Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Sandra Crowley, Romantic Suspense Author

Hi y’all, I usually don’t yak about myself, but I’ll make an exception for this post. Hopefully, you won’t regret it.


Many of you may already know I spent a good deal of my childhood moving with my family. The constant change of environments and schools--thirteen in twelve years--taught me “home” isn’t necessarily defined by a location or the length of time spent there; it can be a state of mind nurtured by those who love each other. I believe that conviction flavors the stories I write.


Instead of boring you with a list of places we lived, learning which I believe impacted me most and why might interest you more. We had always lived in town until we moved to Oregon. We still lived on a street lined side by side by side with houses, yet who could resist the outdoor pleasures of an area called Treasure Valley?  It was there I fell in love with mountains and the wildness that offered me peace at the same time it demanded strength of body and soul. Riding horses became an extension of that for me. I wish I’d had opportunities to explore the high country more often from the back of a quarter horse during those years. But, now, that latent regret encourages me to seize each opportunity to saddle up and follow a narrow trail through alpine grasses, tall trees, or strike across country with only a cold stream or maybe a craggy peak to guide me.   


Treks like that, where experience, faith and trust carry one along, are what love is all about.


The love I treasure with my husband of many years sets up Texas as the place with the greatest impact on my adult life because it’s my husband’s birthplace as well as that of our children. Who could ignore that? Certainly not me! Even though I was happy to leave the heat and explore new areas such as Alaska, Puerto Rico, and others in between. Our current home is a high valley along Colorado’s western slope--it may hold us or we may eventually look for new horizons.


You probably want to know how I started writing. When our children reached their teen years, I seized the time to pursue my own interests. A need to send characters along paths I thought essential to stories I was reading convinced me to take extension courses in creative writing. Through those, I learned about Romance Writers of America. I joined its Yellow Rose chapter, a local Texas organization for me at that time. I quickly realized my imagination suited romantic suspense, and I joined the specialty chapter Kiss of Death. Workshops, online classes, and conferences offered by those organizations and others raised my confidence. I began to enter contests and then volunteered as a judge. Both help me improve my craft and create characters driven to danger. I hope my stories of murder, betrayal and redemption produce that Ahhh factor readers desire.


My first book, Caughtby a Clown, has received several strong reviews. The story follows a spontaneous freelance journalist on a mission of mercy who finds herself entangled with a methodical undercover agent out to settle a score. The Wild Rose Press published Caught by a Clown in both paperback and ebook. (It's also available at other online book outlets.) This spicy romantic suspense novel leads off three linked stories I hope will be published in the near future. Check my blog site Driven 2 Danger and website frequently for news of their progress. 



You’ll find bits of my life, past and present, as well as other subjects that catch my attention at Driven 2 Danger www.driven2danger.blogspot.com in posts I loosely describe as Trivia Tuesdays.  Fridays are reserved for interviews of people willing to share unique experiences. D2D’s visitors have met a rancher/blacksmith/metal artist, a CSI agent, a breast cancer survivor, and others. Even though I’m still relishing my summer hiatus, please stop in and scroll through earlier writings. I hope you’ll discover the site is like chocolate, a treat you want to indulge in often. (Driven2Danger posts will resume this fall.)

Visit my website www.sandracrowley.com  to read a little about the shyness that plagued my childhood. I’m learning to overcome it. Networking and marketing hammers away at it on a daily basis. Who would have guessed that the solitary craft of writing could generate the daunting tasks that line me front and center of audiences both live and virtual? Yikes!! Talk about shivers and racing heartbeats! Publishers still handled publicity when I started writing. Fortunately, virtual appearances occur far more often than live ones. Nevertheless, requests for book signings and how-to or inspirational presentations are increasing. I keep telling myself that’s a good thing. I wish I believed it.

Thanks for spending time with me. If you have questions or comments, please contact me through my blog Driven 2 Danger or my website.

12 comments:

  1. Looks like the last part of my posting blanked out. I was trying to say if anyone wants to contact me, I can be reached through both my website and blogsite.

    I'm working in the yard and pasture all day. I'll check in every so often to respond to comments.

    Hope your day is as good as mine!

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  2. Sandy, love the wedding photo. I clicked on the white spot on the post and it took me to your blog.

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  3. How nice getting to know you better, Sandra. It has been a good month finding our who is behind the name for all of our authors.

    Enjoy your day. I am off to play bunco with friends so know mine will be nice, too.

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  4. Thanks, Caroline. I should have thought of that. vbg

    Hi, Paisley. It has been a fun month. Glad you're enjoying yourself, too. I played bunco once and was dismal at it but had fun nevertheless because of the company. ROFL

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  5. Sandra--I like to learn about the early lives of people I know. Your experience sounds like mine--moved around for years, following the Texas oilfields, with only what we could pack in a 1940 Ford. And you're right--a home is where the people you love and who love you are.
    I wish you much succes with your next novels--the first one has been a success for you!
    Thanks for letting us get to know you--Celia

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  6. Hi Sandra, I had the pleasure of posting on your blog and know you as a lovely hostess. I enjoyed learning more about you.

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  7. Hi Sandra,
    Wow, you have certainly seen a huge part of the world through moving around so much, haven't you? What a great opportunity to meet people and see different places. I was shy (I know, hard to believe) in my younger years--not when I was little, but more from about 3rd grade through middle school. It took a lot to "get out of that" and I just forced myself to do it. I'm glad to get to know you better!
    Cheryl

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  8. Sandy,
    It's great to know more about you. You have lots of great places to set stories with all your moves. I also think it's cool that you have horses and enjoy riding them.

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  9. Sandra, what a lovely blogpost. You have a gentle, engaging voice that no doubt turns adventurous when you're writing your suspense. Much success to you.

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  10. I lived a similar life growing up. Country, trails, horses... I love it. Thanks for sharing a little of your pleasures in life. Enjoy your time off.

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  11. Great post, Sandra! I also love the wedding picture!

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  12. Moving around so much in your youth certainly gives you an education about the country. I spent my whole growing up years in one place and in the same school. I can see where it might be hard on a kid socially to move around so much.
    I loved your blog and Caught by a Clown looks like a very intriguing story to me.
    Best wishes for a long and successful career.

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