About
Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, “What? You, too? I thought I was the only one.”
–C.S. Lewis
If you’re looking for my professional writing bio, click here. Otherwise, allow me to introduce myself in blue jeans-casual style.
At least three people in the U.S.A. go by the name of Sally Matheny. I am the Southerner who likes her tea sweet, her chocolate dark, and her coffee strong.
My southern roots began in Georgia, where my dad was stationed in the Air Force. Before I could learn a Georgia drawl, they moved back to their beautiful hometown in western North Carolina. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I still picked up a way of talking with a few extra syllables and interchanging vowel sounds.
I love:
- Jesus Christ.
- my husband of over thirty years.
- our young adult son, our two adult daughters, their husbands, and my armfuls of grandblessings.
- spending time with family and friends.
- encouraging others.
- reading, researching, and writing.
- discovering fascinating historical facts – especially little-known ones.
- teaching children of all ages in educational, church, and community group settings
- my country, my freedom, and those who defend both.
- hands-on learning and engaging field trips!
- to laugh, to have fun, and to play board games – especially word games.
- writing in pretty journals.
- picking and eating fresh blueberries.
- making lists and checking them off. 🙂
I Dislike:
• mayonnaise and mushrooms.
• migraines and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
•when we allow the fears of inadequacy, failure, and maltreatment to prevent us from doing what we’re called to do.
Other Tidbits:
- Former public school educator with a Master’s degree in K-6 Education
- Inspirational speaker at events for women
- Educational speaker for students
- Reviewer of books, museums, and family entertainment
- Member of Nonfiction Authors Association
My writing has appeared in international, national, and regional print and online publications.
A sampling of those include:
Clubhouse Jr.; Appleseeds; Keys for Kids; The Old Schoolhouse; Practical Homeschooling; Homeschooling Today; The NCHE Greenhouse Report; Schoolhouse Teachers; Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference; Write2Ignite Writers Conference; and others.
made the front cover!
Why I Write:
As a child, I never aspired to be a writer. But when I look back, I see the stepping stones that moved me in that direction. Writing stories as a child, winning the geeky Library Award in middle school, bringing stories to life in high school drama productions, writing for the high school newspaper, journaling, and a multitude of other things that I didn’t see as anything other than their purpose for that moment.
Later in life, I pondered about writing for publications, but fear imprisoned my words from venturing out.
Finally, in 2010, the stories swirling in my head and the messages bursting in my heart outweighed my fears. I began to learn the craft of writing. Keys for Kids purchased my first work titled “Cry Baby” in 2011. Since then, it’s been an exciting journey of learning through rejections and acceptances.
Now, I write for children and for their parents, in the general market and in the Christian market.
My favorite genre is nonfiction. Interviewing and researching enthrall me. Stumbling upon something fascinating in history makes me wonder why I’ve never heard of it before. And then, I ponder how I can share it with others.
Even though I write about various topics for other publications, most of my blog posts are faith-based. For me, everything circles back to God. If you’re interested, here’s my statement of faith.
Join Me
I desire to use the power of story, history, and His Story to tell the next generation wondrous things.
I continually search for helpful resources and love sharing what I find with you. In addition, I sprinkle in some encouragement and throw in numerous freebies along the way.
Will you join me in this adventure? It’s easy to receive free blog updates by using the “Sign Up” space provided on this page. I promise I won’t flood your inbox. Usually, I share two or three posts each month. I know life is short. Time is precious.
But when you have some downtime, I’d love to connect with you. You can use the “Contact” page or join the conversations under the blog posts. I look forward to hearing from you. Until then . . .
Keep Telling the Next Generation Wondrous Things,
Sally
*Click here for a note about affiliates.
