Books

Escape Into The Magic...

Of Sarah Ashwood

Books

“Once to read of great books is to taste what is never forgotten.” —Louis L’Amour

“Once to read of great books is to taste what is never forgotten.”

—Louis L’Amour

“Writing is easy; all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.”

—Gene Fowler

A Minstrel’s Musings (Available)

A Time To...Volume 3 (Available)

Knight’s Rebirth (Forthcoming)

A Minstrel's Musings, was released April 2009 from Cyberwizard Productions for their Diminuendo Press imprint. Find it here:

A Minstrel's Musings, Sarah's debut book, contains 37 original poems covering such diverse topics as family, life, military service, love, loss, motherhood, history, adventure, school, teaching, journeys, wishes, and—of course—fantasy. While the cover art was crafted by Hulbert, OK artist Melvin Barnette, each poem inside is magnified by artist A.A. Stone's special touch. You'll find some of Anne's gorgeous illustrations here on the site.

For special sneak previews, view these lovely videos created specifically to celebrate Minstrel's debut, and visit the CWP link for a very unique "inside look" at A Minstrel's Musings.

Forthcoming

The contract has been signed with Cyberwizard Productions for Knight’s Rebirth, a Young Adult fantasy novel. The book is tentatively scheduled for a 2010 release in print format for Cyberwizard’s Toybox Books imprint.

Want a little more info?

Knight’s Rebirth is the story of egotistical, cynical knight Sir Buckhunter Dornley, who also suffers from a bad case of gynophobia. Intent on fleeing civilization for a temporary respite from fame, adulation, and the romantic advances of his many female admirers, Buck decides to hide out a while in the kingdom of Merris. Unfortunately, his stay will be interrupted by three young maidens out for a forest stroll, one of whom is Merris’s pretty, audacious princess, Mercy. Eventually, as fairytales go, Buck falls under Mercy’s spell, but how will he react to her forceful rejection of his marriage proposal? More importantly, why did Mercy refuse when it’s clear she returns his love? An ancient curse and Buck’s direst foe—the fierce dragon, Triplehorn Wingback—hold the answers our knight seeks. To what lengths will Buck go to obtain them…and Mercy?

When your need is great enough, can love bring you back from beyond?

Future Work

Agent Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management, has agreed to represent Sarah’s historical novel, The Puritan and the Pirate. She hopes soon to find a publisher and share it with the world.

View Jane’s website:

Reviews

           The poetry of Sarah Ashwood is as rewarding to read as it must have been to write. We get a sense of joy from the writer, which fills the reader with hope and awe. We question things like fate and wonder about such things as the afterlife and luck. The "Spell-Breaker" takes bad luck and makes it something turned to the advantage of the speaker. As a black cat crosses this poet’s path, she finds love in the small kitten the opposite of bad luck. This kind of deliberate understanding, imparts optimism to those who read this illuminating collection.

          Ms. Ashwood uses alliteration and rhyme in ways that make it unpredictable.   Her view of nature makes the reader think of such writers as Robert Frost, especially in her poem, "Pathways to Where." The poems sing of the poet and her connection to the world in a way that allows the reader to see and connect, as well. In this first book of poems, Ms. Ashwood dazzles the reader with ruminations of a profound world.

                                                                                                                                              —Penny Freeland, Poet, and Professor at American Military University

In A Minstrel’s Musings Sarah Ashwood brings as much color and enthusiasm to her poetry as she does to her fiction, presenting us with imaginative worlds and breathtaking imagery. Her poems of fantasy and adventure had me at the edge of my seat, while her nostalgic descriptions of everyday occurrences such as fishing trips and strolls down country lanes left me saying, “Yes, I’ve been there!”

–Dara England, Author of Brought to Life

   A Minstrel’s Musings is a collection of poems that celebrates the seemingly insignificant events that really define life, in all of its stages. Framed within images of antiquity (many medieval in nature), author Sarah Ashwood takes the reader on a journey that exposes those moments of romantic love, friendship, and loneliness that cause us to question our surroundings on this earth and our mortal existence. The poems themselves represent both lyric and narrative traditions, in addition to short, playful pieces such as “The Spell-Breaker,” which considers the significance of a chance encounter with a black kitten.

     Complementing these skillfully crafted lines of verse are original sketches that provide added breadth and tangible dimension to each topic. A Minstrel’s Musings is a wonderful first collection for this talented young artist who has just begun to discover and refine her poetic voice. Readers can be sure that Ms. Ashwood is going to contribute much to the dialogue that is modern poetry.

                                                        —John Napolitano, M.A.Instructor, John Wood Community College, Author of American Floaters and Only a River

Sketches by A.A. Stone. See Sarah's Favorites.

For locals and visitors, "A Minstrel's Musings" is also available at the following Muskogee and Tulsa locations: Hastings, Bebb's Flowers, I'm a Basket Case, Anna Marie's Candlery, Steve's Sundry, and The Castle of Muskogee.