Interview with Sandra O’Briant

Author of The Sandoval Sisters’ Secret of Old Blood

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

Texas and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Now reside in Los Angeles, CA.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

My Anglo father lived in Texas. Visited him in the summer and for one year of high school. My Spanish mother lived in Santa Fe, NM. Moved there after parents divorced. High level of tourism and artistic sophistication. Bullied in school for my Anglo last name. I couldn’t wait to escape from Santa Fe.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

Always a dedicated reader. Turned my attention to earning a good living for many years, but come from a family of storytellers (called them liars when I was a teen.) Laid up with sciatica when my mom launched into a retelling of a family legend regarding the Sandoval sisters. They’d adopted two Anglo boys whose parents had died on the Santa Fe trail. There was a giant portrait in my grandfather’s living room of an old red-haired man leaning on a cane. He was the adult Anglo kid who became a Sandoval. Realized that while in school in Santa Fe, we’d never studied the history of the Santa Fe Trail or Americans conquering New Mexico. Decided to do some research.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

The Sandoval Sisters’ Secret of Old Blood, winner of Best Historical Fiction and Best First Book. When Alma flees with her young lover to Texas to escape an arranged marriage with a much older man, she sets in motion a drama that will put the sisters and their legacy at risk. Pilar, a 14-year-old tomboy, is offered as a replacement bride, and what follows is a sensuous courtship and marriage clouded by the curses of her husband’s former lover, Consuelo. She will stop at nothing, even the use of black magic, in her effort to destroy the Sandoval family. The Mexican-American war begins and the Americans invade Santa Fe. The sisters are caught in the crosshairs of war from two important fronts-New Mexico and Texas. Their money and ancient knowledge offer some protection, but their lives are changed forever.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Readers who appreciate historical and are either familiar with the Southwest or want to learn more about it will appreciate the setting. Readers who like strong female characters, erotica and witchcraft will enjoy those elements in the book. The book explores ethnicity in the framework of Northern New Mexico where the residents for centuries called themselves Hispanic. Oratoria came from Mexico and had indigenous heritage. She was adopted into the family and educated alongside Pilar and Alma. Alma runs off with an Anglo, a Texan, who were still highly suspect after the Mexican American War.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

Only when I’d finished the book and it was being edited did I realize that the sisters represented the goddess triumvirate of Maiden, Mother and Crone. Pilar is the eternal maiden in spirit and vitality, Alma is the eternal mother and Oratoria was a crone even as a child, charged with caring for her sisters.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

I’m proud of you for going for it.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I’m more interested in readers reporting their pleasure in reading the book than in numbers.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Marketing and social media is very distracting.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My imagination knows no boundaries. My writing group supplies limits in that regard. Marketing was difficult but I didn’t give up.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Consistency and writing with regularity getting harder.

When do you think you will write your next book?

Working on two right now. Also have had over 25 short stories published.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

My agent forwarded all the responses from publishers. They heaped praise on the writing and story but declined to publish because of marketing concerns. Most historical fiction with the setting in the U.S. is focused on the Revolutionary War or the Civil War. Immigrant stories were/are popular. Because they took the time to be so complimentary I decided to self publish.