A cradle Catholic born and raised in central Missouri, Ruth Apollonia attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and obtained a Master of Occupational Therapy in 2008. That same year, she ventured south on her clinical and eventually accepted a position at that same not-for-profit hospital, where she continues to be employed as an occupational therapist.

Annabelle’s tale first came to life when Ruth was a college student—writing when she had the time for her own enjoyment. As the story developed, Ruth recognized its potential at leading others to Christ and, after working on it for about five years, pursued publishing.

With little knowledge of the publishing world, Ruth used a vanity press to bring Annabelle of Anchony: Burdens of the Mind to readers in 2012, and in 2013 it was awarded the Catholic Arts and Letters Award by the Catholic Writers Guild.

Through the same vanity press, Ruth went on to publish the next two books in the series along with a children’s book: Annabelle of Anchony: Heart’s Relief (2013), Annabelle of Anchony: Kingdom’s Call (2014), and Angie and the Anger Lion (2016), respectively. God had other plans for Ruth’s choice in that publishing company, however, for in 2017 the vanity press closed, making all of her works no longer available.

Disheartened, but not hopeless, Ruth contemplated how she was to resurrect Annabelle’s tale with serious thought—yet hesitancy—of independently self-publishing. But, armed with more knowledge of the publishing world, Ruth recognized the benefits of using an established, traditional publisher. Wanting Annabelle’s story to reach as many as possible and knowing that would only happen with a traditional publisher, she approached a Catholic publisher known to publish fiction, and was rejected.

Writing to evangelize, Ruth trusted her books’ fates to the Father and the intercession of Our Lady and her Immaculate Heart (to whom, along with her family, she had dedicated her first book). Then, while networking at the Catholic Writers Guild/Catholic Marketing Network’s joint conference in 2017, she learned Marian Press was searching for young adult novels and was asked for a review copy of Annabelle of Anchony: Burdens of the Mind. A year later, Ruth signed the agreement with Marian Press to re-publish the books in the series and to publish book four for the first time.

Ruth Apollonia’s evangelization efforts are not limited to the pen: In the past, she has been a small group leader for Confirmation classes in the Jefferson City Diocese, has been a PSR (Parish School of Religion) teacher for 9th graders, and is currently the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) director at her local parish in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese in southern Missouri, a position she has held for the past four years.

Besides preparing for RCIA classes and re-editing her previously published books, Ruth Apollonia continues to work on book five in the series as well as other fiction stories.