To put it simply, I was cold! Sunny Los Angeles sounded really nice in January-February of 2017, so I decided to write about Hollywood and the entertainment industry …
Sarahlyn Bruck – 2 March 2021
The Back Flap
Soap opera star by day, harried, single mom by night, Calliope Hart’s life is a delicate balancing act. When the network cancels her show, Callie’s world crumbles and she must decide whether it’s more important to fight to save the show or take a risk and start over from scratch.
By day, for 25 years, soap opera fans have known actress Calliope Hart as Napa Valley’s resident diva, Jessica Sinclair. By night, Callie is a flustered breadwinner, scrambling to provide for her 12-year-old son and her mother. So when the network announces that her show will be canceled, Callie is beyond shocked—she doesn’t know who she is anymore.
At first, driven by financial concerns for her family that include blackmail payments to her son’s biological father, she rallies fans to save the show. But is that what she really wants? When she learns that her mother has been driving her son to auditions she’s strictly forbidden—and worse, that he’s been offered opportunities—Callie sees her own child’s youth and drive in competition with her age and experience. Set in modern-day Hollywood, Daytime Drama is a story about having the guts to reach for the sky. Callie must decide whether to play it safe or summon the courage her son displays to risk her lucky meal ticket and reinvent her career—and, for the first time, test her mettle as an actress and a mom.
“Loved every minute.” – Jennifer Klepper, USA Today bestselling author of Unbroken Threads
About the book
What is the book about?
Daytime Drama follows the story of Calliope Hart, a soap opera star by day and a harried single mom by night. When she finds out her show is about to be canceled, she finds herself at a crossroads—fight to save the show and her 25-year run as a soap star or risk everything to reinvent her career and personal identity. Told from multiple perspectives, the book explores the dynamics of family, love, career, and making it as an aging female star in Hollywood.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing during the winter of 2017.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took a little more than a year for a clean draft that I could start submitting. But even though it was done by June 2018, I didn’t sign with my publisher until summer of 2019.
Where did you get the idea from?
I’m a California native now living in Philly, and I’ve never gotten used to the winter weather. To put it simply, I was cold! Sunny Los Angeles sounded really nice in January-February of 2017, so I decided to write about Hollywood and the entertainment industry, which happened to be what my husband worked in before switching his focus to education.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Of course! I wanted to make sure I got the day-to-day details about soap operas right and there isn’t a ton of practical information about it out there. I ended up speaking at length with a friend of a friend who acted in soap operas, and he generously gave me the inside scoop.
What came easily?
I think the scenes that just seemed to write themselves were the ones between Jonah, the twelve-year-old, and Karen, his grandma and Callie’s mom. They have a very special bond and those scenes came together very easily.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
For the most part, I would say the characters are entirely fictitious. Of course, I borrow certain personality quirks from real life, but I don’t think anyone I know would recognize themselves in any of the characters.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I think in small ways, almost everyone I read influences my writing to a small degree, so I pretty much always have a book going. Writers tend to be voracious readers. I often gravitate toward authors who are masters at combining plot, character, and language in a way that makes me stay up reading way after I should have been asleep for the night. Ann Patchett writes gorgeous books in intricately-detailed worlds. Leanne Moriarty creates these unforgettably relatable characters. I just finished Such a Fun Age by Philly author, Kiley Reid, which left me breathless. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
Do you have a target reader?
I think my audience is mostly women between the ages of 35-65. Both of my books are very much about work and family and relationships, so my reader is someone who enjoys exploring that topic in fiction.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?
I do have a process, but it seems to change depending on how busy I am. I teach full-time at a community college and am also a wife and a mom, so writing is something I need to fit into my life and prioritize. If I didn’t, I’d never get anything done. I work best with a schedule, and when I’m actively drafting or editing, I carve out time each day. It might be just an hour in the morning or during my daughter’s soccer practice, but it’s important for me to chip away at it in order to keep up the momentum.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I am an outliner. I write two outlines—one for each chapter so I can see the arc of the book as a whole, and another, more detailed outline for each scene.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I work with a book coach, so when I draft, I’m also receiving feedback and thus implementing that feedback as I go. Otherwise, I might forget! This means my first draft takes longer to write, but the story hangs together better.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No music for me when I write—too distracting.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to agents?
I did submit this book to agents. Women’s fiction is a tricky sell for a lot of agents—many stories are more quiet and character-based—so even though I received some good feedback, ultimately the agents I queried passed on the manuscript.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I had published my first book with another small publisher, who eventually decided to concentrate on crime fiction. I understood a lot more about what I was getting myself into with the second book. I also knew what I wanted—larger distribution, some help with marketing, say in the cover design. TouchPoint Press is small but they are very supportive of their authors.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
TPP has their own cover design team.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
TPP helps with marketing and I also hired a publicist who specializes in small press authors. Both my publisher and publicist have helped me stay on track. I’m not much of a “wing it” type of person, lol.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Goodness, I’m still learning, but I think the best advice I received when my first book came out was to get used to saying “yes”—yes to interviews, book festivals, library and bookstore events. Connecting with readers and book sellers is an absolute joy. Books are a wonderful connection.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in California.
Where do you live now?
I’ve lived in Philadelphia since 2007.
What are you working on now?
I’m in the editing stages of a book about two best friends called, Offside. An injured professional soccer player wants to get back in the game, but when her father suffers a stroke, she’s forced to return home, and in turn, confront a horrible secret from her past. Revealing the truth will upend her soccer dreams and ruin her relationship with her best friend. But how can she keep their secret knowing what they did?
End of Interview:
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