Today on the blog we have the one and only Sally O’Keef! She’s here to answer a few questions to celebrate the upcoming release of Every Thought, book two in her Love Between the Lyrics series.

Welcome! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you into writing?

Oh, this is a fun one. I’m a mom, and I think somewhere around child #4, in 2014, I kind of lost who I was. I got caught up in the late-night feedings and the early mornings with toddlers, and I just didn’t feel like me anymore. I have always loved reading, and so I sat down and decided I was going to write. At first it was just fan-fic. I wrote a Twilight-inspired story I called Immortals—which was terrible. It wasn’t until 2019, after child #6, that I actually got serious about publishing, but I’d spent a good five years playing with stories and learning craft.

Are there any books that have really influenced you as a writer?

There have been too many books to name, but November 9 by Colleen Hoover really got me interested in how to evoke emotions in my writing. It made me realize that books could bring pain and happiness at the same time. That was what I wanted to do with my writing.

What do you enjoy most about contemporary romance?

NOT worldbuilding! As I said above, I love focusing on the emotions in a book. Contemporary romance allows me to laser that focus in where I want it the most. No pages of prose and description, no magic systems to learn and develop, just the simplicity and complexity of the modern world we live in.

What inspired this book/series in particular?

Every Breath (book 1) started with a first line challenge. I wrote the most absurd and engaging first line, and from the second my fingers typed it, I wanted to make that character a reality. It’s been about six years, but I believe it was something along the lines of “If you would’ve asked me yesterday if I’d be sitting in a tent on the beach with my legs spread getting my lady bits waxed in preparation to be a contestant on the reality TV show Couple’s Cruise, I would’ve laughed in your face.” For the record, that did not end up being the first line in my book, but a variation of it did appear in chapter 2. I thought that book was going to be a stand-alone. I didn’t expect to write Jenny & Evan’s story, but when I went to write the epilogue for book 1, Jenny forced my hand. (Sometimes listening to the voices in your head pays off.) She was such a complicated character, and I really didn’t like her very much in book 1, so I had to really push myself to figure out why she was the way she was.

What is your favorite part about the dynamic between Jenny Gentry and Evan Black?

Jenny and Evan are soul mates. They understand each other. Even when they hate each other, they love each other. Only Jenny could help Evan see that his past didn’t make him irredeemable. Only Evan could help Jenny see that she was enough. They are complementary pieces to the same complicated puzzle.

Can you tell us about your writing space? Where do you do most of your writing?

I have a writing nook in my basement that has bookshelves and plants and all things books in it. I don’t always get to write here. But when I do, I have to have my headphones in. (Six kids…)

What helps you when you have writers block?

I believe that writer’s block is a symptom, not the problem. It tells me something isn’t right in my story. So when I have writer’s block, it’s because I did something earlier in the book that doesn’t fit. To “fix” it, I take a step back to when I felt the story was working and I try to see what different choices I could’ve made to make the story better.

What are some things you are really enjoying right now? Books, TV, foods, etc.?

I’ve joined a cult (not really), and you should too. If you haven’t read The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, you should. These books are whimsical, delightful, and I cannot recommend them enough. I laugh, I cry, I get all the feels. They’re that good. I’m also obsessed with Town of Shadows by Jessica Scarlett. Book 2 just came out, and I am salivating to get my hands on book 3! (Prose like poetry!)

My husband and I have been binge watching Resident Alien. My daughters and I are enjoying Gilmore Girls. And my guilty pleasure that I watch while folding laundry every week is Alone. (The survival show. Seriously, it’s amazing.)

When I’m not being a taxi and taking my kids to all their various after-school activities, I love playing volleyball and drinking Dr. Pepper.

Want to know more about Every Thought?

Two broken souls. One impossible encore.

Jenny Gentry has everything she thought she wanted—fame, success, and a little boy who’s her whole world. But behind the lights and the music, she’s still haunted by the man she could never forget. The one who never knew about their son.

Evan Black is done running—from the drugs, the darkness, and the wreckage he left behind. Getting clean was the hardest thing he’s ever done—until the day he sees Jenny again. Now, as fellow judges on the hit reality show Singing Sensation, he’s faced with the one person who can unravel his hard-won peace.

He doesn’t expect forgiveness. He just wants to make things right. But Jenny has spent years keeping their past buried to protect her child—and herself. When the truth finally comes to light, both must face what’s been waiting in the shadows.

As the cameras roll and old wounds resurface, Jenny and Evan will have to decide whether love—no matter how broken—can survive its encore.

A tender, redemptive second-chance rock star romance about forgiveness, family, and finding the courage to heal. Every Thought delivers heart, hope, and harmony as two broken souls face the truth—and discover that love deserves its encore.

This kisses-only romance mentions gambling addiction, drug addiction, body shaming, and includes a depiction of forced drugging and drug overdose. Reader discretion is advised.

Meet Sally O’Keef:

Sally O’Keef was born in Canada, but moved to the US when she was a wee babe. She’s been married to the love of her life for twenty years, and has six wonderful children and a huge dog who snores in the background as she writes. When she’s not writing, she loves reading, volleyball, and watching her children achieve their dreams.

If you want to keep up to date with everything going on with Sally, you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Bookbub!