Fandom Monthly Magazine: Author Interview & Giveaway: Sarah Goodman

“First comes love…then comes marriage…then comes a baby in a baby carriage.” We’ve all heard this saying. In fact, Elizabeth lived and planned her life by this children’s nursery rhyme. What happens when life doesn't go according to plan? What happens when the life you created falls apart? How do you pick up the pieces? When do you finally realize what life handed you is indeed perfect, even if it was never part of your plan? Elizabeth “Beth” Thomas is a thirty year old senior associate at a law firm. Married to her college sweetheart, Grant, they have traveled, built their dream home, and are ready to become parents. They struggle with infertility. Grant wants a normal life again. He wants to go back to the way it was before trying to have a baby consumed their lives. Once they agree to go back to a “normal” life, life hands over a different plan for Beth. Beth struggles with loss and heartache. She leans on her family, her two best friends, and her doctor. What Elizabeth doesn't see is that her life is going according to plan, only it took a different route to get there. "Sometimes we plan our perfect life, but life tends to give us life's perfect plan.”

Dr. Kate Caldwell strives to be the best in everything she does. Except her best wasn't good enough for her ex-husband, Keith. Keith crashed her dream of a fairy tale life when she caught him cheating on her. She is determined to focus on her new project and to giving her twin daughters a normal, happy childhood. Kate has plans to remodel the veterinary clinic her Granddaddy passed down to her. To fulfill one of her dreams she hires an architect and design firm to remodel the out dated practice and horse boarding stable. What Kate doesn't realize is her Life's Next Chapter will be mere yards away, remodeling her clinic.
Luke Ashton is the general contractor for his cousin’s company, Ashton Architecture and Design . Luke has been assigned to remodel Dr. Caldwell’s clinic, and he doesn't expect his latest project to include the woman who could knock his world off it's axis and set it right again. He finds himself working longer hours around her property, spending time to get to know Kate better. Luke is handsome, with his striking green eyes, rugged physique, and a body that would make any woman weak in the knees. He certainly turns Kate’s head.
Kate and Luke feel the chemistry and tension between them, but both are skeptical about moving forward. Kate is terrified to let anyone into her life, let alone her heart. Luke has a past that easily scares women away. He’s struggled since he was eighteen, when unexpected circumstances turned him into a man. Luke is also a veteran with nightmares that follow him all day—every day. Do Kate and Luke give into one another’s baggage and avoid each other, like their heads tell them, or do they fight for the happily ever after they both want? When ‘life’ gives them more battles to fight, will they be strong enough to fight for each other? “Luke, my life story is crazy and complicated, why would you want to attempt this?” – Kate “Sunshine, we can’t erase our past, but we sure as hell can turn the page in your story and create our own crazy happy life together.” - Luke Does Life’s Next Chapter give Kate her fairy tale ever after, or will it be the chapter she quickly skips through?

What would you do if Life gave you a second chance with your one true love?

Ethan Parker found his true love at a young age, and having made it through both high school and college together, he was sure their love was indestructible. Ethan was ready to spend the rest of his life with Leah Ashton, the only woman he would ever love, until she confessed to being unfaithful and left him for her Spring Fling, Charles.
Shattered and broken, Ethan never fully recovered. Drifting through the last ten years, a mere shadow of his former self, he eventually returned home to Florida to be closer to his sister, Elizabeth. Hoping to find a shred of happiness, Ethan struggles to let go of his one regret—not fighting for true love.
Leah’s life with Charles never made it to happily ever after, and instead became her worst nightmare. After enduring a decade of physical and emotional abuse, Leah had lost hope of ever finding happiness. Thanks to her stubborn brother, Luke, a visit home at Thanksgiving forced Leah to share her secret with her family, finally ending the years of shame. Finally free to make her own decisions, Leah is determined to be happy, even if she is alone.
A chance encounter at a car dealership reunites Leah with Ethan, and suddenly life has hope again. Life has given Ethan and Leah a Second Chance, but will they be brave enough to take the chance? Can their love overcome the years of hurt to finally give them their Happily Ever After

Sarah is a native to Central Florida where she lives with her husband and three sons. Besides being a wife and mom, she is also a teacher. During her spare time she loves to read, write, spend her time at the ball fields cheering on her boys and relaxing at the beach.

