Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sara Shaw. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Sara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
IT STARTED WITH A TRUE LIFE STORY
IT BECAME A MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. TO GIVE A VOICE TO THE MANY WHO NEED HOPE, FAITH, HEALING & A BELIEF THAT THEIR LIFE CAN BE BETTER
I use the pen name Sara Shaw to help protect identities.
My Podcast is: Chapter Chat With Sara
My website is sarashaw.org
A healthy and happy childhood should be a foundation to build strength and love to enter adulthood as kind and responsible citizens. The five siblings in the true story, Two Sisters & The Four-Leaf Clover (Trilogy 2021) did not have that chance. Abused sexually and physically throughout their childhood, their lives were compromised from a young age by an abusive stepfather and a mother who felt powerless to stop it and was abused as well.
Author Sara Shaw takes the reader on an intimate journey through the lives of two sisters and their families from the Great Depression to the present. At age sixteen, both sisters married to escape their unhappy home life. Unfortunately, their paths dangerously affected not only their lives but also the lives of their children, who were growing up in another turbulent time in history, the 1960s. Detailing the historical timeline woven into the story creates a better understanding of those times.
I was one of the daughters of one of the sisters. I believed that finding a four-leaf clover as a child would change my life, not expecting what would happen. I prayed every day for a better life. My life and my brother’s and sister’s, I discovered later, was not as chilling and horrendous as my cousins’, who, early on, lived nearby, but then moved. We rarely saw them after the move. Connecting later in life after the death of my mother, the cousins’ story unfolded, & I was completely devastated. I felt a powerful sense of urgency to tell this important story by writing a book to help my cousins heal. They said no one ever believed them. They had suffered this silence for many years. Psychologist Michael Koller agrees, “It is admirable when an author can capture the real, true feelings of tragedy and then the triumph that results from underlying hope and perseverance. I applaud Sara for having the courage to write such an important book that takes all the skeletons out of her familial closet.” When recalling certain true-life events in the book, an overwhelming sadness washes over me. “Even today, I am still shocked to the very core, yet my cousins’ remarkable courage far surpassed what I had ever known about them.”
This is not a story of despair and hopelessness. It is a story of hope, courage, and restoration. Their survival became about finding God, having hope, and working to build a new life out of the rubble.
Recounting real-life stories of healing from trauma and tragedy in my second book, Healing Your
Life One Leaf At A Time (Trilogy Publishing/July 2024). came about after the first book. It
motivated others to come forward to tell their stories. A compelling compilation of
intimate interviews with people from all walks of life sharing their darkest days.
Always with the hope that these heart-rending stories would help others heal from their own
trauma and tragedy.
“Being honest about your own life opens the door for others to be brave and have
the courage to share their pain and help with their healing,” says Olivia, who
reveals her story of emotional abuse, abandonment, foster care, and surviving
cancer. The personal experiences of the 19 people who were interviewed include
abuse, divorce, war, prison, abandonment, growing up in an orphanage, foster
care (good and bad), suicide, loss of loved ones, grief, and drugs and addiction.
Sara says, “These accounts of men and women, young and old, from all over the
country, tell stories about their lives and journeys, some shocking and some that
led to dark and dangerous places. They unselfishly shared not just for healing
themselves, but to offer hope and healing to others. It has been a life-changing
experience for all of them.”
While tragic childhoods and other unavoidable circumstances contributed to their
experiences, a common theme throughout the book is that many turned a blind eye to
red flags that led to dangerous relationships and situations that caused trauma
and abuse. Learning to recognize the red flags and owning their mistakes put
them on a path to healing and rebuilding their lives, whether through faith,
sobriety, angels, or even gardening. Abbigale Rose, a popular singer who has opened
for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend and Grammy winner Lacy J. Dalton, is a
participant in the book and is using her experiences and a song she composed called
Run Girl Run to reach out and address the culture of enabling abuse, and instead
enable the survivors.
An important message that these stories offer is that even though you may have
been dealt a bad hand, one cannot change the past, but one can change the future.
Many have deep scars and hurts. Many have found happiness, and some peace.
