Interview: Sydney Logan

I am so excited to have Sydney Logan on the blog today!

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. I’ve always written song lyrics and short stories.

What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time before you were published?

Be prepared for the business side of publishing. I thought I could write a book, edit it, release it, and then start writing the next one. That’s what I do, but I also have to balance that with marketing and promotion.

What do you think makes a good book?

Readers have different tastes, but for me, a good book is emotional, makes me think, is edited well, and stays with me after I finish the last page.

How did you come up with the idea for your book, Mountain Charm?

Mountain Charm is the second in my Appalachian Heart Collection. The books in the series are stand-alone stories that are all set in the Appalachian Mountains. I live in the region, so I grew up hearing legends about mountain medicine. I did some research and found stories of herbal remedies and witch doctors. I thought it would be cool to write a modern-day fairytale but still make it relatable and realistic. That’s how Mountain Charm came to life.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Typically, it takes me about six months to write the first draft. Then it goes to my editor and the editing process begins.

Do you buy books based on the cover or the blurb?

I am guilty of buying books based solely on the cover and the blurb. That’s why I stress so much about my own.

What were the last three books you read?

Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey, Exotic Music of the Belly Dancer by Brian Sweany, & Healing Faith by Jennyfer Browne.

Fast Facts:

Coffee or tea? Tea

Morning or night? Night

Rivers or oceans? Rivers

Cupcakes or ice cream? Ice cream

Laptop or desktop? Desktop

Casual or couture? Casual

Ponytail or headband? Headband

Shower or bath? Bath

Summer or winter? Summer

Motorcycle or bicycle? Bicycle

Sydney Logan

Author Info and Links

Bio:

Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Her second novel, Mountain Charm, was released in July 2013. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludes compilation.

Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.

Please visit her on the web at www.sydneylogan.com.

Purchasing Links:

Website: http://www.sydneylogan.com/2013/06/buy-books.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sydney-Logan/e/B0096LZK90/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/sydney-logan

TWCS: http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/authors/detail/41

Also available through iTunes, Kobo, & Books-a-Million

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.sydneylogan.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5787300.Sydney_Logan

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SydneyLoganAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SydneyALogan

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sydneyalogan/

Mountain Charm Blurb

“True love and sweet whispers, till death do us part;
Send someone to love my Appalachian heart.”

At the age of thirteen, Angelina Clark followed in the footsteps of her ancestors by casting an Appalachian love spell, which promised she would blossom into a beautiful and gifted woman who would find her true love. A young Angelina had been thrilled to participate in the sacred ritual, but through the years, her father’s untimely death and her mother’s failing health have shaken Angelina’s magical faith to its core. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, she refuses to practice her supernatural gifts and no longer believes in the love charm.

That is, until Dylan Thomas arrives on her front porch.

Dylan, a Nashville writer, travels to the mountain town of Maple Ridge to unearth the family’s supernatural secrets. While her clairvoyant mother is convinced that Dylan is her daughter’s soul mate, Angelina refuses to see the nosy reporter as anything more than a nuisance.

Despite their constant bickering, sparks fly.

Dylan admits he feels strangely drawn to Angelina and is in no hurry to leave Maple Ridge or publish his magazine article. Fearful that his emotions are being influenced by the spell, a stubborn Angelina struggles to fight her own budding attraction to the reporter.

The two inevitably grow closer just as her mother’s health begins to deteriorate, and Angelina is faced with the possibility of selling the family’s music shop to pay the mounting medical expenses. Desperate to help the woman he loves, Dylan explores his own family tree and finds support from an unlikely source. Can he finally prove his love is real—spell or no spell?

A story filled with love, friendship, family, and just a hint of Appalachian magic, Mountain Charm will leave you spellbound.

Mountain Charm Excerpt

“It’s your birthday?” Dylan asked.

“Yes, and it was blissfully uneventful until you showed up.”

“Beautiful and infuriating,” Dylan muttered. “Look, Angelina, I was just given this assignment yesterday. I don’t have a clue about Appalachian magic tricks or devil-worshipping or whatever it is you do up in these mountains, but I have a story to write. Just let me interview you and your mom, and I’ll be back on the interstate before you can say abracadabra.”

Instead of pointing out just how ignorant he sounded, Angelina decided what he truly needed was a strong dose of fear.

“Actually, I do have something you need to see. A family heirloom. Wait here?”

Excited for any useful information, Dylan’s eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. Once again, those good manners kicked in, and Dylan opened the door for her.

Angelina raced inside the house. She hadn’t touched it in years, but she still remembered where her father kept the key to the case. She grabbed what she needed and quickly made her way back out to the porch, letting the screen door slam behind her.

Dylan jumped out of his chair. “What the hell?”

Angelina lifted the rifle and pointed it straight at him. He didn’t need to know the safety was on—or that the chamber was empty.

“This is a Remington, passed down from my father and his father, also known as an Appalachian magic wand. Just watch. It’s going to make you disappear.”

Angelina thought it was almost comical, hearing him curse and watching him leap off the porch. All the commotion caused her dog to chase after him, which only made Dylan sprint faster until he reached the sanctuary of his vehicle.

“Are you insane?” Dylan yelled.

“I tend to get a little crazy when someone trespasses on my property. Leave my family alone and don’t come back!”

He slammed the door and had to do some fancy maneuvering to get around her car, but within seconds, the only sounds Angelina could hear were Dylan’s squealing tires, her dog’s noisy bark, and her mother’s hearty laughter.

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