Author Sarah Limardo Interview

booktalkwithbookis
Aug 14
5 min read

What three words are used most often to describe your writing?

Whimsical, funny, and engaging...which feels very self-indulgent to write down, but I feel like it's fair if other people said it first 😂

Where did you get your inspiration for All She Ever Wanted?

I've always wanted to write a campy, tropey, classic pirate romance. It was a bucket-list book idea I've had since I was 18, but didn't think it would sell, which really only mattered back when I was aiming to go the traditional publishing route. I had this idea of a girl named Rebecca who was stolen by a pirate on her way to some lofty marriage, only to find out the pirate was secretly a nobleman--who then fell madly in love with her.

Over the years, I'd written several first chapters and scenes I thought were exciting, but the story lacked heart and had nothing to say. But after I left my literary agent and decided to go indie, I was left a little heartbroken by the decision. I'd dreamed of traditional publishing for half my life at that point, and I had to grapple with what to do when achieving a dream suddenly looked different than I expected.

I funneled all those feelings into Aurelia, and through writing her story I realized I could embrace old dreams in new ways. So I guess I was inspired by broken dreams and encouraged by facing an unexpected reality I've actually ended up liking better.

Also...because Aurelia and I are both dreamers, I wrote her with a crush on a boy that absolutely wrecks her. Crushing on boys was my favorite thing to do as a child, and I wanted to recreate the feeling of it. I also just want more books about girls with crushes because we're terribly underrepresented 😂

What sort of research did you do for All She Ever Wanted?

So much research went into this book! I took a weekend in April 2023 to sit down with a 350-page dissertation ('Piratical Schemes and Contracts': Pirate Articles and their Society, 1660-1730 by Edward Theophilus Fox) to understand pirate culture and laws. For outlaws, they were surprisingly put together as many of them were in the navy before becoming pirates. I also found their treatment of women to be relatively progressive for the day, and their laws specifically included protection for women on pain of death.

I researched small things like what kinds of fish would be in the North Atlantic and the kinds of food in the Caribbean in the 1700s. I looked into what pirate havens were like, and nearly everything Aurelia sees and hears about concerning Nassau and Port Royal were pulled directly from history. Details of Copson's lore and his ships were inspired by Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge. The pirate kings in Port Royal were also each based on a different famous pirate during the golden age of piracy, so their stories are mostly true (except for Killian Barstow--I took his wig from a historical account of a famous pirate, but his story is entirely mine).

Even with all that, there are definitely historical inaccuracies I left in: I figured I could skip pirates with diseases like scurvy because that's not sexy, and most readers won't have an intimate knowledge of the history of post offices, so they won't call me out on the fact that they shouldn't exist in the time and places I have them (hehe).

How does it feel to be ending your corporate life to focus more on writing?

Oh, it's amazing. I've always wanted to be a writer full time, but it always felt like a pipe dream, or like it was an undeserving hobby. Corporate work always felt like "the real money" and "the real security," and while that's true in some sense, the thought that I'd have to work in an office for another 25 years (at least) was soooo depressing. So I'm embracing that I only have one life and I want to spend it doing something that brings me joy, especially as book sales are starting to supplement my income.

I'm also freelancing on the side, so I'm still working my old job. My boss was simply kind enough to agree to let me restructure what my relationship with work looks like so that I can prioritize my personal goals. Anything to get out of a cubical.

What are your favorite type of scenes to write?

Any new step in a romantic relationship makes me feel sparkly inside. I try to make sure every scene with the main couple introduces a slight shift in their dynamic, and it's so fun to explore the feelings behind that. It makes my heart flutter, and everything feels so new and precarious.

It's also why I was determined to put William in every chapter in some way or another, because each time he appears is somehow different. He's different or Aurelia is, and when they're together, they're both trying to navigate quiet feelings and a long, somewhat strange past.

How do you feel about in-person author events?

I absolutely love them! I've always been a shy person, and I've never been eager to share about the things I love most. Some people don't respect precious things, you know? But now that I have a book that I love and it's got its own fans (and haters too, probably), in-person events are places I can show up to with confidence, and everyone is there for the same purpose--to love books. I find my people at book events, and it feels natural and I'm eager to be there (which is saying a lot for someone who's only ever eager to be home).

Readers are the coolest, and even if my book isn't for them, I'm always happy to chat about and recommend other amazing books I think they'll love even more!

Do you have any marketing advice for other indie authors?

I'm a nerd when it comes to marketing. Just talk about your book! Show up with audacity and sell it without shame, and it'll find the readers who are looking for it.

Marketing is all about the consumer and convincing them they need what you're selling, so approach your strategy with that mindset. In that way, book-selling isn't about you--it's about the reader, and you want to find the readers who will LOVE your book.

TikTok is a great place to sell, and so is Threads. Post often, because the more you market, the more you'll sell.

Indie authors deserve so much respect for all that they do! What are the best ways someone can support indie authors?

Talk about our books! Word of mouth is the best support, be it through reviews or recommending our books to friends and family. You can also request many of our books at your local bookstores and libraries (as long as we're not on Kindle Unlimited, libraries can stock our books!).

The author's website can be found here

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