Romance author S.E. Reichert chats with me today about her new western romance, Raising Elle.
Bio:
Sarah Reichert (S.E. Reichert) is a writer, novelist, poet and blogger. She is the author of the Southtown Harbor Series and is a member and the Youth Coordinator of the Writing Heights Writers Association. She is also the webmaster for WyoPoets. Her work has been featured in The Fort Collins Coloradoan, Haunted Waters Press, “Sunrise Summits: A Poetry Anthology”, “Rise: An Anthology of Change”, Poetry Ireland Review, and “We Are the West: A Colorado Anthology” among other journals across the country. Her novella, “Saturn Rising” was produced as a five-part audiocast from Ngano Press Studios, and she recently signed a 3-book contract with 5 Prince Publishing for release in 2023.
She is the head writer of The Beautiful Stuff, a blog about writing and fostering a creative and balanced life which aims to help new writers get their start. Reichert lives in Fort Collins with her family. In her non-writing hours, she is a mother to two teenage girls, loves being outdoors, and is a 2nd degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate JuJitsu.
Welcome, S.E. Please tell us about your current release.
Raising Elle is the first in a 3-book series set in Wyoming. It follows Elle (Eleanor) Sullivan, the middle of three sisters as she comes back to her hometown, bruised to hell with a dark secret. She’s ready to start her life over, only to discover that her family’s land is in danger of being sold. Along with her sisters and parents, Elle embarks on an uphill battle to save the Sullivans’ legacy. But she runs into her old high school sweetheart, Blake O’Connor, and it reminds her that the past has a way of tripping up even the most determined woman.
She sees in Blake an opportunity to right past wrongs, and she enlists his help to save her grandmother’s acreage along the Sweet Valley River. But their broken-hearted past may stand in the way of a brighter future. And the dark secrets that Elle left behind are hard to put to rest as she tries to find love and redemption in the quiet town of Sweet Valley.
Raising Elle has all the quaint, coziness of fresh summer hay fields, big red barns, cantankerous three-legged goats, and devious chickens, while still unabashedly delving into the darkness of mental and emotional upheaval, and what we do to survive. Elle and Blake explore the visceral hallow of regret, the recompence paid for past mistakes, and the unshakable triumph of human resilience bolstered by love.
What inspired you to write this book?
Raising Elle is one of the first books I ever wrote. It was shelved, and rewritten, and put in a drawer and rewritten again, on a constant cycle. But for some reason, I couldn’t give up on it. It’s been through the most changes and rewrites of any novel I’ve written, but the core of the story has always been about the resilient women I grew up around, the loyalty and love of family, and the unique flavor of love that happens in relationships and lifestyles that depend on equality for survival.
My grandmother was one of the toughest women I ever knew and did every task my grandpa did (usually better even) and it’s always inspired me to write female characters that were independent and strong, even when life threw challenges at them. Small town life, in reality is not always ideal, and there are a lot of things about rural culture that aren’t always positive, but I’ve always found a certain charm in a quieter, simpler life, connected to the land. And I’ve always had a soft spot for a good cowboy. I wanted a story about a woman reclaiming her power, asking for what she wanted from love, and working hard for what she believed in.
Excerpt from Raising Elle:
“You need to take care of yourself. Or find somebody who will.”
“What?” she laughed. “What do you mean by that?”
“I saw what happened back there. I don’t know what triggered it, but, I think I know where its coming from. Elle, you gotta talk to someone. Whatever it was that happened with Aaron. You should find someone you can talk to about it.” He looked down between his hands. Elle didn’t like where the conversation was headed.
“And did you find someone to talk to? When you were fired? When you quit school?” she snapped back.
“No, I didn’t, goddamn it.”
“Because you didn’t want people to think you were weak.”
Blake looked at her and sighed.
“Because I was too weak to admit that I needed help.” Elle’s eyes fell to the blanket. “And I didn’t have a Sullivan looking out for me.”
“I don’t need help. I’m strong. Stronger than I was before.”
“You are strong but, that doesn’t mean you don’t have things to sort out.” he sighed and picked at the bark of a fallen log while she avoided the truth of his words by getting a plate ready. “I’ve been through some shit. You don’t have to worry about judgment from me, if you want to talk about it.” Blake said. Elle wasn’t sure he could handle all the things she had buried in the past.
She sighed. “I don’t want to,” she shook her head. “You’ve got your own problems. You don’t need to shoulder mine too.”
“Isn’t that what friends do?”
“Are we friends?”
“I’d like to think so.” Blake said.
“Here,” she said, and held out a full plate. He didn’t reach for it. He was staring at her lips. “Aren’t you hungry?” she asked.
“Yes,” his voice raw with a hint of desperation. She felt it too. In the desire in his eyes, in the solitude they had. Memories of him shirtless and wet.
