Friday, September 19, 2014

Kept by Sally Bradley and Interview

Life has taught Miska Tomlinson that there are no honorable men. Her womanizing brothers, her absentee father, and Mark, the married baseball player who claims to love her—all have proven undependable. But Miska has life under control. She runs her editing business from her luxury condo, stays fit with daily jogs along Chicago's lakefront, and in her free time blogs anonymously about life as a kept woman.

Enter new neighbor Dillan Foster. Between his unexpected friendship and her father's sudden reappearance, Miska loses control of her orderly life. Her relationship with Mark deteriorates, and Miska can't help comparing him to Dillan. His religious views are so foreign, yet the way he treats her is something she's longed for. But Dillan discovers exactly who she is and what she has done. Too late she finds herself longing for a man who is determined to never look her way again.

When her blog receives unexpected national press, Miska realizes that her anonymity was an illusion. Caught in a scandal about to break across the nation, Miska wonders if the God Dillan talks about would bother with a woman like her—a woman who's gone too far and done too much.



Sally Bradley has worked for two publishers, writing sales and marketing materials, sorting through the slush pile, and proofreading and editing fiction. She has a BA in English and a love for perfecting novels, whether it’s her work or the work of others.
A judge in fiction-writing contests, Sally is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, The Christian PEN, and the Christian Editor Network. In 2000, she left the working world to have her first child. She now runs Bradley Writing and Editing Services from her home outside Kansas City. A mother of three, Sally is married to a pastor who moonlights as a small-town cop. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, doing laundry, and rooting on her favorite Chicago sports team of the season.
You can find Sally at Sally Bradley, Writer on Facebook.

Interview with Sally:



If you could have chosen your name what would it have been?
Oh, fun! Something really, really bizarre with all the vowels exchanged for ys and such. Like Khrystyne or Khrysia. I used to want to have eight kids, just so I could give them all really “unique” names. Thankfully, I got over that. Guess I’ve got a little Anne of Green Gables in me.
What was your first pet's name? Well, my sister had fish when I was in high school. Three neons. I talked her into naming them Neon, Deion, and Sanders. Made my dad laugh.

What was your best friend's name in school? Beth.
Did you have a special toy or book that went everywhere with you when you were young? No, but once I hit upper elementary, I usually had some book with me at all times.
What is your favorite movie? So hard. I really liked The Lake House with Sandra Bullock... and Keanu Reeves. Cool story! Plus half of it is set in Chicago.
What is the bravest thing you've ever done? 
I have no idea! You don’t do brave stuff to be brave, you know? I remember

booking after my toddler who was about to get hurt by something. I was eight months pregnant at the time, and I remember that everyone nearby acted rather impressed that I could move that fast for the shape I was in!

If you were stranded on a desert island what would you take besides your Bible?
Sun screen. I’m one shade away from full-blown albino.

If you could meet a famous person who would that be?
Francine Rivers. I love her fiction; she’s had a huge impact on me.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer! Always.

If you could live in one era what would you choose? Well, I really like AC and the internet and dishwashers. But if I had to leave, I think the 1940s would be a fascinating era to visit.
What made you decide to be an indie author instead of going through a publishing house? 
I’d been researching indie options for a couple years, just to be educated and make a wise decision. And late last year I started getting consistently impressed feedback from the Christian fiction industry, but no one wanted to tackle Kept. The industry seems to have gotten

more safe in the last year or so, and Kept doesn’t have any Amish or prairie. But it was a story I completely believed in, so I decided to pull it from someone who did have it and do it myself. Very glad that I did!
Where did you come up with the idea for Kept?
On SportsCenter! Isn’t that where all good romances and women’s fiction novels begin?
SportsCenter ran a series on temptations pro athletes face, and one of them was about women who made their living off pro athletes. One woman they interviewed was completely silhouetted, but she did have a very unique short haircut. As the interview went on, she confessed that not only was she “kept” by one pro athlete, being available only to him when his team came to town, but by a second one—and that each man thought they were the only one. My immediate thought was, Honey, I hope you’re wearing a wig. Or they know now.
I couldn’t get her out of my head and had to figure out what would make her live that way and what it would take for her to see—and want—the truth. Plus she just needed a truly happy ending.




Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?
Definitely! I love meeting my readers and hearing their thoughts on Kept. Seriously, if you wanted, we could talk for days about Miska and Dillan and company. I’m incredibly touched that people would spend their time and money on my story, and I want to be open and as available as possible to my readers. I’d love to hear from you.
Sally Bradley writes big-city fiction with real issues and real hope. A Chicagoan since age five, she now lives in the Kansas City area with her family, but they still get back to Chicago once in a while for important things—like good pizza and a White Sox game. Fiction has been her passion since childhood, and she’s thrilled now to be writing books that not only entertain, but point back to Christ. Kept is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

My Thoughts on Kept:
I am a huge fan of debut authors, and this was particularly fun, because Sally and I are apart of the same blog alliance.
Kept is a book that will stay with you. The characters are real, and with all that's going on in the news with the NFL this book is timely, not that it is about abuse, it is however about feeling like you don't deserve better than you have seen and even experienced.
Miska has made bad choices but God is pursuing her and is not relenting.
Sally's voice is clear, and these characters will grip your heart and keep you thinking about them long after you turn the last page.
Highly recommended!



1 comment:

Sally said...

Andi, thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Phew! :)

Just last night, after Ron Washington finally spoke about why he resigned from managing the Texas Rangers, I had a similar thought, that the current sports world is tying in so tightly with Kept. Very interesting... and a little freaky!

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