Tuesday, May 7, 2024

The Monsters Made Her Do It


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Pop the champagne, toss the rose petals, and give a standing ovation! It is debut day here on Jungle Red. We love love love debut authors, and we are so pleased to welcome Sarah Reida today!

 


She describes her new book, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH as “an adult debut dark comedy thriller.” SO great! Adult, check. Debut, love. Dark, perfect. Comedy? Yes, I read it, and it is hilarious. (Darkly hilarious.) Thriller. Yes, indeed. And it just got a STAR from Kirkus!

 

(Oh we interrupt this program for  BREAKING NEWS: Don’t forget the Reds and Readers Happy Hour Facebook LIVE at 5PM ET today! Join us on the Red and Readers page—and remember you have to join the group to join the fun. So click here.  And I will approve you instantly. Then come to Reds and Readers Facebook Page at 5PM Tuesday! ANd yesterdays winners from the Reds and Readers tests are Laurie Hernandez and Janice Harris. Message me!)


But right now, let's get the scoop from Sarah! And she reveals she had some unusual help for her wonderful debut novel. Monsters.

 

My Monsters Wrote My Book For Me

by Sarah Reida

 

As many writers know, it’s rough to write when the process is protracted. If you’re constantly pulled away to deal with something (like, I don’t know, literally wiping someone’s behind), the issue isn’t simply that it takes longer. The time you’re actually spending isn’t being spent well. You have to re-read what you’ve written before starting again. Get back into the flow.

 

No one knows this better than a mother. Gawd, I love my little monsters, but they sure are a demanding handful. (In fact, as I write this–at 9:22 PM on a Friday night–I’m ignoring thumps and screams from the floor above. Apparently, our nightly exorcism was unsuccessful).

 

Interestingly, however, my children are the reason my adult debut dark comedy thriller, Neighborhood Watch, came to be. I had this great idea–Desperate Housewives, only more stabby (which is totally a legitimate verb)­–but I only had a grand total of four and a half hours every day to write. And this is assuming that I could let my house go to filth and also put off my work duties.

 

Then, there was my attention span. This was a get-er-done-or-it’s-not-happening kind of situation. I felt that in my bones.

 

I’ve never written for grownups before. Before I had kids, I spent ten years on agented submissions to publishers with a series of middle grade books that didn’t sell. This was my first foray into this area, which was probably why I was able to write Neighborhood Watch without second-guessing myself. I didn’t expect too much of myself. I just had fun with it (and the awful, awful characters I created and then murdered).

 

So, by writing two short chapters a day–and by always having a definite stopping point–I finished a 320-page novel in two months. And, seven months after beginning the book, I had a traditional publishing deal.

 

It’s all because of the monsters. I never would have approached a project this way if not for them. I molded my writing process to fit into my schedule as a mother, and miracle of miracles, that’s how I finally got my traditional deal.

 

The best part is that now I can share this publishing experience with them. I can show them what it’s like to not give up on a dream. To have proof that something can come through when you least expect it.

 

This leads me to the question I have for the writing community of ladies: how do you balance it? Everyone has to, and everyone does it differently. They say there’s no wrong way–though the mommy guilt is real, and constant–so share your story in the comments!

 

FYI, a monster has wandered downstairs. Rather than lead him back to bed, I’ll take the photo op:


 


HANK: Awww.... Great question, Sarah! Not only how do you all balance, but what are the monsters that interrupt YOUR day?

And a copy of NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH to one lucky commenter!


 

Sarah Reida is an attorney who works with veteran businesses performing contracts with the federal government. While she was traditionally published once in the middle grade genre, Neighborhood Watch is her debut in the adult thriller genre. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews referred to this dark comedy thriller as “immersive and compelling.” Sarah and her husband Scott live in the Atlanta area with their small children and many rescue cats. Follow Sarah on Instagram here.




About Neighborhood Watch

 

A killer terrorizes the morally bankrupt residents of an upscale neighborhood, leading them to turn to—and on—one another to survive.

