VOL. 66 NO. 05
The Paper That ’s Going Places!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013
The romance of the written word Rosanne Fortier Did you ever want to have a chance to meet a romance writer, listen to readings by them and have their view on life inspire you? Adventure Romance writer, Sarah Kades will give you that opportunity, as well as, a chance to treat the love of your life to a Valentine’s Wine and Cheese at Vegreville Centennial Library. Sarah Kades’ biography notes that she loves writing stories that inspire, entertain, and give people hope in the
magic and power of love, each one of us and the natural world. Every person has a beginning and Sarah shared hers. “I was born and raised in the United States and grew up in a large family of modest means, and none fancied new landscapes and horizons like I did. That was okay. Looking back, it was amazing how everything fell into place. I’m floored what an incredible journey life is and how opportunities present themselves to us. Never underestimate the power of your dreams and goals,” Sarah explained. Her residences included many places, and she was always willing to take on a new adventure. “When I went to university, I had the opportunity to study in Scotland and I jumped at the chance. I had already had a couple of trips within the U.S. with friends, and Europe sounded like another fantas-
tic experience. A whole other continent to make friends on, smell air I’d never smelled before, hike trails I had never stepped foot on, and witness art and culture I had only seen in books and on television.” Sarah described how she met her husband. “After I returned from my semester abroad, I found myself at an archaeological field school in Manitoba and that is where I met my husband. We married nearly a year and a half later and I immigrated to Canada. My husband is from Ontario and we just kept moving west every year with each new archaeology and university adventure. We now call Calgary home,” she went on to say. She knew she wanted to be a writer and what she believed influenced this decision and prompted her to write romance books, Sarah replied, “Writing was never consciously on my to-do list,
but I have looked back in old journals and noticed I’ve been mentioning it for years. It’s crazy how we ignore ourselves for so long. I was prompted to give it a try when a writer friend shared a series idea she had for a collaboration and encouraged me to make a submission. It was accepted in the series and published with Amira Press in 2009.” “I write romance for a few reasons: I enjoy them, they are incredibly fun to write, and no one can explain why we fall for who we do. The chemistry is either there or it is not. Other types of love are quite reasonable and explainable - the plutonic love of family, good friends, that sort of thing. Romantic love is different. It is powerful, inexplicable, and real. And it is so much fun writing characters going through it. There is also the added bonus of happy endings in romance novels. That works for me.”
Writing has made her life meaningful also. Sarah described this, “I write because it makes me happy. It is such a neat experience to have a story pop into your head and develop. The craft of writing is fascinating, too. It is like brush strokes, or chords, but with words. Not only do you put the words in the pattern to tell the story, but you choose the perfect words to tell that story. Good stories have depth, layers to enjoy, like a harmony. It is a fun thing to create.” Sarah also enjoys reading and her taste is varied. “I love both fiction and nonfiction, and have quite a few favorites. The written word, like all forms of art, has the ability to move people, take them to a place they couldn’t or wouldn’t get on their own. Good books take our hand and lead us on an incredible journey. When we are lucky, they help us on our journey.” She makes sure to find time
to write. “My scheduling changed when I made writing a priority. Suddenly I found pockets of time to utilize for writing or plotting or character building. Five minutes here, fifteen minutes there, these snippets of time add up so when you sit down for an hour (or more), your mind is already wrapped around the story and characters.” Sarah explained. Sarah chose her settings for her romance novels according to her passion in life. “I love the natural world and spend a lot of time outside. There are so many amazing horizons to share with people. Writing is a way I can do that,” Sarah said. Sarah was generous with her advice for people with families wanting to find time to write; “Alberta has a strong writing community. Get active. Hang out with people on the same journey, learning See Story............................ Page 3
Carol Rudyk demonstrates the positive power of faith See page 8 for story
Emergency Services receives promotional banner See page 10 for story
Betty’s park commemorates legacy of love See page 15 for story