Interview: Sarah Grimm, author of 'Midnight Heat'
When award-winning author Sarah Grimm was asked how she would describe her writing, she responded, "emotion-filled journeys, stories where the characters really have to work for their happily-ever-after." Well, Dominic and Becca, the hero and heroine of her new lovers-reacquainted novel, Midnight Heat, work extra, extra hard for their HEA. What is Black Phoenix? It's a rock band and Dom is the band's charismatic, British, bass guitarist. Midnight Heat is the second novel in Sarah's rock star Black Phoenix series, and Dom is the band's charismatic, British bass guitarist.
Lea: Welcome to HEA, Sarah!
Sarah: Thanks, Lea, I'm thrilled to be here!
Lea: After Midnight, the first book in the Black Phoenix series was originally published in September 2011 and was very well received, so fans have been waiting a long time for Midnight Heat. Your first novel, Not Without Risk, a stand-alone romantic suspense, and After Midnight were originally published traditionally with a publishing house. Then you reissued both books and self-published the novels in 2013. You've also self-published Midnight Heat. Is that why there was the time lag between the first two Black Phoenix novels?
Sarah: Honestly? Yes and no. I held off completing Midnight Heat because I knew I was going to get the rights back to After Midnight. However, once I did there were so many changes going on in my life that writing was forced to take a backseat. I quit my day job — where I worked about 60 hours a week — and went to work with my husband in the family marine repair business. Not in the office, where I could have found some free time, but working with him on the boats — seven days a week. It was supposed to give me more time to write, but didn't. Good for the business, but not for my writing.
Lea: What drew you away from the traditional publishing model to self-publish your stories? Has self-publishing been a positive experience?
Sarah: I wanted more control over my cover designs and release dates as well as the stories themselves. My first book went through so many different changes that when it released, I no longer felt like it was the story I originally set out to tell. It was the same with After Midnight, only to a lesser extent. Self-publishing also allows me to get my books into readers' hands much faster than if I was traditionally published. Because I don't have much free time to write and I'm honestly not a fast writer even when I do have the time, the fact that I can release a book within a few weeks of final edits instead of the year or more wait time with a publisher is huge.
Has self-publishing been a positive experience for me? Absolutely. I proudly call myself an indie author.
Lea: Do you have any advice for writers looking to self-publish when the rights on their novels revert back to them?
Sarah: I'm always hearing how outrageously expensive it is to self-publish, and it can be. However, it doesn't have to be. My first piece of advice would be join a self-publishing group — there are some wonderful ones out there and the information you can glean from the groups is invaluable. For instance, tried-and-true formatters, cover artists and editors who don't cost a small fortune. I can't stress enough the importance of hiring an editor. Another set of eyes on a project is never a bad thing, especially from someone who isn't as attached to the characters or the story as the writer. An editor is a step in the publishing process that should not be skipped.
Lea: In the time since After Midnight was released you've continued to keep readers engaged by being active on social media and the band has its own website where character profiles, information about the origins of the band, etc., are available. In essence it's a band fan site and adds dimension to the stories. Have you found the site has attracted new readers or is it mainly for fans that are already invested in the series?
Sarah: A little bit of both, actually. At first it was mostly for fans already invested in the series but, as word of mouth spread, so did interest in the site. I really enjoy trying new things and interacting with readers so creating a site for the series, complete with character profiles and a band biography, seemed like a fun way to do it.
Lea: You also have a Street Team. What are Street Teams and how do they benefit authors? They seem to be very common now.
Sarah: A street team is a group of people who "hit the streets" promoting a person or event. My team, Sarah's Rock Stars, is made up of romance readers and fans who are willing to help tweet, comment and "pimp" me and my books on social media. For instance, when a Facebook page asks for book recommendations, they might recommend mine. Or they'll tweet or retweet for me, spreading the word about my new release. In exchange for their support, I offer exclusive excerpts and sneak peeks, and also do quite a few giveaways. I adore my team! They're a fabulous group and really have helped me in many positive ways.
Lea: Rock star romances have experienced a significant popularity surge. How have you differentiated the Black Phoenix band from so many of the other rock star stories stories out there? These guys have been around the block a time or three, haven't they?
Sarah: I love this question! It makes me chuckle because when I first shopped around After Midnight, I was told by a New York publishing house that no one wanted to read about rock stars. They were on the "taboo" list. And look how popular they are now!
