Title: Becoming Beauty
Author: Sarah E. Boucher
Publisher: Sweetwater Books, Cedar Fort
Release Date: 11th November 2014
BLURB from Goodreads
In this imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Bella is a spoiled brat who’s sent to the Beast’s castle as punishment for her selfishness. More than just their personalities clash! As Bella improves the Beast’s manners, she also finds herself changing for the better. Bella must choose whether to follow the path she’s always dreamed of—or risk it all for something even greater.
PURCHASE LINKS
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
What is your
name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Hi. I'm Sarah E. Boucher. I'm just a country
girl from rural Utah (translation: middle of nowhere). I grew up with the smell
of livestock, crops, and fresh air. Currently,
I live and work in Ogden, Utah.
Did you always
want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
Since the dawn of time, I have been a scribbler,
but while my inner writer was developing, my love of young children led me to
become an elementary teacher. I consider
myself the Queen of Kindergarten, a title people in my personal life are more
acquainted with than author. It may be glorified kid wrangling, but it gives my
life purpose and allows me to interact with young people.
How long have
you been writing? And who or what inspired you to write?
As a young girl, fairytales in picture book or
modern rewrite form captured my attention. I've been writing as long as I can
remember and the first full-length story I created was my own fairytale.
Where do you
get your book plot ideas from? What/Who
is your inspiration?
Inspiration comes from all places: books,
movies, interaction with nature, dreams, etc. For me, this leads to a
"What if..." question. Becoming Beauty began about thirteen
years ago with "What if Beauty was an unattractive, self-centered brat
that no one liked?" It grew from there.
When did you
first consider yourself as a "writer"?
Several years ago my friend convinced me to join
a writing group. The first time we met together, I swore I wasn't a writer because
dabbling during summer break and over school holidays didn't qualify. Or
so I thought. When the plotline for Becoming
Beauty fell into my lap, I couldn't stop writing or thinking about writing. I knew I was hooked.
Which of your
books were easier/harder to write than the others?
Becoming Beauty is my favorite project, but it
wasn’t easy to write. Having a variety of projects including contemporary
fiction, other fairytale rewrites, and older projects keeps me from getting
stressed out or obsessing over any one project.
What can we
expect from you in the future? i.e. More books of the same genre?
Books of a different genre?
Right now, I have one fairytale nearing
completion and an outline for another. Generally, I write stand alone books
instead of books in a series, but for fun I gave the main character of Twelve (my
next fairytale rewrite) a cameo in Becoming Beauty. Beyond that, I have several
fun romances in progress that stave off boredom and/or keep my OCD tendencies
at bay.
How do you come
up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
The stunning cover for Becoming Beauty is a
creation of Cedar Fort Publishing, my publisher. Their creative team encouraged me to share my
vision for the cover and on seeing the preliminary draft my only request was
the addition of my middle initial. I
love it!
Do you basic
plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you
let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
When I come up with a story idea, I outline the
basic sequence of events. Just like developing characters, I like establishing
a few key details before I start writing.
Then, I allow the characters and the action to lead me where they will. This
process was especially helpful while outlining Twelve, the story of a dozen
sisters who get up to all types of mischief.
Have you ever
suffered from "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the
"block"?
Luckily, I have a day job. When writing becomes
taxing, it can be put on the shelf while I apply myself as a educator.
Likewise, writing serves as an escape from the stresses of working in a very
challenging area. Also, multi-genre writing helps when one story becomes
difficult or frustrating. At any given time, there are at least four other
projects I can work on.
If you had to
choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? And
why?
I'd have to go with Bella from Becoming Beauty.
Not only is Beauty and the Beast my favorite fairytale of all time, but Bella,
my incarnation of Beauty, is a sassy character who doesn't allow herself to be
relegated to a mediocre life. She is a
refined and more sarcastic extension of my personality. Who wouldn’t embrace that?
What piece of
advice would you give to a new writer?
Keep writing! Like a muscle, your writing skills
will develop with more use. Also, look
for a group of like-minded writers you can swap story snippets with.
Interacting with those who critique in a helpful manner will make you a
stronger writer and editor. Be grateful
when they come to you with the hard truth.
Accept that your best becomes better when you listen and act on their
advice.
Where can
readers follow you?
Email: sarah@saraheboucher.com
Facebook author
page: Sarah E Boucher https://www.facebook.com/saraheboucher
Twitter:
@saraheboucher https://twitter.com/saraheboucher
Pinterest:
Sarah E Boucher http://www.pinterest.com/sarieb4u/
Instagram: @sarieboucher http://instagram.com/sarieboucher
Other Information?
Becoming
Beauty is available on Amazon and Goodreads.
Becoming Beauty’s blog tour runs November 9-26.
For more details, visit: http://blog.cedarfort.com/blog-tour-becoming-beauty/
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