In the novel, The Story of Peter, Ruth, and Evan, the storyteller, Ruth, leaves home to begin her career as a counselor in a retreat/retirement center. There, she experiences both good and evil in her association with Peter and Evan, whom she finds romantically interesting. Eventually, Ruth discovers that learning to know each of them requires examining her own spiritual beliefs. In writing the novel, the author drew upon her experiences as a Christian. As a child in Nebraska, she attended parochial school, where she experienced in-depth Bible study. As an adult, she worked as an organist and director for forty years in eight different Protestant churches. Her professions as a high school English teacher and a professional musician enabled her to develop skills that she found helpful in portraying the character of Ruth.