True Story Telling Event "Close Calls"

On Saturday a friend of mine hosted a True Story Telling event in Calgary, Canada, inspired by the True Story podcasts. The theme was Close Calls.

What an incredible night!

There is a joy to being present and listening to people tell their stories, live and in-person. Strangers can become friends, and friends or acquaintances learn a new layer to the other. Saturday night was real. In some cases raw, others hilarious, in all fascinating.

Listening to the stories, there was little time for nerves anticipating my turn at the microphone. And I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. We all have our own stories to tell. In selecting which one to tell on Saturday, memories that have long been dormant resurfaced. In listening to others tell their "close call" story, even more came whispering in. It was a great night hearing everyone's tales.

There is an art and beauty to storytelling that feeds the soul.  I love hearing and reading stories; around a campfire, or at an art studio like Saturday, or curled up with a book. Stories can nourish us, connect us, and remind us we are not alone in this human experience.

That is one of the reasons I love writing, I get to share stories with others.

Many thanks to all who inspired, participated, attended and organized! It was an awesome night!

Happy Listening, Happy Reading, Happy Writing,
Sarah

Sarah Kades titles now available in Kobo

Claiming Love and Duke Out at the Diner are now available on Kobo!! 

       

Happy Reading!!

Valentine's Wine and Cheese in Vegreville, Alberta!

What would a romance author do on Valentine's Weekend? Attend a library fundraiser Wine and Cheese of course!! I am delighted to be the guest author at the Vegreville Centennial Library's Valentine Fundraiser on February 9th! Come join us for a lovely evening. 

Goal Setting and Achieving

Happy New Year! Thank you 2012, you were awesome! Welcome 2013, here's to our best year yet!!

I've been thinking a lot about goals for this year. A lot of my writer friends have shared their writing goals and it has got me thinking about mine. What do I want to accomplish this year, as a writer, as a person, as a wife and mother. What do I want to do with my 2013?

2012 was an incredible year. I learned so much, and had a blast doing it. What I want to characterize 2013 is more action and more focus. I've been working on the organizational part of the writing business, but it is time to take it the next step and produce more results. To write, sell, and promote successfully.

I'm a foundations kid, I like to learn and figure out the baseline, make sure I have a solid understanding of the foundation of whatever endeavor I am pursuing, and build and grow from that. A couple years ago I picked up bouldering as a sport. Nothing hard core, mind you, and I have no idea the vernacular yet, but it is a great example of my foundation building. I worked hours on grip work, both with my hands and feet. I practiced moving across the wall, tuned to my center of gravity, balance, reach. If it has been awhile since my last time out, I still bring it back to basics. But there comes a time when you have to trust yourself and move beyond the foundations stage. There comes a time when you have to try that wall, with its overhangs and verticals and ridiculously wee grips.

Sure you might slip or fall, or not manage the route you were going for, but the learning and discovery is awesome. And when you do get across the wall, it is pure elation. The feeling of accomplishment incredible.

Holy crap, I can do more than I thought I could.

Indeed. We all can. What is your writing wall, or otherwise, that you want to move across? What toe and hand holds to you need to coordinate, orchestrate, navigate to reach your goals? Are you working on it? Have you taken your goals and broken them down into doable, small steps? Big tasks are done by completing small steps. 

This business of writing is a fun, awesome adventure. Cheers to 2013, it's epic adventures, and all the people who help make it so! Thank you!!

Happy Writing, Happy Reading, Happy Being!
Sarah

Bouldering, How Sweet It Is

The Tragic Spinster and I went bouldering today. *Insert happy grin here.*

Ok, so we gabbed more than Spiderman'ed across the wall, but it was fun, got the heart rate up a couple times and logged a few more calluses.

And as anticipated, there was eye candy. Nice eye candy. I've got to write about a climber one of these times. And mountain biker, kayaker, cowboy, skier, hunky scientist, carpenter (hello tool belt), CSIS agent (WIP), oh probably more archaeologists, helicopter pilots . . .

Happy Day!

Dang, I Love This Land

Good morning. 

I am in an airplane headed to Fort McMurray in northern Alberta for the day. The sunrise is gorgeous from the air, warm colored and peaceful, full of the new beginning of a fresh day. Below it is lightly snowing and the land is blanketed in white and shadow, with the contours of the ground playing peekaboo with the snow and forests. It is a good day. 

As a lot of you know, this area holds a particular joy for me. My first novella Claiming Love was set up here and the novel I am currently writing is as well. It is a way to share a landscape I love with those who have never stepped here, or those who are old friends. 

Winter up here holds a whole different energy, too. Sure it gets cold...frickin' cold, but that is a part of this place. Deep freezes have a purpose.

The smell up here, not of the city and industry, but the smell of the forests and land and even the snow is clearing, grounding. I've said it before, there is an energy to this place that has nothing to do with a barrel of oil and everything to do with the land itself.

The oil reference, good time to mention Fort McMurray is in the Oilsands, or Tarsands, depending on your take. The land here is loud, and hurting, but the strength and beauty and wisdom is very apparent, as well. Contentious, troubled places make for solid self reflection and an awareness, a realization of values.

And built in conflict for a writer if you want to go there. The writer facet of me twinkles always, but I am up here today for a different reason. Still, the land speaks as it always does, and I want to share with those who have not heard. This place is pure magic.

Later in the day...

Back on the plane, heading home. This time with stars like quiet sentinals out and above and glowing community lights dotting the darkscape below. It has been an incredible day. Sometimes after the fact can be even more poignant than the event. So was the case today.

I know this post has been pretty vague. It has to be this time around. ;) I'll leave it with Thank You to all who contributed to this day.

In gratitude,
Sarah

Napkin Dispenser, Hot Dude Trapped Inside, Feisty Rescuer, Danger Lurks

This was my first short story and a blast to write. It stemmed from a couple writing exercises during a workshop with ARWA and took off. Characters and stories have a way of doing that. The references to "25" were in honor of ARWA's 25th Anniversary. Happy 25th ARWA!

Some napkin dispensers hold napkins, others have gorgeous heros locked inside. Shay just wanted to grab a bite to eat and pretend her life was safe. She never expected to be responsible for rescuing a handsome hero. Eric has had enough of being in the wrong place at the wrong time; he’s locked in a napkin dispenser for goodness sakes. It might be worth it, though, he’s falling fast and hard for his feisty rescuer. But a sinister force threatens them both; will true love save them in time?

Duke Out at the Diner, A Short Story, is now available on Amazon. Happy Reading!