Why I Started Writing:

When I was young, I loved Nancy Drew books. I consumed them faster than a canister of Pringles potato chips. The plots were suspenseful, and Nancy was an inspiration. I dreamed of one day writing great literary works like the Nancy Drew series.

And then came 4th grade language arts …

My teacher had a reputation for being tough and mean. One day, she called me up to her desk. Red pen in hand, she pointed out every mistake I had made in my essay. She was brutal. I felt the eyes of the entire class on me as I endured her tirade. My dream of being a writer died as I walked back to my desk.

After my husband and I married, I began sending a yearly letter to our friends and family at Christmas time. The letters were full of the most eventful happenings of the year in the Ringeisen household. I was surprised when people found them wildly entertaining and asked me if I was a writer. I laughed at the idea. It wasn’t until a friend said, “Betty, you have a gift. You should use it to encourage others.”  I considered the possibility my 4th grade language arts teacher had been wrong, but wasn’t sure how to transition from Christmas cards to books.

Finally, I settled for going back to college. If I was going to write I’d better refresh my memory about how to do it! Years later, with a Master’s Degree in hand and an amazing ability to write lengthy papers, I decided it was time to do the one thing I knew God was calling me to do—write a book.

Through a serious of events, God brought me to Deb DeArmond, my writing coach. Over the last two years, she has guided me as I wrote Waiting for Jedidiah: How to Experience God’s Healing in the Midst of Miscarriage.

The Nancy Drew wanna-be who dreamed of writing a book finally made it a reality.

Authors Who Have Influenced Me:

Usually, the author of the book on my nightstand is the one who influences me the most.

As a child and young adult: Crockett Johnson, author of Harold and The Purple Crayon. Virginia Lee Burton, Lewis Carol, Louisa May Alcott, Carolyn Keene, Charles Dickens, Alexandra Dumas, and C.S. Lewis.

The authors who have infused me with life through their writing: Agnes Sanford, Leanne Payne, Bob Hamp, Dr. Jennifer Ruback Morse, John Eldredge, Dallas Willard, and Deb DeArmond—my writing coach.

Books I Have Written:

Waiting for Jedidiah: How to Experience God’s Healing in the Midst of Miscarriage to be published by Elk Lake.  

What I'm Working On Now:

Family Ties: How Jesus Breaks the Power of Generational Sexual Abuse