I met Sharee at a writer’s conference a couple of years ago. We hit it off and have been friends ever since. I’m a big fan of her work and excited to have her as a guest.

Please Welcome Sharee Stover!!

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INTERVIEW SHAREE STOVER

Silent Night Suspect is your 2^nd Love Inspired book. How does it feel to crossover from Debut author to official LIS author?  Writing for LIS is a dream come true for me, so I’m still pinching myself to make sure it’s really happening.

 Tell us about Silent Night Suspect. (Shameless Plug Time): Suspected of a crime she knows she didn’t commit…
All she wants for Christmas is to remember.
Blood on her blouse. A gun in her hand. A cartel leader’s dead body in front of her. Widow Asia Stratton can’t remember what happened—just that she’s been framed. The only way to prove her innocence is to work with her ex-sweetheart, Nebraska state trooper Slade Jackson. But can they clear her name before this Christmas turns even deadlier?

What was your favorite part of this story?   Silent Night Suspect touches my heart because it’s all about forgiveness and second chances. I love that God is so generous with both of those things, and I wanted to share that message in Asia and Slade’s story.

What were the key challenges you faced when writing Silent Night Suspect?  I once heard it said the second book is the hardest to write. That was definitely the case for me. My first draft of Silent Night Suspect was terrible. Really terrible. And it required a complete rewrite which took me a year to do. My internal editor would not be quiet, so it was a wrestling match right to the end.

You live with a LEO (Law Enforcement Officer). What’s that like? (Writing or otherwise):  LEO wife life is never dull. I’ve found bullets in the laundry, had people text me that my husband was doing a TV interview before I knew about it, and had family events invaded by an in-progress manhunt, hostage situation, or other critical incidents. You can’t count on uninterrupted family or holiday time. Crime and emergencies do not conform to a normal work schedule.

It’s also a different world because folks may have strong opinions good / bad /otherwise when it comes to law enforcement. The negative generalizations frustrate me. The troopers I know are very involved with their community events and educational programs. Not to mention, life in rural America where helping a cow out of a ditch is a real thing. We’re blessed to be surrounded by dedicated and wonderful troopers here in Nebraska.

As far as the writing side of it, my husband reads all of my books and he’s my litmus test. He’s brutally honest and doesn’t water down his comments if I’ve written a scene incorrectly, or failed to use the correct terminology. “We don’t talk like that,” is one of his sayings. 😊 But he’s also been a great sport and even allowed me to tie him up to a chair and force him to escape. He’s demonstrated fight scenes with me and walked through scenarios to help me better understand how a situation might be handled. Plus, he’s super handsome. What woman doesn’t love a man in uniform?

I’ve heard through the grapevine you have a new series planned. Do tell.   Yes! After Silent Night Suspect releases December 1^st, I have a new three book series. The first, Untraceable Evidence releases May 2020. I’m super excited about them! I can’t give too much of the story away…so stay tuned!

 How do you develop your plot and characters?  I’m still trying to figure that out myself. I’m constantly changing the way I create my plot and characters because I like to experiment with different methods and I’ve test-driven several over this past year. Because the bottom line is you have to do what works for you. I believe in studying craft all the time and try to use the techniques I’m learning about. However, one consistency is that I always start with a picture of my hero/heroine/villain. I need to see them to write them. I also like to use Susan May Warren’s method of writing the Dark Moment Story.

Describe your writing space. (Ducks head embarrassed) One word. Messy. It’s a disaster area. But I know where everything is and it works for me. As long as I can dig my keyboard out from under the piles of books, notepads, and files, I’m good. I try cleaning it up on a regular basis, but as soon as I start to write again, all that stuff comes out. Sigh. It’s a never-ending battle.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?   Hm…I’m not sure I have an interesting one. I’m pretty boring. I have to be alone and I like Christian music playing in the background. I love cinnamon gum. I’m pretty sure it helps me think. And when I finish a book, I treat myself to a Milky Way Midnight as a reward.

Do you prefer printed books or eBooks?  Printed always! Although there’s something to be said about being able to make the print larger on a Kindle book.

What dream location would you like to visit?  Hands down, Australia. They have the coolest animals!

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.  I have to eat Oreos in multiples of three. If there’s only four left in the package, it’s a problem.  

Check out Sharee’s website: www.shareestover.com

Visit Sharee on twitter and facebook: @shareestover AND https://www.facebook.com/authorshareestover/

Thank you, Sharee!!

Join me in December for an interview and giveaway with Lisa Carter!!