Sarah P. Blanchard
Sarah P. Blanchard is a multi-genre writer who is strongly influenced by rural life and the natural world she has lived in, in her native New England as well as in Hawai'i and North Carolina, where she also lived for many years.
In her fiction, Sarah P. Blanchard writes about conflicted people making difficult decisions in impossible situations, sometimes with good outcomes—and sometimes not. Her acclaimed 2023 short story collection, Playing Chess with Bulls, features many such narratives. The title story was a finalist for the 2021 Doris Betts Fiction Prize; she was also a finalist for the 2024 Porch Prize for Short Fiction with her short story, "Witnessing."
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Her debut novel, Drawn from Life, is the story of a young woman who must confront a volatile antagonist as she seeks the truth of the tragic accident that branded her a killer. Drawn from Life has earned numerous awards, including an Independent Press Awards silver medal (distinguished favorite) and a Readers' Favorite honorable mention. It was also a finalist for the BookFest and American Fiction Awards and shortlisted for an unpublished novel award by The Masters' Review.
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In late 2024, Sarah released river, horse, morning, her first poetry chapbook. Many of these poems have been published previously in journals such as Calyx, Welter, and Sixfold.​ See the BOOKS page for more information.
Praise for Drawn from Life:
A superb blend of psychological thriller and literary fiction. 5/5 stars —Viga Boland, Readers' Favorite
An expertly plotted thriller powered by twisty suspense and memorable characters. —BookLife Prize
Worthy of placement alongside Stephen King, James Patterson, Lee Child, Gillian Flynn... 5/5 stars. —Lorraine Cobcroft
Brilliantly written with strong, imperfect characters. —Manhattan Book Review
Skillfully executed...compellingly complex characters. A well-crafted thriller about memories regained. —Kirkus Reviews
DRAWN from LIFE
ISBN: 979-8-218-33228-0 Eagle Ridge Farm
First came a slow tilt, the heavy rumble of rocks and earth. A hollow place opened in her gut, like the imminent drop of a roller coaster but much, much worse...
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Emma Gillen is haunted by guilt. Almost a decade after surviving a deadly crash on a remote Appalachian mountain, she's held hostage by long-term damage to her body and has no recollection of that tragic event. Then her volatile cousin Lucy returns, needing money and bringing chaos. Emma must decide if she should bargain with the manipulative, untrustworthy Lucy—a possible witness to the crash—to uncover their shared past.
All bargains carry risk. As Lucy grows more desperate and greedy, Emma suspects there's more at stake than just money. Struggling with shame, night terrors, and her unreliable memory, Emma accepts help from a compassionate detective. But the choice remains hers alone: Can she find the strength to free herself from her cousin's destructive power, or will Lucy bring everything crashing down?
Life-changing tragedy.
Conflicting memories.
Is she a killer or a victim?
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2025 Indpendent Press Award Silver Medal, New Adult Fiction
2024 Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention, New Adult Fiction
2024 Firebird Winner, Psychological Fiction and Literary Fiction
2024 American Fiction Award Finalist, Psychological Suspense
2024 BookFest Awards Winner, Psychological Suspense
Shortlisted for the The Letter Review’s Unpublished Novel Award
Sarah Blanchard’s Playing Chess with Bulls is a surprising and eclectic collection of well-executed literary fiction....Highly recommend.
"Surprising and eclectic" Amazon
Reviews: Playing Chess with Bulls story collection (December 2023)
Had me roped in from the first sentence, and then I couldn't turn pages fast enough. As a poet, love Blanchard's language, as a reader, smitten by the vivid images. — five stars
"Masterful storytelling" Amazon
Order through your local bookstore at Bookshop.org
"The Bus Driver" is a terrific story from start to finish. I saw it, felt it, loved everything about it. The voice is spot on."
Reader at Sixfold
Upcoming Appearances
Did you miss Sarah on Wayne Norman's morning show? (WILI 1400AM and 95.3 FM, Willimantic, CT) Listen to the 11/13/24 podcast here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/19cfcf98
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​​​​​2025
​February 15, 2:00-4:00 pm - Booklovers Gourmet, Webster, MA - poetry reading
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February 27, 7:00 -10:00 pm - Poetorium at Starlite Cafe, Southbridge MA - poetry reading
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March 15, 2:00-4:00 pm - Booklovers Gourmet, Webster, MA - poetry reading
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March 29, 10:00am - 4:00 pm - Ansonia Book Fair, Ansonia Public Library, Ansonia, CT - book signing, sales
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April 5, 10:00 am-4:00 pm - Thompson CT Garden Club Fair - sales, signing
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​April 8, 6:30 - 8:30 pm - Sisters in Crime Authors' Panel, Avon Public Library, Avon, CT - discussion, book signing, sales
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April 26, 12:00 - 3:00 pm - Pourings & Passages Bookshop, Danielson, CT - book signing, sales
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May 3, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm - Thompson Makers Fair, North Grosvenordale, CT - book signing, sales
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​June 21-22, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Putnam Art Festival, Putnam CT - book signing, sales