We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Hendess and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, why did you pursue a creative career?
I didn’t really have a choice. Writing and reading are compulsions for me. I could no more stop working with stories than I could survive without eating.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m most proud of my debut novel, Second Chances in Hollywood, a romance set in 1959-1960 Hollywood. Most organizations will define “historical fiction” as a book set primarily at least fifty years in the past, but the romance genre is in a weird space. Typically, that genre defines “historical” as WWII and earlier. So when I started querying my book, I had a lot of agents and editors tell me they liked it but they didn’t know how to market it because it wasn’t historical by genre standards, but it certainly wasn’t contemporary. But I knew I had a good story, and I kept querying until it found a traditional publishing home. It was discouraging at times, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. Second Chances has gone on to win three awards, including Adult Fiction Book of the Year (2023) from the Florida Writers Project. Its success has encouraged me to keep writing (I have a Christmas romance due out this fall!) and to also, along with my sister, start up an independent publishing house dedicated to lifting up lesser heard voices.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Call me basic, but I love a girls’ day at Epcot, though in the Orlando area, Gatorland is another can’t-miss attraction. So we’d definitely hit up Epcot and snack our way around the world, but I wouldn’t let the week go by without heading over to Gatorland. I don’t like deep-fried alligator, but it’s always fun to order some for a tourist. And if it’s my mom visiting, we love to hit up Needle Orts in Altamonte Springs to load up on special cross-stitching supplies.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Obviously, my sister and business partner, Rev. Dr. Charissa Howe.

Website: www.2sisterspress.com

Instagram: thewritehendess

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.