By: Leah Morrison

Imagine, you are the only girl on a hockey team full of boys, and your bossy team captain, Wes Millard (helpful, yet annoying), puts the pressure on you to win the team a state-wide news broadcast. However, not everyone appreciates the fame that the only girl on the team, Holland Delviss, is getting. Although these two do not agree completely, they are more alike than one would think.

If this sounds interesting to you, then you should read the book Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren. For more information, The Squire reached out to Biren to ask her a few questions about her personal interests and her journey in literature.

The Squire: What was your inspiration for becoming an author?

Biren: I have always been a big reader. My favorite childhood books were the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. They were set in Minnesota (in the late 1800s/early 1900s) and were based on the author’s life. Betsy wanted to be an author when she grew up and in third grade, I decided I wanted to write books, too. I was lucky to be able to start working with local writers that year. My first poem was published when I was in sixth grade. I took writing classes all through junior high, high school, and college and went to graduate school to get an MFA in Creative Writing. The school just happened to be in the same town where Maud Hart Lovelace grew up, so it is full of cool places from the Betsy-Tacy books. I also wanted to tell stories about everyday life and people and the things that happen to them to make them who they are.

TS: How would you describe the books that you write? What made you want to write those types of books, and how do your books compare to other authors who write similar books?

Biren: Category wise, my published books are YA romance. I also write adult contemporary romance and rom-coms and in the past, I have written literary short stories. Someone once categorized my writing as “the extraordinary ordinary” and I think that is true. I, too, like to write about everyday situations. I have always been drawn to contemporary stories, and, while I like to occasionally read fantasy or historical fiction, I am more inclined to write about real-life situations. As far as my books compare – that is a tough question. A writer can find their voice and have a certain writing style, and, in the publishing process, that might get diluted a little bit by an editor wo also wants to be able to market the book to a certain audience. But I would say that my books and my main characters all have a little piece of me in their personalities (especially Holland in COLD DAY!). Also! My books are set “up north” Minnesota, and that is not something you see very often.

TS: What is your favorite genre to read?

Biren: And my favorite genre to read… well, I read a wide range of books, but my favorite is contemporary romance. I love a good love story.     

This book was very heartwarming and real to me, as an avid reader. It was the first book I read that has kept me reading for so long. I would give this book a five-star review because it is so well written. The Squire would like to thank Biren for taking time out of her remarkably busy schedule to answer these questions for us and give us more insight into her writing process. If you find this book interesting and would like to read more books by Biren, see our librarian, Ms. Walter, who will help you find a great read!

Photos courtesy of Sarah Biren.