Meet the Author Monday: Sarah Rodi

It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience, and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Sarah Rodi, author of One Night With Her Viking Warrior.

About Sarah Rodi:

Sarah Rodi has always been a hopeless romantic. She grew up watching old, romantic movies recommended by her grandad, or devouring love stories from the local library. Sarah lives in the village of Cookham in Berkshire, where she enjoys walking along the River Thames with her husband, her two daughters and their dog. She has been a magazine journalist for over 20 years, but it has been her lifelong dream to write romance for Mills & Boon. Sarah believes everyone deserves to find their happy ever after. You can contact her via @sarahrodiedits or sarahrodiedits@gmail.com. Or visit her website at sarahrodi.com

About One Night With Her Viking Warrior:

A dramatic Viking reunion romance.

Her forbidden love 

Is back to claim her!

Once, Lady Rebekah shared a life-changing night with stable hand Rædan, but he disappeared the morning after. Now she’s consort to a cruel Saxon lord, and when Northmen lay siege to Ryestone Keep, Rebekah’s shocked to see Rædan leading the charge! This Viking warrior is not the man she remembers…and yet she finds herself drawn to him again. Taken as his hostage, Rebekah must decide—can she trust him with her life…and her dangerous secret? 

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Author Interview with Sarah Rodi:

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1. How many books have you written? Which is your favourite?

I am currently working on my fifth book for Harlequin/Mills & Boon Historical. The Viking’s Stolen Princess is special to me as it was my first. It made my dream come true – to be an author for Mills & Boon. It was also nominated for a Holt Medallion for Best First Book, which I was rather proud of. However, my second, Escaping With Her Saxon Enemy, was an emotional roller coaster and found the characters hard to leave behind. This is my third book, One Night With Her Viking Warrior. I think your latest book is always your favourite…  I loved creating these characters – Rebekah is beautiful yet strong, and Raedan is a true warrior yet kind and compassionate – and despite all they have endured, they still care deeply for one another and deserve that chance of finding their happy ever after. 

2. What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

To give you a bit of story background… When her parents are killed at the hands of Danish raiders, a young Saxon girl, Rebekah, becomes the ward of her powerful uncle Cynerik. Alone at the fortress of Ryestone Keep, Rebekah’s only pleasure is riding, until she falls in love with a stable boy, regardless of his lack of status. However, her uncle wishes her to marry his son, Atol, a cold and corrupt young man. Envious of Rebekah’s relationship with Rædan, Atol seizes him and does the unthinkable… Eight years later, a fleet of Danish ships sails up the river and lays siege to the fortress of Ryestone. The leader of the Northmen is instantly recognisable to Rebekah even though he is much changed. Rædan is back for revenge on those who destroyed his life. Seeing Rebekah at his enemy’s side, and with a daughter too, his anger – and attraction – burns. The Saxons offer the Vikings gold and silver to leave their lands, but Rædan demands something much more valuable – one night with Lady Rebekah…  

Writing about Rædan’s experience of slavery meant I had to do quite a bit of research and it was also emotional to get his feelings down on the page. I hope I’ve done it justice.

3. What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

My historical romances are stories based in the Viking times of the 9th century. I live in Cookham, a village on the Thames in Berkshire, and in the 8th century, the river here divided the territories of Mercia and Wessex. Cookham was built around a Saxon monastery and many names in the area are still linked to the Vikings, after they rowed up the river in 870. Now many of our family holidays are based around a different ‘Viking’ location in the UK. Places I’ve visited for research include Sutton Hoo in Suffolk or Viking Bay in Kent, the Jorvik Viking Centre in York and the Holy Island in Northumberland, where the Vikings first invaded England. Imagining how the people must have felt seeing those longships coming across the sea to attack them has inspired many a scene in my books. In fact, One Night With her Viking Warrior begins with the Vikings raiding a Saxon fortress (inspired by Bamburgh Castle). 

4. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I have become really close friends with some of the other Mills & Boon Historical authors. Ella Matthews, Lucy Morris, Lotte R James, Melissa Oliver, Lissa Morgan and Sophia Williams. They all write fantastic, passionate stories and I’m proud to be on the shelves alongside them. It really helps to run ideas past them and they also help to keep me on track when I have a book deadline looming.

5. What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out?

The saying ‘write what you love’ is true. I love Vikings and History and romance so it made sense for me to combine all these things in my writing. I believe if you can throw yourself into your characters and settings, you’ll become immersed and the story will write itself! Write a little and often and the words will slowly build up – there’s nothing worse than a blank page, is there? So write anything and you can always edit it later. Don’t give up, keep going, join the RNA and believe in yourself!

To learn more about Sarah Rodi, here’s where you can find her:

Website: www.sarahrodi.com
Social media handles: @sarahrodiedits

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