Just My Personal Opinion, Of Course... : The Ruby Moon-Houldson I Knew... Memories of a Friend...

Many times an abused or troubled
child will not find saving grace in
their midst--not at home, not at school,
not in their neighborhood. They may
have to dream a little, look beyond
their nightmare, look to another source
of strength (whether it be real or not)
and reach for heroes who are...
more than angels...
--Foreword

Ruby's trilogy shared about the
abuse she and her siblings received
in their childhood...
Ruby was able to find words from
characters of a TV program to help
her make it through it all...
~~~

It was 2005 that I first started reading Ruby... I was doing a little more than reviewing at that time, so I was reading her manuscript of the first book in the More Than Angels series,

There was one thing I immediately noticed about the book. I became so curious that I wrote and asked her if I was right... She wrote back and told me I was the only one that had ever caught on to the reference... For some reason, perhaps that one, we began a bonding friendship... This series still holds my heart as my favorite books, mainly because she shared so much about the content of the books as well as more personal background info with me.

Knowing that background, I still cannot accept how Ruby died... that the publicity picture here might be the last I will see of her...

UPDATED: Homicide victim identified
by Sheriff as Ruby Moon-Houldson

She came to visit me a few years ago... I was a little shy, meeting such a prolific writer, even though we had been corresponding for a number of years by then... But she was such an outgoing woman, a caring, loving woman, that there was simply no way her manner would reflect all of her accomplishments--and there were many. We had lunch together and then all she wanted was to drive around and see where I lived...and we did stop to tour the Albert Gallatin home near Pt. Marion and New Geneva, PA. where I once lived... I remember I felt like she was my daughter when she wrote and told me she'd just received her PhD...

Then she sent me the manuscript of her last novel... She had never hired editors because she

wanted to write what she wanted to write...But I did become her personal proofreader for most of her later books, doing my review prior to their being published and "bragging" that I was releasing the exclusive first review...LOL... I was silly back when I first started to blog and am quite amazed when I think about how it has changed... and Ruby was part of that growth for me... She had asked me to review her entire Guardian Series as I was able. I had gotten so pulled in that I couldn't wait until she had the next one done.

But I was unable to finish working with her on Closing Argument. I got too personally involved as she was struggling to take care of her husband, at the same time they were working on a book that he was so excited about... He wanted her to plan for a future without him that would provide as much happiness that he had known as her husband...

Me? I kept trying to insert "feelings" for her husband...and I realized that I could not imagine writing about the life he wanted for her after he had died...

And yet, I couldn't wait to read the final published version... And, now, that book is also her last book before she died... Ruby always included in her books the songs she listened to while writing to inspire her... This is one of those--Twist of Fate-- How sad that the new beginning her husband wanted for her will now never come...

Ruby and I had a shared love for all things Star Trek. Many of you may know that she got involved with the whole Trekkie life, including writing a number of books on the original series. I've made a Page of the majority of my or Ruby's articles here on Book Readers Heaven. When I was first starting out, I had more time and Ruby spent a month here during the time I was reading many of her books from the Guardian Series... Of that series I wrote:

The Guardian series is a sensuous escape into the fantasy world of the ages. I am thoroughly hooked! When I read the More Than Angels books, I declared Moon-Houldson a must-read author. However, the Guardian series, in an entirely different genre, forces, yes, forces me to consider this author a Creative Genius! Book reviews cannot begin to describe the fascinating complexity, compelling storyline and sensuality of these stories. While based upon well-researched somehow familiar magical stories, each idea from Moon-Houldson is unique but totally interwoven into an intricate tale that becomes a reality into which readers invariably fall! Building suspense through character development and constantly more exciting and seemingly impossible challenges is almost magically done through brilliant writing! The Guardian series demands to be consumed!

One article she shared at that time I've highlighted on the page...it is her sharing of her feelings with her role model from Star Trek when he died... You may want to read it, even if you don't want to learn more about her books. She also kept me up on all the Star Trek news...LOL...sometimes I felt like I was in the inner circle as well, as she would share gossip about the various characters that I had so loved...

Other than her books on Star Trek characters and nonfiction, all of Ruby's books were about good over evil... She loved science fiction and her Guardian series was more "far out" than I'd ever read... Yet it was molded on the life of a family...Two powerful angels who had come to earth to save the world... Her family kept growing, their love kept spreading out into the earth... It was only when she went into the second generation of the family that I started to suggest some editorial issues. I didn't have to say much, just enough for her to accept what I'd suggested and start making changes... She trusted me... and that was a powerful emotion for me, given what I had experienced at work during my last few years... It seemed we needed each other in different ways, but we both grew to love each other as dear friends...

All one has to do is read her bio and know that she was a brilliant woman. But it was her personal attributes that drew people to her, to love her.... She was always writing about what she was doing in the neighborhood, even to opening up her writing space for tours!

The fantasy world is going to miss her as an author, especially those who got to know her at Trekkie conventions and other activities... But, I'm going to miss her not only as a wonderful author, but a truly beautiful friend who had become important in my life...even though we only met and hugged once... It is so natural to ask... Why? Why did this happen? I don't know... The only thing I do know is that Ruby has always been and is, now, totally "Sheltered in the Arms of God"... sung by the author, Dottie Rambo...