North Texas author Sandra Brown celebrates the publication of her 80th novel, Tailspin, on August 7.
And after decades of success, she still wonders how she does it all.
"It'll be a slow day and I'll be panicked and I will look at a bookshelf and go, I can do this,” Brown said. “But every now and then, I really do need the reassurance. Then I look at it and I go -- but how did I do it?"
Brown is a native Texan, who was raised in Fort Worth, attended TCU and now creates her literary universe in Arlington. Her 79th novel, Seeing Red, debuted at number one on both the New York Times and USA Today best sellers lists last year.
"I guess if I were to step back and say what am I most proud of in my career, it would be the longevity,” she said. “"I'm still very viable in the marketplace and I am proud of that and glad of it and grateful, very grateful."
Brown publishes a book every August, and fans can’t seem to get enough. Her books are published in 34 languages – more than 80 million books in print worldwide. Now younger generations of readers are discovering her work.
"And it's very rewarding to me when I hear from a 24-year-old who says, ‘I just discovered you, and now I've read 25 of your books in 2 months.’
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And Brown says not to worry – she’s not slowing down.
"And I'm of the age where people around me, my friends are saying, ‘You need to slow down a little bit, you're working so hard.’ And I go, ‘To do what?’ What would I do with myself?"
"I get to play make-believe -- all day long -- and I get paid to do it and so that's why I say I've got the best job in the world."
