Freaky Friday: Meet Sarah!

Cue the do-do-do-do music from the Twilight Zone....

I know, I know, not a typical way to start an interview! But my friends, it is Freaky Friday with Sarah Forgrave!

Sarah... stop rolling your eyes at me!

Why is this such a fun Friday interview?

Well, it all started with Sarah accepting an invitation to join the Writer's Alley. Innocent enough. Then, Sarah mentioned that she writes humorous contemporary romance.

SO DO I!

Then, Sarah happened to mention that she grew up in Northern Indiana.

SO DID I!

Sarah then mentioned that she grew up in the Goshen area.

SO DID I!

Then she told me what school she went to.

And... yup, you guessed it. I attended the same school! How freaky is that?? We gave our maiden names and low and behold, while we didn't like "hang" out and we were a year apart, we knew of each other. (Keep in mind, I was a total geek and, well, she wasn't!)

And it just so happened that we had already been paired up for me to interview her! Of course, I had to have a wee bit of fun... (I threatened to post our year book pictures, but because mine is HORRIBLE while hers isn't... I would get the raw end of the deal so decided against it!)

Krista: Welcome, welcome, welcome!!! SO excited to have you here, Sarah! Let's get this party started (and yes, I said that in the whole appropriate rap voice...)

Now, what is your full name, date of birth, social security number, bank account number, and mother’s maiden name? Or, if you don’t want to share all that (not sure why you wouldn’t… HA!), Tell us about your family! Married? Kids? Pets? Do tell!

Sarah: Thanks, Krista! I'm excited to be here! (even if my name is next to the word freaky, lol). Okay, about my family...I'm married and have two kids, a 3-year-old boy and a 4-month-old girl. No furry pets (I'm funny about animal hair in my house), but we do have a fish named Finny.


Krista: Finny! SUCH a great name! So.... A little bird (named Wingy...) told me that you write romantic comedy with an Amish flavor. How did you happen upon that fun genre crossover?

Sarah: You know how people tell you to write what you know? And then other people say to write what the market wants? Well, both of those things sort of merged together into one for me. I grew up in Amish country. I mean, in the heart of it. In fact, my first job in high school was waitressing at a restaurant called The Buggy Wheel. My experiences at the restaurant sparked story ideas, and they grew from there. The more I explored story ideas, the more I realized the funny and poignant aspects of living around the Amish. My stories focus more on modern characters living in Amish-centric settings and interacting with them. It's a gap that hasn't been explored much in fiction, so I figured why not blaze a trail.

Krista: LOVE IT! New gaps in fiction are SUCH a good find! And I LOVE the idea!

I saw you talking about your ACFW conference appointments and requests (EEEE!!) on your blog today. I thought we'd do a quick blast from the not-so-distance past here too. Pretend you’re at conference in an appointment, and I’m this ridiculously sought-after editor that you are just DYING to sell your current work-in-progress to. I’m sitting here, legs kicked up, waiting for you to pitch to me. GO!

Sarah: Oohh, it's like I'm reliving the conference all over again. Here goes...

My book is about a girl who just lost her big-city job and has monstrous debt thanks to her shopping addiction. When her jerky ex-boyfriend gives her a lucrative job offer, she returns to her hometown to help him discover who's behind plans for an Amish-themed tourist development. She works at her father's diner and uses her connections to investigate. But she has to overcome a murky relationship with her dad, a car that's almost totaled when she hits a horse and buggy, and the iciness of a nerd-turned-hunk from her past if she'll ever pay off her credit cards for good.

Krista aka uber-cool-editor: I LOVE IT! Send me a full... Let's talk movie deal...

Krista (the real one): Speaking of writing and birds… ANOTHER bird (named beaky??) told me that you finaled in a writer’s contest not too long ago! We want details! Which one? What was it like to get the “call”?

Sarah: Wow, you've got a lot of birds talking to you! Yes, you're right. I got runner-up in the Contemporary Romance category of the Genesis contest. It's a national contest for unpublished writers put on by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). I don't remember what exactly I was doing when I got the call that I'd finaled. I do remember that I was shaking and that I paced all over my living room (I always pace when I talk on the phone...it's good exercise).


Krista: Your poor carpet... but I totally do the same thing!! (I'm telling you... frrreeeaakkkyyy....)

PEDICURE TIME! What color: Red, pink, green, or blue?

Sarah: Pink or maybe red...I'm not very adventurous when it comes to toes.

Krista: Someday, you and I are going to go get pedicures done and get some rockin' green or blue toes! Just for fun:-) Ohhh, we should totally do green AND blue... every other toe! (you have to admit that WOULD be pretty freaky...)

When you ARE published someday and receive that first coveted check from a publisher… what will you buy first? (Yes, I know some might be frugal and save it… but surely you’d splurge and buy SOMETHING!)


Sarah: Hmm, a vacuum that can suck the baby fat out of me? Oh, they don't make those? I guess I'll settle for a Dyson.


Krista: If you find a vacuum like that, let me know, kay? I need one BAD!

As you can tell by my next question...

Which candy bar represents you best and why? Snickers, Milky Way, Kit Kat, Twix, or 3 Musketeers?

Sarah: This is a tough one. I'd say a Snickers because it has a lot of layers, some sweet and some nutty. But if I had to choose which one to eat at this very moment...a Kit Kat for sure.

Krista: Gotcha. Snickers is a good one too!

Last question: In true Freaky Friday Fashion… if you could switch lives with anyone in the world right now for one day.. who would it be? Keep in mind, you would still be you, just in their body!

Sarah: Drew Carey, because I've always wanted to tell someone they just won an Elvis Presley jukebox. No seriously, I think I'd switch lives with my sister. She needs a heart transplant, and I'd love to give her a boost of energy for just one day if I could.

Krista: Wow. As a momma of a baby in the hospital with a heart condition, I totally can relate!! That is SO very sweet of you! I'll definitely be praying for your sister!

Well, that concludes our freaky Friday interview! Again, WELCOME Sarah to the alley! We are SO SO SO SO excited to have you!


Anyone else have some fun, freaky Friday questions for Sarah? We could totally have some fun with this... After all... it's FRIDAY!