I loved not writing anything about the blissful five days that Streeter and Liv spent together. That time should have most definitely been off-page and left to the readers’ imaginations. Those two needed some well-deserved space and quiet time, don’t you think?
Q: Can you describe your familiarity with life on the reservation and inside a prison that allowed you to so vividly describe both of these settings?
A: I have lived most of my life in South Dakota, which has nine reservations and tribal lands—more than any other state. I have had the good fortune to learn about Lakotan culture and the reservation throughout my entire life from school friends, competitors in sports, coworkers, and mentors. Most of my time spent on the reservation was with friends, including an FBI agent who took me on ride-alongs with him. My friends and I made several stops at Big Bat’s while passing through Pine Ridge.
In recent years, visiting the schools on the reservations as a guest author has been one of my favorite pastimes. The kids are awesome!
I also served on the board for the largest museum in the world dedicated to the North American Indians at the Crazy Horse Memorial nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota. If you haven’t seen the massive monument carved in the granite mountain by the Ziolkowski Family, you must.
As to prison life, hasn’t everyone had a chance to visit an incarcerated relative or two? I haven’t yet experienced prison life as one of the population, but I have had the experience of being locked in a jail cell once (Don’t let that mind of yours get all slippery on me: I was on a tour of the prison.), which was enough to make me keep my nose clean.
Q: How do you manage to get inside the head of individuals like Coyote Cries to be able to conceive of the actions they take?
A: Storyline inspirations, for me, come from that tiny grain of irritating sand that forces me to work it into a pearl. For this book, Jeremiah’s Revenge, the inspirational and excruciatingly irritating grain was a man I’ve studied for years—his writings, news articles, blogs, and books. The more I’ve read about him, the more I realized that evil does exist. He was convicted for the execution deaths of two innocent FBI agents—Agents Coler and Williams—on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975.
His name is not worth mentioning. But Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams are worth remembering and thanking. God bless those agents and the men and women just like them who put their lives on the line every day at work to make us all safe and secure.
Q: What emotions propel or compel you to write in general?
A: I write because I can’t stop. It’s a passion, an addiction. I’m still hoping someone creates a Writer’s Anonymous organization to help people like me who suffer from this affliction.
Q: Besides writing, what are your passions?
A: I love work, being productive, getting things done, thinking differently, and creating a vision for future generations. Problem-solving is a passion. Results are a passion. And helping other people become productive, creative, results-oriented, self-reliant human beings is a huge passion for me. One of my favorite quotes by an unknown source is “Who we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” My biggest passion is to encourage everyone I know to discover what they can become. Be you!
Q: Is there one person in your life who has been your hero or heroine or who has inspired you more than anyone else? Can you tell us why?
A: I am fortunate to be surrounded by so many extraordinary people that it’s hard for me to narrow down my list of top heroes and heroines who have inspired me to just one. From childhood to adulthood, let me at least list my favorites.
I’d start with my parents, who are eighty-eight and ninety-two at the time of this manuscript’s submission. Both continue to work every day of their lives, never choosing to give in to the pains of aging or to give up in the face of adversity. They have always provided a place to call home that is full of love and sustenance. They are exceptional human beings.*
My six sisters and two brothers were my tribe growing up in the woods, and my best friends as adults. Their stories are incredible, their achievements great, and their families, awesome.
I had a handful of wonderful teachers who inspired me to do things I didn’t know I could do—like write fiction.
My children have taught me more about life and love than I ever believed possible. They are my joy and happiness and my reason for getting as close as I can to God in this life. I live to see my sons in heaven for eternity. And now they’ve given me grandchildren, a whole new generation of life’s elixir.
And I have come to realize I was born to be my husband’s wife. God had a plan for us, for me to be with him. He will always be my hero.
* Sandra’s father died in April of 2018 after she wrote this answer.
AUTHOR OF THE HEART-POUNDING Liv Bergen Mystery Thriller Series, Sandra Brannan writes about the mining world she’s lived in her entire life and about the FBI she’s grown to love through her best friend. One reviewer has described the series as “Gritty. Liv Bergen is the love child of Jack Reacher and Kinsey Milhone.”
Native to South Dakota, Brannan incorporates not only suspense and twists into her plotlines but also the color and richness unique to her home state—often so vividly that the setting becomes a character all on its own.
Her mysteries have received numerous recognitions, including being named a Denver Post Bestseller and earning places on the American Booksellers Association Indie Notable and Next List. They have also found places on Suspense Magazine‘s Best Suspense List, Amazon’s Top 50 E-booksellers List, and honors as a USA Book News Best Book and Best Suspense Finalist.
In order of publication, here is the complete list of Liv Bergen Mystery Thriller Series titles:
2010 » In the Belly of Jonah
2011 » Lot’s Return to Sodom
2012 » Widow’s Might
2013 » Noah’s Rainy Day
2014 » Solomon’s Whisper
2016 » Jacob’s Descent
2018 » Jeremiah’s Revenge
To request an appearance by the author—particularly in classrooms, for library events, and at book clubs—email Sandra at
[email protected].
Sandra appears in person when possible and via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone if schedules make in-person travel impossible.
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