Sara Butler Zalesky, Author

How to keep writing…

You know how “they” say in order to keep writing, you just need to write? It’s been ages since I’ve posted anything anywhere, really. Insta, FB, Twit, even tried my hand at Tik Tok. Over the past 2+ years, my life has been whittled down to Work and Home, and all the stresses that come with those two things. I’m exhausted. The whole world is exhausted. I have very little creativity left at the…

We’ve all had daydreams about being celebrated for something we’ve accomplished, but in the same breath, we fear those accolades. We’re afraid of being seen as we see ourselves: a failure.  Imposter syndrome (IS) refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. While this definition is usually narrowly applied to intelligence and…

The #WheelerNovel Series rolls out on tour with a bit of Spit and Polish on Book 1.

I’m very happy that the #BookTour for the re-release of the first book in the series kicked off serendipitously with La Course by Le Tour de France on June 26th. Not planned at all. Demi Vollering of Women’s World Tour team SD Worx (formerly Boels-Dolman) took the win to mark the end of this iteration of the race. In 2022, the Women’s Tour de France Féminin returns with the full support of title…

It’s official! #WheelerOneFireBurns

The final story in the #WheelerNovel Series has been released and the whole series is on sale for a limited time!

Book 1: Wheeler is on sale for $1.99 http://a.co/1Ap92tl 

Book 2: In Darkness, There Is Still Light is on sale for $1.00!

http://a.co/4IZGoTw 

Book 3: One Fire Burns Out Another’s Burning is on sale for $.99!

http://a.co/fMcBW0t 

The Third Novel in the Wheeler Series is ready… Wanna free copy?

Have you read #WheelerNovel and #WheelerInDarkness?

Well, the exciting conclusion to the Wheeler series will be released June 1st, but, as a follower, YOU get a free copy!

Click HERE to get the jump on it for FREE!

The Wheeler Series is on Tour

Today’s stop is with Twisted Book Ramblings

Coming Soon – Wheeler: One Fire Burns Out Another’s Burning

It’s the start of a new year for World Champion cyclist Loren Mackenzie and already, her luck has taken a nosedive. Tensions rise at training camp in Mallorca, Spain, with the arrival of team sponsor Ryzak Sports. A new contender puts his hat in the ring for Loren’s affections, and while she can see through the charm, she can’t shake the familiar draw.

Fingers are pointed at Loren when a…

Cycling and the Beginner's Mind with @laurenpgiles and Soflete.com

Over on Twitter, I’m internet friends with this woman, Lauren Giles. She’s a lawyer, runner, amateur gravel bike racer, and all-around nice person. In Soflete’s Knowledge is Power section, Lauren wrote about her experiences with a concept in Zen Buddhism called shoshin: beginner’s mind.

The beginner’s mind is free of preconceptions.  Everything is exciting and new. The beginner’s mind is…

Wheeler, a new women's fiction series featuring the exciting world of women's pro cycling

“Inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking, this sports romance series will have you clamoring for more women’s pro cycling!”  Amazon Reviewer

Wheeler, the first novel of the series. 

Loren Mackenzie is at the top of her game, leading an elite team of pro cyclists in the Women’s World Tour in Europe. But for her, cycling has always been a means of escape, using the burn of her muscles to…

When Life and Art join to slap you in the face, sometimes it's the wake up you need to start talking about #mentalillness @Rouleur and pro cyclist Ben Greenwood

” Not being able to change the past is one thing, totally ignoring it is a different matter. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, don’t show weakness, I kept telling myself. So I didn’t. Nor did I show any emotions.”

The above was written by former pro cyclist, Ben Greenwood for Rouleur Magazine. You can read the first part of his story here. 

When I read it, my jaw dropped. His words echo what I…

Writing Emotion in Romantic and Fight Scenes- with a shared post by @NowNovel and a nod to @Sharpegirl

Yesterday on Twitter, there was a post asking for the spiciest, maddest, most sacrilegious Book Opinion. In one reply, Tess Sharpe (@sharpegirl) replied,

“Reading and writing Romance makes you a better writer in any genre.”

There were quite a few responses to the negative, which was a surprise to me, but I fully agree with Tess. In my reply,

If you, as the writer, cannot convey emotion…

Curse of the Beta Reader

I’ve recently offered myself up on Twitter as a beta reader, and it hasn’t quite been what I was hoping.