There is tremendous healing power in telling your story.
According to the legendary singer, Tina Turner, a victim of physical abuse by her
husband Ike, “Because of something that I found within myself, something that is
actually in all of us, a little piece of God just waiting to be discovered.”
WE ARE OPENING THE DOOR TO HEALING
WORKING WITH RECOVERY GROUPS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE, PRISON MINISTRIES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE & OTHERS.
Sara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
IT STARTED WITH A TRUE LIFE STORY
IT BECAME A MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. TO GIVE A VOICE TO THE MANY WHO NEED HOPE, FAITH, HEALING & A BELIEF THAT THEIR LIFE CAN BE BETTER
WE ARE OPENING THE DOOR TO HEALING
WORKING WITH RECOVERY GROUPS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE, PRISON MINISTRIES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE & OTHERS. BRINGING AWARENESS AND PLACES TO TURN.
WHAT SETS ME APART IS COMMITTING TO PAPER THE TRUE LIFE STORIES WHILE PROTECTING THEIR IDENITIES, GIVING HOPE, AND A PATH FOR HEALING. JUST LIKE A LUCKY FOUR-LEAF CLOVER. ONE LEAF FOR FAITH, THE SECOND FOR HOPE, THE THIRD FOR LOVE, AND THE FOURTH FOR LUCK.
As a child, I dreamed of someday becoming a writer. The death of my mother reconnected me with my mother’s sister’s children, uncovering shocking family secrets. Their experiences inspired me to recount their stories to help them heal and offer hope for others to heal from similar, dark situations.
I have two books published by Trilogy Christian Publishers.
I am a member of the South Florida Writers Association, The Florida Author & Publishers Association, The Florida Writers Association, and the Ohio Writers Association. I work with various organizations and businesses, including non-profits, and sponsors events for ALS, Child & Domestic Abuse, Grief Groups, Prison Ministries, Foster Care, Drug & Alcohol Addictions, and Churches.
I spend the winters in South Florida and head back to my roots in Ohio for the summers, where I spend as much time as possible with family and friends. I have six children and 11 grandchildren and have been married for 45 years.
Proud of what my writing has done for others. Here is one example:
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A LETTER FROM MY COUSIN:
Sorry I’ve taken so long to get back to you. Not making excuses but it seems like I can’t stay caught up. I found out the best thing about winter is I get a break for a few months, lol. It was such a blessing to see you. Just hate the short visits but still very thankful for them. I wish I could tell you in words how much you mean to me. I just haven’t been able to know how to tell you. I’m not sure how God managed to bring us together. I mean we’ve always been family but for so many years we didn’t even talk and here we are anxiously awaiting the next visit. It’s just simply amazing to me. All the years that passed and never knew what was yet to be. And then because of a “ BOOK” it started a whole new chapter. Although there was a lot of pain and heartache, you’ll never understand the impact it’s made for me. I can only talk for me and to read in words what my life was and not just hearing it, reading it, but finally getting to feel it , to capture those moments in my life that were kept hidden and the struggle that was always there to try to keep my mind from being occupied by those thoughts , the fear, the pain and heartaches and so many more things that my old feeble mind wanted to just erase and start all over. To have someone FINALLY believe in me but also 4 others too is almost more than I ever in my lifetime thought would happen. For a period of time, I wanted to just give up on everything and come to terms that life wasn’t how I heard it was or that my thoughts would never become a reality, little did I know that God was much bigger than anything I knew. He had already laid out a plan for me and allowed me to find that path. Struggles? Oh, most definite, wasn’t an easy road. I started having different kinds of thoughts and my dreams were brighter than ever. But I didn’t do it by myself. First it was God, he always was there when I started to question, give up, make decisions and in every way, every situation, struggle, heartache, or anything and everything I felt, he, MY LORD gave me the answers. Couldn’t be more thankful to him for All he’s done for me. I always, ALWAYS, prayed he would keep and protect all of us. Take us away from the chains that had us bound. You said that I pretty much paid for what I have, not with money but sacrifices. If you only knew how powerful that hit me. As I said before, Gods given me such a wonderful gift that words can’t describe. Yep, I’m talking about you. The impact you’ve made on my life is unreal. You listen, you cry, hurt, laugh, suggest, but never and I mean NEVER have you ever once turned away from me or any of us. You done nothing but give us hope, love, care, kindness , compassion and oh goodness so much more. And it’s