Girl, Take the Lead!

258. The Heart of Story — Sarah M. Eden on History, Hope, and the Art of Romance


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Welcome back to Girl, Take the Lead! — the podcast where we share real, raw, and remarkable stories that inspire us to lead with courage and heart.

Today’s guest is Sarah M. Eden (Millennial) — a USA Today best-selling author, screenwriter, and creative powerhouse whose witty, award-winning historical romances have sold over a million copies worldwide.

Known for blending her obsession with history and affinity for tender, hopeful love stories, Sarah has written more than eighty-five novels and is now expanding her storytelling into film. Her upcoming movie, Seeking Persephone, reimagines the myth of Hades and Persephone as a Regency-era romance — and her latest novel, The Tides of Time, explores how love, guilt, and hope transcend centuries.

In this episode, Sarah and Yo explore the heart of storytelling itself — why stories matter, how creativity lifts us through life’s oppositions, and why romance will always promise hope.


⏱️ Episode Highlights

  • How writers “train” their minds to see stories everywhere

  • The spark behind The Tides of Time and its time-travel premise

  • What adapting her own novel taught Sarah about letting go

  • How romance fiction empowers women and offers hope

  • Why joy is essential to creative longevity

  • How resistance and opposition help us rise — in life and in art

  • Sarah’s gentle message to her 20-something self


Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Sarah M. Eden
01:29 – How a dare launched her writing career
02:25 – The story behind The Tides of Time — time travel meets the French Revolution
04:20 – What makes a good storyteller — and how it can be learned
07:42 – Letting go: when your story belongs to the world
09:59 – Adapting Seeking Persephone for film and what changed in the process
13:39 – Finding joy in creativity, even when it’s “work”
14:38 – Sarah’s advice for aspiring writers: love the stage you’re in
19:27 – Why romance fiction endures — and what hope it offers
24:34 – The Finding Joy card story and how opposition gives us lift


💡 Key Takeaways

  • Storytelling is an act of hope — a way to connect across time and emotion.

  • Opposition builds strength; resistance helps us rise higher.

  • Romance fiction celebrates women’s agency and resilience.

  • Creativity is joy — and joy sustains the creative life.

  • Every stage of your journey has meaning; don’t rush past it.


✨ Connect with Sarah M. Eden

🌐 Website & Newsletter: sarahmeden.com
📸 Instagram: @sarah_m_eden
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/SarahMEden

🎬 Coming Soon:

  • Mercury Raine (Books 1 & 2) — releasing October 2025

  • Seeking Persephone — film premiere expected late 2025


💌 Store Highlight

Sarah’s favorite from our Girl, Take the Lead! Card & Gift Shop is “Finding Joy” — featuring a hummingbird and flowers.
She shared how her love of physics and birds reminds her that:

“What allows birds to fly is opposition. As they flap down, they’re lifted up. Strength is found in opposition.”

Explore this and other guest-inspired cards at: girltaketheleadpod.com/shop


📬 Connect with Yo, Your Host

🌐 Website: girltaketheleadpod.com
📸 Instagram: @yocanny
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yocanny
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/yolanda.canny


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