Official Interview: Sarah Biglow and Molly Zenk

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Official Interview: Sarah Biglow and Molly Zenk

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Today's Chat with Sarah features two authors Sarah Biglow and Molly Zenk. The two wrote Hunted, which will be book of the month in August 2021.

To view the official review, click here.

To view the book on Amazon, click here.

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1. How did each of you get started writing?

Molly: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I started out writing short stories in notebooks – kind of silly things like stuffed animals coming to life – but got more serious about it and thought of better plots the older I got. I decided to really focus on writing as potential profession in college. Even that seems like forever ago.
Sarah: I wrote my very first story in first grade about a panda (and then there was a book I did about a family of squirrels…yeah I was kind of a weird kid). I got a little more into creating writing in high school my freshman year but it wasn’t until first year of college when I discovered National Novel Writing Month and my creativity just took off and I never looked back.

2. Who or what has been most inspirational?

Molly: The characters themselves inspire the story. If they want their story told, they make it easy. For me, characters/scenes/dialogue, etc play out in my head like a movie and I just transcribe what I see and hear.
Sarah: I find certain authors (like Jim Butcher and Seanan McGuire) inspirational for their ability to world build. I love that part of creating a new story and world to go with it. I’ve also gotten ideas from law school classes (my first published book was a women’s fiction title inspired by a discussion in our first year torts class and my favorite solo series was inspired by criminal procedure). For me, I tend to find inspiration in all sorts of places.

3. Hunted is a story that includes vampires. Would you say this is a vampire story or a story that happens to include vampires?

Both: A little of both. Yes, vampires play a major role in the series, but they also want to be treated better by humanity since every vampire was once human. Some vamps hold on to what made them human – their upbringing, beliefs, morals – while others go down the death/destruction path. At first, the Hunters don’t see the difference. To them, all vampires are bad. Both sides learn that no one is completely good or completely evil. There are shades of gray.

4. There are quite a few very successful vampire stories already written - from Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire to the Twilight series. How did you make this different?

Both: We wanted to root the Hunted series in reality. Yes, vampires have super strength and hearing and are (for the most part) immortal, but there are also rules and regulations and events rooted in history. The vampires of Hunted fought for voting and civil rights alongside the suffragettes in the early 1900s and civil rights movement in the 1960s. The Civil War was fought not between North/South but Vampires/Humans too. Vampires are now part of society, though treated as second class citizens.

5. I have to ask. How did the two of you come to work together on a book?

Both: We first met about 12 years ago when we both signed with the same literary agent. We ended up leaving that agent, but stayed friends and supported each other in solo projects. In late 2018, we decided to give co-writing a try for a novel that was going into a multi-author boxed set. Our styles and process mesh well. Everything fits together so seamlessly that most people can’t tell who wrote what which is what you’re going for with a co-author partnership. We’ve written three series together since 2018 – Captivity series, Celestial Academy series, and now the Hunted series.

6. Did you each have different responsibilities? Who wrote what?

Both: We did all the world and character building together and plotted the stories/series arcs together. Sometimes, like with the Captivity series, plot outlines went completely out the window when the characters decided to tell their story how they wanted to tell it. Other times, we would just do a “high notes/points” style outline where we knew what needed to happen and when. Sometimes the characters behaved themselves and sometimes they had “hold my beer” moments. There is also at least one character who decides their role is going to be much bigger than what we originally planned for them. As far as who wrote what, we each pick one of the main characters, and alternate chapters. We used to pass a word doc file back and forth but now work in google docs.

7. What was the best and worst part of working together?

Molly: I don’t think there is a worst part. The best part is having someone to bounce ideas around with and creating a world together.
Sarah: Definitely no worst part for me either. We are in daily contact (and not just about our books) so we can always bounce ideas off each other. Having that sounding board is so essential.

8. It looks like this is going to be a series. Can you tell us about the next book and when its due out?

Both: Books 2 and 3 are both coming out in 2021. Book 2 (Allied) is released in May and Book 3 (Fated) is released in November. Edith and Darren’s relationship grows more complicated while trying to stop Mr. Heartsong from starting the second Vampire/Human Civil War.

9. Which one of you is more outgoing?

Molly: I think it depends on the situation. I’m normally introverted but can be extroverted if the situation calls for it.
Sarah: I, too, an extroverted introvert. When I’m around people I feel comfortable with, I don’t shut up and if I’m with people who are similar to me (like other writers) I can be outgoing. But I also am perfectly content to sit at home and chill and not see people.

10. What's your favorite way to relax?

Molly: Listening to music, watching TV, reading books.
Sarah: Watching TV. I should read more but juggling a full-time job, plus writing plus a constantly in-motion toddler doesn’t leave a lot of time for that.

11. What's your favorite form of social media?

Molly: I only have FB and twitter. I like following the trends and reading news on twitter. FB is good for keeping up with friends and family’s personal lives. I don’t use it to market as much as I should.
Sarah: Does YouTube count? I’ve been known to go down the rabbit hole on YouTube for hours. I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, although I’m fairly bad about using them for book stuff. I try to schedule posts on Facebook so I’m getting better there.

12. Fairs or amusement parks?

Molly: I hate roller coasters and “scary” rides, so will go with fairs.
Sarah: I’m the opposite. I love the rides so I’d say amusement park.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
Joy C
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Post by Joy C »

Nice meeting you, Molly and Sarah. I think you're a great duo being able to work together as friends and cowriters. Hunted has a beautiful plot and is one book I'd sure want to read.
Begin always with the end in mind. :techie-studyingbrown:
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