The adventurous journey of Kaye and Samuel continues! Congratulations to our friend, Sarah Latchaw on the release of her 2nd novel, Skygods, which happens to be the sequel to Hydraulic Level 5!
Synopsis
Kaye Trilby and her ex-husband, world-famous author Samuel Cabral, vowed to fight for their rekindled love in rain or shine. They didn’t realize they’d be caught in a deluge so quickly.
A near-fatal skydiving accident shows Kaye how her reckless behavior affects the ones she loves. But while she knows Samuel is afraid to lose her again, she isn’t ready to give up the thrill of the wild backcountry.
Something darker is slipping into Samuel’s mind, though. Just as all of Hollywood is bracing for his blockbuster book-to-movie adaptation, his polish seems to be deteriorating. When he appears on Kaye’s doorstep late one night in a rumpled tuxedo, erratic and agitated, it seems that romance with her ex might be her biggest leap yet. A string of failed relationships has pushed Samuel to the brink, the fall-out leaving him in a dark place—a place where Kaye is powerless to help him. She is reluctantly drawn back into Samuel’s glittering and backbiting world of celebrity, all the while clinging to the steadfast peaks of home.
Can Kaye risk her heart with Samuel a second time? Will they ever find their blue skies?
Wishing author, Sarah Latchaw, the best of luck with her newest book! And wishing YOU luck if you decide to enter this awesome giveaway contest! It’s chock full of great prizes!!!
You can download your Kindle copy of Skygods via Amazon TODAY and, if you’ve yet to read Hydraulic Level 5, HOT TIP, get it on it now, while it is only 99 cents!
We revealed the cover of Hydraulic Level Five here and provided a thorough review here. We’re so glad to be back with an interview with the story’s author, Sarah Latchaw, and appreciative that she reached out to us to offer up more of her time!
We hope you’ll enjoy the interview as much as we did!
1. Kitt always wants to know… How did you celebrate when you got the news that HL5 would be published?
This is a funny story. I actually found out I was expecting around the time we were finalizing a contract. Hubs, dear son and I were in New Orleans at the time, and I had horrible morning sickness. So I spent the entire week watching my guys eat at these fabulous restaurants in the French Quarter while I choked down bread and prenatal vitamins. I had a celebratory pack of crackers and a ginger ale! The craziest instance was emailing Omnific right after we signed and telling them, “oh by the way, I’ll be having a baby right around the time we want to release the book.” They were extremely understanding and happy for me, though, and adjusted the date accordingly. (A/N: Belated congrats!)
2. Lisa always wants to know… Is there any significance to the names you chose for the main characters?
Aspen Kaye Trilby: Aspens abound in Colorado, these delicate but hardy mountain trees. I wanted Kaye to have a hippie-ish first name as a reflection of Tom and Gail’s parenting style—something from which she tries to distance herself. Her first name is endearing to Samuel, but Kaye dislikes it. It’s also a reminder that Kaye is Samuel’s home—his “Colorado roots”.
I wanted to give Samuel Caulfield Cabral a name that reflects both of his heritages—the English and the Hispanic. Outside of the United States, Latin countries use two surnames: usually a paternal and a maternal. For Samuel, his parents’ “legacy” hangs over his head. His eventual use of both names when publishing his books represents his acceptance of who he is and where he comes from. He cannot reject what is in his genes, so he has learned to live with it.
3. How much input did you have in the cover?
Omnific has the final say on a cover, but they were very considerate of my thoughts and opinions, and involved me in the design process. I am no designer—you wouldn’t want me producing a cover! And what they gave us is lovely and crisp, and insightful. The water looks like glass or crystal, and is meant to represent a single moment or drop in time—that one instance in which everything changes.
4. Do you have favorite authors and/or books that have inspired you?
I read all the time, and just about anything. Of course I enjoy romances as long as they have a good plot and decent writing. Stories that I can connect with emotionally—stories about redemption, forgiveness, love—if they really grab me, I’ll buy a hard copy for my bookshelf.
Jane Eyre is probably my most-loved book. Growing up, my favorite book was the moving Christy by Catherine Marshall and Anne of Green Gables—they still hold a special place in my heart (that, and the Babysitters’ Club!). I enjoy allegory like Calvino’s Invisible Cities—interpreting its meaning is like piecing together a complicated puzzle. I love plot-heavy women’s lit, travel writing like Bruce Chatwin’s In Patagonia, creative nonfiction such as Daughters of Britannia and Devil in a White City. There’s Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe (in small doses—anything larger is depressing), The Phantom of the Opera. Yep, just about anything!
