Interview: Aubrey Mace and Sarah M. Eden

Ladies and Gentleman! Meet Whitney Award Winner Aubrey Mace and Whitney Award Finalist Sarah M. Eden, the controversy being, will we always hate our competitors? That's right, these two ladies competed in the same category in 2008, the category for Best Romance. So please welcome these two hilarious women and enjoy an interview with both!

-Friend or foe-

Mary: How in the heck did you guys actually end up being friends when you were both competitors for the Whitney in Romance? You HAD to have hated each other at the beginning.

Aubrey: We sent each other emails about the other's book on the exact same day. We have a strange psychic connection, Sarah and I.

Mary: That's awesome that you guys read each other's work.

Sarah: Gotta know the competition... er, um... the fellow authors in the industry. And I, actually, predicted her win. Someone asked me a couple days before the banquet who I thought would win and said it would be Aubrey. Aubrey was the brave one and approached me. We'd been eying each other from within the protective cocoons we live in.

Aubrey: I was so nervous, but I HAD to get Sarah's autograph. Because I knew that she was going to win and then I could sell my copy on Ebay.

Sarah: Hmm. So obviously you didn't notice that I signed it "William Shakespeare"

Aubrey: Oh, I noticed. That should make it worth even more, being signed by a dead playwright. Right?

-Strengths of the enemy-

Mary: Sarah, in your opinion, what is Aubrey's biggest strength as an author?

Sarah: I love that her characters are so "real." They have quirks and flaws, but you still like them. I can't stand it when you read a book and the characters are perfect. Who can relate to that?

Aubrey: Awww. You like me because I'm flawed.

Sarah: Your flaws make my flaws more acceptable.

Mary: Use that line, Sarah. Your hero should definitely say it in one of your books.

Sarah: Oooh. I will.

Mary: I completely agree--I said the same thing in my review. Aubrey, what about Sarah? Does she have any strengths? Haha!

Aubrey: Once I start one of Sarah's books, I know that I'm not going to get anything else done until it's finished. She creates romances where you're practically squealing with delight by the time they finally figure out they were meant for each other.

Mary: Yes! Like when Adam touched Persephone for the first time! By eyes bugged out triple their usual size!

Sarah: That was such a tricky scene to set up and play out because Adam is such a complete punk at that point. I love highly confused characters!!

Aubrey: Ah, but the anticipation only makes it that much better. Adam really was a nice bloke...but he sure took his sweet time getting around to it.

-Aubrey’s experience-

Mary: Aubrey, is Romance your favorite genre to write?

Aubrey: I would have to say romance is my favorite. Although, My Fairy Grandmother was technically my favorite book.

Mary: You felt it was better than Spare Change?

Aubrey: Ummm, in a different way. It's not really fair to compare them I guess because they're such different stories. There was a lot of me in Spare Change and it was my first book, so it will always have a tender spot in my heart. But there's just something magical about My Fairy Grandmother.

Mary: Of which I definitely need to read.

Mary: So did you sign with Cedar Fort for all of your books?

Aubrey: Cedar Fort has done my first three books, and until I write something they don't like, I can't see that changing.

Mary: You must have been stoked to sign with them. Do you mind sharing how you got to that point?

Aubrey: I was totally floored when they sent me that first contract. I had just gotten home from Disneyland and I had the day off, but the rest of my family all had to work. So I was checking my email, and there it was! I didn't want to tell anyone over the phone, so I had a whole day alone with my secret.

Mary: I'm impressed you didn't tell anyone for a day! Most people submit countless times before finding a publisher. Did it take you a while to find them, or were they at the beginning of your hunt for publication?

Aubrey: I submitted to four or five other publishers before I tried Cedar Fort. And I sent them a different novel before I sent them Spare Change. They liked my writing, but not the book, so they told me to send them something else.

-Sarah’s experience-

Mary: Sarah, you've written how many books? Eleven? Twelve? Thirty-five?

Aubrey: One hundred and twelve, isn't it, Sarah? I've only read three. I need to get back on Amazon and order some more.

Sarah: I have 9 titles currently available. A 10th that should be out by the end of the year. An 11th that Covenant will be publishing Fall of 2010.

Mary: So how about your journey, Sarah. Did you try submitting elsewhere or did you prefer self publishing?

Sarah: I did a run of submissions in 2007 in which I received a great deal of form rejections. You know the type: "Dear (please fill in your name here). Thank you for your submission. We aren't interested. Ever."

Aubrey: The form rejection letters on a half sheet of paper were my favorite. It's like, you hate me so much you can't even waste a whole sheet of paper on me?

Sarah: After that blow to the ego and the 20 lbs I put on in pure, unadulterated ice cream, I decided to self-publish my first book.

