Before she started writing fiction, Sara got a degree in Women’s Studies from U.C. Santa Cruz. She tried the nine-to-five life for about a nanosecond before moving to rural Virginia to become a flute-maker’s apprentice and traditional fiddle player. Some years and two babies later, she returned to school for a Masters in Nursing. A cancer survivor herself, she now has the privilege of caring for cancer patients as a nurse.

Sara writes stories about women with purpose and passion who contend with the foes within (self-doubt, mental illness, family struggle) and without (patriarchy) to become their most whole selves. She has yet to meet a moral dilemma that doesn't fascinate her.

JOHANNA PORTER IS NOT SORRY, released in March 2023, was Sara's debut novel. Her latest novel, PRINCIPLES OF (E)MOTION came out January 2024. She is hard at work on her third novel, which is hard at work trying to kill her. Sara's short stories have been published in The Missouri Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, and Zone 3 Press, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is represented by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency.

Sara is co-host of #MomsWritersClub, a BlueSky community and YouTube channel. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband, two teens, a terrier, and three snarky cats.

A little about today's host-

Kristi Leonard is a writer, community builder, and former president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Since co-hosting on the Author Express Podcast, she has started her own podcast, Pop Culture Plot Lab, where guest authors to turn viral pop culture moments into story sparks and give listeners a peek inside the creative process. Through her writing retreats and volunteer leadership, she’s dedicated to helping other writers find their voice and stay connected to the craft.

A former audiobook narrator, Kristi now spends most of her creative energy on her own fiction and on shaping programs that support women’s voices in publishing. When she isn’t writing or leading, she’s likely hiking Florida trails with her writer-hiker pals or reading with her Golden Retriever, Charlie, at her side. She’s currently at work on her next novel and building the kind of author career she’s long championed for others.

Link to follow me https://linktr.ee/kristileonardwrites

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Learn more about our hosts, the guests we've had, and their books -

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