been from the heart. It’s been true and real and heartfelt. I haven’t had a whole lot of that kind of experience in my lifetime. People have tried but it never made an impact on me like this, like I imagined it should’ve been. I could probably count if I had to the ones that I could truly say has been true caring people in my life. As I’ve gotten older, I know and realize how strong the word love is. I’ve learned WHAT love really is. It’s certainly been an experience, an eye opener, and I try really hard to make sure I let those that I care about and love with that kind of love how I feel. I can’t let it go and not tell you. I told you before you left that you have my heart and I truly mean that. I know you’ve struggled some of those same ways and even more in other ways and maybe that’s Gods way to give us that bond we now have. If we looked back into time and how we ALL suffered to just have what we have now, I know for me I would’ve never thought it possible. But as we walked down this path, we were so graciously given we have this time to share our lives. I hope to make as many memories as I can. I tell people sometimes I have this memory vault and what’s locked inside is worth more to me than any money, diamonds or gold could buy. It’s all been bought and paid for and in safe keeping now. It still has room for a bunch more so I’m ready to continue building, hoping, and filling it up! So how do I say thank you for all that? I’ve never figured that out yet. All I know is to do my best and give that same kind of love in return. I know it’ll never get paid but I’m sure gonna keep trying. Momma always told me, never stop, never give up on something your heart desires. All I’ve ever really wanted in life was, my brothers and sisters have nothing but goodness , peace, prosperity and love. As for myself, well those same things along with a happy home that’s filled with love as I always thought it should be. To live long enough to see my siblings away from the life we had. But for me I hoped my life, my heart would never reflect on the things I suffered with and that I would have a light to shine for others. That somehow some way I could never allow those “things” to let others see what I had endured as a child. That they would only know if I chose to tell. That not many would know the “real” me. God surely has blessed me and answered my prayers. He’s given above my imagination. Again, I’m sorry this is sooo long, but I had to tell you, I had to let you know how thankful I am for you. How blessed God has given us this bond and to let us find each other the way he has. Thank you isn’t enough to begin with but all I can do is keep trying. I THANK YOU, from the very depth of my heart, soul and mind. To say I LOVE YOU is mild compared to how I feel. Just always know YOU HAVE MY HEART. Can’t wait till next visit. Love you BIG !!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being authentic is most rewarding. Knowing that your stories tell others they are not alone. The book reviews reveal over and over that one person may think their life was bad until they read another person’s story. Sharing that we hear you and we care. It might just save another person’s life.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Acknowledgements
I ask myself where I would be in my life without some of the amazing people that I am blessed to have and know. My family, friends, business associates and others. Some of these friendships & relationships have spanned more than sixty years. I know I would not have been able to finish this book without the love, encouragement, and support that I was given.
Shortly after I started interviewing to author my second book about the true-life healing stories and journeys that are shared inside these pages, my path was abruptly interrupted. The interruption was an unintended but an unfortunate situation by someone that upset the entire course and momentum for this journey. I lost my hope and my desire to continue down this path. A door had closed on me. Slowly over the course of several months the encouragement, love, and prayers that surrounded me by so many people helped me to remember my unselfish reasons for starting down this path to begin with. When this happened, I had put all of it in God’s hands and a good friend reminded me that things happen for a reason.
I was reminded about the importance of the pages and chapters in this book that would give hope and healing for others. Chapter by chapter I grew stronger, I had hope and I had healing.
It is important to remember:
Together we are stronger.
And Together we are better.
There will always be bumps and detours, . You have to stay focused on the goal and remember our success is dependent on ourselves. Stay strong and believe you have what it takes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarashaw.org
- Instagram: sarashaw606
- Facebook: SaraShaw-Author
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-shaw-93ab6935a
- Twitter: @sarashaworg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SaraShaw-w3i
