HI, MY NAME IS… Uncle Sam says I’m “Sara Lin” and my book covers say I’m “Lin Hawthorne.” My favorite people though call me “mom.”

I’VE LIVED IN DESERT RIDGE FOR 14 YEARS AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE… where else can I find fabulous neighbors, beautiful neighborhood parks, such as Cashman and Aviano and Desert Ridge Marketplace, with all of the things I could ever need?

A TYPICAL DAY IN MY LIFE INCLUDES… starting the day with prayer and coffee before the kids wake up and then answering author emails while cooking breakfast (I’m a children’s picture book publisher at linhawthorne.com). As a mom of four and an indie publisher with a full roster of authors, I’ve learned to switch work and kid hats all day. I set attainable goals and try not to go to bed without meeting them. And if life and kids happen, grace is a beautiful thing and I just tackle it the next day. I typically do any writing for my own books (I recently published “Mom’s Not Wipin’ Your Bum”) after the kids are in bed.

MY FAMILY IS… the source of my inspiration. David, my husband, is creative and brilliant and seems to always know the exact right word I’m searching for to finish out a passage. He may have the hands of an M.D., but you’ll find his fingerprints all over each book I publish. My three boys and one girl have big personalities and my daily conversations with them inspire my writing.

I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT… coffee and my noise-cancelling Air Pods. Four kids are so much noise for this head-dwelling introverted writer. The noise will sometimes overwhelm me. I pop in my AirPods and automatically turn the kids down. This absolutely saves my sanity. I can also answer hands-free calls and dictate any books or business ideas I may need to remember while on the run.
MY FAVORITE MOVIE I COULD NEVER GET TIRED OF WATCHING AND WHY… “Indiana Jones” and the “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I WANTED TO BE… an archaeologist. It’s because I loved Indiana Jones. Then I wised up and realized archeology is a whole lot of research. Hard pass. Ironically enough, my dad, who is 72, is currently finishing his thesis paper for a doctorate in Biblical Archaeology.

THE ONE PERSON WHO MOTIVATES ME IS… Jesus Christ. He is the reason I get up every morning. Everything I do, from my family life to my work life and everything in between is all because He said, “Come follow me.”

THE LAST THING THAT MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD WAS… pick your child. They keep my husband and I in stitches, constantly. Sometimes actual stitches. But that usually ends in tears and I’m trying to stick to the question.

THE PERFECT DAY IS… hiking in Prescott or Sedona with all my family and coming back to a nice crackling fire and a juicy steak that I didn’t have to cook.

MY FAVORITE LOCAL NONPROFIT IS… my church of 20 years, Scottsdale Bible Church. When we find needs in and around the community, we get laser-focused on helping meet those needs. My church really is a place to be authentic for those of us who are hurting, tired, and weary. I know because I am one of them.

MY LIFE IS… undeserved. I have a husband who treats me as his partner in laughter and life and four kids we never thought we would have.

THE BEST GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED WAS… besides a beautiful diamond ring when my husband asked me to marry him, he gave me a MacBook Pro in 2010, the year after we were married. It is currently 2022 and after a few additional memory sticks and replaced hard drives, it still runs like a beast. “Bessie” the MacBook and I have designed many books and typed many stories together on her faithful keyboard.

MY DREAM VACATION WOULD BE… going from snow to sand in one day. I love skiing and I love the beach.

THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED IS… in college, my 20th Century Music professor Dr. George Keck told me, “Know the rules, so you can break them.” And I use that in every area of my life. I learn all I can about a particular discipline to do something completely different within the framework.