Interview with Sarah Monzon, author of "The Esther Paradigm"

Join me in welcoming Sarah Monzon to the blog and wish her a "Happy BOOK birthday"!

Sarah's new book, The Esther Paradigm, releases today! Therefore she's celebrating what authors call a "book birthday". Feel free to wish her a "happy BOOK birthday" in the comment section below.

But before you share your birthday wishes with Sarah, please take time to read what she has to say today in my interview about her new novel. 

She's also giving away one digital copy of her book, so remember to enter the book giveaway contest on the Rafflecopter widget toward the end of this blog post.

Enjoy!

~*~
Interview with Sarah Monzon, author of The Esther Paradigm:

Alexis: Why do you call this book, "The Esther Paradigm"? Explain the significance.

Sarah: Partway through the book the main character, Hannah Pratt, discovers that her perspective, her paradigm, changes to resemble Esther from the Bible.

Alexis: What inspired you to write this book?

Sarah: The idea of it just entered my head one day, took hold, and wouldn’t let go until I got it written.

Alexis: Describe the research that went into writing this book.

Sarah: I researched everything. Location/geography/setting, culture, food, language, religion, lodging, customs, clothing. I had no less than a dozen tabs open at all times to refer to and look more things up. I also watch a documentary series on Netflix and checked out a few books at my local library.

Alexis: Tell us about your story’s heroine Hannah Pratt. Describe her looks, personality, and outlook on life. What makes Hannah well…Hannah?

Sarah: She’s fair skinned, blond, blue eyes—basically the exact opposite of how everyone else in the region (Middle East) would look. She is very respectful of diversity, caring, and vibrant. A little insecure, she often falls into the pit of comparison and finds herself coming up short in her own mind.

Alexis: Why does Hannah want to start a school for the Bedouin clan that she grew up with when she was a missionary kid?

Sarah: She has a passion in her heart for the people, who she considers her family, and their children.

Alexis: Describe the battle that Hannah is in the middle of and share how her faith in God helps her in this situation. What is the mission that she believes God has called her to fulfill?

Sarah: Hannah and her parents are blamed when a mysterious illness sweeps through the clan’s flocks. The situation becomes heated, but Hannah knows she is where God wants her.

Alexis: Karim Al-Amir is a sheikh who is the hero of this story. Describe his looks, personality, and life goals.

Sarah: Black, slightly-curly hair, dark-brown eyes, and a trimmed beard. He is quiet, observant, and responsible. He wants to preserve the ways of his people and the traditional way in which they’ve lived for hundreds of years.

Alexis: What were Karim’s first thoughts when he met Hannah? How does that affect their relationship?

Sarah: Karim and Hannah met as children. He was instantly mesmerized by her blue eyes and golden hair. He’d never seen another person who looked like her before.

Alexis: Why does Karim want to marry Hannah? Does she want to marry him? Explain.

Sarah: He marries her to keep her and her parents safe. The protection of his name and position.

Alexis: Where is the setting for this story? Why did you choose it and how did you make it true to real life?

Sarah: Somewhere in the Middle East. Because the main character is a missionary serving in a country where Christianity is illegal, it would be unwise for her to ever say exactly where she is. However, she serves in the 10/40 Window, the geographical location ten to forty degrees north of the equator where the majority of the world’s “unreached” live.

Alexis: What was the most challenging aspect of writing this story? Explain.

Sarah: Finding a balance. I know there are things in the book that might make some people uncomfortable. The hero is Muslim and to be genuine and authentic to his character, there are Islamic layers to the story. I had to find the balance of keeping that authenticity to the culture while not alienating my audience.

Alexis: What lesson do you want to teach your readers with this book? Why?

Sarah: I never go into writing a book looking to teach readers a lesson. I hope the story is entertaining, relatable, gives hope, etc., but never with an agenda. However, if the Holy Spirit uses the words I wrote to gently move a reader, I praise God for that.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Sarah! Do you have any closing comments?

Sarah: Thank you so much for having me. It was truly a pleasure.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Sarah Monzon is a Navy chaplain's wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. Playing pretend all day with them isn't enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters.

When she isn't in the world of make-believe, she can be found in the pine forests of western Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.

Her debut novel, The Isaac Project, skyrocketed to Amazon bestseller status while her Sophomore book, Finders Keepers, won the 2017 SELAH award for contemporary romance.

