Former Purdue employee publishes new book

By Jamie Teibel
Summer Editor

"Without warning, he exploded into her senses. One moment she was driving alone down a busy intersection, the next he was there. A stranger with black hair, dressed in clothes of another era. But most frightening of all, he had no substance."

"The Sundial," by Sandra Cox is a time travel romance. Her inspiration for the book comes from her fascination with fiction. "I've always been fascinated by the supernatural and I enjoy fantasy; anything can become real. I find reincarnation a fascinating subject also."

When brainstorming for story ideas, Cox asks herself a few questions. With "The Sundial," she started with an idea that fascinated her - time travel.

She asked herself, "What if we could travel back in time and meet the people who have shaped our world?" Her next step was to find a method of travel. Here she asked herself, "What about a sundial that has been around for centuries and has withstood time itself?"

Finally, Cox develops her characters. "The interesting part of this is when a small 'bit player,' for lack of a better term, takes on a life of his own and becomes a living, breathing, intrinsic part of your book - a character you can't do without," she said. "It's fascinating."

It took Cox about a year to write "The Sundial" because she works full time, "I can't write at night when I get home because by brain is mush, so I work on my days off." She then had to endure another six months of rewrites.

Cox said that waiting for "The Sundial" to be published was both nerve-racking and exciting. "Nerve-racking wondering if I was going to fall on my face and exciting because it was indeed being published."

Cox worked at Purdue for 11 years, from 1986 to 1997. She worked as an accountant clerk in Heavilon Hall and the Biochemistry Building, then as a food service operator at Shreve Residence Hall. "I really enjoyed it," Cox said of her days at Purdue. "I enjoyed the people I worked with and the people I dealt with."

Cox now works at a check-cashing agency in Statesville, N.C., where she resides with her husband and two children. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.

She graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in home economics after switching from English because of a disagreeable professor. Cox's only regret as a writer is not continuing to earn a degree in English. "I wish I would have stayed in English and started writing immediately during and after college."

Cox said writer Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels inspires her. "That woman is so prolific and her stories are always adventurous." Peters/Michaels is the same woman, said Cox. In the mystery section, she is Elizabeth Peters and in the horror section she is Barbara Michaels.

On becoming famous, Cox said, "Fame is a good thing, but I would be happy if I could get a large enough following so that I could support myself and my family by writing full time."

Cox's advice to aspiring writers is, "Hang tough and believe in yourself!"

Cox has written another book, titled "The Silver Hills," which is a western romance. She is currently working on a book that she said, "revolves around a green crystal."

Presently, "The Sundial" can be ordered through iUniverse.com and will soon be available through Barnes and Noble bookstores.