How S. D. Smith Connected With Sally Clarkson’s Family

Sally Clarkson. Clay. Joel. Sarah. 

Let’s start with Sarah. I met her years ago when we both were new writers for The Rabbit Room. We did a session together at the RR conference and I was blown away by her brilliance and ability to speak so winsomely in public. I didn’t know her parents, but I met Clay and we hit it off. Then I met Sally, too. We loved them at once. I had no idea they were these incredibly popular sages, and now I’m kind of glad I didn’t. I just met them on their own merits and found them to be a profound gift of wisdom and encouragement. They have been wise guides and ever-encouraging friends ever since. Sarah was one of the very first people to read The Green Ember. It was a time when my confidence was low and the manuscript was a million miles from where it would get. Still, she saw something there that foretold the kind of response we eventually found in many others. But at that time, she was a very important voice telling me it was the right thing to proceed. To dare and share. So I did. I’ll always be grateful for her early, encouraging voice. (She blurbed my first book without any hesitation.)

A captivating story with sword-bearing rabbits, daring quests, and moments of poignant beauty, The Green Ember is a tale that will delight and inspire young readers to courage and creativity.”
–Sarah Clarkson, author of Caught Up In A Story

Years later, I was standing around a fire with Clay and Joel at Andrew Peterson’s house and we were talking about audiobooks. I was looking for a reader for The Green Ember. Joel volunteered to send in a sample and Clay talked about how Joel was the family story reader. Not long after I was listening to his warm narration and varied voices bring my story to life. My family voted. Joel got the job. Some months later, his version of The Green Ember audiobook was (for a few days) the best-selling audiobook in the world and later became a finalist for Audible’s children’s audiobook of the year. 

There’s more to tell. Our bonds with the Clarksons go deep, and we are deeply grateful for them. 

Sally has new books out and a podcast, a blog, and she is producing and sharing incredible content every day. Sarah is making amazing books. Joel is making books, music, and more. Nathan is making films. Joy has a podcast. Clay is writing books and music and being the kind of guy I want to be when I grow up. They are all doing so much. And we’re grateful. 

God bless the Clarksons!

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