The neighborhood of Oleander Court is the poster child for suburban bliss. The residents compare lawns beautified by hired help. They monitor home values. They toss perfect furniture because they wanted tapioca, not beige.

But when a string of murders rips through the neighborhood, suspicions abound as new secrets come to light. And as more and more bodies are taken away, it becomes clear that the killer is strategically selecting each and every victim, picking off the shallowest, most wasteful of the lot in spectacular fashion and leaving everyone in the neighborhood to wonder: Who’s next?

While most of their neighbors scatter like well-dressed cockroaches, a small group of the neighborhood ladies team up to solve their local mystery and restore their once-peaceful lives. But is this ragtag collection of amateur sleuths truly a united front? With reputations, freedom, and personal sanity on the line, the ladies must unmask the killer . . . even if the killer is among them.


Links to Buy:

Amazon

 Barnes and Noble

72 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Sarah, on your debut book . . . how fortunate you are to have the monsters to help you :) . . . I think we've all had our issues with that balancing act . . . .
    "Neighborhood Watch" sounds intriguing and I'm looking forward to reading it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hank Phillippi RyanMay 7, 2024 at 9:28 AM

      She has the perfect attitude, right?

      Delete
    2. Thanks; they ARE helpful! (Though the other day, they did the alphabet in a series of pictures and "k" was killer so that was an oops moment).

      Delete
  2. Love this story, Sarah! Sounds like you had a great time writing this book, and also that is a wickedly fun read. I look forward to it.

    Sitting in the Delta terminal at Charles de Gaulle, waiting for the long flight home. Wish I could join you all for R&R, but probably not this time. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Safe travels from CDG, KAREN!

      Delete
    2. Hank Phillippi RyanMay 7, 2024 at 9:29 AM

      Safe travels! I hope you float home on wonderful memories!

      Delete
    3. Safe travels! The last time I traveled was with the monsters. And the Atlanta airport is HUGE!

      Delete
    4. Atlanta airport is SO huge...like Newark, and Ohare. Yeesh.

      Delete
  3. Maren C. TirabassiMay 7, 2024 at 6:06 AM

    Congratulations, Sarah. That is just wonderful! Just went on my list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hank Phillippi RyanMay 7, 2024 at 9:29 AM

      Desperate housewives only more, Stabby? Success !

      Delete
  4. Happy release day, Sarah! I'm in awe. Two chapters a day? Two months to complete a novel? All while carrying for your kids??? I feel like a slacker!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Annettee! And I'm cool with sharing that bonkers timeline (since I would typically find it obnoxious to hear, as a writer), because of the backdrop of ten years of rejection via agented submissions. And then there's the part about how once it was done, I didn't get to write for a year and a half.

      Delete
  5. I just ordered your debut book. Congratulations on finding your voice. Balance and harmony helps the work flow. Realizing that monsters do grow and leave the nest. If they are cats i.e. perpetual toddlers, finding writing during their down periods. Happily cats sleep more than people. Realizing you are living the dream, and allowing dreams to flow with the times. All they above helps me, hope that some of these helps you.

    With good fortune, see y'all at 5 PM .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks, Coralee! I truly appreciate all the support here. And I would have responded earlier, but I had a child projectile vomiting last night (and we also got a foster dog!), so duty calls. . . .

      Delete
  6. Cathy Akers-JordanMay 7, 2024 at 7:05 AM

    I love your description, Sarah! “ Desperate Housewives, only more stabby.” LOL. I’m looking forward to reading it.

    Wow, I’m impressed with your ability to write when you have small kids. Finishing a book and getting a traditional publisher, especially under those circumstances, is inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, it's funny, because there's still that element of mommy guilt–when I'd talk about it coming out and people would ask how I had time to write with kids, I felt like the undertone was "how do you write and NOT be negligent as a mother??" And that question could completely be innocuous. As women, we're constantly judging ourselves.

