| A.E. Albert: A Writer's Blog

Author Interview: Ruth O'Neil

by A.E. Albert

@aealbert23

Book Title: Come Eat At My Table
Genre: Christian Fiction

What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book, Come Eat at My Table was a summer project. I am famous for starting projects, but not finishing them. I wanted to start a book and finish it. I also wanted to try a different writing method, a little more organized than I usually wrote, to see if it made a difference. It did

Is there a message in your book and/or books?

In Come Eat at My Table the message is forgiveness. So many people I know have trouble forgiving those who may have hurt them. They don’t realize they are hurting themselves at the same time. They become bitter and angry. It can be pretty ugly. Even if people don’t come to us and apologize, we still need to forgive. That makes us a better person.

Is there anything in your book and/or books based on real life experiences?

A lot of my writing is based on real life. I don’t think writers can help it. We are who we are and I think some of us and our life experiences find their way into our writing, regardless of genre. I take bits of real life, from different people and different times, and weave them together to make a story. Real people are my inspiration for writing.

What books and/or writers have influenced you the most?

I’m kind of an old-fashioned girl I guess. I grew up reading the Little House on the Prairie series. Anne of Green Gables is another favorite series. I read a lot – different authors, different genres – and learn from them. I see things I like and try to emulate that. I see things I don’t like and try to not make those a part of my writing. I think every writer needs to read a variety of works.

What has been your greatest challenge when writing?

Probably just finding the time. I homeschooled my children and since everyone was always home all the time, it was hard to concentrate. However, our family dynamics are changing as our oldest is married and we only have one left in school. But still, some days I get more done than others.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on my third novel in the stand-alone series What a Difference a Year Makes. The books in this series can be read in any order as the only thing that connects them is that they all take place during the course of one year. In the one I’m working on now, it’s about a group of ladies, of all ages, who are always there to support each other no matter what. I think that is lacking in society today. We get caught up in our own little worlds, our faces in some kind of electronic device most of the time, not realizing there are hurting people right in front of us. I hope this book inspires people to be more aware and to make themselves available.

What have you learned and do you have any advice for other authors?

Oh, there are so many things I’ve learned! Many things I wish I had known at the beginning of my career. One is to be persistent. Another is that writing is subjective. What one editor hates, another loves. I’ve experienced this on more than one occasion. Just keep at it. Don’t expect your first writings to be your best. Writer’s must keep learning and improving.

Ruth O’Neil, born and raised in upstate New York and attended Houghton College. She has been a freelance writer for more than 20 years, publishing hundreds of articles in dozens of publications. You can visit her at http://ruths-real-life.blogspot.com/ or on her website at http://ruthoneil.weebly.com/. Ruth spends her spare time quilting, scrapbooking, and camping with her family.