Get Into the Holiday Season with “Ruby: Magic Comes from the Heart”

On Monday, November 7th, I attended a book signing and talk by author Randall Kenneth Jones on his new release, “Ruby: Magic Comes from the Heart.” Jones is a masterful storyteller, author, comic actor and host of the popular Jones.Show podcast.

According to Jones, each book in the Savannah Valley series is inspired by true events unique to each author. In “Ruby,” Jones' family and many of his closest friends are figuratively featured throughout the book and they all enriched his characters. Jones looks for the best in people, and “Ruby” is “nothing but a search for truth and celebration of strength.”

“Ruby” takes place in an imaginary retirement community called Savannah Valley where “life and retirement are celebrated, new friendships are made; new horizons open, and a lifetime of experience and acquired wealth is celebrated.” The vast three-thousand-acre community only has 400 homes with prices ranging from six to fifty million dollars. It is designed to be the most expensive and exclusive retirement community in the United States. Living in Savannah Valley is like a long-term stay in the world’s finest hotel with residents relocating from around the world. The community features “Gone with the Wind” references along with mini mansions based on classic southern architecture.

Ruby lives at 1010 Scarlett Terrace, an imposing true Victorian with a tower, turret bay windows, antique stained glass and a massive wrap-around porch with gingerbread accents. She is a woman of mystery to her neighbors where everybody seems to know Ruby but no one knows much about her and nobody has ever seen her husband. 

Another character, Cynthia Kyger Grant, moved to Savannah Valley searching for a new purpose in life. Chapter Two referenced a famous quote from Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets: “It’s our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities.” This quote has always haunted Cynthia from the day she read it aloud to her daughter, Molly.

Jones knew how to keep readers engaged and I followed his breadcrumbs onwards. The first two chapters urged me to keep reading.

Ruby is all about the magic of Christmas with the characters delivering an inspirational ending: “listen to the messengers, the angels, our loved ones, pay attention to them – live in the moment, and it doesn’t matter what you believe – as long as you believe in something.” We all live in our own versions of Savannah Valley and might even have our very own Ruby. Do not underestimate the impact of the friends you meet – good friends are the magic that dwells in our hearts– that’s my takeaway!

Jones dedicated this book to his mother, Nellie Pearl Jones, “whose unconventional and unapologetic approach to life and relationships shaped my thoughts and nurtured my creative spirit. She’s the real story. My mom didn’t just march to the beat of her own drum, she was the drum, the drumsticks, the drummer and the band,” he wrote proudly.

According to Jones, six authors have already contributed six different novels to the Savannah Valley Series with more coming. Yes, he already has an outline for a second book specific to Ruby and friends.

Give the gift of magic with signed copies of “Ruby: Magic Comes From the Heart,” available at the Marco Center for the Arts Gift shop. You can also order a copy from Amazon.com or BN.com.