The Journey of a Wordsmith
Foundations in Ink
I love to read. That's the simplest way to put it. When I was a little girl, my father was a fish farmer in Central Arkansas. This meant mornings that began before dawn and nights that ended after dark. When my dad would leave for work in the early morning, my mother and I would curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a Nancy Drew book. I loved, and still love, Nancy Drew! I wrote a letter to author Carolyn Keene when I was nine and she wrote me back! Decades later, I still have that letter. From there it was Trixie Belden, Pollyanna, as well as many of the books written in the 1930's and 40's that had belonged to my mother. I have first editions of many of them in my personal library. As an adult, I still read at least one hundred books each year. I read practically any genre, but I gravitate toward thrillers, mysteries, and I love to solve a good murder.
I also love to write. It began with the red plastic Byron Jardine Petite Super Junior Typewriter I received for my ninth Christmas. On that little plastic typewriter, I wrote and published a community newspaper, clipped the pages together with a hairpin and sold them to the neighbors for one dime. The love of writing followed me into my adult years as well. I have earned two Bachelor degrees, three Master degrees and a partial Doctorate. This isn't because I'm super motivated to be well-educated. It was because I loved writing academic papers. I know, right??
The Narrative Philosophy
Fast forward several decades having spent my professional career as an accountant as well as a counselor serving abused and neglected children. Family counseling taught me so much about human dynamics and sociology, experiences incorporated into my writing philosophy and storytelling. My own personal story changed drastically on October 1, 2024, when I was told I had triple negative breast cancer.
I started chemotherapy on October 31, 2024. Less than a month later, I was in the emergency room being told I had a large brain tumor. Talk about knocking the wind out of my proverbial sails. For the next 16 months, I experienced sixteen rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, relocation of abdominal muscles for reconstruction, thirty-three radiation treatments, craniotomy surgery to remove the brain tumor. I am very blessed that all treatments have been successful and I am cancer/tumor free.
While I was sitting for my five hour chemotherapy treatments, I picked up a manuscript I started in 2011 and finished my first novel. Echoes of a Past Life was released in January of 2026. One thing I was taught by cancer was at some point in life, you have to be true to yourself and do something that takes you out of your comfort zone. I've been bitten by the writing bug and have a full release calendar in 2026-2027.
I love my life in Texas where I live with my husband of twenty-five years and our German Shepherd baby, ever present at my feet. My husband is my biggest fan, encouragement provider, and the best caregiver I could have asked for during my illness. He provides me with the encouragement, grounding, and technical tools I need to bring my stories to life. I would not be on this wonderful journey with him. We enjoy watching World Supercross/Motocross and taking road trips on the motorcycles in search of the best small town, off-the-beaten-path burger joints.
ruby@rubysloaneauthor.com
© 2026 Ruby Sloane author