SHERRI SAND’S DEBUT NOVEL: LEAVE IT TO CHANCE

Novelist Sherri Sand offers a humorous tale of a romance between two stubborn people and the antics of a horse named Chance in her first novel, Leave It to Chance.

Single mom of three, Sierra Montgomery is desperate to find a new job to keep from having to

 move back home and be smothered to death by her mother’s good intentions and overbearing love. So when Sierra inherits Chance, a quirky old gelding she doesn’t have a clue what to do with, she thinks her best bet may be to sell the horse to cover another month’s rent—a decision that devastates her children.

Enter Ross Morgan, a handsome landscaper who just happens to have an empty barn and fenced pasture…perfect for an old horse to live out his days as the pet of three wounded kids. Ross develops a soft spot for eldest child Braden…and he just might have one for Braden’s mother. But what he doesn’t have is time for distractions—he’s got a landscaping business to run.

But Sierra has a secret. She’s terrified of horses and—thanks to her past—wary of attractive men. Yet seeing the way her angry son idolizes Ross and adores that old horse forces Sierra to confront her fears. Will she remain distrustful and self-reliant, or will she seek help from God and those who love her?

About the Author
Sherri Sand is a wife and mother of four young children. She lives in Eugene, Oregon and holds a degree in psychology from the University of Oregon.

Praise for Sherri Sand and Leave It to Chance
“Leave it to Chance is a delightful read, full of enough ups and downs to keep readers cheering for the characters and hoping for a happy ending. Watch for more great novels from Sherri Sand.
—Lauraine Snelling, author of Breaking Free and The Red River of the North series including Sophie’s Dilemma

“A delightful new voice in Christian fiction. Sherri Sand creates an artful balance of inner struggle and tenderness, warmth and whimsy.”
—Sharon Hinck, author of Renovating Becky Miller and Symphony of Secrets

When you‘re not writing or parenting, how do you spend your spare time?

Reading or running. (An occasional bubble bath with book and treats-door padlocked, of course!) With four kids, seven to eleven and a half years old, spare time is a rare commodity in our home!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Hmmm. . . probably the ability to see where my kids will stumble the most painfully so I can help develop their characters more diligently in those areas.

For you, what was the most difficult part of the process of writing this book?
The editing. I wrote and rewote and rewrote and then my agent sold it to David C. Cook who hired an amazing editor to reshape it. It was tough. Spent a lot of time sending up SOS prayers!

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An author. Then as I got older an Egyptologist, then an accountant and finally in college decided to become a psychologist. God had other plans. Ones that I love!

Where will you be headed next?
I’ve started a collaboration series that I’m really excited about. I met with my agent and another writer a couple weeks ago to brainstorm and do some character development.It’s going to be a lot of fun to write.

How did you begin your journey of writing a novel? Is it something you always wanted to do?

I’ve always wanted to write. Even as young as eight, I can remember telling people I wanted to be an author when I grew up.

Tell us a little bit about your writing process. Do you have a direction in mind that you want to go? Or do you just see the characters acting out the story in your mind and simply write it down?
I usually follow the characters and then get a glimpse of where we’re going and try to keep the story moving with those goals in mind. I have had whole scenes settle into my mind at the most inconvenient times. It can be a challenge getting it all down onto a grocery receipt at the next stop light!

What would you suggest to someone who wants to become an author?
Start attending writer’s conferences. And if the cost is an issue, order tapes or CDs of the various workshops. Also join a critique group and really listen to the feedback. When I get input from my critiquing partners, I make a point to set aside any defensiveness and adopt a thicker skin. It’s not fun to find out that every word you write isn’t brilliant, but if you take the comments constructively you’ll become a stronger writer.

How do you find time to write? Any tips for someone who is working full time?
Set a word count goal. I try to write 1000 words a day, five days a week. If finding the extra time is difficult, start with 300 words a day. At that pace, you’d complete a full length novel (80,000 words) in one year. But the most important factor in writing is to turn the editor in your head off. Writer’s block comes from trying to create and edit at the same time. Don’t wait for the perfect idea to come floating along. Start writing now. Write anything. You want to create the habit so the ideas will come. The fear of failure keeps us from giving feet to our dreams-true failure comes from not trying at all.

What are the top three tips you have for submitting a successful book proposal?
·There are many excellent books on how to write a proposal. Study them. It will ensure that the proposal you send in is polished and professional.
·Don’t make the mistake of submitting substandard writing assuming that an editor or agent will see your potential and take you on. Make sure it’s your very best work before submitting it.
·Get feedback from other writer friends or a critique group before submitting it. You’ll be amazed at how an already strong proposal can get stronger.

CHECK OUT SHERRI’S WEBSITE: WWW.SHERRISAND.COM

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