Let's give a warm
#IndieFallFest welcome to Sarah Buhl, my author of the day!
by Breigh Forstner
Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
I always wanted to write and finally decided to just do it the end of 2012. My first book, “penance.” published May 2014. I write a combination of literary fiction, new adult, contemporary romance, dystopian, and paranormal.
Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
On November 11, the second in the Bohme series will be released. It is called “dissonance.” I am now working on my dystopian novel which I hope to have finished and released by April 2015.
Are you a mom (or parent)?
Yes.
If yes do you find it hard to juggle writing and parenting?
No. My daughter is a very self sufficient nine year old. She is also one of my best friends.
Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?
Loosely, but nothing exactly. There are many traits in my characters that are from people in my real life. Especially the friends and family in the Bohme series—the dynamics between the characters are found in many of my relationships.
Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?
I think in each of my books, the driving theme is discovering who you are as a person. It is more the individual realization than the relationship with others. But in that, you discover a deeper connection with others, because you know yourself.
What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
That I don’t believe in romance in the traditional sense.
When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?
I play a lot of video games and I read. I also watch a hell of a lot of television. I am obsessed with IMDB and anything dealing with science fiction and fantasy.
Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?
I admire several stories and authors, but I would not wish to write what they created. Every author writes the story they are meant to write.
Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?
Yes. Fantasy. I would love to do that.
Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?
I can’t say his name. But there is a character in my dystopian series that I just love, mainly because I love his name.
If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?
dissonance. Is the second book and is released November 11. The third book in that series will be out next year. Dissonance is Blake’s book and for readers who have read penance, the first in the series, they will be interested in knowing that you get to see a different side of Wynn. It is interesting to see him from his best friend’s eyes in dissonance.
What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?
Dystopian is in progress. Dissonance releases on November 11
What book are you reading now?
I am reading Redemption, the final book in the Enigma Black Trilogy as well as The Fiery Cross (Fifth Outlander book), and I also have some mythology and palm reading books I have been reading.
What is in your to read pile?
Every Vonnegut, Orwell, Lovecraft, Rice, and King book I have not yet read. The rest of the Outlander series. And Fahrenheit 451 a few dozen more times.
What Makes You Feel Alive?
by Sarah Buhl
In my newest book, dissonance., every chapter begins with a question. Each of the questions are ones I think every one of us can relate to, but there is one in particular that I like to ask people when we are in the “deeper” conversations. That question is—what makes you feel alive?
I had never thought to ask myself that before I took up writing. I spent most of my time doing nothing. I enjoyed reading of course—that took up much of my time. But I wasn’t doing anything. I wasn’t tapping into my own creativity and I was drowning in it.
Penance., my first book, was therapeutic for me. I took the time to write and to put to paper, two characters that helped me through some of the hardest things in my life to get through. I came out better on the other end for it. It was an amazing experience—finding my passion. What started as just a, “Can I do it?” Then became, “Yes I can do it and I will do it again.” Those two opposing voices war in all of us, and I finally decided to listen to the second one.
I found what it was that made me feel alive.
Now, I find myself asking that same questions of others. I have many friends in my life that are similar to those in the Bohme series. Their personalities permeate the pages of the series and I am thankful they don’t always look at me as crazy when I ask that question. Not many people want to ask themselves that.
Finding out and discovering what you are meant to do, isn’t all sunshine and roses. It is pretty hard at times too. But in the end, it is entirely worth it, because you come out better for it on the other side.
One of my favorite things in life is seeing someone walk along the path they are meant to walk on. The way I see it, there are two voices that try to gain the upper hand in each of us. Whichever of the voices we choose to feed is the deciding factor on how we live our lives. (Or how we lack in living our lives.) The day to day of life can be brutal. I know. We get lost in the time that passes each day and we forget that this is a cherished moment. Every moment in life is to be cherished.
Like I said previously, two years ago I had the epiphany—I was alive. It sounds kind of crazy, I know. Even reading it sounds crazy to me. But I realized, I was alive and I was supposed to be doing something. I couldn’t sit back and let life happen anymore. I had to grab onto it.
So I sat my happy butt at the computer and I just started typing. I didn’t decide to write a book because I wanted to be the next great author. No I wrote for the pure joy of it. I wrote for the pure joy of words. I still write for that very reason. I love words. I love stories. I love characters. I began to write for the same reason that I love to read—meeting fictional characters that help me understand my own thoughts better.
When I was caught up in the writing, I found myself several times asking, “What if no one likes it?” Then I decided you know what, that doesn’t matter. If I like it and I know I wrote the story I needed to write, then that is what matters. Then the further into my journey I went, the more I understood myself, and those around me. I was doing what I was meant to do and I never felt more alive.
I’ve witnessed the same thing happen when musicians take the stage. The person could be the most anti-social, quiet person in conversation, but you put them on stage, and they are in their element. To me that is beauty and that is life. They come alive on stage.
When an artist sits at the easel and begins to paint—deep in their element—deep in their creativity and passion, you can feel it in the air. Creativity and passion are beautiful things and it’s a privilege to hear about it happening with others and to witness it happening.
I even witness the same thing when my husband talks his nerdy, computer shop with his friends. They get to talking about RAM and processor speed and then the terms I do not understand at all—and it is pretty cool. It is amazing to see how the human mind works and devours knowledge and creativity.
Believing in ourselves is the greatest achievement we can have as human beings.
I say that because that is the first step in doing what you need to do—believing you can. It's also the most difficult. I'm not going to lie. The other voice always steps in and makes you question everything.
It doesn’t matter what it is you need to do—as long as you do it. Just taking the little steps toward it, you will start to see things come into alignment in your life. I know I sound like a motivational speaker right now, but f$*k it. I want people to find their voice and their passion.
If it is music, writing, gardening, dancing, showing horses, counseling others, painting, taking photographs, it doesn’t matter what it is—as long as you believe in yourself and you just take the first step.
I know it’s scary as hell—stepping into oblivion and throwing caution to the wind.
But…
You can do it, I know you can.
Imagine your life is now a book. In 100 words write the blurb for it.
On the shelf, books are one dimensional as only the spines and titles are visible. This is the same with people. We only see the surface and base it off that. She writes. She watches TV. She listens to music. She reads. This is the story of one girl who chose to look past the surface and find the story within.
Sarah Buhl. Sci-fi expert. Self-professed TV and IMDB guru. Gamer. Dreamer. Mother. Wife. Friend. Author of novels.
BETSY SCHOW is the TODAY Show featured author of the non-fiction book, Finished Being Fat; however she’s been mixing up real life and fantasy for as long as she can remember. If someone were to ask about her rundown truck, she’s 100% positive that mechanical gremlins muck up her engine. And the only reason her house is dirty is because the dust bunnies have gone on strike. She lives in Utah with her own knight in geeky armor and their two princesses (that can totally shapeshift into little beasts). When not writing, she acts as the Tournament Director for Odyssey of the Mind and helps teach kids creative thinking (or how to turn their toasters into robots).
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