A few years ago when Chicago born author, Sarah Elizabeth Rose
learned that she shared a common ancestor with Ernest Hemingway,
and that she also shared common ancestors with Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Laura Elizabeth Ingalls, and Jane Austen, she finally
understood why she had always felt a tremendous urge to write.
During her teen years Sarah could be seen jotting things down
wherever she went: poems, short stories, and ideas for a novel.
Her predisposition toward writing was obvious throughout her
life, but only fully comprehended by Sarah after she had become a
Professional Genealogist.
She had a natural curiosity to know where her ancestors had come
from. While researching her family tree she recalls, “I was as
surprised as any of us would be, to discover that I had several
well known writers in my family tree.
It was after learning about these famous cousins, that my life-
long belief of having been ‘born to write’, finally made sense to
me, and became the moving force that prompted me to write
Extraordinary Journey: Daughter of Destiny.”
Sitting in the den, inside her small green house on a half-acre
of land with a creek, beneath a very clear, blue sky, Sarah began
to compose what had been gnawing at her soul for so many years.
Extraordinary Journey: Daughter of Destiny is the drama in the
life of a girl named Abbey, whose father is a professional
criminal, and whose mother is a prostitute whom Abbey lives with
in the red light district.
Courage and conflict flow through this work, as well as good
versus evil. Abbey’s mother uses many ploys in her attempts to
force Abbey into prostitution, and although she’s young,
vulnerable and frightened, Abbey resists, and dreams of a better
life.
She must overcome every type of hardship and act of inhumanity
imaginable, but just how much can her young spirit take? Her life
is in shambles, and void of any type of emotional support. Will
that last remaining spark of hope be enough to pull her through?
Will she ever be able to realize her dream of college and a
normal life?
She was raised among prostitutes, and the unity of their voices
speaks to her heart, smashing her dreams. “You’re only the
daughter of a prostitute. Those things aren’t meant for us”.
Trusting in her own judgment and intuition alone, because no
others can be trusted, Abbey weighs her fears against her
strengths as she tries to formulate a plan.
She has a strong inner strength, which has helped her to
steadfastly refuse to descend to her mother’s level of
debauchery, but her mother is hatching a very evil plan.
Who influenced Sarah to write this story? “I've been strongly
influenced over the years by my observations of the people around
me; neighbors, co-workers, and friends. I guess you could say
that everyone has influenced me to write this book.”
What exactly drove her to write? “People are hungry to read
fresh, powerful stories, with interesting characters and new
plots. Extraordinary Journey: Daughter of Destiny is such a book.
The purpose is to captivate and entertain my audience so
thoroughly that as they read it, time passes without their being
aware of it. If I can accomplish that, I've attained my goal.
This is why I've created powerful characters who feel intense
emotion. It's titled, Extraordinary Journey because I take my
readers to places most have never been before and show them a
side of life they probably never knew existed.”
When asked about the main characters and what they are like,
Sarah Elizabeth Rose replies, “The main characters are
exceedingly human, and as such, each is flawed in their own
individual way. They are intense and emotional, excitable and
unpredictable, and at times criminal and violent. They will share
their inner thoughts with the readers, and love them or hate
them, my readers will never forget them!
I have modeled them after human nature itself, which is why even
the worst among them isn't a hundred percent evil. This is why my
characters are so complex. People in general are a mixed bag, and
I have created my characters to reflect that.” .
...If you saw this on film someday, who would play the main
characters? “I see Katie Holmes playing the part of Abbey;
there's an innocence about Katie, a fragility, while at the same
time her eyes reveal she has a wisdom beyond her young years.
Heather Graham would portray Linda; with her small build, red
hair, and fair complexion, Heather looks like she'd be a lot of
fun at a party. She's one of the few women who can look both
gentle and tough at the same time. She looks like she's full of
surprises. ...
James Gandolfini would do justice to the role of Mike; he has the
face and demeanor of a criminal. He is the type of guy who would
make you feel very uncomfortable if you happened to find yourself
face to face with him at a party. He has an air of violence about
him. The good-looking and brooding Jason Behr would be cast as
the serious Mike Jr. He gives the appearance of one who’s holding
a deep secret inside.” …..And, finally, “Aaron Eckhart would
definitely be Orly. Aaron also has an air of violence about him
and can easily give the appearance of having been to prison. He
looks like a hardened criminal who would just as soon kill you as
to have to deal with you.” …..
What does Sarah want the reader to realize after reading her
book? “Just look around you, my characters could be anyone...
anyone who is allowed (or forced) by circumstance, to live their
life in a world where virtue is not considered a good value,
where individual pleasure or gain is more important than family,
where there are no controls, and good doesn't always triumph over
evil. If any among us were placed in the environment that my
characters are living in, would they behave in the same way? I
believe that some might.” Sarah Elizabeth Rose, is a Registered
Professional Genealogist with a MA in History. Her poems have
been widely published in independent magazines, books, and
journals, in 49 States and 7 countries. In 2003 Sarah published,
“Poetry, A Tribute To Life”.
She’s a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
America’s First Families, Colonial Dames XVIIc, Daughters of the
American Colonists, The National Federation of Poetry Societies,
and Pioneer Societies in IL, NE, UT, IA, and KS.
While a Specialist with the US Army Signal Corps, Sarah earned
the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Weapons
Medal, Cold War Recognition, and five Letters of Commendation.
She is a member of the American Legion, and a charter member of
Women In Military Service for America.
Her website is at http://genealogy2.com/novel/index.html
Her Genealogy Website is at http://genealogy2.com.
E-mail Sarah Elizabeth Rose:
mailto:genealogical2002@yahoo.com
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