Meet Sinclair Sawhney: Editorial Expert and Passionate Storyteller

I am so happy to formally introduce my long time friend, Sinclair Sawhney.  Sinclair was one of my ‘real life’ friends in Bellevue, and was there through good times and bad.  We met when my big boys were still just very little boys.  How did we meet?  Through our husbands!  Sinclair’s handsome brilliant doctor husband, Deepak, was my former husband’s anesthesiologist (for these incredibly long 9 hour surgeries) and when Deepak was with Joe I knew he was in good hands.  Our husbands got along well, and one day while talking discovered each had a wife who was writing romance.  We were introduced, and we hit it off and the rest is history.  Sinclair is energy, and warmth, sunshine and joy.  She is also a Taurus (which means she’s a fixed earth sign, which means she’s stubborn but also fiercely loyal).

Sinclair has had many careers and lives before Tule.  She’s from Orange County, California originally, attended UC Irvine, became a journalist in school and after graduating, then became a teacher, and founded a preschool for gifted kids, and basically throws herself into whatever she does.  Which is why I had to ask her to consider becoming an editor for Tule when we were just a baby company of one year old.  And lucky me, and lucky Tule, she’s still here today, putting up with me, and making me laugh, and continuing to inspire with her very own brand of strength, humor, and love.  And with that, welcome Sinclair to the Jane Blog!

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Hello everyone! I’m Sinclair Sawhney and I am so excited to be here with you all and to chat with Jane. I joined Tule in March of 2014 as the Executive Developmental Editor for Tule Romance. My day to day involves working as a developmental editor with romance authors in several genres including contemporary, historical, paranormal and romantic suspense as well as mystery and thriller authors. I offer services from helping authors brainstorm series proposals, trouble shoot  plot/character book issues, developmental editing, re-reading revisions, writing blurbs. Other duties include reading through un-contracted submissions, weighing in on covers and titles, taking pitches at writing conferences, and serving as a judge for writing competitions.

Questions:

1. What is your favorite part of working with Tule?

Working for and with Tule is one of my favorite jobs I have ever had. I love working with authors—discussing stories, providing feedback on their proposals and their manuscripts. I also love my colleagues. Their brains and humor.

2. What are some of the challenges/difficulties in working with Tule?

I am so supported by Tule. So many times when I mess up or forget or miss something, my authors are so cool and kind about it, and my team helps me reorient. The environment is the most supportive I have every encountered, and I know for me, that gives me strength and grace and happiness to extend the same to the Tule authors and the Tule team.

3. What do you specifically like to read, if you have time to pleasure read?

Currently I am reading the JD Robb ‘in death’ series, as I’ve been fantasizing about writing a gritty, intensely local, dysfunctional family dynamics driven mystery series and I’m enjoying the team feel of Eve Dallas and crew. I need to start branching out more. My own writing, editing and our very small wine label do keep me busy, but I love to engage in all three areas.

4. What is an accomplishment you’re particularly proud of? (could be work related or not!)

I am currently marveling at two things—one, I managed to live my dream. From
the age of six I wrote poetry and 6 th grade through eight grade I wrote Barbara Cartland type of romances, and then I was a journalist and I wanted to be a fiction writer and I am so that is pinchable—just being able to create two people and a world and a GMC and then a series out of nothing, still astonishes me.

The second thing, which should be my first—oops, is that I deliberately egg-headed how I wanted to raise my kids. No shade to my parents or my husband’s but man I really wanted to focus on pushing and building confidence and resilience and kindness and positivity instead of fear and anxiety and insecurity and constant second guessing. I wanted my kids to realize their power and control and the role that they played in creating their life. I felt helpless and alienated as a child—passive, and when I was a teacher, I was talking to a 6th grade boy who was struggling, and I was really trying to understand what was going on, and he had no sense of himself in his life—total external focus of control and THAT was a huge AHA moment for me. I knew my kids had to see themselves as agents and directors in their lives—seize control of what they could and drive.

Another moment happened (rather rudely I thought at the time, but it was a huge future mantra for me). I was dating this guy I was crazy in love with (not my husband so shshshsh) and his brother met me and asked “what does she bring to the party?” I wanted to kick his arrogant you know what, but later I thought about it, and it was really a valid question. What did I bring? Better be good—something that a lot of other people want because I want to come to the party. I want an engraved invitation. So I set out to live my life always bringing something to every party (metaphorically, but also literally).

5.  You are busy, and Tule isn’t your whole life. How do you juggle it all?

I juggle it all because I LOVE my job. I LOVE to write—not the whoo-hoo look at me– I wrote a book, but the actual act of writing of thinking and picturing and typing out the words and creating my characters and their lives and their dreams and their problems and their gotta dig deep to move forward vibe. I adore my colleagues. I’ll fight for my authors. I believe to the last bone marrow cell in the power of story, and I like to be busy and needed. Again the childhood trauma, right? Feeling expendable and wanting to not only be at the party, but to have been invited and welcomed and part of the planning.