Bio

Who Am I?

I'm author and poet Sarah Ashwood. My first book, A Minstrel's Musings, debuted April 2009. A genuine "Okie from Muskogee," my home now lies within the woods outside the oldest town in Oklahoma. A homeschool graduate--and part-time homeschooling teacher--I am currently a full-time college student and writer. I am also newly engaged, as of February 14, 2010: Valentine's Day! My upcoming wedding is set for August 28th, 2010. As a wife, my married name will be SARAH BLACKWELL. But don't worry; here, in the writing world, with my husband's consent, you'll still know me as SARAH ASHWOOD.

Concerning my writing, well, I do it all from poetry to prose, fiction to non-fiction, fantasy to real life. I've completed one fantasy trilogy, the Sunset Lands Beyond trilogy, one Young Adult fantasy standalone, and one Christian historical novel. I'm excited to have found a publisher for my Young Adult novel, and an agent for my Christian book! I've had several pieces published in various magazines, and my debut book, A Minstrel's Musings, is now available.

Besides reading, teaching, and writing, I enjoy playing the piano, helping coordinate weddings, fitness, my family, friends, and church, shoes, shopping, bold jewelry, black coffee, book sales, cookies, music, hand quilting, attending our local Renaissance Faire in costume, and visting the opera and ballet with friends.

Favorite authors (and literary heroes!) range from Jim Butcher, Dara England, Kristen Britain, Dawn Cook, Brian Ruckley, Sarah Ash, Tolkien, and Karen Miller to Kathleen Morgan, Wallace Breem, Linda Chaikin, Linda Windsor, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Zane Grey, and Francine Rivers. As you can see, my tastes and interests are pretty eclectic. Musically, it's the same, but as I read and write I enjoy listening to such music as Blackmore's Night, Enya, Celtic Woman, Secret Garden, Josh Groban, and a diverse collection of movie soundtracks.

If you read my writing, you won't be surprised to learn that Lord Of The Rings, Narnia, Gladiator, Ben Hur, The 13th Warrior, Pirates of the Caribbean, Hadassah: One Night With the King, McClintock, The Searchers, Enchanted, and The Big Country are some of my favorite movies. Of course, I enjoy humor and the lighter side too: can't top Blackbeard's Ghost, Napoleon Dynamite, Robin Hood, I Love Lucy, Johnny Bravo, and The Emperor's New Groove for laughs!

Side Note: While I am a Christian, and all of my work is written from a Christian perspective (meaning no explicit sex, cursing, etc.), my work should not be considered "Christian" or "Inspirational" unless clearly deliniated so.

1. What is your educational background?

I was homeschooled by my parents, John and Patti Ashwood, from kindergarten through high school. After graduating from our family's home high school, I took distance ed classes from Northwestern Bible College approximately 2 1/2 years. At this point, I decided that all of the scribbling I'd been doing for fun should be dong something for me; aka, I decided I wanted to work towards a career as a writer. That being the case, I switched schools so I could pursue a degree in English, with an emphasis on creative writing. As might be supposed, this put me off track school-wise, but I am now closing in on my Bachelor's and am very excited about it!

2. Do you feel your educational background prepared you for a writing profession?

I do. I learned to read around age 4, and have been reading ever since. In my opinion, there is no greater friend to a writer than reading! All of the reading I've done has not only stretched my imagination and caused it to soar, it's also taught me many things, such as what works in a book and what does not.

3. Was your family supportive of your desire to write?

They were indeed. I discussed the idea of switching schools with my parents before I acted. They basically told me they would support me whichever choice I made. My family has always been there to cheer when I got an acceptance, or console when I received a rejection. I think they are proud of my accomplishments, and that means more to me than just about anything.

4. When did you first become interested in writing?

I'm not sure. I was very young. I wrote some terrible short stories and even worse poetry as a youngster. I became serious about writing when I was approximately 18 years old, after watching the first Lord of the Rings movie.

5. How were you influenced by the reading you did as a young person?

In many ways. The biggest is probably that even as a youngster I enjoyed studying history and mythology, as well as reading fairytales. I loved stories of knights and dragons and castles and fair maidens. I've also always loved ancient history (particularly the Roman era), as well as the adventures of real adventurers such as pirates and Vikings. I think all of these influences helped lead me into a love of fantasy. The cool thing about fantasy is, it incorporates the very best of the real world (pirates, knights, castles, Viking-like warriors, etc.) into its own unique realm. No wonder I am so drawn to the genre!

Of course, these early readings helped in another way: they’ve inspired my Christian, historical novels set in these same time periods. Currently, I am under contract with a top New York agency for my first Christian novel, starring 17th century pirates. I'm also writing a Christian novel set during the days of the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 A.D. The best part? I get to read lots of history books in order to write these novels, and I actually enjoy the learning part as much as the writing!

6. What was your very first literary attempt?

I really can't recall. I remember starting a story about a Yankee girl who was a spy but later gets reformed and becomes a Confederate. I remember some awful poetry...but what my first actual literary attempt was escapes me.

7. How old were you?

Again, I was too young to recall. (My memory worsens with age.)

8. What did you learn from it?

That I was a terrible writer and should give up. No, not really. If that were so, I wouldn’t be here today! Actually, I did learn at least one very important thing—first attempts are almost always awful, and if you're going to progress you're going to have to do a LOT of editing and re-writing...but only AFTER you finish the story. If you stop to do it mid-story/mid-novel you will probably never finish what you're writing.

9. How does it feel to have a published work?

I'm just going to be honest and say there's no feeling in the world like getting your first item published. My first was a poem in an online magazine that I was paid $10 for. It doesn't sound like much, but at the time it was proof to me that all of my hard work and all of those heartbreaking rejections were worth it. I still remember the giddy feeling of dancing around the house and then calling everybody and their dog to spread the news.

I can also say that all of those past acceptances, no matter how small, are helpful. When you get discouraged and want to quit, you can look back on them and remember what you've accomplished and hopefully be strengthened for the next fight. Plus, they lead you to work harder for bigger and better things.

Lastly, I always promised myself that if I were ever a published author I would do what I could to encourage other struggling writers. I like to think I've kept (and am keeping) this promise. I know what it's like to want something so bad and feel like you're all along in reaching for it; I want others to know they're not alone, and if I can help in their publishing pursuits...I want to do what I can.