WEST COUNTY NEWS
Tribute to grandma
Novel tells treasured holiday story
For John Snyder, these should be the best of times, and in many ways they are.
He is happy. His family-a wife of 23 years and two daughters- are well, his public relations and advertising business is thriving, and he is busy promoting his first book.
What’s missing as the holiday season unfolds is his grandmother, who provided the inspiration for “The Golden Ring: A Touching Christmas Story.” Anna Snyder, 90, passed away three days before Thanksgiving.
“It was sad …but at least she saw the finished product,” Mr. Snyder, of Gambrills, said. “She had a good life. (The book) means a lot more to me now. Obviously I wish she were around for a few more Christmases to come. She was so much a center of our holidays.”
Though she is gone now, Mr. Snyder and his family have stories about his grandmother to share, and it is one of the tales she told, about a Christmas when she was nine, that provided the basis for her grandson’s first book.
Three years ago, Mr. Snyder, in an effort to record his
family history, sat down with his grandmother and a blank tape, and just talked.
One story in particular – about Mrs. Snyder, her father and a gift of a
ring – resonated in the younger Snyder’s head and he reasoned that the only
way to do it justice was to put it on paper.
“I had no thoughts of writing a book,” Mr. Snyder said. “I just wanted it for our family history that I could pass down to my children.”
Numerous re-writes later, “The Golden Ring” is on the market, hard-bound with a cover illustration of a little girl staring through a window. Though for 18 years he owned the public relations, and advertising and sports marketing firm The Snyder Group, the labor of love he put into writing the book was unlike any other project he has attempted.
“There aren’t that many books out there that the whole family can read and enjoy,” Mr. Snyder said. “A mother can read it to her children. A young person can read it to themselves.”
Ironically, he said, the most difficult part of “The Golden Ring” wasn’t the writing, though that was tough enough. Once complete, selling his book has been a challenge.
There is no shortage of heartwarming Christmas tales in the marketplace. Still Mr. Snyder has had some success selling his book, having it distributed at local bookstores and through the internet.
“It’s hard to sum up. Ultimately, the main thing was John. He personally has a strong presence and lets you know this is something that is important,” said Sarah Launius, community relations coordinator at the Bowie Borders Book and Music store, where “The Golden Ring” is available. “It’s well written and I think it’s a story that a lot of people hold on to.”
Bitten by the writing bug, Mr. Snyder is developing ideas for his next work, and he said one of the most satisfying developments of his new, part-time career, is the interaction he has had with readers who have read “The Golden Ring” and either referred it to others or bought copies to use as gifts.
“That is a reward unlike any reward I’ve experienced before.” He said. That’s pretty heavy stuff that something you could write could touch someone so deeply in their heart. It makes it all worthwhile,
Married to Ruth Ellen, with one daughter Nikki, in her second year at Anne Arundel Community College and a second daughter at Crofton Woods Elementary School, Mr. Snyder said his debut book is all about family.
Though being published has been rewarding, sitting down with is grandmother was just as worthwhile, and he said others should take an interest in their genealogy before it is too late.
Í have a great interest in our family history and listening to older people because they have so much to share. It gives you an appreciation of how easy we have it today.” He said. “Unfortunately, we don’t ask enough to have older people talk about their lives.”