~*~
Blurb for The Esther Paradigm: Hannah Pratt dreams of starting a school for the Bedouin clan she grew up with as a missionary kid, and finally her hopes are coming true. But shortly after she returns to the desert from her college years in the U.S., she discovers her parents have received threats from their Muslim neighbors. As the danger escalates, Hannah finds she’s in the middle of a battle no one seems to understand. 

She must decide to what lengths she'll go to stay faithful to the mission to which God has called her. Even if it costs her everything. 

As sheikh, Karim Al-Amir feels the weight of responsibility as the leader of his people. When a mysterious illness ravishes the clan’s flocks and threatens to destroy their centuries-old way of life, locals believe the American doctors and their daughter, his childhood friend, Hannah, are to blame. Karim must do something to keep them safe—even if the only solution can be found within marriage vows. 

In a society where the line is drawn between us and them, Christianity is outlawed, and foreigners are mistrusted, will their union heal wounds or inflict the final fatal blow?

~*~
Connect with Sarah: 

Website - http://www.sarahmonzonwrites.com
Facebook - facebook.com/sarahmonzonwrites
Twitter - twitter.com/monzonwrites 

~*~

Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

SaveSave a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Prelude to Christmas: Memories and Southerner Spanish Moss "Snowmen"

Welcome Sarah Monzon to the blog. She has a unique treat for you today! Sarah's here to share memories of how she celebrated Christmas a child in Florida, and it involves making "snowmen" out of Spanish moss. She's included a "how-to" guide toward the end of her personal essay. 

There will be no Rafflecopter widget book giveaway today because Sarah's offering her Christmas novella 12 Days of Snowmen for FREE when you sign-up for her newsletter by following this link,

http://www.sarahmonzonwrites.com/subscribe.html

Enjoy!

~*~

If You Give a Southerner Spanish Moss...She Might Make a Snowman
A personal essay written by Sarah Monzon

Snuggling up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket, hot cocoa in hand, fire crackling in the hearth, glittering snow weighting evergreen boughs outside...it's an image we conjure when we think about Christmas. Insert the "I'm Dreaming of A White Christmas" song. This was not the Christmases of my growing up years. No, those Christmases looked like tank tops and flip flops and air conditioning. I grew up in Florida folks! More palm trees than fir there!

But don't let the tropical weather melt your holiday spirit. We may not have had the traditional ingredients to make Snowmen, but that never stopped us. 

Here’s the blurb for my book, 12 Days of Snowmen: Lucy Nel is determined to make her foster daughter's Christmas special by creating for her a 12 Day Snowman Extravaganza in the heart of Florida. Her good plans end up in a messy puddle, however, and she finds herself grudgingly accepting the help of a complete—although quite handsome—stranger.

While writing this sweet story, it was fun discovering all the different ways you can make snowmen without any actual snow, although I admit I may have used one or two of my own family traditions. Here's one for you (in case you find yourself in the South in December): The Mossman. That's right. A snowman made of Spanish moss. My grandfather started this tradition and my mother, who still lives in Florida, makes one every year.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for you to make your own Mossman:

Step 1: Gather a massive amount of moss, either from the ground or the branches. Careful with those ladders!

Step 2: Take some boards and make a small X. Hammer that into a 4x4. That's your stand.

Step 3: Get a roll of chicken wire and make three cylinder shapes of varying widths.

Step 4: Place the largest chicken wire cylinder around the base and stack the other two on top to get a basic snowman shape.

Step 5: Stuff the moss through the chicken wire holes. 

Step 6: Accessorize Frosty.

Step 7: Grab a glass of ice water because even though it's December, you're sweating buckets.

It may not be traditional, but it is funky and you wouldn't believe the number of people who stop by my mom’s house just to take pictures of her Florida snowman.

How about you? Do you and your family share any fun and unusual Christmas traditions or decorations?

~*~
Author bio: 

Sarah Monzon is a Navy chaplain's wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. 

Playing pretend all day with them isn't enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters. 

When she isn't in the world of make believe, she can be found in a small desert town in central Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.

A book review, excerpt and giveaway featuring Sarah Monzon's new novel

Let's welcome Sarah Monzon to the blog again! Yesterday, you got to know her better via her author interview celebrating her book release. Today, you get to read an excerpt from her new novel, Finders Keepers: A Carrington Family Novel, Book 1! Exciting, right? 

You also get to read my review of her book and when you reach the end of this post, you have a chance to WIN a copy of Finders Keepers for your Kindle! Just fill out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget.