5. What previous writing experience did you have? Did you always want to write, or was this a new venture for you?
My first foray into creative writing was actually Phantom of the Opera fanfiction. I found out I was a decent creative writer but needed to learn technique, so I decided to study it in grad school. My thesis was a collection of travel writing vignettes and poems set in Israel and Palestine in 2000, the year before 9/11. In addition to fiction writing, I freelance and have written about a ton of different topics, from summer camp to WWII vets to Smithsonian travels. It keeps me well-rounded.
6. Regarding the story, have you had the chance to experience any of the extreme sports that you’ve written into the story?
We don’t get a lot of extreme sports in Iowa, but I’ve had a chance to do some things here and there. One specific scene based in real life is the whitewater trip in the opening chapter. My sister (who lives in Colorado) and I rafted Glenwood Canyon with the guys in early May, just as the mountain snow was making its way into the Colorado River. It was crazy cold with wild rapids. Em and I actually ducked out at the Shoshone stretch and let the insane men tackle the rapids. We walked along the bank and watched with horror as their kayak was swamped. My sister’s now-husband didn’t surface for a long time; it was scary. My brother-in-law and I did try to surf a hydraulic in a play park. It overturned our kayak, and the coldness of the water knocked the breath right out of my chest, even with wetsuits.
7. According to your website, there will be a sequel called Skygods! Can you give us a hint as to what direction the story will take?
Sure! The second book delves deeper into mystery of Samuel’s life in the years after he left Kaye for New York. It also explores his unalterable realities, and whether he and Kaye can make a go of it. Kaye tries to be strong, but she has some real hang-ups of her own.
8. If you sold the movie rights to your book, who could you see in the roles of Kaye and Samuel?
Oh fun! I had a hard time finding a good fit for Kaye. She’s on the short side, has a lot of freckles and curly hair, which you don’t see a lot of in Hollywood. The closest resemblance would probably be Kristen Bell or a blonde Natalya Rudakova (except she’s 5’10”). Maybe your readers can help me find my Kaye.
Samuel is Gael Garcia Bernal, no doubt. I came across some clean-cut photos of him and I thought—holy cow, this is how I pictured Samuel as I was writing him!
He has these gorgeous angles, but sensitivity in his eyes and mouth. He’d be a tad old to play Samuel now, but meh. He could be both the enigmatic writer and the boy next door. (A/N: We agree!)
9. Are you working on any new projects you can share with us?
Right now I’m in the thick of edits for Skygods. I have three brand new books plotted—part of a women’s lit/romance series I’d like to do with my beautiful home state of Iowa as a backdrop. I was listening to Dar Williams’ song “Iowa” and thought, I’ve really got to turn this into a novel. I’m also debating whether to continue Kaye and Samuel’s story in a third book—not being coy, I really haven’t decided yet. An answer will probably come to me when I’m finishing up Skygods. (A/N: We’re practically neighbors! But as a born-and-raised Illinois fan, we may not be able to be friends. lol -Lisa)
10. The cover reveal for Hydraulic Level Five is one of our most popular posts to date. It’s clear you have a loyal following, including us. Do you have any book signings/appearances coming up so fans can get out and meet you?
Nothing is set in stone, but we’re looking into a couple of appearances, possibly Colorado ;). Unlike poor Samuel, I’m sure I won’t have a riot on my hands! If I have any events to share, they’ll be on my Facebook page: Author Sarah Latchaw, and my website: sarahlatchaw.com. I also frequent twitter @sarahlatchaw, so look for me there!
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR
Speaking of Colorado, the small town of Lyons, the hometown of Hydraulic Level Five, has been devastated by recent flooding. The author is working with Omnific to help raise money for relief efforts:
It is difficult to do nothing. That’s why, this weekend, Omnific Publishing has generously agreed to give 50 percent of all Hydraulic Level Five proceeds to help with the Front Range flood recovery effort. Saturday, Sept 14—Sunday, Sept 15, for every book purchased, HALF will go to the Foothills United Way Flood Relief fund.
Please pass the word. Please share with a friend, or two, or ten. Give to the Foothills United Way. Let’s let the towns afflicted by this devastation know we’re behind them!
Thanks again to Sarah. We wish her continued success with her first novel and look forward to the sequel! And thank YOU for joining us in supporting Sarah and the relief efforts in Colorado.
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