Mary: But Sarah, you went to EXTREMES with the self publishing.

Sarah: I liked self-publishing. And no self-publisher has ever cruelly rejected me.

Mary: David J. West told me the LDS Storymakers were even so impressed by you that they had you teach a class.

Sarah: Yep. I taught a self-publishing class at the 09 Storymakers conference.

Mary: So what do you like about it?

Sarah: Um. Did I mention the no rejection thing? 'Cause that's a big one. I like having control over the end product. I also hate having control over the end product--a lot pressure there. For me, though, self-publishing was always a step in the journey, not the destination.

Aubrey: I almost went the self-publishing route with my first novel, but I don't think I'm brave enough for the control over the end product bit.

Mary: I'm going to sound extremely cheesy by saying this, but did you feel like it was sort of a calling, like you knew writing was what you really wanted to do?

Sarah: I was just really sick of the voices in my head. They are quieter when I write down what they're saying.

Aubrey: And writing is much cheaper than medication.

-Getting the Writing Done-

Mary: Sarah, you hooked up a keyboard to your elliptical????

Sarah: *snorts in amused/slightly embarrassed laughter*

Aubrey: Did you seriously do that?!

Mary: I read that in your other interview and told a friend about that today! That's just about the coolest thing I've ever heard!

Aubrey: You are my hero!

Sarah: The contraption you are referencing is an ingenious little device which places my keyboard at just the right height and in just the right place that if I turn the eliptical machine at just the right angle, I can trim down my books and my backside at the same time.

Sarah: I'm thinking of filming an infomercial.

Aubrey: As soon as you start marketing those, I'll be the first to buy!

Mary: I know you said no photos, but really, I think you should rethink that.

Aubrey: Writer's block is a really good excuse to eat, and my treadmill has been missing me lately.

-What does it take?-

Mary: I read that successful writers are made of three parts. Talent, luck, and hard work. What percentages are you?

Sarah: Talent 100%. Luck 100%. Hard Work 100%. Math skills 0%.

Aubrey: 15% talent, 65% luck, 45% hard work. Wait...that's not right. It really is a lot of work, but I think my vision is a little skewed since I've been slacking off lately.

Mary: Man, you're hard on yourself, Aubrey. Only 15% on talent???

Aubrey: Seriously, I don't see myself as an exceptional writer. I read A LOT and I know the quality of stuff that's out there and how far I have to go. But I do love it. I don't know why anyone would put up with the ups and downs if they didn't.

Sarah: Okay, Aubrey. Hand over the Whitney. So I can hit you over the head with it. You do not give yourself enough credit!

Mary: NO KIDDING

Aubrey: Lol. I've always been my own worst critic.

Sarah: Honestly, I think Hard Work is the most important. If you're talented but lazy, nothing's gonna work out. And I think luck is what we make it. If you're doing the work and putting in the time, then you'll be ready for the opportunities when they come.

Mary: You treat writing like a job, right?

Sarah: Absolutely. But a really cool job.

Mary: A job you're insanely in love with. Do youwrite when you're angry? Does it become bad writing? Or is it always cathartic?

Sarah: Writing, for me, is a very emotional undertaking. If I'm angry, the writing tends to be angry. And vice-versa. Sometimes I need decompressing time.

Aubrey: It's funny, but when I'm angry or sad or something, I would never think to write. Maybe I should. (Laugh snort)

Mary: Ha! I love the different personalities. So for you, Aubrey, it's a happy thing to do.

Aubrey: I've never really thought of it that way, but I suppose writing must be a happy thing for me. I can almost tell when I sit down from the mood I'm in whether I'm going to be productive or not.

Sarah: After I lost the Whitney to this redhead in really cute heels, I wrote really depressing stuff for weeks! Before the awards banquet my 8-year old prayed that I would get "At least 3rd place." Way to shoot for the stars, honey!

Mary: hahaha. That's a really cute prayer.

Aubrey: Sarah, I can't wait to meet your kids. Seriously.

-Hidden Messages-

Mary: K. Last question. Are your writings purely for entertainment purposes or do you hope that maybe in some indirect way your books might have a missionary impact?

Or not even missionary, but helping others draw closer to Christ via goodness.

Aubrey: My books are fairly fluffy, but they all have little messages embedded in them. I really like the idea that little, obscure people can do big things.

Mary: Ah, hence the pennies in Spare Change.

Sarah: I would hope that people would want to be better, or at least not be as stupid as some of my characters. Does that count?

Mary: Definitely.

Mary: I just want to say that it was so great to read incredibly entertaining fiction that I could be proud to share that I'd read and not feel guilty!

Aubrey: Who wants ice cream? I'm buying.