      Delete
    2. Yes, I think that's hard ot ignore--BUT they are thinking more about themselves than they are thinking of you, right? Less of how can YOU do that and more like "I could not do that." Less critical and more envious.

      Delete
  7. That's a pretty cheerful monster, Sarah! Congrats on keeping all those balls in the air and coming out a winner on all fronts! I could use some dark humor--I'm feeling fairly stabby myself these days! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thanks! With this one, I was reading thrillers and getting nightmares and I was thinking, I'm going to Scary Movie is up in here!

      Delete
  8. Way to go, Sarah! I too can write a first draft in two months, but my monsters are now in their thirties and one has a monster of his own. Writing is all I do. I wrote three-quarters of my first mystery when the younger one went off to kindergarten, but when I rejoined the paid work force, no way could I finish it along with raising them and working full time. Took me another 16 years.

    Your book sounds fabulous - I love the sound of the dark suburb. So many congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! The dark suburb was fun. And the two months is an anomaly; that is NOT my experience on this next one. I still don't know how NW happened–I think the universe was just giving me a break on the ten years prior.

      Delete
  9. Congratulations, Sarah! I love your description of your monsters and the story behind the story. I have met people like the ones in your book, at least on the surface. But usually, when you scratch that surface, there is a real human with real hopes and fears beneath it., so rarely one who needs killing! LOL
    However, there is a certain amount of mirth when examining others' foibles. Your book sounds delicious! We know that Hank loves a twisty thriller and she never steers us wrong. All the best!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you! ANd this one has laugh out loud moments among the stabbies.

      Delete
    2. Thank you! My favorite might be Soon-Li's secret . . . .

      Delete
  10. SARAH: Congratulations on your debut novel! The glimpse into your novel reminded me a bit of a storyline from a tv crime show where there was a serial killer targeting abused wives, making it look like the abusive husbands were the killers!

    What are the Monsters that interrupt my day? When I was a young child, I had a classmate who always talked about monsters as if they really existed and I had this image of monsters from Science Fiction movies.

    In reality, the "monsters" can range from organization issues to other issues? Who knows.

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the most part, my monsters are currently tiny enough to control. But I'm 5'7" and my husband is 6'5" so they're going to be HUGE, and SOON. (Oh, I can't bear to think of out).

      Delete
  11. Neighborhood Watch sounds like a great read! Adding it to my goodreads. I have no advice for carving out your writing time. I spent many years just bouncing from one thing to another like a pinball while raising my 3 kids.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This sounds so entertaining! I'll have to watch for it. And I love the story of your "little monsters" and how the book came to be.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I was hoping I could pull the same thing off with Book #2 but NW was so linear and the plot line so simple that it's proving to be an anomaly.

      Delete
  13. Hi, Sarah! I love the premise of NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH and look forward to snagging a copy.~Emily Dame

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congratulations, Sarah. Neighborhood Watch sounds great! I love anything with dark humor. Those early parenting years are so busy! I really admire your discipline.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So agree--you really have to make a promise to yourself. NO matter what your monsters are.

      Delete
  15. Congratulations, Sarah. I had to wait until my monsters were grown before attempting to write. Now it's just the day-job that demands my time - all but one hour a day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If that's how it works, that's how it works!

      Delete
    2. It's rough, having kids and trying to be creative. I got a starred review in Kirkus and, reading the review while dead tired, had to look up a word because I thought it was a typo. Then I realized my brain was simply broken and couldn't process three-dollar words (this one was "tony;" that word is actually really rare, but yeah.).

      Delete
  16. SARAH: Kudos to you for finding time to write your debut adult thriller. Writing 2 chapters a day & a first draft in 2 months is a lot, especially while juggling little monster care, and your day job as an attorney (in bio).

    Looking forward to reading what happens in Oleander Court!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Congratulations Sarah! Neighborhood Watch sounds intriguing and unique. The little ones grow up so quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Like Desperate Housewives, only more stabby! Who could resist.

