Mary Russel: A self portrait

I guess I will never know if my first grade teacher created my love for the written word or if I would have discovered this all encompassing passion on my own eventually. I do credit her for encouraging and motivating me. She will probably never know what an influence she was and how her teaching was a turning point for an introverted child who was already convinced that she would never fit in.

We all need to feel we are in control of the chaos in our lives at least once in a while. For me, that control came from my writing. Throughout my tumultuous childhood, it was the only time I felt in control.

From that time on, my life has revolved around my passion for words.

As a foster child, I was shuffled from one home to another, never putting down any firm roots. At the age of 8, another supportive teacher recognized my love of writing by submitting a poem I had written to Highlights. My poem, "The Ultimate Goal" was published and I officially, became an author. My elation was short lived when my foster mother insisted the talent wasn't mine, but God's. The money I was paid for my work was sent to some long forgotten charity.

Eventually, I landed in an orphanage until I was 12. I was fortunate enough to spend the rest of my teenage years with a loving family.

Throughout it all, I found escape in books and in writing. I truly believe that is what kept me sane.

As an adult, I continued to write poetry, and short stories for escape. I never really took myself seriously as a writer though. It was something I did for fun.

After working in several unfulfilling jobs and owning a few unsatisfying businesses, I enrolled in college at the age of 36. Apparently, I was still denying my first love as I changed my major three times before I finally settled on Journalism.

After graduating, I was unable to find a writing job so I created my own by starting a resume writing service. Although about 95% of my work was in writing resumes, I did manage to pick up some work writing advertising copy and public relations articles for a few small local businesses. In 2000 my husband and I each started on-line businesses, requiring promotional writing and website copy. Some other ecommerce owners liked my writing well enough to ask me to help them with their copy and another sideline business was born.

The owner of the ecommerce forum I had joined told me about a FIRST CHAPTERS contest on Gather.com. To qualify,I wrote my first book in less than three months. Two and a half years later that book is still sitting, waiting for me to get around to editing it.

On Gather, I met like minded people who encouraged me to continue writing. I am grateful to so many fellow Gatherers for their inspiration, motivation, and camaraderie.

It is because of them that Flickertail and Paint were born. I had never even considered myself as a children's author before then and I still didn't believe I was good enough to be published. I wasn't even seriously considering sending any of my work to a publisher until one of my Gather friends recommended me to her publisher.

Neither of us ended up with that particular publisher but if it hadn't been for her pushing me, I still wouldn't be published.

I truly believe God places the right people in the right place at the right time.