Yes, the Black Phoenix band has been around the block a time or three. They're older heroes than most of the rock star books I see on the market today. Dominic, the hero of Midnight Heat, is 40. They've done the fame thing — sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll — while topping the charts, and they're over it. They've matured enough to realize that fame is vacuous. Black Phoenix is looking for a comeback not for the women, parties or money — it's because music is in their blood. It's a part of them, a living, breathing thing inside each band member, that can't be ignored. So they've come back together to do what they love most and they'd play to a room of 10 as happily as a sold-out stadium.
Lea: When you are developing the characters, do you use an actual band or specific musicians as inspiration. Did you do research on some of the older bands who've made a comeback?
Sarah: The thing I used most when developing my characters was my own lifelong love of music. I didn't have any specific bands or musicians in mind, but there are elements to the story that are far too common in the music industry — like the death of Black Phoenix's original drummer from a combination of drugs and alcohol. As far as the snowball effect that death had on the band, particularly on each member, I just put myself in their shoes and did my best to imagine what it would have been like.
Lea: Becca is an emergency room physician who is at the crossroads of her life with regard to her chosen career. Then Dom walks back into her life, or should I say, he's wheeled into her emergency room! Please tell us about Becca and her history with Dominic. She doesn't exactly welcome him back into her life, does she?
Sarah: No, she doesn't, and who can blame her? Dominic and Rebecca's story begins about three years prior to Midnight Heat when they met and fell in love. For Dominic this was a terrifying realization because life has taught him some hard lessons in loss. So when he realizes he's found a woman who can affect him both physically and emotionally, he runs — before it can end badly — which, in his experience, is the only possible outcome.
As you can imagine, this is a very painful memory for Rebecca — she confessed her love for Dominic and he ran. All the way back to London. He was gone three years then suddenly, he's wheeled into her ER, injured and bleeding. He wants her back and claims he's ready to be the man she wants him to be. But Rebecca isn't confident she can trust him, and she's definitely not prepared to risk her heart a second time.
Lea: Why has Dominic led such a nomadic life?
Sarah: In part because he is a successful musician and life on the road has made it difficult for him to put down roots. Mostly, though, it's because of childhood fears. Dominic doesn't keep anything he can't afford to lose.
Lea: What effect does seeing Becca again have on Dom?
Sarah: Dom has never forgotten Becca. He ran away from her only to realize that, just because he wasn't with her physically, didn't mean he was able to let go. Her memory stayed with him, buried so deeply he couldn't even look at another woman without thinking of her.
By the time of his accident and the beginning of Midnight Heat, he's been back in the States for 10 months. All of that time fighting an internal battle between wanting to contact her and knowing that he hurt her too badly for her to forgive him. Then he faces down a semi and survives, opening his eyes to the one woman he's never forgotten. For Dominic, it was like someone let the air back into the room.
Lea: Why does he feel he isn't good enough for Becca?
Sarah: Upbringing, life experience and "breeding." Rebecca is a card-carrying member of MENSA with a good family and more degrees than Dom has gold records. Dominic is a long-haired, ear-ringed, uneducated musician with a foul mouth.
Lea: LOL! You forgot darn sexy, Dom is a head-turner that's for sure!
Would you be willing to share an excerpt from Midnight Heat with us?
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Chapter One
"Forty-year-old male MVC victim," the medic shouted as he and his partner pushed the stretcher through the doors and into the emergency department. "SUV versus semi. SUV rolled multiple times before stopping to land on its passenger side."
Adrenaline surged through Dr. Rebecca Dahlman's system, revving her pulse, pushing away the fatigue of an overly long shift. It worked better than the half pot of coffee she'd already consumed.
"Upon arrival at the scene, patient was unresponsive. We were able to get the c-collar on him right away, but had to wait for the Jaws of Life to extricate."
Gown and gloves in place, Rebecca ran her gaze over the unconscious man strapped to the backboard with orange belts as they swung into room one and transferred him to the ER's gurney. Her team, already assembled in the trauma room, moved efficiently around the patient, cutting off his clothes with trauma shears, starting large bore IVs and getting vital signs.
The medic continued feeding her pertinent information as she began her assessment. "Blood pressure is one-twenty over seventy-five, pulse ninety-five. Pulse ox is one hundred percent on room air. Pupils—dilated, equal, and reactive."
The guy was a mess. Blood covered his face, soaked the left side of his head and shoulder of his shirt. He had a laceration on his left upper arm; deep enough to require sutures, and some bruises were already beginning to form at his left shoulder and right hip from the seatbelt doing its job of holding him in place. Even more troubling was the bruise forming on his right side, a sign of rib trauma. Ribs weren't the only common injuries from impact with the center console. The ones she couldn't see were what caused her the most concern.
