It's my pleasure to welcome Ruth Trippy to Ink Dots this week. Ruth was born in Overisel, Michigan into a Dutch family with values similar to the Victorian ones she writes about. She left home to teach high school language arts in Florida where she explored her love of apologetics. Later, she worked as Public Service Director for a radio station in Ft. Lauderdale.
Her writing originated from her marriage. She needed encouragement and found it in the pages of a 19th century romance novel. Identifying with the characters helped her focus on the roses rather than the thorns in her relationship and inspired her to pick up her pen to help others. Romance fiction, she believes, can bring encouragement and more importantly, serve as a wonderful metaphor of the love between Christ and His bride, the church.
Ruth and her husband live near Atlanta, Georgia and have two grown children.
Ruth Trippy ~ ruthtrippy.com
The Soul of The Rose ~ “And the soul of the rose went into my blood…”
This line from a Tennyson poem captivates young Celia Thatcher, who believes every woman’s heart hopes to be the rose that enchants a man.
Celia is searching for her own sense of hope after the tragic death of her closest friend. Moving in 1876 to work in a Massachusetts bookstore, she starts life afresh, when she soon catches the eye of not one, but two men; the elite but unkempt Edward Lyons and the charming law student Charles Harrod. One is hiding from his past and from God. The other promotes a religious belief Celia had never before considered. Both leave Celia wondering if either are right for her.
When one of her suitors is accused of murder, Celia is challenged with a deeper choice: should she follow her heart or her faith?
Ruth says ~
If I could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, it would be... Cefalu, Italy where my husband has family roots. This small, historic town is just east of Palermo where the Mafia originated. I’ve been saving for this trip for many years, but so far my husband has said “No.” I’m waiting for the Lord to change his mind, because being part Sicilian, I don’t mess with him—at least not much! That's too funny, Ruth. I don't blame you for not not messing with him.
 |
| Ruth Trippy ~ Soul Of The Rose |
One thing I enjoyed today is... eating a slice of roast beef for breakfast in place of Wheaties, “the breakfast of champions.” Beef gives me energy and stamina. A famous speaker once said she sometimes eats lunch or dinner food for breakfast. If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me. Oh, I love this. I eat weird breakfasts every morning. You're a kindred spirit!
A secret pleasure of mine is... to eat a square of Ghirardelli dark chocolate while I watch HGTV’s House Hunters International. I love to travel, but the arm-chair variety IS easier, especially with chocolate.
A moment that changed my life is... when I agreed to change my college graduation trip from Montreal, Canada to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida—in order to interview for a teaching position. There I met my husband and the rest is History. Awww.... boy meets girl!
When I was a child I wanted to... have the same happy home when I married as the one I was raised in. A favorite memory is of us five kids, ranging in ages 5 to 14, packed like sardines under a blanket watching home movies with our parents.
I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but... to bed each night I wear a cotton bandana tied in a knot at the top of my head. I guess I hardly look the part of a romance novelist—even in a glam nightgown. That is some secret, Ruth. Love it!
*****
I have a soft spot for Ruth. I met her at my first ACFW conference in 2010. She introduced herself in the First-Timers Orientation, so it's an extra delight to share her debut release with Ink Dots friends.
If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Ruth's The Soul of The Rose, tell us about the strangest breakfast you've enjoyed. Ruth likes roast beef. I eat boiled eggs with broccoli and feta cheese. (Yes, I know. Even for a Greek girl, that's weird.)
How about you? Leave your oddest breakfast in the comments below and you'll be in the running to win Ruth's book. I'll announce the winner on Friday.
Good luck and happy reading,
