Sally Bradley ~ Kept

Sally Bradley has worked for two publishers, writing sales and marketing materials, sorting through the slush pile, and proofreading and editing fiction. She has a BA in English and a love for perfecting novels, whether it’s her work or the work of others. In 2000, she left the working world to have her first child. She now writes and operates an editing service from her home.

A mother of three, Sally is married to a pastor who moonlights as a small-town cop. They live near Kansas City.

What started you on your writing journey?

I almost can’t remember not being on a writing journey. One of my earliest memories is of my mom reading the Little House books to me, and I’ve loved stories ever since. By fourth grade, I knew I’d write Christian fiction when I grow up—and Christian fiction was barely even a thing back then.

Just as all good novels include a plot twist, the Author and Creator of our lives often writes in a twist that ultimately blesses us more than our original plan. Have you ever experienced such a “Divine Detour”?

Yes! My husband and I had our son and daughter and thought we were done having kids. We moved for my husband to take a head pastorate and needed me to go back to work to make ends meet. Unexpectedly we got pregnant with our youngest whom we dubbed the Hyper Diaper due to him being so funny and entertaining. It’s hard to imagine our lives without him; we wouldn’t want it that way.

In addition to the surprise pregnancy, I quit the job hunt to stay home with our newborn—just as God allowed me to start my own editing business. Amazing how he blessed our family and made a way for ends to meet.

Let’s talk about Kept (Salena House Publishers, September 2014). Please tell us about it.

Kept is big-city fiction that deals with real issues and offers real hope. My goal for my fiction is to deal with scenarios that women can relate to, yet do it in a Biblical way that points us back to God. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Life has taught Miska Tomlinson that there are no honorable men. Her womanizing brothers, her absentee father, and Mark, the married baseball player who claims to love her—all have proven undependable. But Miska has life under control. She runs her editing business from her luxury condo, stays fit with daily jogs along Chicago’s lakefront, and in her free time blogs anonymously about life as a kept woman.

Enter new neighbor Dillan Foster. Between his unexpected friendship and her father’s sudden reappearance, Miska loses control of her orderly life. Her relationship with Mark deteriorates, and Miska can’t help comparing him to Dillan. His religious views are so foreign, yet the way he treats her is something she’s longed for. But Dillan discovers exactly who she is and what she has done. Too late she finds herself longing for a man who is determined to never look her way again.

When her blog receives unexpected national press, Miska realizes that her anonymity was an illusion. Caught in a scandal about to break across the nation, Miska wonders if the God Dillan talks about would bother with a woman like her—a woman who’s gone too far and done too much.

What lead you to write this particular story?

I was repeatedly meeting Christian women who’d been saved out of a promiscuous lifestyle, and while they were definitely new people in Christ, some of them really struggled with guilt from their past.

Then I saw an interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter with a woman who made her living by being available to a professional athlete when he came to town. As she talked, I felt so bad for her—that she’d fallen for the lie that everyone lived the way she did and that she had such a messed up view of love. I vowed to give her a happy ending, even if it was just in a book.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

I’ve learned that chocolate is my biggest comfort food, but I’m trying to avoid it now. Which is seriously hard! I love a good, hot, home-cooked dinner, especially since it is so ridiculously cold as I’m writing this. But in summer, I love sautéed asparagus and homemade guacamole. I’d give just about anything to have an avocado tree in my yard. Doesn’t work so well in Kansas, though.

What Bible passage or story best describes your journey of faith?

I think sometimes I really identify with David. Overall, he’s a man who lived right, but he definitely had his low moments. The Psalms have always been a favorite Bible book where I’ve found such comfort. Plus he’s described as ruddy, which I hear means he might have been redheaded. Nothing like a redheaded hero. : )

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I’m the girl next door, for sure. I really enjoy writing about things that I’ll never be able to experience or things I would never do. But my everyday life is pretty routine, and I’m perfectly fine with that.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets, if any, or your favorite pet as a child.

Well, I really didn’t have any pets growing up. My mom had a lot of allergies to animals. But we had a neighborhood cat that my sister and I loved. He was a male cat named Ginger. Yes, male. No, we didn’t name him; his owners did. He came to our house for love and went home to eat. Not a bad setup, right?

Thank you, Sally! It’s nice to have you as a guest at DivineDetour.

Thank you for inviting me here, Kathy.

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For more information about Sally, visit her website.

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