“Well, then? Come on,” she nudged the plate at him until he took it. He sighed and tucked into the food, scooting as far away on the blanket as he could.
“You’d better eat too.”
“OK, Blake.”
“And more than a bird does, for God’s sake.” He took another large thigh from the container and put it on her plate.
“I eat!”
“Yeah, when you sit down. But you never sit down.” She wanted to argue but bit into the chicken leg instead. “There, was that so hard?”
She scowled at him.
“Better. Good.” He nodded approvingly.
What exciting project are you working on next?
I find I do better as a writer if I change things up with genre and format between projects. Up next I have an anthology coming out, from entries submitted through my blog and it will include poetry, short story, and speculative fiction. Its quirky and kind of like a rollercoaster ride but I’m liking how it’s coming together.
The next two books in the Sweet Valley series (Granting Katelyn and Composing Laney) will also be coming out in August and November. And I have a stand-alone sweet romantic comedy coming out in August (Back to the 80s). If you’re a fan (or even a closet fan) of 80s pop culture you’ll love it.
For my next romances, I’m working on an Urban Fantasy romance series set off the coast of Scotland in the Ornkey Islands (still looking for a sponsor to travel there for “research”, if anyone out there is interested. I’d write a glowing dedication in the books to them). It’s a wild ride including, ancient curses, demons, fae folk, merpeople, werebears and all manner of fun characters.
I’m also really excited to have been hired on as the Youth Coordinator for my local writing group (Writing Heights Writing Association) so I get to work with a great group of young adults as they explore their creativity and find their voice in the world.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Oof, this one is hard for us, right? I struggled a long time, like I’m sure most of us do, with imposter syndrome and giving myself ‘benchmarks’ that would indicate when I’d actually become a writer. But the truth is that, it was there all along. If we write, we are writers. Publication doesn’t make a writer. Writing every day doesn’t make a writer. Teaching it, selling it, being recognized for it, isn’t what makes us a writer. It’s that we write. It’s that we itch to do it and don’t feel satisfied until we do. It’s for all those times we’re frustrated when we can’t seem to start, and all the times we feel like we can’t seem to stop the words. Wasn’t that a typical writer answer? Super wordy and over the top.
I’ve been a writer since the 5th grade (33 years ago). I accepted myself as a writer about 15 years ago.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I have a strange and beautiful little life. As most stay-at-home parents know, being that guardian is a full-time job with no pay. As my kids have gotten older, I’ve had more time to write more consistently. My days are divided into writing, editing, submitting, building a platform and getting involved with the writing community. I also work a few hours a week at a yarn store, despite knowing nothing about yarn.
My mornings start early, I get up and exercise to help get my brain and body on the right path. I have one lovely and quiet cup of coffee by myself (if I’m lucky). Then the morning rush is getting kids to school and walking our 100 pound pit bull/cattle dog rescue. That’s my quiet brainstorming time (between “don’t growl at old people!” and “Please don’t poop there” discussions). I usually try to spend 20 to 30 minutes on marketing and connecting on social media and taking care of emails. Then it’s writing time. I use a 20-30 minute timer for ‘writing sprints’ and break them up with stretch breaks, coffee breaks, changing out the laundry or anything away from my desk that’s somewhat productive.
I may work on class plans or email catch up and editing for another hour and then do a couple more writing sprints. Then it’s time to pick up the kids and get them to their activities, dinner, a crossword (because I need more words in my day?) and meditating and reading before bed. If I write late at night, its usually poetry. I think my state of mind needs something shorter, and regulation is lower so poetry from late at night seems to ring pretty true. That’s an ‘ideal’ writing day, which doesn’t always happen.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
If I write for too long, uninterrupted, sometimes, I exceed my mental limit and start breaking the fourth wall. My characters start saying things to me directly. It’s trippy. I wish I could say that’s only happened once. Also, I have a crocheted octopus hat that, when I’m having trouble focusing, I put on as my ‘thinking cap’. I think it also warns off my family that if she’s wearing her ridiculous hat at the keyboard, she’s not to be disturbed.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had a deep love of Indiana Jones. So, I grew up wanting to be either an archaeologist or a pilot. I went to school for Aviation and earned my pilot’s license and a few ratings, but after being the only woman in my class and constantly fighting a very misogynistic culture, I changed majors and studied Anthropology, including a long internship with the State Archaeologists office. It was NEVER as exciting as Indiana Jones, just in case there was any doubt. But, my journey has given me a healthy understanding that you can and should do multiple things in your life. Fill it up. That’s what it’s there for. And it will make you a better writer.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I believe in reading for joy, so when I write, I write from a place of joy. My novels aren’t usually life changing or deep commentary on bigger issues, but they are a place to escape, to make friends with characters that are real and loveable, and find a little romance and adventure along the way. I believe in reading and writing what you love, and enjoying stories that are hard to pull yourself away from.
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