exciting. Were the characters in the first two books based on real people? How do you develop a character to make it seem so real?


Sandi: My first two books were not based on real characters. The last one, of course, was−my parents. 


For Blood Money, my adult romantic-mystery, I created character sketches. Most of that content never made it into the book, but the background work helped me develop their identity…helped me stay ‘in voice’ and aided me in fleshing out their total personality, down to the way he/she talked, carried themselves…even their taste in clothes. The exercise was daunting, but kept me on course when writing scenes. It kept me from portraying that specific character in conflicting ways that my readers might find false or hard to follow; or at least, that’s how it seemed to me.


I had several reviews for Blood Money and a few touched on how they felt they were right in the scene with the character. One lady said she couldn’t put the book down because she got so absorbed walking right alongside Alex−she felt as if she saw what Alex saw and felt what Alex felt. Talk about humbling! That’s sweet music to my ears.


As for developing the story, you know as well as I how those characters niggle your mind when you least expect it. I recently was at an art class and the instructor asked if I was okay. He said I was quiet−which is unlike me. I answered truthfully that I was on a moonlit beach in Miami working out the plot on Blood Moon (the sequel to Blood Money).


Nancy: Daydreaming for writers is considered work, right Sandi? On another note, my claim to fame: I created the title for the sequel to Blood Money, which is Blood Moon. (I’m stealing some of your credit, Sandi.) Thanks for writing books readers love to read, the writing tips, and visiting this blog. I hope you’ll come back when your next book is released. Tell the Followers where will you be signing books in the near future.


Sandi: I will be at Tusculum’s University Old Oaks Festival April 12-14, and I hope to join in a couple more this summer. My appearances will be posted on Facebook at Sandi Underwood @gcywriter, on Twitter @SandiGCY and my website at www.sandiunderwood.net.


If nothing else, you can email me at sandiu@comcast.net. Thank you, Nancy, for your wonderful direction and continuing guidance in your blogs.


Nancy: Sandi’s books can be purchased at— Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and other online bookstores. You can get a signed copy by emailing her at sandiu@comcast.net.

For more about Sandi, check out her blog: Sandiu.blogspot.com

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Nancy Kelly Allen has written 50+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Comment or check out the blog at https://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/