When Shelia offered me the opportunity to write this post for her blog, I was a little stumped at first by the theme. Choosing a friendship—either one of my own or one from my latest book, Murder in the Family—wound up being like picking a favorite puppy from a litter. Too many to choose just one!

Then I realized that there’s one friendship that is mentioned in Murder in the Family that also hits close to home. The one in the dedication. Here’s what I wrote:

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This one is for Teri, who has been my publishing partner, beta reader, and unfailing encourager since galleys were paper, type was hot, and stripping involved X-Acto knives and tape. We survived and thrived through it all. That, and a bucket of chicken.

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I tell people that one advantage of living a long time is that you get to do a lot of stuff and meet a lot of great folks. I’ve had some fantastic adventures—starting when I was exploring the woods behind my home as a child. And of all the folks I’ve met since I started my publishing adventure, I’ve known Teri the longest, and our friendship has been cemented through good times and bad. We’ve worked together on more than one job, and when I was out of work, she hired me as a freelancer; a few years later, I returned the favor.

We first got to know each other in 1985, surprised to find that we also lived in the same neighborhood, only two streets apart. She recommended me for a job that was a true Godsend. In turn, when she fell on the ice and broke her leg, which left her stranded at home in a snowstorm, I showed up a few nights later with a bucket of chicken and enough fixings to keep her going until the roads cleared.

Teri was there when my daughter was born and when she died. We commiserated with each other through divorce, job changes and losses, and hospitalizations.

But while shared experiences brought us closer, it was the love of good books that added the cement. We’ve published them and exchanged the authors we adore. We watched the industry change in ways neither of us could have imagined 34 years ago.

For me, a treasured friendship is priceless, long or short. But the blessing of having one last more than three decades is a boundless blessing. Here’s hoping each one of you have the same gift in your life.

About the Author

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Ramona Richards is the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media, the parent company of New Hope Publisher. She has been an in-house editor for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Rutledge Hill Press, and Ideals magazine, and has freelanced for a dozen other publishers. The author of nine novels, three books of devotions, and numerous magazine articles, she is a frequent speaker for women’s and writers’ groups, and has presented at numerous conferences across the country. Her newest novel, Murder in the Family, is now available.

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