FMM: How do you come up with your characters?

SG: When I was thinking of the plot for Life's Perfect Plan, I knew I wanted to create a strong, independent woman. Who has it all, the career, home, and marriage but feel inadequate due to not getting pregnant. She would need the support of other women around her. That is when I decided Beth needed girlfriends to get her through this difficult time in her life. I also knew she needed a supportive husband and then a caring doctor. Writing this story snow balled other stories for the secondary characters.

FMM: What are some of the things that you like to do with your free time?

SG: With working full time and a mom to three sons, I don't have much free time, so when I do get it I take advantage of it. I love to read and write. I write mostly once my boys go to bed. I live near the beach so I love the beach, especially reading on the beach. My other free time is spent watching my boys play ball or listening to them play their musical instruments.

FMM: Do you have any advice for young writers?

SG: Advice for young writers....My advice would me to just do it! What do you have to lose? Write for you, foremost. That was the best advice I got. Life's Perfect Plan was my story to tell and I did it for me. When others read it is when I was pushed to publish and do more with my writing. Take the chance......you never know what is in store for you.

FMM: How did you know that writing was a career that you wanted to pursue? When?

SG: I know this sounds cliche, but I never knew I wanted writing as a career until it came upon me. I teach, so I had off during spring break. I've been battling with "do I write or not". Well, I ended up getting sick for spring break and spent my time in the bed. I could only read and watch so much television. So I opened up my laptop and wrote, the story that was plaguing my brain. I wrote half the story in that week. Between March and June 2013, I finished the book. When my mother read my story, she pushed me to publish. So I searched for an editor and went on from there. It didn't actually hit me until I held my very own paperback in my hands. It was then that I wanted to write. It's not so much of a career as it's more of a passion for me.

FMM: What are you currently reading?

SG: Right now, I am reading Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters

FMM: Do you have a specific writing style?

SG: I like to write in the first person. How I picture my characters in my head, to their actions, and their dialogue are all real to me. When I write I want it to come from them personally. I want the readers to feel every emotion and to see every scene just the way they are saying or doing. I also like to write with alternating points of view. I feel that the reader should feel and know what the main characters are going though.

FMM: What inspired the "Life Series"?

SG: I get asked this a lot. Life's Perfect Plan was only going to be a standalone book until I almost published the book. Finishing writing LPP is when I saw that the other characters had a story to tell as well. LPP is a personal story to me. In a lot of ways, everything that Beth, Ella and Kate go through I have experienced in some way. I watched friends and family struggle with infertility, I watched another friend go through a nasty divorce, I watched a friend bury her husband, I gave birth to my sons at thirty two weeks, and I watched another friend fall in love again. I saw these strong, independent women and myself go through "Life's" struggles, and realized that I could create a fictional story about real life situations. Situations that most readers could relate to. I want readers to have a connection with these characters. Before I published LPP, a friend and beta reader was the one that suggested I write a story about Kate. That Kate had a huge story to tell. When I was planning and plotting Kate's story is when I realized I wanted this to be a five book series. Who knows maybe more, but as of now five. In Life's Next Chapter you will read Kate and Luke's story. Then in book three: Life's Second Chance you will read Leah and Ethan's story (Ethan is Beth's older brother). Book four will be of Hope and Nick, you meet them both in book two and three. Finally book five will be Danika's, which you will meet in book two. I also wanted to create a series, where not only do they have their own story, but over time you see how their life has planned out. It won't always be hugs and rainbows, but then again 'Life" isn't always like that either.

Thank you so much to Fandom Monthly Magazine for letting me be apart of this.

(Your welcome Sarah! We loved having you!)