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I am so excited to have Sarah Monzon chatting with us today about All of You! I ADORE this book! You can find my review for it HERE.

Rachel: Welcome back to Bookworm Mama, Sarah! I am so honored to have you here today! I think it is safe to say that you are the first author to have made an appearance TWICE here on Bookworm Mama! YAY! I didn’t scare you off the first time hehe!

Sarah: Are you kidding?!? I’d hang out with you all day, every day. It’s such an honor for me to be here. I fangirl over you more than a little and I love you and your blog.

Rachel: Wait, what? You fangirl over me??? Now I'm blushing haha! 😊

Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider?

Sarah: Hot Cocoa. Because chocolate. Need I say more? Although I do love fresh apple cider. They have some REALLY good cider here in WA. But chocolate always wins.

Rachel: Ooooh, see, I am the opposite...Apple Cider first and Cocoa second. I have to be in the mood for chocolate. But I agree we have amazing cider here!

Fall or Spring?

Sarah: I loooove fall. The leaves changing colors. The crispness in the air. Getting to pull out cute boots and sweaters. But then spring has beautiful budding trees and flowers and the anticipation of time spent outdoors after a winter of being cooped up.

Rachel: Fall is my FAVORITE! I decorate Sept 1st...Yes, even if it is still 90 degrees out. My house is also permanently fall colors...It may be an obsession...

Thanksgiving or Christmas?

Sarah: You’re killing me Smalls! I love Thanksgiving, but it hasn’t felt quite as special in my adult life as it did in my childhood because we live so far away from any extended family. But Christmas? Happy sigh. I love Christmas. I love the lights, the tree, the music, the excitement on my kids’ faces. All the traditions that make extraordinary memories.

Rachel: I agree...Thanksgiving is different as I have gotten older. However, I LOVE making our own NEW family traditions as well as carrying on traditions that I grew up with!

What type of research was involved for All of You?

Sarah: I did a lot of research on the women pilots of WWII, but you might be surprised to learn the most research I had to do was for the very first chapter—the one which maimed Michael, my fighter pilot hero. I thought it would be easy to create injuries in a pilot that would cause a double amputation. I was wrong. I talked to people who worked with planes in the Air Force and we toggled ideas back and forth but couldn’t come up with a possible solution. It wasn’t until a friend put me in contact with a Navy veteran who’d worked over twenty years on an air craft carrier that we came up with a situation that could be plausible.

Rachel: Oh that is interesting. I guess it's a good thing that it was hard to find that info...Must not happen very often I hope! BTW, I love Michael! I also LOVED learning about the women pilots!

What were your goals and intentions in All of You?

Sarah: I have read so many books where the character turns their back on God, mistrusts Him, blames Him, etc. because of a horrible event that happened in their lives. I get it and I think that does happen. In fact, I’ve known people with those experiences. But what about those who have tragedy knock on their door and instead of turning away from God, they turn toward Him? That with the same breath of asking Him why they also say even still, I will trust in You. I wanted to write a story with a character that struggled but remained faithful—one that I, and hopefully others, could personally relate to.

Rachel: Well, I for one can relate to this personally. I am so SO glad you went this direction!

How do you manage to write AND raise 2 small children? (Who are the epitome of cuteness by the way)

Sarah: So much grace. I fall short on both accounts—as a mother and as an author—but I thank God for His marvelous grace that covers us all. On a practical level, though, I’ve had to be flexible. I’ve written on my phone while rocking and nursing. Written during nap times and after bedtime. Currently what works is that I drop my oldest off at Kindergarten and take my youngest to the gym and drop her off at Child Watch while I head to the stationary bikes with my iPad. I pedal and type in my stinky, public, make-shift office. Lol. I know it’s strange, but it really works well for me.

Rachel: I love it. Hey, you gotta do what works right?

What is something that surprised you about the characters or storyline in All of You?

Sarah: I’ve had a couple people comment that they couldn’t figure out how the two story lines intersected until the end of the book. Well, there is a really good reason for that. I had no idea how they intersected. Well, I mean, I knew the connection but I didn’t know exactly how I was going to connect them. I think it all worked out in the end though, don’t you?

