Click here to read the first chapter of Straddling the Line.

How did you get started writing?

Like every author, I got my start writing by reading. Getting lost in other times and places was one of my favorite things to do as a kid. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, and throughout the years, I took various cracks at it. Those attempts were all pretty terrible. The trick to writing is to keep writing. It’s both that simple and that hard.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I can finish a book in three to four months, depending on what’s going on with my family. Then the book has to make a few rounds between my readers before it gets passed up to my agent and then my editor. It’s not unusual for me to be writing one book, doing revisions on a second book, and proofreading a third one at the same time.

How many books are in this series? When will the next one be out?

A Man of His Word, A Man of Privilege and A Man of Distinction were a loosely related series I call Lawyers in Love. A Real Cowboy was a stand-alone book. The Bolton Brothers include the books Straddling the Line, Bringing Home a Bachelor and Expecting a Bolton Baby. Mystic Cowboy and Masked Cowboy are a different series called Men of the White Sandy.

Did you sell the first book you wrote?

No. A Man of His Word was--wait, let me count--the tenth book I wrote. I’ve written nineteen total. The first three books I wrote were how I learned to write. If I hadn’t written them, I wouldn’t have figured out how to build a book. But that doesn’t mean anyone else should ever read them!

Where do you get your ideas? Are your characters based on real-life people?

I have what has been described as ‘an over-active imagination.’ While that wasn’t always a benefit in the classroom, now I appreciate it. I don’t base any of my characters on real people, but I do try to put my characters in real places. Most of the American Indian reservations I use are real places in and near South Dakota.

Some of the reservations you describe are not much more than third-world countries. Are you creating those places or are they real?

Sadly, no. Many American Indian reservations are places of extreme poverty. The Pine Ridge Lakota reservation is the poorest county in the United States. Many of the homes there have no running water or electricity. There are no stores on the rez, as its known, and few schools. Students have to be bussed several hours away, and most drop out before they finish eight grade. Drug and alcoholism is rampant.

Do you support any charities to help the Lakota?

Through blogging, social media, and donations, I support Lakota Pine Ridge Children's Enrichment Project. They collect school supplies and clothing for Lakota children on Pine Ridge and other reservations. I encourage people to stuff a backpack and support their efforts. You can make a difference, one child at a time!

What language do your Lakota Indian characters speak? Is that really Lakota?

My Lakota Indian characters do speak Lakota. Most of the translations were provided by Lakota Language Consortium (www.lakhota.org), an organization at the forefront of Lakota language revitalization. Other members of the Lakota tribe have generously provided me with translations.

Can you introduce me to your agent and/or editor?

I wish I could, but it’s just not possible. If you’re just getting started with your writing journey, I recommend starting with Editors and Preditors, Query Tracker, and Writers Beware, as well as looking into a trade organization, such as Romance Writers of America. There’s a wealth of information out there. The best thing to do is write, write, write!

Got another question? Click here to pick the best way to contact me!

Text Copyright © 2011, 2012  by Sarah M. Anderson. Cover Art Copyright © 2011, 2012 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited and Samhain. Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. and Samhain.. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited and Samhain. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies and Samhain, used under license.

2013 Press Kit

Four and a half stars! A wounded man who has found his way to peace and a woman with a lot to prove make this a sensual, emotional romance worth reading. --RT Book Reviews

“5 out of 5 Stars! A lovely read that took me away from the first page...A highly recommended read.”--Babs Book Bistro

The lead couple makes for a rousing redemption ranch romance as he has demons from his past that haunt him while she needs him if she plans to remain in Hollywood. Though the device of a snow storm stranding the protagonists has been used a lot, fans will enjoy this entreating character-driven contemporary--Genre Go Round Reviews

Four Hearts! I found the author’s use of sarcasm in the character’s “inner monologues” was hysterical and realistic. I certainly hope her future novels continue to be as funny, charming and steamy as this one.--Harlequin Junkie

I really enjoyed all the characters in the book.  They were written in a way that I could see them and hear them as I read.--Susan’s 2013 Reading Blog

Sarah M. Anderson has penned a story guaranteed to pull at your emotions... J.R. was an amazing man, a study in contrasts. He could be so many things and Thalia fell in love with all of them. J.R. was just as captivated but Thalia had a few secrets that came between them...Pick up the oh so excellent, A Real Cowboy by Sarah M. Anderson to find out. You, too, will fall in love.--Cataromance

5 Stars!...It was so sweet and raw I couldn't help but fall in love with them. I loved Sarah Anderson's writing and the ability to write a touching, steamy story that had me surrendering to my feelings. I definitely recommend this to anyone that want their cowboy fix!--Lily Pond Reads

