Ruth Pendergast Sissel has an unbridled passion for the written word, especially poetry. Barnyard Bliss is her second children’s book, following her debut release of Miraculous Me in the Spring of 2014. While Ruth’s first book was inspired by her motherhood, her second was inspired by her childhood, spent at her Grandparent’s farm, climbing hay bales, devouring fresh oranges and grapefruit from the expanse of citrus trees, and chasing and being chased by sheep, geese, butterflies, dogs, cats, rabbits, and OJ the pig. Ruth has a deep respect for the hard-working generations that came before her, including her parents, who taught her the value of community and faith. No doubt, Ruth gets her creative spirit from her Grandma Lucia Belle, a woman who could pick up a pencil and write a poem for any occasion. Ruth is who she is today partly because of how well her Grandma loved her. She cherishes the memories of bedtime prayers flowing on and on as the two lay in bed together, talking to their Heavenly Father. When she was a small child, God placed a dream in her heart to one day publish a children’s book. In 2007, pregnant with her first child, she often found herself in deep reflection about the miracle of life. Looking back, it is clear to her that Christ was beginning to breathe life into her dream of writing a children’s book. In 2013, while putting socks on her newest daughter’s feet, Ruth spoke out loud, “Look at those toes, where will they go?” In a moment of sheer inspiration, she grabbed her eldest daughter’s Tinkerbell notebook, and between folding laundry and scrambling eggs, wrote the manuscript for Miraculous Me. Ruth is a fifth generation Arizonan, who lives in Chandler, Arizona, with her husband Mike and two beautiful daughters, Emerson and Ivy.