Rachel: YES! It flows beautifully! Like, I cried type of beautiful. I admit, I couldn't figure out just HOW they were going to connect either. The clues started coming and then I was like OHHHHHH!!!!!! LOVE!!!!!

What are you reading right now? What made you pick it up?

Goodreads | Amazon

Sarah: I just started reading The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin last night. I picked it up for two reasons. One, because I had heard such good things about the book, and two, because I had recently read my first book of hers, Together With You, and enjoyed it so much I wanted to read all the other books she’s written. 💙 I love binge reading new-to-me authors.

Rachel: Oh fun! I always WANT to binge read authors books...But at the same time I want to savor them. Because you can only read a book for the first time once...

Do you have a favorite snack, music, beverage, etc. you indulge in while writing?

Sarah: Since I write on an exercise bike, I only have water with me. Pretty boring answer, I know.

Rachel: Boring maybe, but healthy at least haha!

What writing advice do you have for pre-published authors?

Sarah: Do NOT get sucked into the comparison game. You will lose every time. There will always be another writer who wins the contest, creates more buzz among readers, is a marketing guru, can write better prose, etc. Their success does not negate your own stories or your ability. Focus on the story God gave you to write and write it to the best of your ability.

Rachel: YES!!! I love this! As a reader I can say it would be boring if all books had the same style, etc. We appreciate and LOVE YOU for your differences!

Before we go can you tell us about your current WIP?

Sarah: Sure! It is a contemporary romance inspired by the story of Esther. Here is the blurb:

Goodreads | Amazon

Hannah Pratt dreams of starting a school for the Bedouin clan she grew up with as a missionary kid, and finally her hopes are coming true. But shortly after she returns to the desert from her college years in the U.S., she discovers her parents have received threats from their Muslim neighbors. As the danger escalates, Hannah finds she’s in the middle of a battle no one seems to understand. She must decide to what lengths she'll go to stay faithful to the mission to which God has called her. Even if it costs her everything.

As sheikh, Karim Al-Amir feels the weight of responsibility as the leader of his people. When a mysterious illness ravishes the clan’s flocks and threatens to destroy their centuries-old way of life, locals believe the American doctors and their daughter, his childhood friend, Hannah, are to blame. Karim must do something to keep them safe—even if the only solution can be found within marriage vows.

In a society where the line is drawn between us and them, Christianity is outlawed, and foreigners are mistrusted, will their union heal wounds or inflict the final fatal blow?

Rachel: Ahhh! I can't wait to read this!!!! YAY!!!

Thank you so much for joining us today Sarah, it is always a pleasure chatting with you!

Sarah: Thank you for having me!

About the Book

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Author: Sarah Monzon

Book title: All of You

Release date: May 15, 2017

Genre:Dual-timeline/Contemporary Romance

Maryland, Present Day

Jacquelyn Rogers can rebuild anything…except the shambles of her past. A restorer of vintage planes, she’s worked hard to earn the reputation of being one of the guys. The last thing she needs is a former Navy pilot fighting his own inner demons stepping in to defend her from dangers she thought she’d outrun long ago. Some battles must be fought alone.

After a freak accident severs Lieutenant Michael “Finch” Carrington’s dreams, as well as two limbs, he’s left with nothing but a fragile faith and a duty-bound promise to watch out for his friend’s baby sister. A promise she insists is as unnecessary as it is unappreciated. But when she turns the tables and begins to weld together the broken parts of his life, it may be his heart that is in need of protection.

England, 1944

With the world at war yet again, Alice Galloway rejects her father’s traditional expectations and offers her piloting expertise to the Air Transport Auxiliary. She may be a woman in a man’s world, but when she overhears key intelligence, she must find the strength to transcend boundaries and her own fears. Or countless people may die.

Sometimes the past reaches forward to bring hope to the future.

About the Author

Sarah Monzon is a Navy chaplain’s wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. Playing pretend all day with them isn’t enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters. When she isn’t in the world of make believe, she can be found in the pine forests of western Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings.

Her debut novel, The Isaac Project, skyrocketed to Amazon bestseller status while her Sophomore book, Finders Keepers, won the 2017 Selah award for contemporary romance.