Sariah Wilson Interview - Roommaid ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Sariah Wilson

Sariah Wilson is a passionate believer in happily-ever-afters who lives in Utah with her own soul mate, their four children and the two family cats. In addition to ROOMMAID (October 1, 2020; Montlake), her belief in true love has inspired several bestselling romance series, including End of the Line (THE FRIEND ZONE, JUST A BOYFRIEND); Lovestruck (#STARSTRUCK, #MOONSTRUCK, #AWESTRUCK); Ugly Stepsisters (THE UGLY STEPSISTER STRIKES BACK; PROMPOSAL), Royals of Monterra (ROYAL DATE, ROYAL CHASE, ROYAL GAMES, ROYAL DESIGN), and many standalone novels. You can connect with her online at www.sariahwilson.com

What inspired you to pen your first novel?
My oldest son was diagnosed with autism and the therapies he needed weren’t covered by insurance. There was no way for us to afford it. I prayed and thought about what I could do and the answer that came to me was to write a book. So I did.

Tell us your latest news.
My newest release, ROOMMAID, has just come out! It’s been topping the Amazon bestseller charts for the past month as part of the First Reads program. It’s been a really thrilling time for me!

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
I think the biggest thing that has influenced my writing is a lifelong love of reading. I read in just about every genre. My parents also loved books and reading, and as a result I grew up reading their favorites. Fantasy for my dad, and romance for my mom. She even used to get a monthly Harlequin subscription. Those books made me realize how important a happily ever after was and so it’s what I write now.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Being included in Amazon’s First Reads program was pretty rewarding! But I think the most amazing experience so far was when I got my contract with Montlake Romance. I was one of the first ten winners of the Amazon Kindle Scout program and the woman leading the program asked me why I had entered. I had told her that my dream was to work with Montlake someday. She arranged a phone call with the lead editor and I thought it was a foot in the door type of situation. Instead, they offered me a two-book contract on the spot! I was in total shock. But it was a life changing moment.

What do you hope for readers to be thinking when they read your novel?
My number one goal is to lighten people’s loads. I had a special needs sister who died when I was a senior in high school. We were all devastated, my mom most especially. She watched a lot of movies and read a lot of books during that time period, explaining that for an hour or two she got to forget the crushing pain of her loss. I want to do that for other people. I want to create a world you can get lost in, one that makes you laugh and sigh and swoon and generally eases your hardships for a few hours.

In your new book; ROOMMAID, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it.
This is a riches to rags story about a former heiress, Madison Huntington, who has thrown off her parents’ demands and expectations to forge her own path and live out her dream—to be a teacher. Problem is, she’s never had to live on so little money before and can’t afford her own place. Enter Tyler Roth, who offers to let her live in the extra bedroom in his penthouse apartment if she’ll agree to do a little light cleaning and take care of his anxiety-stricken dog. She says yes, even though she’s never done either thing before. Tyler also has one rule—he won’t date someone he lives with. Problem is, Tyler’s sort of irresistible and Madison can’t help but fall for him.

What part of Madison did you enjoy writing the most?
I adore her as a character; I loved writing her drive and desire to succeed on her own merits rather than rest on her family’s laurels. She could have had an easy life but choses to do things on her terms. She’s also funny and self-deprecating and a great friend (and teacher!).

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I’ve already chosen characters to introduce to each other in a sort of mini-crossover. It’s for my book that will be out next April called THE SEAT FILLER and characters from a previous book (#STARSTRUCK) make a big appearance.

TEN RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I skipped first grade and went off to college having just turned 17. My father also skipped a grade and my 11-year-old son recently skipped fifth grade.
2. I’ve met some of favorite celebrities including Justin Baldoni (I got a tour of Jane the Virgin!) and Adam Driver.
3. I’ve pet a dolphin at Sea World in Florida.
4. I’m very tired of men writing movies/TV shows and massively ruining the endings (see also: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Game of Thrones, The 100, etc.)
5. I would easily survive a zombie apocalypse. Don’t ask me how.
6. Pets I have owned include: Cats, a garden snake, fish, a hedgehog, hamsters, snapping turtles, bunnies, and a frog (not all at the same time). However, I’ve never owned a dog.
7. I am double jointed in my fingers.
8. I spent my father’s coin collection on the ice cream truck when I was in elementary school.
9. Two of my children were over twelve pounds (yes, twelve) when they were born (12 lbs 11 oz and 12 lbs 2 oz) and I did not have gestational diabetes.
10. I currently have Ashley Iaconetti Haibon’s phone number (she’s from The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise) and sometimes we text.

What’s the most ridiculous fact you know?
A group of rhinos is called a crash.

What according to you is your most treasured possession?
Currently? It is probably the Vanity Fair magazine featuring Kylo Ren that Adam Driver signed for me when I met him.

Best date you've ever had?
My first date with my husband. It was just watching movies at his house, but the previous day we’d stayed up all night talking on the phone. I’d never felt such an instant connection with someone before!

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
I think I wouldn’t mind having a “Peggy Sue Got Married” moment and going back to high school knowing what I know now. But that might change my current life, and I’d never want to do that!

If you wrote a journal entry today, what would it say?
“Still procrastinating doing the work I’m supposed to do.”

What event in your life would make a good movie?
I think my oldest son overcoming his autism diagnosis and becoming an incredible man and all the things he’s accomplished would make a great movie. He became an honors student, an Eagle scout, a varsity football player—he did things that the doctors told us he would never do. And he got married two months ago.

What was the best memory you ever had as a writer?
It was probably writing the ending of my book, ONCE UPON A TIME TRAVEL. It was a book I’d wanted to write for ten years and I just kept thinking about the story and the plot and the dialogue and making notes about it. So when I found a publisher who wanted it and finally got to write it—I’ve never experienced as much joy writing as I did writing that book. It was sheer delight from beginning to end.

From bestselling author Sariah Wilson comes a charming romance about living your life one dream at a time.

Madison Huntington is determined to live her dreams. That means getting out from under her family’s wealth and influence by saying no to the family business, her allowance, and her home. But on a teacher’s salary, the real world comes as a rude awakening—especially when she wakes up every morning on a colleague’s couch. To get a place of her own (without cockroaches, mold, or crime scene tape), Madison accepts a position as a roommaid. In exchange for free room and board, all she needs to do is keep her busy roommate’s penthouse clean and his dog company. So what if she’s never washed a dish in her life. She can figure this out, right?

Madison is pretty confident she can fake it well enough that Tyler Roth will never know the difference. The finance whiz is rich and privileged and navigates the same social circles as her parents—but to him she’s just a teacher in need of an apartment. He’s everything Madison has run from, but his kindhearted nature, stomach-fluttering smile, and unexpected insecurities only make her want to get closer. And Tyler is warming to the move.

Rewarding job. Perfect guy. Great future. With everything so right, what could go wrong? Madison is about to find out.

You can purchase Roommaid at the following Retailers: