PHOTOS BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
LOCAL AUTHOR … Sarah Short of Archbold published her debut novel, Always and Forever.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Archbold native Sarah Short has turned a lifelong love of storytelling into a published novel. Her debut work, Always and Forever, released September 4, 2025, through Covenant Books, marks her official entrance into the world of Christian Fiction.
Sarah, who describes herself first and foremost as “a wife and mother,” also serves as a lay minister, often filling in as a preacher when needed at her local church.
“I am someone who loves books,” she said, recalling how her parents encouraged her to read and dream from a young age. Writing was always in the back of her mind – an idea she once thought too far-fetched.
Years later, that dream began to take shape when a few vivid scenes appeared in her imagination. “I couldn’t shake it – I started thinking about them during the middle of the day,” she said.
“That’s when I realized I had something.” After months of prayer and reflection, she began writing in 2023 and completed the book about a year later.
Sarah describes the creative journey as both challenging and faith-driven. With no formal background in writing, she studied the techniques of established Christian authors such as Lynette Eason, Susan May Warren, and Karen Kingsbury, and took advantage of resources from the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference to refine her craft.
Always and Forever follows Brock and Emma Stephens, a married couple whose faith is tested when Emma loses her memory in an accident. The novel explores themes of love, perseverance, and the steadfastness of God.
“God is faithful,” Sarah said. “That’s part of where the title comes from – always, forever, in any situation. God is trustworthy, and God is faithful. God is always at work, even when it doesn’t seem like it. That’s something Brock and Emma discover.”
Although readers have asked if a sequel might be in the works, Sarah says this story is complete. Still, she has plans to continue writing without the Christian Fiction genre, with another project already underway.
Beyond writing, she has been preaching for more than twenty years. “I felt as if God wasn’t calling me to pastor a church, but he was calling to me to preach,” she shared. “There is a lot of storytelling while you are spreading God’s message.”
Through her writing and ministry alike, Sarah Short’s mission remains clear: to inspire faith and remind readers that hope and trust in God endure, always and forever.