"I want an ultrasound of the abdomen," Rebecca stated automatically as she shifted closer and listened to her patient's chest. Lungs clear, respirations even and non-labored, heart tones audible not muffled and no abnormal rhythm. Good, no internal chest trauma. She looped her stethoscope around her neck and leaned in, searching the man's scalp for head trauma. "Get me a cross-table C-spine, chest and pelvis x-ray. Draw a full trauma panel, type and cross, and a urine tox screen."
Karmen Williams, Rebecca's best friend and charge nurse for the night, pulled the man's wallet from the pile of clothes on the floor. "Rebecca."
Directly above his left ear Rebecca uncovered the source of all the blood. Pushing her fingers into his hair, she palpated the injury site. The wound immediately began to bleed again. "No skull fracture that I can detect."
"Rebecca."
"I'll want a CT scan of the head and neck."
"Rebecca." Karmen's voice was tight and pulled her attention. "It's Dominic."
For a moment, a heartbeat really, the words didn't make sense. Then, she looked closer at the lifeless man on the gurney. As if in slow motion, Rebecca dragged her gaze up the torso, locked it onto the face partially hidden behind long, blood-soaked black hair. Her breath snagged in her throat and she froze, the echo of her pulse beating in her ears. It was a struggle to keep her hand steady as she pushed his wavy hair away from his face and focused on his mouth, those lips, the bottom one slightly fuller than the top, the thin, straight nose.
"Stud," she whispered, her voice torn.
His eyes were closed, ringed in thick black lashes. Were they open they would be the color of the sky just after a cleansing rain.
Her world tilted.
No. It couldn't be. This wasn't him. Dominic didn't have a goatee or a scar across his right clavicle. Dominic wasn't in California, he was in London. Safe in London.
Not unconscious and bleeding in the middle of her ER.
—
Lea: You introduce Chloe in Midnight Heat. She's given a small role, but her presence is felt. Who is she and will we see her in future novels?
Sarah: Chloe is a pre-teen young girl who Isabeau and Noah (the hero and heroine from After Midnight) stumble upon one night. To Isabeau, an abuse survivor, the injuries and pain that Chloe suffered are obvious and bring back painful memories. Memories and a past that Dominic knew nothing about until the night he overhears Isa talking about seeing Chloe. Yes, she will be in future books. In fact, Chloe will play a rather large part in Midnight Shadows, the next Black Phoenix book.
Lea: I was surprised to see that your next novel, The Key, is the first in a spin-off series called Blind Man's Alibi and it's Joe Campbell's story, a musician we briefly met at the end of Midnight Heat. Please tell us about Joe and The Key. When will it be published?
Sarah: As you say, The Key begins a spin-off series called Blind Man's Alibi. It's a series about a band with the same name. They're a younger band than Black Phoenix, and the books will be a bit edgier and raw. The two series will weave together, with characters from each series appearing in the other, meaning fans of Black Phoenix can see what's going on with their favorite characters between books.
Joe Campbell is the lead singer of Blind Man's Alibi, and his story begins about five days before we "meet" him at the end of Midnight Heat. The Key is a completely different kind of book for me, as it's the first I've ever written that isn't a romance. I call it a Dramatic Love Story as it does not give Joe a HEA. The book's tagline is: Sometimes a man must learn to live before he can learn to love.
I'm planning a summer 2015 release for The Key.
Lea: Will we be seeing more of the Black Phoenix guys? I think drummer and wild child Alex needs a story! ;)
Sarah: Absolutely! I have two more Black Phoenix books planned as well as a free read. Midnight Shadows will be next and features Thomas Sr., followed by The Other Side of Midnight — a free read about Isabeau and Noah. The series will wrap up with Chasing Midnight, featuring, you guessed it, drummer and wild child Alex.
Lea: Sarah, thanks so much for joining today. It's been a pleasure. Good luck with Midnight Heat. : )
Sarah: Thanks, Lea, I really hope readers enjoy Dominic and Rebecca's story. And thanks so much for inviting me to join you today!
Find out more about Sarah and her books at www.sarahgrimm.com.
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Lea Franczak cannot remember a time when she didn't have a book in her hand. She's read and enjoyed multiple genres but is especially partial to contemporary and erotic romance, dark gritty romantic suspense, paranormal romance and has recently become a New Adult junkie. Lea has been blogging and reviewing since 2008 and is also HEA's Tweeter Extraordinaire. Follow HEA on Twitter (@HEAusatoday).