I CHOSE TO BE HERE
A Memoir of Loyalty, Lies,
and Leaving the Con
She was raised by a con artist.
She spent years reinventing herself.
Motherhood made her face what survival had cost her.
Coming soon
About the Book
Sarah was trained in the art of deception.
Her father was a con artist, and she adored him with the blind devotion of a child who didn’t know any better. By the age of eleven, she was a seasoned swindler—helping him exploit the foster care system, pitch pyramid schemes, sell See’s candy outside grocery stores, and move nearly thirty times, often while living in a 34-foot Bounder motorhome. Along with six other children, they amassed more than a quarter of a million dollars in just eighteen months—tax-free.
Reinvention became armor.
A college graduate. Pageant titleholder. Communications strategist. Trusted advisor.
Every new achievement became another layer between Sarah’s past and the life she fought to build. If she could control the story, she could control the outcome.
For years, that was enough.
Motherhood unraveled everything.
The coping strategies that had carried Sarah through childhood began to fail her. The turning point came not in a dramatic act, but in a sentence she avoided her entire life:
“I need help.”
Choosing to be here.
Raw, unforgettable, and ultimately hopeful, I Chose to Be Here is about the survival skills that save us as children—and the courage it takes to outgrow them.
For anyone who has ever wondered whether a different life was possible, this book is a testament to the quiet courage of asking for help, telling the truth, and choosing to be here—again and again.
For years, Sarah Lopez helped other people find the right words. Now, she’s telling her own story.
Sarah is an author, communications strategist, and professional speaker who has spent nearly two decades connecting with audiences through candor, wit, and heart.
Her unlikely journey has taken her from a childhood built around deception to pageant stages, boardrooms, classrooms, and speaking stages across California and beyond.
I Chose to Be Here marks a new chapter: the first time Sarah turns the storytelling lens on herself.
Invite Sarah
A story can change the way we see our own.
Sarah speaks about resilience, reinvention, asking for help, owning your story, and what it means to choose yourself—even when starting over feels impossible.
From keynotes and conferences to podcasts, panels, and community conversations, Sarah brings honesty, humor, and humanity to the room.
Follow Sarah on Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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The next chapter is coming
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Peony & Paper Productions LLC.
Author Sarah Lopez 