So let's get this party started! Enjoy! :)

My review of Finders Keepers (A Carrington Family Novel, Book 1):

The plot is deeply layered. Monzon’s writing has improved by leaps and bounds after her debut novel, The Isaac Project, was released in Sept. 2015. She was already a good writer, but Finders Keepers made her GREAT!

The author does a wonderful job of weaving themes of faith and life lessons into the fabric of this perfectly paced story. The characters are complex yet captivating. Every scene builds conflict and tension, keeping the reader interested and eager to know what happens next. It’s my favorite book by Monzon so far and totally worth a five-star rating!

Read my full review here, http://amzn.to/1WFUDF0

~*~
Excerpt from Chapter 7 of Finders Keepers:

Summer's cell vibrated on the desk next to her outstretched hand. The ID registered a number she didn't recognize. She tapped the green Accept button.

“Hello?”

“Hey, beautiful, you want to grab some coffee?”

Furrows formed between her eyes. Who in the world? “I'm sorry. You must have the wrong number.”

She pulled the phone away from her ear but stopped short of disconnecting when she heard the voice on the other end say her name.

Her lips turned down. “Who is this?”

“Who do you think it is, babe? I told you I'd call.” Summer hadn't known it was possible to hear a smile until then. The flirtatious, mischievous smile she'd seen on Trent Carrington's face before resounded over the phone lines. And babe? Really? She set her teeth. The guy knew it irked her to be called that, but it seemed he got perverse pleasure in pushing her buttons.

Ignore it. If he can't get a rise out of you, he'll eventually stop. At least that was how it had worked when the boys had teased her in elementary school.

Summer stared at her computer screen. She really needed to get these photos edited by the end of the day. “I'm in the middle of something right now, Trent. If this is about the trip, you can e-mail me the itinerary.”

The door to her studio pushed open, and there stood Trent. All six foot plus of him. The sun shone through the open door, causing his blond hair to glow like gold. One side of his mouth whirled up in a lopsided grin. Her breath whooshed out of her. From irritation. Obviously. The reaction couldn't have been for any other reason.

“I'm not taking no for an answer.” Summer heard his voice from across the room as well as from her cell. She hung up and sent him a glare.

“As you can see, I'm working.” She indicated the screen in front of her.

He walked across the room and sat in one of the chairs opposite her desk, leaning back in it like he had all the time in the world.

“Coffee will only take fifteen minutes.” He bestowed one of his flashing smiles upon her.

Summer looked at him. She took in his laid-back manner, the way he was quick to smile, and the ease in which he charmed. For goodness’ sake, the man thought all he had to do was smile and he'd get his way. She pursed her lips. Already she'd given in to him, but that was because she needed some edgy photos for Our World, not because he'd smiled at her, said pretty please, and made her go all gooey inside.

Someone needed to start telling this man no.

“Thank you for the offer, but I really don't have time right now.”

He continued to lounge in her chair, his gaze never leaving her face, the lopsided grin never faltering. “All right. No problem.”

Really? He wasn't going to put up more of a fight? No cajoling? No begging? No persuasion of any kind? Summer was surprised at the twinge of disappointment in her midsection. Guess he didn't think her worthy of any added effort.

Trent stood, and Summer's eyes followed the motion. His gaze continued to lock on her, and she swallowed hard.

“I'll just go and bring some coffee back. Better that way anyhow. Now I won't have to worry about getting you back at a specific time. And since I don't have anything else going on right now, I can stay and keep you company while you work. I could stay all day if I wanted to.”

All day? Her nerves already stood on end with his constant stare. No way she'd be able to get any work done. And how so like him to manipulate a situation so he got exactly what he wanted. Any twinge of disappointment was replaced with annoyance.

She met his gaze and took in the cocky slant of his eyes. Her jaw clenched. He thought he was so irresistible. One look, one smile, and she'd fall all over him. Not going to happen.

“Do you always get what you want so easily?”

His head tilted as if thinking it through, then his eyes bored into hers once more. "No. Not everything is worth pursuit. But when I find something special, something precious, a treasure of immeasurable wealth, I'll do everything within my power to claim it as mine."

~*~
Author bio: 

Sarah Monzon is a pastor's wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. 

Playing pretend all day with them isn't enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters. 

When she isn't in the world of make believe, she can be found in a small desert town in central Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.

