Meet author Sandra Merville Hart

Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known yet fascinating facts from American history to include in her stories. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. She is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher. Connect with Sandra on her blog, https://sandramervillehart.wordpress.com/

Tell us about your newest book.

A Not So Persistent Suitor, book 2 in the Second Chances series, is set in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1883-84. It’s a turbulent period for the citizens of the city, yet Cora and Ben have their own battles to wage. Their relationship suffers a setback that shows both of them they have issues to work on before continuing. Additionally, Ben, a reporter, struggles to overcome problems at his newspaper to save his former position. Cora’s pursuit of her final year of kindergarten training brings its own challenges. He’s fighting for his career. She’s bent on achieving her own goals. Will their love survive a second chance at happily ever after?

What inspired you to write A Not So Persistent Suitor?

I’ve wanted to write a novel set in historic Cincinnati for several years. The big city had a population over a quarter million in the 1880s. Some of the famous landmarks that folks recognize today—such as the Suspension Bridge and Fountain Square, had already been built by then. I’ve included some familiar sights to modern readers while showing what it was like to live in the city in the late 1800s. I hope that readers will feel transported back to those earlier days.

What genre do you focus on?

I write historical romances set in the United States. I love my country and want to know its history. Learning our history as a natural part of historical novels makes the story more appealing to me and that spurred my desire to write novels where readers are transported back in time. Several of my novels are set during the Civil War, a turbulent period that fascinates me. This is my favorite genre to read so it makes sense that it’s my favorite one to write.

Why do you write?

Even before I was writing books, stories plagued me constantly. My imagination would soar as a plot played out like movie inside my head. It was fun to imagine it from beginning to end, changing aspects of the story here and there to play out how the changes affected the climax. Now that I’m actually writing, it’s a lot more satisfying to get the stories on paper. I can’t describe the feeling of accomplishment it brings to hold a novel you’ve written in your hands for the first time. I don’t want to stop!

Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?

Our heroine’s name is Cora Welch. I often search for inspiration for characters’ names among people I’ve met. Maybe I overhear an interesting name at the grocery story. Sometimes I will use the name of a close friend or family for a minor character to honor them. Sometimes I name a character after a loved one who has passed on—those resonate with me as I write. Civil War research for actual regiments is also a great source for surnames.

In this case, I wanted a salt-of-the-earth girl’s name, for we first meet her in A Not So Convenient Marriage, book 1, where she’s a fourteen-year-old orphan. Her faith impressed me. Ben Findlay, her beau, is the one who struggles with his faith in A Not So Persistent Suitor.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?

I work daily, including weekends when my husband and I don’t have plans. If we have plans on Saturday evening, I work as much of the day as possible. During the week—when not babysitting my small grandchildren—I arise early and start work between 6 and 7 am when on a deadline. I take breaks when I need them and usually stop for the day around suppertime. It’s a demanding schedule that entails far more than writing novels. To keep myself focused and organized, I maintain “To Do” lists. Some items require months to complete (write a novel, for instance) while others may take two hours. If I must remember to do something, I include it on my list.

What is the hardest part of being an author?

The demanding schedule. While I love writing and don’t want to do anything else, I wish it didn’t require so much of my day. In retrospect, my former jobs were also demanding and I had to stay organized to complete tasks, usually well before the deadline. That taught me discipline, which has helped my writing career.

What’s the best part of your author’s life?

That’s easy—connecting with readers and other authors. I’ve been blessed with so many new friendships through writing. What an amazing blessing!

How have you changed or grown as a writer?

I feel like I grow as a writer with each book that reaches “The End”—my favorite words! I suffer with my characters and rejoice in their victories. Authors spend so much time “getting to know” their characters to enable them to tell their stories. It seems to me that my heart expands with every story as I consider several sides to the issues. Also, the act of writing a book and going through edits from a gifted editor help to hone an author’s skills so that you’re constantly working to become a better writer.

Do you have other books? We’d love to know.

I do! Thank you for asking. A Not So Convenient Marriage, book 1 in my Second Chances series, released in November. As you know, A Not So Persistent Suitor, book 2, releases on February 14^th. (Such a treat to release a historical romance novel on Valentine’s Day!) A Not So Peaceful Journey, book 3, releases in June. I also published the first 3 books in my Spies of the Civil War series in 2022, beginning with Avenue of Betrayal. You’ll find the characters you’ve loved in previous books along with new ones in both of these series. Wild Heart Books has created a Kindle set for the “Spies of the Civil War” novels—a deal for readers. Additionally, I have three other Civil War books that can be read as stand-alone. A Rebel in My House, A Musket in My Hands and A Stranger on My Land. I’ve also written for collections..

What are you working on now?

I’m currently researching for book 4 in my Spies of the Civil War series right now. There’s a lot of research that goes into Civil War novels. I’ve sent a few stacks of books back to the library and have a few others that I’m holding onto while I continue to read about what happened in Vicksburg. Both citizens and soldiers endured much in and around that city and I’m writing about 160 years later.

Website: https://sandramervillehart.wordpress.com

Link to book: Amazon

Social media links: Facebook

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