The Author


Born Sandra Lo Grasso [website] in Staten Island, New York, Sandy has always been a creative person. As a child, she was good in art and English and began writing and drawing for fun. In high school, Sandy discovered her career choice of entertainment journalism. She was always fascinated by music and movies and enjoyed writing about celebrities. Dabbling in song-writing and someday wanting to write her own screenplay, Sandy wanted to be a part of entertainment in any way possible.

At the age of seventeen, Sandy wrote her first novel; although it was rough, she quickly realized becoming a published author was very much a dream of hers. After high school, Sandy established her own entertainment magazine called StarShine Magazine and still continues to run the online publication. Sandy has interviewed many stars from Jessica Simpson to the Backstreet Boys.

In Sandy’s spare time, she continued to write, but didn’t feel ready to publish any of her novels until she wrote Lost in You. Sandy started writing the novel in 2004 and hit a road block with the story until the summer of 2007. She was dealing with tragedy as her mother became ill, and writing became the therapy Sandy needed to get through it. Lost in You was finished just two months after Sandy’s mother passed away. Now at twenty-five and with her mother as her guardian angel, Sandy knows she will establish herself as a novelist.

The Book

Cooper Jackson is a twenty-five year old woman, who shuts down in relationships. Burdened by her mother’s failed love life and her untimely death, Cooper won’t allow her heart to get broken, or stolen, either. A chance meeting with a famous singer, Ryan Latham could change Cooper forever. She finds herself wanting to give her heart to Ryan…one problem: he’s engaged. To divert her attention, Cooper throws herself into a relationship with Ryan’s best friend, JT, a man just as unstable as she is. Lost In You is a coming of age love story for a slightly older generation; it’s about finding yourself, overcoming your past, and building a future.

Click cover to order LOST IN YOU!

The Interview

Fill in the blank: “To read LOST IN YOU is to believe in yourself, life and love.”

You walk into a movie theater and there’s a movie poster for your LOST IN YOU. What’s the logline?
Sometimes Mr. Wrong Really Is Mr. Right.

Expand on that logline by pitching us LOST IN YOU in 50 words or less.
LOST IN YOU explores a complicated woman’s new feelings on love and the two men she falls for. A heartwarming story about overcoming fears and looking forward to the future. With just the right mix of drama, comedy, sex and romance, LOST IN YOU is the feel good story of the year!

What are THREE adjectives that best describe LOST IN YOU?
Realistic, Touching, Entertaining

What are THREE adjectives that best describe YOU?
Fun, Optimistic, Diverse

What’s your favorite thing about LOST IN YOU?
The realistic qualities of all my characters. I find myself comparing people I meet to who my characters are. For example, I’ll meet a nice guy and I’ll say “He reminds me of Ryan Latham.”

How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?
When I’m away from writing, I’m usually still thinking about ideas wherever I am or whomever I’m with. But I enjoy spending time with family and friends going to dinner, the movies, concerts and dancing.

SANDY LO: THE SOUNDTRACK. What are three tracks that would HAVE to make it onto the soundtrack of your life?
1. “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper. My Mom used to sing this song to me as a small child and it always stuck with me.
2. “Sandy” by John Travolta. This one is obvious since my name is Sandy, but also because I am in love with John Travolta and I always wanted someone to sing this song to me in public in a romantic gesture. Still waiting…
3. “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. This one was always a favorite of mine and always gave me hope.

You’re strutting down the street – sexy, happy, and confident – what song is playing in your mind?
“These Boots Are Made For Walking” by Jessica Simpson

Do you have a standard process to your writing? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m definitely more of a pantser. I could get the smallest idea for a story and just go with it. I’ll admit, it’s not very conventional or easy at times, but it works best for me. I have tried outlining and by the time I’m finished outlining everything, I either wind up straying from the plan anyway or get bored with the storyline altogether.

What are you doing to promote and market LOST IN YOU?
I have been doing interviews with various newspapers, websites and magazines. I’ve also been promoting myself on Facebook and MySpace as well as setting up fan chats. In April, I will be doing a book signing at Barnes & Noble in my hometown of Staten Island, NY, so I’m really excited about that. Word of mouth has been very helpful thanks to my friends and family who have been spreading the word. Also, running my own magazine helps since celebrities have been nice enough to take pictures with LOST IN YOU.

Word Association. What comes to mind when you see the following words:

COOPER JACKSON: Guarded.
MUSIC: Inspiring.
WRITING: Indescribable
LOST IN YOU: Relatable
SANDY LO: Dreamer

At the end of the day, what do you want readers to feel about you as a writer?
I want them to feel inspired by my characters and I want them to have a good time reading my work. I want to be that writer that keeps you wanting more, but satisfies your needs at the end of each book. I want my readers to feel every emotion.

What advice would you offer aspiring-to-be-published authors?
The industry is tough, but don’t let it stop you. Keep going, keep writing, and keep thinking outside the box for all kinds of publishing opportunities. Take chances on yourself!

Lost in You: The Movie. Who plays Cooper Jackson? Who plays Ryan Latham?
It’s hard for me to pick someone to play Cooper. Maybe Rachel McAdams? Ryan is easier. I was thinking either Bryan Greenberg or Kevin Connelly.

What projects are you currently working on?
I’m finishing up my second novel, Dream Catchers, which I am insanely excited about! It’s a young, fun story with a big comedic factor as well as a powerful romance. I think it will appeal to everyone in some way and can’t wait to publish it hopefully next year! Other than Dream Catchers, I’m also in the process of working on a biography with my friend Anna Sundstrand about her life in the music industry. I will also start my third novel soon, which will be more supernatural than romance. I’m very excited to explore that side of writing!

3 comments

  1. Thanks Shon for interviewing me and for the amazing feature on your AMAZING site!

    And thanks Teresa! I hope you both enjoy the book, that is if you decide to pick up a copy! 🙂

    Hugs, Kisses & Stars,
    Sandy Lo
    Author of Lost In You

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