Buy Sarah’s book:
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1XpGvzf

Connect with Sarah:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahmonzon/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/monzons/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/monzonwrites

~*~

WIN a copy of Sarah's new novel:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Sarah Monzon, author of Finders Keepers

Let's welcome Sarah Monzon! She first visited the blog almost two years ago when her debut novel, The Isaac Project was released. It was an instant success! Now, Sarah's back and her writing skills are better than ever with her latest book, Finders Keepers (A Carrington Family Novel, Book 1). Here's the cover to Sarah's latest book:

Lovely, isn't it? It releases today (Monday, May 23)! If you can, leave a comment for Sarah toward the end of this blog post, congratulating her on the "birth" of her newest novel. 

Today, Sarah's taken the time to answer my questions about her new novel.

Enjoy her author interview! :)

*Words by Alexis are in bold, words by Sarah are not in bold.

~*~
Alexis: Congratulations on the May 23 release of your new novel! How does it feel to have another book on the market?

Sarah: Surreal. Exciting. Frightening.

Why did you write Finders Keepers?

It was the story God placed on my heart to write. I know that may sound like a simple, cliché answer, but it’s the truth. He’s the one who planted within me the love of words and story, and He is the one pushing me to share those stories with the world.

Explain what the term “dual timeline” means for those who may not know. Then explain why you took this approach to writing Finders Keepers.

Dual timeline is a book that has two different timelines, and in essence two different stories, woven together to make one “big picture” story. When I started Finders Keepers, I hadn’t planned on making it dual timeline. The thought didn’t enter my head until after I’d written the first two contemporary chapters. Then I went back and started the story from Isabella’s point-of-view. And I’m so glad I did!

Summer Arnet is the modern heroine. Tell us about her role in this story. What is she like? What makes her mad? What or who makes her happy? Why is her passion photography?

Summer has always wanted to be a photographer with the nature magazine Our World, but the publication’s editors don’t think her work is edgy enough. When treasure hunter, Trent Carrington, offers to split the loot in a sunken ship, she’s initially outraged at his plans at pirating, but eventually agrees in an effort to attain her dreams…and regrets it with each wink and smirk Trent throws her way.

What is it about Summer that makes Trent want to become a one-woman man?

She challenges him. She’s spunky and sassy and sees things in him he’s been trying to deny. She makes him face his past and is there to help him through the pain he’s been living with every day.

What is it about Trent that screams “caution” to Summer all the while making her heart beat out of her chest with desire?

Trent is a Harley-riding, leather-jacket-wearing, tattooed, hopeless flirt. He never takes “no” for an answer, and she suspects not many women even say the word to him. It drives her crazy that his crooked grin gives her heart palpitations, but she’s determined not to fall for that kind of man.

Isabella Castellano is the historical heroine on the side of your dual timelines that deals with the past. Tell us about Isabella. Where is she from? What is she running from and why?

Isabella lives in 17th Century Spain. Her stepfather isn’t the most noble of men, in fact she blames him for her mother’s death. So, when he turned his attentions on her, she flees—in a rather dramatic way. She steals some of her stepfather’s clothing and masquerades as a cabin boy on one of his majesty’s treasure fleet.

What makes Isabella special? Describe her role in the story.

Isabella is a mixture of vulnerability and stubbornness. She hides her fears behind a mask of false bravado, but in so doing, accomplishes more than she ever thought she was capable of—saving lives, uncovering mutinous plots, and surviving life-snatching storms.

If you could spend one day with one of your Finders Keepers characters, who would you choose and what would you do? Why?

Oh, that’s a hard one. Hmmm… maybe Captain Montoya could teach me how to sword fight. Because, seriously, wouldn’t that just be so fun?

What do you want your readers to treasure most about this novel?

I hope everyone is reminded that they are children of God. Not just in name, but really and truly God’s sons and daughters.

Thanks for the interview, Sarah!

~*~
Author bio:

Sarah Monzon is a pastor's wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. 

Playing pretend all day with them isn't enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters. 

When she isn't in the world of make believe, she can be found in a small desert town in central Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.
~*~

Buy Sarah's book:
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1XpGvzf

~*~

Connect with Sarah:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahmonzon/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/monzons/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/monzonwrites

Falling in Love with Jesus: The Boy Next Door

Today's Falling in Love with Jesus story is told by bestselling indie author Sarah Monzon. She refers to Jesus Christ as "the boy next door." 

Read on to find out why Sarah thinks of Him in those terms and how she didn't really "fall" in love with Jesus, what happened to Sarah in her relationship with Jesus was even better. 

