AT ANY AGE

I’ve been an artist since my early years and only started thinking about writing after the Edior-in-Chief of Motor Boating Magazine asked me to send them a copy of the log of a boating journey I made with my new husband. I was fifty-years-old in 1965 when my husband Torger and I crewed our 38-foot powerboat from Illinois to Florida. The log I wrote was so poorly written that I was embarrassed and didn’t send it to the magazine.

 The following year I took The Famous Writer’s Home Study Course. My teachers encouraged me to write the yachting story. I found myself reliving a wonderful time of my life over and over again.  I went to writer’s conferences and classes. I wrote the book as a travelogue and in 1971 the book sold!  I was euphoric. That is…until the publisher changed its distributor, and the day before the book was to go to press they pulled it. They only wanted “how-to” boating books.

 Life got in the way for me to do anything about the book for many years.  I became widowed, moved to a retirement community where life is easy, and re-wrote, re-wrote and re-wrote the book, as my story. In the interest of time because of my advanced age I self–published with Xlibris.

 I did it. I really did it!  Me–a high school dropout.  I wrote a book! It is a human interest story titled Keeping Ahead of Winter—4100 Nautical Miles Inside America.  It is said that it is an inspiring, insightful adventure into the unique world of boating, and a great love story.  My book can be bought online, in bookstores or directly from me at. http://www.ruthsilnes.com

 Five years later I wrote, illustrated and published a picture book Naptime Secrets, for two to six year olds. Parents and teachers applaud it, and tell me their children love it.

 Now, at ninety-six, I ain’tdone yet! I wrote about the tremendous impact the arts have on civilizations and have filled it with whimsical illustrations. The book is short and written in plain English, for the general public. You and The Arts—Why Art Matters is an Ebook and in print.

 I’ve also written and illustrated a memoir for my children about my first 50 years. Who knows, maybe I’ll have time to write about my second half Century.