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What do you do when the main goal of your life has been accomplished? Our guest author today, Janell York, is chatting about how she incorporated some of those themes in her new book, The Day Sarah Ran Away. It sounds wonderful. See if it resonates with you too.  I was surprised when I pitched my book at a Chicago writers’ conference how many people resonated with my topic: empty nest. Since publication, I’ve received numerous phone calls, texts, and messages regarding the personal struggle of empty nesters. Finding purpose and meaning after your children grow up and leave home can be difficult to navigate. Joining the gym, starting a new hobby, or finding ways to stay busy doesn’t fill the void, especially if you’ve enjoyed raising your kids. I love this quote, “A mother’s job is to teach her children not to need her anymore. The hardest part of that job is accepting success.” - Unknown In my book, The Day Sarah Ran Away, Sarah, has no clue what to do with her life now that her only daughter has left home. In one of the chapters, she shares her struggle with her new-found friends. Sarah’s friends explain to her the three stages of a woman’s life. Act one – childhood. Act two – marriage and raising a family. Act three is described in the excerpt below. “After a few moments, Delores is poised again and clarifies, 'I think what Bea means to say is the third act can be spent doing the things you didn’t have the time, energy, or resources to accomplish when you were younger. You need to ask yourself: With all the wisdom and experience you now have in your arsenal, how will you use the time you have left?' Sweat pops out on the back of my neck. Her pale-blue eyes seem to pierce my innermost thoughts. She leans in closer. 'What dreams or goals have you left unfinished? Who do you want to be in this last stage of your life, Sarah?' I give her my honest response. ‘I have no idea’.” I too struggled when my kids left home. Writing this book was therapeutic. Besides writing about a familiar topic, I enjoyed placing little tidbits throughout the story that paid homage to my dad and grandma. It was fun adding small details I knew my family would recognize and enjoy when they read the book. I enjoyed going through my scrapbooks as I wrote, reliving our family vacations taken at the settings described in the book. Even though it has some heavy themes, I intertwined several humorous scenes. It was fun to write about women my age, taking adventures and enjoying wonderful comradery with each other. I hope my readers enjoy Sarah’s journey.  The Day Sarah Ran Away Sarah Goodwin loved her life as a stay-at-home mom, pouring her heart into every moment with her only daughter, Emma. But now, Emma is off at college and rarely visits or answers her calls, leaving Sarah feeling adrift in a sea of routines—no more soccer games, fundraisers, dress shopping, or birthday parties. As each monotonous day blends into the next, Sarah longs for something more. When Emma announces she’ll be home for the summer to plan her wedding, Sarah is thrilled at the thought of shared dreams, endless to-do lists, and the promise of reconnecting. But her perfect summer quickly unravels when unexpected events send her on a daring journey with new companions—an adventure filled with twists, revelations, and surprises she never saw coming. As Sarah journeys west, questions loom. What will her husband do when he discovers she’s gone? Where will this journey lead her? And most importantly, what lies ahead for Sarah now?  Janell Goodrich York is a retired high school guidance counselor. She was born in Indiana, but raised in a small town in Southwest Missouri. Janell loves to travel, especially to beach destinations. She loves to hang out with her family and spoil her two dogs. Janell is a girl mom of three awesome adult daughters and Meme to five “perfect” grandkids. Janell lives in Missouri with her wonderful husband. Her debut novel, The Day Sarah Ran Away, was published by Scrivenings Press August 2025.
Links: Website: https://janellyork.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/janellgoodrichyork_author Facebook: https://facebook.com/janellgoodrichyorkauthor Goodreads: https://bit.ly/janellyorkauthor Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/janellyorkauthor Bookbub: bookbub.com @JanellYork
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This is a place for me to tell you about what I'm writing, talk about the process or where some of my ideas came from, or even have other authors come in and talk about their books.
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