Wauseon High School Graduate Ron Richards will host a book talk and signing at the Wauseon Public Library on Thursday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s main floor Reading Room. He will share excerpts from his book, “Dodging Dandelions—A Memoir of Love, Loss and Acceptance.”
The Book Talk & Signing are free, and the public is invited to attend. Richards will have books available for purchase for $15 and will be happy to sign them. His books are also available through amazon.com. Refreshments will be available during the Book Talk & Signing.
Richards offers a heart-tugging, genuine look into the travails faced by a husband as he negotiates his way through a variety of family adversities. The story follows Richards’ experience as he deals with the twists and turns of his first wife’s cancer (Sara, a 1970 graduate of Wauseon High School); the wild ride of parenting a daughter with significant mental illness; and, in the midst of it all, his own surprising bouts with cancer. The book honestly and thoughtfully examines Richards’ 22-year journey through disbelief, fear, hope, anger, humor, sadness and, finally, acceptance.
While “Dodging Dandelions” is the first book from Richards, his life has been one of a communicator, writer and public relations executive. He spent much of his work life in the world of sports and entertainment and his experience includes working with the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), PGA Tour, National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), where he served as vice president of communications for more than five years.
Richards also held positions with top consumer product companies, working for 10 years at beer giants, Coors and Miller. He spent the early part of his career as a journalist, working at the Pueblo, Colo., Star Journal and Chieftain newspapers as a sports writer and editor. While in Pueblo, Richards also worked in public relations for the University of Southern Colorado.
When he isn’t writing, Richards works with communications and public relations clients through his Mitchell Canyon Communications practice, which he started in 2009. Much of his consulting work has been in the world of healthcare and medical devices.
Richards, who grew up in Wauseon and is a 1970 graduate of Wauseon High School, is a member of the Colorado Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the Colorado Independent Publishers Association and the Colorado Authors League. He also serves as a volunteer for the Denver Hospice. Richards has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Colorado State University and a Master’s in Sports Administration from Ohio University. Richards has two adult children and he and his wife, Lisa, live in Castle Rock, Colo., with Lisa’s teen-aged daughter.
For more information on Ron Richards or his upcoming Book Talk & Signing, please email the Wauseon Public Library at amy.murphy@oplin.org or call 419-335-6626.