Kaaren Sutcliffe Canberra

Sometimes, when you meet someone for the first time, you just click. It’s like someone has flicked the on-button for ‘lifelong friends’ and neither of you know how or why you feel like you’ve known each other forever, but you just do — so you run with it. That was Kaaren and I.

My first interaction with the energiser bunny that was Kaaren was in an email when I was DA Canberra Coordinator. How do I join DAC so I can paddle with you when I’m in Canberra and also paddle with you at the PPP in Melbourne? I thought, ‘Who IS this woman?’ and emailed back suggesting a Zoom call so we could talk in person. On the day of said Zoom call, Kaaren entered the room with “Oh, so YOU’RE Just Right Words?” I was confused, yes, that was my business name. Turns out Kaaren’s business name was Just So Words. “Who IS this person?” she’d said the first time she saw my business name listed on the Canberra Society of Editors’ website. Anyway, we discussed business and a good 90 minutes later, exited the Zoom room. Business had taken all of 15 minutes, the rest was checking off all our points of similarity, places we could’ve crossed paths, but hadn’t — until now. Dragon boating. The great connector.

The two years I knew Kaaren was the most amazing ride. We edited each other’s books, launched each other’s books, paddled together, drank Japanese tea together, walked, laughed, planned great adventures where we were both going to become bestselling authors and travel the world together … and we cried together — just a little. Kaaren taught me to grab hold of what I wanted, wring the life out of it and never let it go. Never give up. She didn’t — and I won’t. She was an absolute inspiration, genuine in every way, and a wonderful friend. I will miss her terribly but I know she’ll always be paddling with us. Kellie Nissen [email protected] https://justrightwords.com.au/shop/ A Blink in Time: Tales from GoAnna

The Mage and the Bird Caller trilogy (print and Ebooks) You can read much more about Kaaren Sutcliffe and order her books on her website www.kaarensutcliffe.com.au

Kaaren gave us all so many wonderful memories. She will live on in print and in the hearts and minds of her loving family and her very many friends in the local, writing, equine and dragon boating communities. A life well lived and well loved. Vale Kaaren.

She was in our hearts and minds as we contemplated our many wonderful times with her and tap paddled our way into Central Basin on Lake Burley Griffin, finishing in the shadow of the National Carillon, perfectly timed to chime as we let GoAnna II run. Vale Kaaren. Paddles up!