Please give a big Hoosblog welcome to Sally Henson!

Sally Henson is the author of the More Than Best Friends series. She grew up in rural Midwest wandering through the woods and creeks. She spent some time south of Houston, Texas and loved every minute. Those experience has been a tremendous influence on her writing, which lends credibility to the voice of her characters. She combines ingredients of reality with a dreamer’s imagination to create sweet and delectable fiction.

Sally is another author who I met when working on the anthology The Art of Taking Chances (which is free to download!), and I’m so excited to tell you about her latest book, More Than His Best Friend!

She’s got a strict rule against dating. But her best friend may be the one exception. Will one kiss turn them into high school sweethearts?

Sixteen-year-old Regan Stone can’t wait to leave her crummy small town in the dust. She spends her days taking dual-enrollment classes and her nights dreaming about her future out-of-state dorm room. She’s completely certain that romance would only get in the way of her plans and feed her small town’s ruthless rumor mill. But when Regan’s best friend since childhood confesses he wants to be something more, she’s torn between following her dreams or following her heart.

With time running out before the end of the summer, one kiss could ignite the true love growing between them. But only if they can learn to trust their hearts and take a life-changing leap…

More Than His Best Friend is a heartwarming YA contemporary romance. If you like sweet tales of first love, small Midwestern towns, and plucky dreamers, then you’ll love Sally Henson’s coming-of-age romance.

Buy More Than His Best Friend

 

Now for the fun stuff!

What’s your favorite genre? Do you read what you write?

I love Young Adult Romance…first love and all the highs, lows, and insecurities that come with it. It’s the absolute, dreamy best!

That’s what I love to read and write.

I’m the same way. I keep trying to branch out into other genres but I just love the feels!

What’s your favorite part about writing?

My favorite part about writing is getting to know my characters. When I finally get inside their head it is so much fun. The words flow so much easier when we’re one, lol. Swoony moments are equally my favorite too, though. There’s always a few swoon times in each book (at least).

Swoony moments are the best! And I agree about getting to know your characters. I’m still in the beginning stages in my current wip and it’s fun because they keep surprising me.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Oh my gosh! The hardest part of writing for me is editing. Without a doubt. It’s a must, obviously. But all my insecurities boil to the surface after I’m finished with the first draft. I’ve been honing my plotting and planning skills, so hopefully editing the next book will go smoother (cough, hold my breath).

Good luck with that! I’ve found it gets a little bit easier with each book—but definitely not easy.

What’s an activity unrelated to writing that you love?

Football. Yes, I love watching my kids play. My son’s a freshman and I watched every game this season. Home or away, it didn’t matter. I was there. But this year, I’ve started watching more college football and am loving the excitement of the fans, not to mention the fantastic bands. The SEC is my jam, ha ha. Maybe this is why my author friends tell me I write a good male point of view.

I love that! I appreciate college sports so much more than pro because I feel like the kids are only playing because they love it. The passion feels more real, you know?

Who’s your biggest cheerleader?

I have to say my biggest cheerleader is actually three author friends that have become my critique partners and friends. The YA Chicks: Cindy Ray Hale, Kelsie Stelting, and Yesenia Vargas. They call me out when I need to be—support me in so many way—they’ve become a part of my life. A HUGE part of my life. I’m so truly thankful for them.

One of my favorite phrases is how much I love the internet, and it’s so true for this reason. I’d never have found my closest friends without it. I’m glad you have them to support you! (and I think they’re pretty great too.)

Now I’d like to play a fun little game called This or That. As a writer, I find that a lot of interviews ask the same questions, so I always appreciate sharing something new about myself. I’m super excited about these questions—and I hope you enjoy them!

Introvert or extrovert?
Um….both 😆 I used to be extroverted but have become much more introverted. I’d say when I’m with close friends definitely extroverted. Though I can often be that chameleon type of person who can adjust to her surroundings.

Morning or night person?
I’ve learned to become a morning person because that’s when I am more creative and productive. When I don’t get up early, I miss that time alone in the quiet.

Coffee or tea?
Again…both. 😆 Starbucks? Yes, please! Any time. But I do drink hot tea in the winter to try and stay warm. It’s not as hard on my stomach.

Sweet or salty?
Sorry…both again 😆 Love some dark, dark chocolate and a bowl of salty popcorn. YUM.

Eternal summer or four seasons?
SUMMER, without a doubt. Then I could visit the mountains if I missed it. I get so cold 😬. Below 70 degrees I’m like, turn on the heat.

Mountains or beach?
Summer = BEACH 🌴🏝👙Love, love, love it. Did I mention I love, a clean, beautiful, warm beach?

Dogs or cats?
If I could find a self-contained dog I’d choose dogs ’cause I don’t like the cat smell lol.

Over 5’5” or under?
Under 5’5”…. barely. 5’4” and proud of it 😆

Left or right-handed?
Um…yeah, both lol! I can do a lot of different things ambidextrously (like my big word? 😜)

Hoodie or yoga pants?
OMG both again! 😳 I’m cold-natured and who doesn’t like to be comfy???

I think we need to have a talk about what “this or that” means, lol. But we’ve continued the streak of having all left-handed interviewees!

Sally, thank you SO MUCH for spending time with us! To my readers, you can find Sally online here:

Website | BookBub |  Amazon | Instagram | Facebook

If you missed the previous interviews, you can read them here.