Monday for the Military: Meet Sarah Sundin

Today it is my pleasure to welcome Sarah Sundin to the blog! Sarah is the author of the "Wings of Glory" series (A Distant Melody, A Memory Between Us, and Blue Skies Tomorrow). If you'd like to read my review of the second book (A Memory Between Us), click HERE. I loved it!

Amber: Thank you so much for joining us today, Sarah! To start, could you share a little bit about yourself?

Sarah: I live in northern California with my husband and three children, a cat and a yellow lab. When I’m not ferrying kids to soccer and tennis, I work on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teach Sunday school. I started writing fiction about ten years ago, and my first novels are now published—A Distant Melody (Revell, March 2010), A Memory Between Us (September 2010). The third book in the Wings of Glory series, Blue Skies Tomorrow, comes out in August 2011.

Amber: What inspired you to write a book series about the military set during World War II? Do you have any military members in your family?

Sarah: I ended up writing historical fiction almost on a whim. I wrote a few contemporary novels (badly), when I had an idea for a story that would only work in a historical setting. I had no idea how much research the story would require, so I dove in. The World War II time period grabbed me. There are so many dramatic stories and settings—a novelist’s dream. This was a time when ordinary men had to do extraordinary things, and when women explored non-traditional roles—while remaining ladies.

My grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate in the US Navy, and he was quite a storyteller. Also my great-uncle, Roderick Stewart (yes, the original Rod Stewart) was a B-17 pilot. I grew up hearing the story of how he was in one of the Flying Fortresses coming into Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack. He flew missions out of Hawaii and Australia, then served as a squadron commander with the 94th Bombardment Group serving in England. In the early 1960s, my father-in-law served as an Army chaplain, but we don’t currently have any family members in the military. Wait, though. I could easily see my youngest son in uniform.

Amber: That's quite a legacy! What do you admire most about the military?

Sarah: I admire how our military men and women—and their families—are willing to sacrifice so much for the rest of the nation. Not only do they put their lives on the line, but they have difficult jobs, frequent moves, and restrictions to their freedom that civilians would not put up with.

Another thing I admire is how the military embraces the qualities that made America great—courage, discipline, respect, hard work, perseverance, working together, responsibility—qualities that are less and less common in the civilian world.

Amber: I completely agree! As an acclaimed published author, is there anything you have learned about humility that you can share with us?

Sarah: First of all, get rid of “acclaimed.” =) And oh yes, God is constantly, laboriously teaching me about humility. What helps most is to remember that writing was God’s idea in the first place. Before Jan. 6, 2000, I had never written a story that wasn’t assigned in class. After that date, ideas flowed. He definitely called me to write. I know He turned on the story faucet, and He could just as easily turn it off. Also God gave me a teenage daughter at just the right time to humble me. I read her an email from a girl her age who raved about my books. I told daughter, “See, she thinks I’m cool.” Daughter (not even looking up from texting): “That’s because she doesn’t know you.” I need that.

Amber: What’s next in your writing career? (I saw on your website that you have a new WWII series in the works! Could you tell us a little bit about it?)

Sarah: Yes, I do! I’m really excited about it. While researching A Memory Between Us, I became enthralled with flight nursing. Five hundred women served during World War II as the very first flight nurses—adventurous, dangerous, pioneering work. My next series, tentatively titled Wings of the Nightingale, follows three World War II flight nurses in the Mediterranean Theater. I recently signed a three-book contract with Revell. The novels will be released in September 2012, June 2013, and June 2014. I’m about halfway done with the rough draft of the first book, and I’m loving the characters.

Amber: Sounds great! So, how can we pray for you and other authors?

Sarah: Thank you for asking. I can always use prayer. Please pray the stories I write would glorify God and help people grow in their walks with Him. Also pray I can learn balance and time management. And yes, pray that God will keep teaching me humility—and if I ever become prideful that He yank the writing away!

Amber: Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us, Sarah!

Readers, if you would like to learn more about Sarah and her books, click HERE to visit her website.

This just in: Sarah is giving away a copy of A Memory Between Us to one lucky commenter. Leave a comment and your e-mail address to enter the drawing! Thanks, Sarah!