My experience with betas has been as a writer – from relatives to readers in my novels’ demographic – and also had the opportunity to work with a pro editor on three novels. I’ve made tons of mistakes and learned a great deal. It was time to give back.

Three authors came forward: two…

Buy a copy of Wheeler: In Darkness, There is Still Light HERE

28 October New York

Adam O’Connell exited the elevator promptly at four o’clock but stopped before the black lacquer door of The RH Group to take a calming breath. Trepidation mixed with a generous portion of guilt tightened his throat. He rubbed his hand over his jaw, encountering the unfamiliar texture of a beard. He hadn’t shaved…

“Mr. Lalonde?”

His mind sluggishly rolled over, and he blinked at the therapist. The rest of the room then began to come into focus. Beige walls, dark wood office furniture. A man with glasses perched on the end of his nose, staring at him.

“Mr. Lalonde?”

He heaved a sigh. “What were you saying?”

“We were discussing why you have requested a transfer to inpatient treatment,” the man replied, flipping through a file on the desk in front of him. “You state you’ve had difficulty staying sober in outpatient treatment.”

“What else have I to do?” he sneered, anger rousing him. “I have no income; I have no life. Everything has been taken from me.”

“You don’t deserve punishment?”

“It was a misunderstanding,” Felix snapped back.

“And what was it you misunderstood?”

He sat up straight. “I misunderstood? I merely wished to speak to her; to reason with her.” The man’s eyes held no emotion behind his glasses. Trying to manipulate him wasn’t going to work.

“What did you want Ms. Mackenzie to know?”

“She should be with me, not that actor!” He leaned toward the man. “He pretends to love her, but he could never know her the way I do. She and I are the same. We lived through the same hell.”

The therapist folded his hands before him. “And what kind of hell?”

“It matters not.” Felix turned away, folding his arms over his chest. “It changes nothing.”

“Why did you go to her house?”

Leave me alone, you imbecile. “It was as I told you before. My contract was terminated. I was distraught. I needed to talk to her.”

“Your blood alcohol was 0.25. That’s almost lethal.”

“I drank anything I could get my hands on. I just wanted to drown. I needed her.” She was there, standing before him with fear in her beautiful gray eyes. “It hurt to see her, and when she told me to leave, I went mad. I grabbed her arm, and she hit me.” He lifted his head to the therapist. “The next thing I recall is being in hospital, in handcuffs.”

“You don’t remember striking her? Choking her?”

“I don’t know,” he murmured. “I see flashes of her face in my dreams and a terrible darkness pressing on my skull.” Felix closed his eyes, wiping his mouth with a shaking hand.

“And yet you have accepted a plea agreement.”

“I just want this to be over,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

The therapist cleared his throat. “You’ve been sober for twenty-four hours. The difficult time has only just begun,” he said. “You’re in the right place if your goal is recovery, but you must work the program, or you will end up in prison. Do you understand? This is your last chance.”

“Yes,” Felix choked. “I swear, I never meant to hurt her. I love her.” His eyes slid away. I cannot go back to that hell.

  Buy a copy of Wheeler: In Darkness, There is Still Light HERE

6 October Enfield, England

The Church Pub was packed for a Tuesday night as Loren, Cece, and Holly entered the  kitchen. Anthony was a maestro, directing the chaos of the cooks and servers, and he waved them toward his office.

“Where do you need us?” she asked him as he sat down behind his desk.

“I need Cece in the kitchen, she has…

#BookExcerpt #WheelerInDarkness 4 October, Loren's return to England

4 October London, England

Loren shuffled out of baggage claim at just after ten in the morning with her head down and pulling her silver bike carrier behind her. Before reaching the concourse, she ducked into the ladies room and recoiled when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

“Yikes.” Dark circles shaded her eyes, and she splashed cold water on her face, then pinched her cheeks to…

#BookExcerpt from #WheelerInDarkness 3 October Graham returns to Cali leaving Loren in the airport

When Graham’s flight was announced, neither he nor Loren spoke as they gathered their bags and returned to the gate area. They held each other tightly until final boarding was called, when he drew away to caress her cheek.

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,” he whispered, his blue eyes welling up. “I’ll see you in my dreams.”

“In Cleveland,” she replied, but he didn’t move away.…