Sarah E. Ladd Interviewed by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Author Sarah E. Ladd

Sarah is the author of The Headmistress of Rosemere, the second book in the Whispers on the Moors series.

Sarah, welcome to Overcoming With God. We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers.

Thank you so much for having me! I have been a fan of this blog for quite some time, and I am thrilled to be here!

Would you tell us about something difficult thing in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

I absolutely love being a writer – it truly is a dream come true for me. Being a writer has encouraged me to face something that is very difficult for me – and that is the fact that I am an introvert! 

I think it is easy to think of writing as a solitary endeavor and to assume that writers work in an isolated environment. But like with most professions, the writing world is changing. With the ever-increasing presence of social media, authors are much more visible than they have been in the past. In many ways, this is a huge blessing. I absolutely love connecting with readers and getting to know them. But on the other hand, for introverts, it can be very difficult to “put oneself out there.” I realize that I am over-generalizing here, but several authors I know (not all!) tend to be private individuals and are a little intimidated at the thought of sharing their personal stories in public forms. I know that I have struggled with this at times.

Through my publication journey, however, I have learned that God stretches in the areas we need to grow. Sometimes it is difficult to put myself “out there,” but through God’s grace, it is getting easier to do so.

(CFP: Many authors are introverted. In the “olden days” it wasn’t an issue like it is today! In fact, it was expected that most authors were reclusive and in their writing closets most of the time. Thanks for sharing, Sarah! We share these stories on OWG as an encouragement to others—and we pray these testimonies will bless authors, too. God’s Word tells us that by our testimonies, there is healing for us and glory brought to God!)

The Heiress of Winterwood

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 

Yes! The Headmistress of Rosemere is available as an audio book. The first book in the series, The Heiress of Winterwood is also available on audio book.

(CFP: The Heiress of Winterwood was on my Best of 2013 but I don't recommend the audiobook because the narrator is awful. BUT the narrator for The Headmistress of Rosemere was excellent!)

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

There is one line in The Headmistress of Rosemere that I think addresses this topic. It is a quote by Cassandra, one of the secondary characters, when she is sharing her thoughts on a difficult issue in her life:

            “God allowed this to happen. I do not comprehend why, but He will not leave me   here, Patience. This is part of his plan for my life. If I stay here, if I stay angry, I might miss the plan that He has for me.”

Like Cassandra, the hero and heroine in The Headmistress of Rosemere find themselves in situations they do not completely understand.  At times they feel quite hopeless. Both characters learn that it is not their problems that define them. Instead, they find that how they choose to respond to those difficulties is what truly defines their character. They both come to realize that their own strength and wisdom is not sufficient to fix the issues in their lives, and it is only when they seek God’s will do their paths become more clear.

(CFP: Love the name Cassandra, which I named my daughter! I’ll also include my bibliotherapy comments on my reviews later in the week.)

Thank you, Sarah, for agreeing to answer these questions. Have a blessed day and keep on writing!!

Thanks again for having me! 

Here are Sarah's links:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Website

Giveaway: "Like" Sarah's Facebook page and let us know you did so!  We're giving away a copy of each book this week, choice of format (international winners--ebook or audiobook only.)