    My hat is off to you for writing two chapters a day. And for managing to carve 4.5 hours out of your day to write! Kudos.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I don't have many interruptions to my days, since I don't have any little ones in the house. Congratulations on your new release. I'm looking forward to reading "Neighborhood Watch" sounds like a great book. Adding to my TBR list.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ooh cannot wait to read this...congratulations...cookie cutter suburbia is a great setting for murder!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi Sarah, sounds like a great read, can't wait.
    Oleanders are a popular small tree or large bush in our area. They are toxic. Is there a reason the street is Oleander St? LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anon, I was thinking the same thing! — Pat S

      Delete
    2. Hank Phillippi RyanMay 7, 2024 at 10:34 PM

      Ohhhhh better read it!

      Delete
  22. Congratulations on your debut, Sarah! I started writing once the kids were grown and gone-I've been working on one novel for about 7 years. But I couldn't find the time and energy to truly write until I retired. I can't imagine how you managed to write that much so quickly with little ones and working. You must have amazing time management skills!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hank Phillippi RyanMay 7, 2024 at 10:35 PM

      We each have our own timetable!

      Delete
  23. I love the description of your book, Sarah! My kind of book. Mayhem and chaos in a pickyass neighborhood that I could never live in! In one neighborhood I lived in years ago we used to kid about planting oleanders for the feral children running around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hank Phillippi RyanMay 7, 2024 at 10:36 PM

      Whoa! That’s a plot!

      Delete
  24. Congratulations and happy Release Day, Sarah! Your book sounds wonderful. I remember the Monster years, and can’t imagine accomplishing what you have done. I’m an artist, but I waited to paint until my 5 fledglings flew the nest. Your book sounds wonderful, and I’ll be reading it!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congratulations on your wonderful debut, Sarah! You had me at "stabby!" And your little monster is adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Congratulations, Sarah! On the debut AND that star in Kirkus! What ARE the monsters that interrupt my day. Once upon a time it was the kiddoes but I can no longer blame it on them. Sometimes the more pressed you are for time, the more you get done.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Great news about your debut, Sarah. I didn't start writing crime novels until a month after my son left for college; the work was intended to fight my empty-nest blues. I've had the great luxury of being able to write fiction full-time. Believe me, I know how lucky I am.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Congrats to you! I started writing when the youngest left for college. I pound my keyboard at the kitchen table, so I can open the deck door for my two standard poodles without leaving my chair.

    ReplyDelete
  29. My daughter in law is an award winning, published author, Evelyn Silver.
    She wrote the first book in the trilogy (and possibly the second) on her phone while breast feeding her infant!
    I don't know how any of you do it!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sarah, along with many others, the Desperate Housewives and “stabby” caught my eye. What really sold it is the humor. I really enjoy a book with humor in it along with a great plot. Congratulations on your debut/book birthday! Adding it to my TBR right now!

    Reds, while I love watching you live, I unfortunately have an appointment right during your “show”. I’ll catch you on tape and hope you all have fun! — Pat S

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Pat, it was so much fun--and we will do it again soon! xxx

      Delete
  31. I loved Desperate Housewives. So, Neighborhood Watch is right up my alley and I will add it to my TBR list! Sarah you have adorable monsters. What I find now that I am retired is that I am busier than ever with all of my other pursuits and that I need absolute quiet to get anything done. So, most days I wait until my husband has gone to bed and then I have a solid two hours where I really pump out what I need to do. He was off recording two segments for his local TV show this afternoon and that gave me over three hours to get some words on paper for a proposal that I was writing. Although my husband is not a little monster, once his being is in the vicinity, my brain just can't focus!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I find that I can't write around the monsters AT ALL, partially due to mommy guilt, and partially due to MOMMY WIPE ME HE'S HITTING ME I WANT I WANT I WANT!!!! And I know I'm going to miss it all soon.

      Delete
  32. I'll never forget my grandmother saying "You just do it" when I asked her how she raised my mom and her 5 siblings! I somehow managed to raise 2 kids and work as a special education teacher. I am retired now and have a lot more time to read!

    ReplyDelete