Who is Sharon Sala? This woman is an extremely successful contemporary romance author but most know little about her even though they love her work. I myself, having read (and sometimes reread) thirty-four of her published works, knew little about this woman until I decided it was time to learn more.
Sharon Sala, who also rights under the pseudonym Dinah McCall, has written over 60 novels. Her stories are gripping and emotional. Some of these stories delve into some controversial topics, spousal abuse, child abuse, incest, kidnapping, abandonment, and amnesia among them. But where did it all start for this extraordinary lady?
Ms. Sala began reading at the age of four and has loved to do so ever since. Her first favorite author was that of Zane Grey, though she claims Danielle Steele inspired her writing later on. Her writing career was not something she pursued early on in life however. Sharon worked on a military base, in a bank and as a cashier at a grocery store before finally finding her true calling.
Sharon Sala wrote her first book in 1980, and then another in 1981. You will never see these books however since she stuck them under the bed and burned them years later because they were so bad. But in 1991, Ms. Sala wrote and sold her third book. This book was sold to the first publisher to whom she submitted and she has kept them coming ever since. And hopefully there’s no end in sight!
Personally, Ms. Sala has had a lot to deal with. She thinks of herself as a “survivor” because of the many personal tragedies she has had to endure. She has not been dealt an easy hand, one that included two bad marriages, the death of her sister and father within two months of each other, and then the loss of her fiancé, Bobby, and her aunt two days later due to cancer on both accounts in 2005. I’m humbled by how much this woman has had to endure yet still manage to live a successful life.
All is not tragedy in this woman’s life. Ms. Sala lives in Oklahoma, and is the proud mother to two adult children and the proud grandmother of four. She also has a talent for painting. When she isn’t writing she can be found outdoors exploring new places, spending time with her lovely family, and shopping, some other activities the remarkable woman finds enjoyable.
With respect to her work, Sharon Sala’s writing process is an interesting one. Ms. Sala has stated in previous interviews that her ultimate goal in writing is to create stories that readers can identify with. She goes about doing that by making her content highly emotional, yet also slightly dark with wonderful characters that you can’t help but like. The main characters of her books are normally dark and/or tortured and must overcome some huge issue before the story can end. Her writing is also said to be instinctive, and many of her ideas develop as a result of a dream.
Stories actually play out in her mind while she dreams, and she can see the whole thing from beginning to end with dialogue and in color apparently. Her overactive imagination leads to nights where she wakes searching for a pen ready to write down exactly what fantastic idea she has come up with while sleeping. Once Ms. Sala begins writing, the story takes its own unique path. She doesn’t do outlines, but always knows the title of her books before beginning to write. Whatever she does to create such great books, keep it up Ms. Sala!
Sharon Sala has been awarded and acknowledged throughout the literary community. Her books are regularly on the bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and many others. She is a four-time RITA finalist and a three-time Career Achievement award winner from Romantic Times magazine. She has also received the Janet Daily Award, is a four-time recipient of the National Reader’s Choice Award, and is a five-time winner of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence. And that is to name only a few. Sharon Sala is a strong woman with a great talent for writing. I’ll be on the lookout for new releases so that my collection of Sharon Sala romance books can continue to grow.
