ASHLAND — Neil Sanders fell in love with words.
Sanders, who had lived in Odenton, Md., for about the past 40 years, is a 1960 Ashland High School graduate. A journalism graduate of Bowling Green State University, he aspired to become a professional sportswriter.
Sanders’ professional path ultimately led him to the University of Maryland, where he served in administration, as well as behavioral management and leadership training — followed by a 25-year career as a professional kitchen designer.
But Sanders’ passion for writing never left his fingertips.
His mother, who taught English at Ashland High School for 30 years, inspired Sanders’ fascination with composing.
“She very quickly convinced me that writing was magical and words meant something,” he said. “She always encouraged me to write.”
That prodding stuck with Sanders, who recently published his book “Seeing Things Differently” on July 16. A book signing is set for Friday at the Ashland Public Library from noon to 2 p.m. while Sanders is in town for his 65th class reunion.
The book features a collection of independent, yet interwoven, stories. They take readers on a “whimsical journey” through short stories, poems and anecdotes from Sanders’ lived experiences and imagination.
Copies of the book will be available for purchase at Friday’s event. It can also be purchased online through Amazon.
An escape from reality
Sanders home is close to Ocean City, Md., where he enjoys walks along the beach during patches of lower tourism levels.
“When you walk on the beach when there’s nobody in sight, the ocean and the breeze and the seagulls — all of the sudden creativity enters the situation and I would write stories,” he said.
These stories would eventually wind up on Facebook, where Sanders discovered several classmates engaging with his posts. He was met with a persistent response to publish his works.
Many of his classmates struggle with mobility issues or the ability to leave their homes in their older years. Sanders’ focus on sensory details allowed his readers to feel as if they were walking alongside him.
“They were living vicariously in my life,” he said. “They could smell the ocean and they could see the ocean, so that encouraged me to write because I have been blessed to still be mobile.”
A hero’s journey
Sanders’ next step was educating himself on the self-publishing process. His journey would end up being worthy of its own story.
He read, researched and Googled, but still felt incapable of accomplishing the task on his own. Next came involvement with what Sanders believed to be a legitimate publisher — but turned out to be a scam.
Feeling “broken and disillusioned,” he joined a blog aimed at supporting authors seeking to self-publish. This is when Janet Schwind entered the picture.
A professional editor, Schwind offered Sanders a glimmer of hope when all seemed lost.
She asked him to send her a copy of his manuscript — approximately 29,000 words — and agreed to edit the first story as an example of what she could do.
“I said, ‘I want to make a go of it. I have a budget of $1,000,'” Sanders said. “She said, ‘I can work with that. Let’s publish it.'”
Within three months, Schwind had the book ready to publish. Sanders had several motivations which kept him from giving up.
A chief reason is the fact the book is dedicated to his mother. A testimonial to her, as well as one to his father, can be found near the end of the book.
His love of words and the English language also stoked the fire.
“I’m fascinated by the use of words,” Sanders said. “It’s important to me to use words properly and the magic of them.”
