Today, we welcome Ruth O'Neil as our guest blogger and participant of Hope Tour 2012. Ruth's stories have appeared in Love Letters from the Heart (February 2012) and Life Lessons from Dads (June 2012).
Many
people have dreams of not only writing a book, but of one day seeing it in
print. Jeri was one of those people. She dreamed of being a “real writer” ever
since she was a teenager. She and her cousin would spend hours writing stories
and sharing them with no one but each other.
When
Jeri became an adult, marriage and children preempted her writing efforts. Once
her children were a little older, she would lock herself in her bedroom one
night a week to pound away on her typewriter slowly adding page after page to
her novel. Finally, she had something ready for publication.
She
sent it to several publishers. She received positive remarks but no acceptance
letters.
Then
something else prevented her from continuing her writing efforts; cancer. She
passed away before she was able to see her book in print. However, the book was
eventually published. Although Jeri never got to see it, her family did. She
left an important legacy: never give up on your dreams.
How
do I know all this? Jeri was my mother and I had the blessing of watching her
and learning from her. She was always an encouragement to me. When I was a
teenager and wanted to write, she would take me with her to writer’s
conferences and introduced me to some of the great Christian writers of that
time. If only we all had someone like that in our corner, cheering us on with
each word we wrote. One of the activities outside of writing we used to do
often was cook together. I took that and wrote a cookbook for children, hoping
that parents and kids will work together and find just as much joy as we did.
If
you are one of those people who are working on a book that you fear will never
be completed or published, have confidence in yourself. Keep on writing. Keep
sending out those proposals. Eventually, you’ll find a publisher who has been
waiting for your book to cross his or her desk.
Learn
from my mom and never, ever give up on your dreams.
Victory Song is the story of
boys who leave home expecting war to be an exciting change of pace. They also
thought the war would be over quickly. It was three more years before the Civil
War ended. Those who had left home as boys came back as men and were greatly
changed men at that. This book chronicles the 149th New York
Volunteer Infantry Regiment as they fight in battle after battle. One reviewer
said, “It’s history masquerading as fiction.” The author did impeccable research.
The book is neither pro-North nor pro-South; instead it gives the reader a true
impression of what the Civil War was really like.
Find all of Ruth's books on her website.
About the Author: Ruth O’Neil has been writing for over 20 years. She has published hundreds of articles in numerous publications. She homeschools her three children. In her spare time she enjoys quilting, crafting, and reading.
Read more about Magnificent Hope's Journey:
Week 4: "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" Contest
Week 4: "Where in the World is Magnificent Hope?" Contest
2 comments:
What a beautiful post, Ruth! Thank you so much for sharing. Such an encouragement to writers.
Praying rich blessings for you and Write Integrity Press!
Thanks, Kristi. Everyone needs a little encouragement once in a while.
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