Enjoy! :)

~*~
The Boy Next Door

A Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Sarah Monzon

Now, nobody raise any stones to throw when I say that in my love story with God, Jesus is the boy next door. I'm not trying to be sacrilegious. Truly. But for me, that's who Jesus is—the boy next door.

Think about the boy next door. Go ahead. Close your eyes and conjure up an image that the phrase paints. Got it? Here's what it looks like to me. The boy next door is someone familiar. Someone who's always been around. I don't remember who moved into the neighborhood first, him or me. He was always just...there.

Sometimes I'd play at his house, and sometimes he'd play at mine. Occasionally there'd be a disagreement, but we could never stay mad at each other for long, and before I knew it we were best friends again. We'd hide out in our secret clubhouse and share secrets, and anytime I was afraid (and there were quite a few times I felt afraid as a child) he'd wrap his arms around me and make me feel safe. Thankfully, boy-next-door Jesus never moved away and neither did I. I grew up with him always right beside me.

Now to the juicy part of the love story because every love story has one, right? In romance writing it's called the meet-cute. You know, when the hero and heroine's eyes meet across the room and electric currents leap between them. Or the heroine stumbles only to be caught in the hero's strong arms.

Oops! Sorry to disappoint you, but my story doesn't have any romantic defining moments. You see, I never fell in love with Jesus.

Grabbing for those stones again? Put them down.

I never fell in love with Jesus.

I GREW in love with Him.

Because He was the boy next door, He was always in my life. Maybe it was love at first sight, but I can’t honestly claim that when I can’t recall the first sight moment. Like I said, He’s always been there. I've always loved him. But my love has grown. Every day. And will continue to grow until that boy next door finally comes to take me home with him as is bride.

To live unbelievably, unfathomably, happily ever after.

~*~
Author bio:
Sarah Monzon was raised in Florida (think warm, humid air, palm trees, white sandy beaches) and is currently living in central Washington (no, not the rugged mountains and towering evergreens. The dry, brown desert of rolling tumbleweeds and absolutely no trees).

She wears the badges of Pastor's Wife and Stay-at-Home Mom with honor. Her constant companions are the two cutest humans under four feet tall: Elijah, 4 years old, and Arianna, 16 months. Her days are filled with picture books, Play-doh, LEGOs, and Hot Wheels. After the little ones head to bed, she spends time in adult "conversation" with made up people in a made up world (writing Christian fiction novels). 

Her debut novel, The Isaac Project, is available on Amazon.

Interview: Sarah Monzon, author of The Isaac Project

Today, I'd like to introduce a new friend, Sarah Monzon! She's a pastor's wife, mom of two adorable children and debut author who loves to write stories about "hope and happily ever afters."

Sarah's first book The Isaac Project, releases today (Sept. 1, 2015) and it's available for purchase on Amazon.com. The book cover is so lovely that I had to share it with you first! But that's not all. Sarah promised to give away one Kindle edition of her book to the winner of the book giveaway contest that she's hosting today on my blog! :)

We're doing this the old-fashioned way. Simply answer Sarah's question at the end of this blog post and your comment will be randomly drawn by me (Alexis). The winner will receive a Kindle edition of Sarah's novel. The contest starts today (Sept. 1) and ends on Sept. 15. The winner will be announced here and notified by e-mail so please remember to leave your name AND e-mail address with your comment. 

Excited, aren't you? I hope so! Enjoy my interview with this new author whose fictional love story captivated me from the first page!

*Words from Alexis are in bold, words from Sarah are not in bold.

~*~
Alexis: “The Isaac Project” is quite a clever title for your book! Tell us about it. What or who was your inspiration for this delightful, fictional story?

Sarah: I’m glad you like the title! The story came about from a conversation I was having with my friend who lives in a different state than I do. She was bemoaning her singlehood and the lack of male prospects in her area. She jokingly said she should just let her friends find her a husband, and—voila!—the beginning of a plot formed in my mind.

Becky, your heroine, loves horses and her dear old grandpa. Why is family—horses and human—so important to Becky?

Poppy, Becky’s grandfather, is everything to her. Her parents died when she was young and Poppy raised her. He was there for every knee scape, every breakup, every horse show, and everything in between.

The horses, well, in Becky’s mind the best view on earth is the one between a horse’s ears. There is healing for both body and spirit when one spends time with and on a horse.

Luke, your hero, doesn’t appear to have much luck in love until he encounters Becky. What makes Becky different from all the other women Luke romanced? What makes her stay in his heart?