4.5 Stars! Overall, this is fantastic story that made me laugh, swoon and get very frustrated, often all at the same time. I loved the romance, loved the very real look into the Hollywood scene and I loved the sense of family that seem to sit at the heart of Sarah M. Anderson’s stories.  She has promised me more Cowboys and, after this one, I really can’t wait. --Scorching Book Reviews

A REAL COWBOY is a pretty interesting look at celebrities lives from a very personal angle. Anderson does a really fine job working with just this concept. She shows what a very fine line there is between a normal and celebrity life. Hiding in plain sight seems like a strange option but she writes honestly about doing just that. Anderson did a great job bridging two different worlds in a totally enjoyable and engrossing tale.--Fresh Fiction

Grade: B--Recently books from the Desire line have been disappointing, with flat characters who have no chemistry together, but this book is most definitely an exception to that rule. A Real Cowboy involves a man running from his past and a woman sent to find him but who finds much more than she expected.--The Good, The Bad, and the Unread

A Real Cowboy made me realize that I would really love to see the wide open spaces of Montana, especially during a blizzard and hopefully with a hot cowboy like J.R. Bradley to keep me warm! ~ Kitty, Guilty Pleasures

Secondary characters in this story are scattered in all the right places to lend real substance and move the story along. Don't miss A REAL COWBOY!--Romance Reviews Today

The only bad thing about “A Real Cowboy” is that there wasn’t enough of it.--Ramblings and Reviews

A Man of Privilege was named RT Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Awards: Outstanding Series: Desire!

A Man of Privilege was named to the Harlequin Junkie’s Top 10 Harlequins of 2012!

    Josey’s pulse began to flutter at her wrists. She was used to men trying to impress her with their money, their things—all symbols of their power. This was a man who didn’t appear to give a darn about impressing her. Heck, given the way he now stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed and boot tapping with obvious impatience at her careful pace—Josey was pretty sure he detested her. Somehow, that made him that much more impressive.

    When she neared the top, Bolton flung open a steel door and waited for her to get her butt in the office with poorly disguised contempt on his face. The doom ricocheting around her belly grew harder to ignore. She’d missed her chance to bolt, though. She had no choice but to tough this out.

    The moment the door shut, the sounds of the shop died away. Blissful silence filled her ears, but her eyes were now taking the brunt of things. Bolton’s office had so much metal in it that Josey was immediately thankful the sun wasn’t shining in through the floor-to-wall windows. A stainless-steel desk was underneath sprawling piles of papers. Filing cabinets that matched the desk perfectly made up a whole wall.

    Everything in this gray office—down to the leather executive chair and the walls—said money. The leather-and-chrome seats downstairs had said money, too. But this was different. Downstairs screamed of someone dressing the place to impress. Up here? Mr. Bolton didn’t give a flying rat’s behind about impressing anyone. This was all about control. Or Ben Bolton was color-blind. Either way, the whole place looked depressingly industrial. In a wire mesh trash can, she saw the remains of what had to be the recently departed intercom. Had he ripped it out of the wall? Because of her?

    No wonder Bolton was in a bad mood. If Josey had to work in this office, she’d probably curl up into a lump of iron ore and die.

4 stars! A hot, Harley-riding hero, a softhearted, dedicated heroine and a couple of wacky family members will keep you turning the pages.--RT Book Reviews

How these two interact, the relationship they build is just beautiful to see. Josey and Ben are two very different people but they compliment each other in their strengths and weaknesses.  They have a lot to teach each other and a lot to learn.  Together they are amazing. Together they can straddle the line between two worlds and make it work for both of them.--A Pleasant Journey

Sarah M. Anderson delivers another great contemporary, proving that she can write great tales whether it's cowboys or bikers, Native Americans or just your typical guy next door. This was my third book from her, and I know that I'll be reading many more! For a quick read, one that's both sweet and a little sexy, be sure to pick this one up!--The Book Queen’s Book Palace

...An incredible book. Sarah M. Anderson will have you laughing and have you crying as you devour Straddling the Line. Ben and Josey are incredibly layered characters and as each layer unfolds you will be more and more amazed at their depth. You can’t help but route for a happy ending for these two. The brothers books come out later in the year and I know I cannot wait.--Cataromance

5 stars! It took a lot for both Josey and Ben to finally see that they didn't have to pick one part of their lives over another.  They just had to find a way to make those worlds work together.--Susan’s 2013 Reading Blog