The other women Luke has had encounters with only think about themselves and their own desires, but Becky has a sacrificial spirit that snags Luke’s attention. The fact that she would put someone else’s happiness, in this case her grandfather’s, above her own happiness has him intrigued. Of course the thought that anyone would ask her best friend to find her a husband has him shaking his head and calling her all kinds of crazy…at first.

What is the most major challenge your leading lady (Becky) and leading man (Luke) face before and after meeting each other?
Their biggest challenge boils down to communication. Or lack thereof. Because of her past, Becky is hesitant to trust and jumps to unfounded conclusions regarding Luke. The fact that the newlyweds are also strangers definitely doesn’t help matters!

As a writer, what was the most difficult aspect of writing this story?
For me, the most difficult part was finding time to write. I started writing the story with a one and a half year old and finished with a three year old and a one year old. I think you can imagine how hard it was to find time to it down at the computer and write.

What was your favorite scene to write in this debut book of yours? Why?

Oh! How do I answer this without a spoiler alert? Let’s just say my favorite scene involves Luke and a very sweet and romantic gesture right before the wedding.

What do you want readers to remember most about The Isaac Project?

I don’t want to oversimplify anything, but the resounding message in The Isaac Project is that love is a choice. God is love, and even though none of us deserve it, He chose to love us so much that He died on the cross for us. He continues to choose to love us every day. Even when we give Him the silent treatment, cheat on Him with other gods, or demand from Him a spiritual divorce. We can take this concept and apply it to our own relationships. Our feelings may ride high and low like a rollercoaster but through the ride we each need to decide to choose to love each other.

What are you working on next? You do plan to write more books, right?
My current work in progress is still in a very much rough draft form, so there isn’t a blurb or synopsis yet. That being said, I am very excited about this story. I’m having so much fun with these characters! What I will divulge is that the story has a dual timeline with the connecting piece being a 17th century galleon of the Spanish treasure fleet.

Why did you choose to go indie for The Isaac Project? Will you continue being an indie author or do you entertain thoughts of being traditionally published?

The simple answer to this question is that God led me to go indie. My manuscript was finished and I was praying fervently for the next step. Was it time to query agents? The answer whispered in my soul. “No.” I was shattered. What about my dreams? Again a whisper. “He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalms 37:4). “Your ways are not my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). I was gently led towards indie publishing and brought that before the Lord. I felt His blessing. There are a few other logistical reasons why indie works for me for now, but it all boils down to God’s leading.

When did you “know” that you were born to be a writer?

My answer is the same as most writers'. I’ve always loved reading and writing and making up stories. My elementary school had a Young Author’s program and my stories were chosen every year to be printed in their “book.”

What can you tell us about yourself as a new author that no one else knows?
Hmmm… something about myself as an author that no one else knows… *thinking, thinking*. Oh! Someone famous once called me on the phone because of something I wrote. That’s right. Mrs. Clause called me to tell me I won my second grade essay contest and got to ride on the float in the Christmas parade with Santa. It was pretty awesome if I do say so myself!

Thanks for the interview, Sarah! Please leave a question for my readers to respond to which will qualify them to enter the contest. 

Sarah's question: As a reader, what is it that makes you “take a chance” on a new author?
~*~
Author bio:

Sarah Monzon is a pastor's wife and a stay at home mom of two small children. She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Southern Adventist University. Sarah is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). The Isaac Project is her debut novel.

Book blurb for The Isaac Project: 
Becky Sawyer’s life unravels in a single day. Not only does she catch her boyfriend, the man she hoped to marry, lip-locked with another woman, she also receives the gut-wrenching news that her grandfather, the man who raised her, is dying. His last wish? To see her happily married. Heartbroken, Becky seeks inspiration in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. And finds it in the story of Isaac and Rebekah. 

If love couldn't keep his parents together, Luke Masterson wonders what will make a marriage last. He decides to steer clear of all women—especially crazy ones like Becky Sawyer, who employs a friend to find her a husband. But when he feels the dogged promptings of the Holy Spirit to move across the country and marry a complete stranger, it seems love has little to do with it anyway.

With commitment their only foundation, and love constantly thwarted, can an arranged marriage find happiness in the twenty-first century?

Buy The Isaac Project:
Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1NeHGMJ

Connect with Sarah:
Blog/Website - http://www.sarahmonzonwrites.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahmonzon
Twitter - https://twitter.com/monzonwrites