Welcome to the second edition of Saturday Six for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference 2018! Last week we featured some of the men who will be teaching and agenting and representing houses and magazines. This week, we’re going to feature some of the ladies who do the same.

So, without further delay:

Cynthia Ruchti

1. Not known for my athleticism or penchant for exercise and the outdoors (unless viewed through a screened-in porch or observation deck), I’ve been white-water rafting in Colorado and Alaska…and lived to tell about it.

2.  I used to sew. A lot. Matching outfits for me and my daughter, which by the time she was a teen became an irritation to her. Really? Did I ever tell you about the time I made a powder blue leisure suit for my husband? Top-stitching and everything?

3.  I’m thinking about relearning all my baton-twirling moves from middle school and high school. You know, in case they’re ever needed for a Packer halftime show or something.

4.  In sixth grade, I was kissed by Tom Sawyer. And it wasn’t in the script.

5.  I know this answer. Yes, bears use the woods as their “facilities.” They also use my flower bed.

6.  I’ve been in the same room with Ronald Reagan, the same airplane with Mohammed Ali, on the same platform as Beth Moore, and on the same planet with literally billions of other people.

Katy Kauffman

1. I can do math when I’m shopping. Tell me about a 25% off sale, and I need no calculator. But if you want me to do any other kind of math, you may regret it.

2. I played basketball for seven years before I graduated high school. Yet, well into my twenties, I had dreams about being late to a game I was supposed to play. (There must be a hidden meaning in that.)

3. I collect bumper stickers from places I visit, and then I put them on my guitar case (that I rarely open).

4. Scrapbooking, jewelry-making, and stamping greeting cards are hobbies that I love. I have a close friendship with coupons to Hobby Lobby and Michaels.

5. The first story I wrote as a child was about an Indian princess, a boy named Isaac, and an arrowhead. Ask me about it sometime, and I’ll tell you what happened.

6. Although I am an only child, I have had brothers and sisters everywhere I’ve lived, due to the friendships God has given me. For that I am truly thankful.

Michelle Cox

1. Back before healthy food choices were available at most restaurants and fast food places, I designed a low fat meal that was test marketed for a national franchise.

2. Now that I’m an old grandma type, it’s probably hard for folks to realize that I was once the most sought-after girl in my church youth group. Um…did I mention that I was the only girl in my church youth group?

3. At the request of the producers, I did a cooking segment on a pilot for a television show. The series didn’t make it-but not because of my cooking. That’s the truth. There’s an old saying, “Never trust a skinny cook.” When you get a good look at me you’ll realize I am beyond trustworthy, so you can believe whatever I tell you.

4. I once spent a day in jail. No, I didn’t break the law. I was the chair of a political party and one of our statewide candidates had planned a press conference at the prison to talk about crime. I was on the advance team-and I sure didn’t like it when the barbed-wire-topped gates clanged shut behind me. I was so glad to get out of there! I mean, I wouldn’t look good in prison orange, and the stripes ran horizontally-which never works for us chubby gals.

5. I once got stuck in a parking place (between the curb and a concrete barrier). “How?” you ask? It’s a gift, folks. Try to contain your jealousy.

6. I can be bribed with cupcakes. I don’t have a clue what you’ll get for the bribe, but we can discuss that after I enjoy the cupcakes.

Beth Patch

1. When our nest was empty we got a German Shepherd puppy. The kids now joke that she’s our favorite child.

2. I don’t like mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, or any salad dressing – and that’s just the list of condiments I don’t like. You don’t want to know the full list.

3. I wanted to be a lawyer but my grandmother forbad me – she whole-heartedly believed they were all going to ____ (the opposite of heaven).

4. My bucket list includes: fly so far from earth that I can see it from space.

5. I invented the peanut butter and nonpareils sandwich.

6. My nickname in college was Peppy because I had a hairdo that reminded my dorm-mates of Pepé Le Pew.

Ramona Richards

1. My mother taught me how to hypnotize kittens.

2. I played piano in my high school jazz band.

3. I used to scuba dive; I’m a trained rescue diver.

4. I broke my ankle snow camping.

5. I’m a huge fan of John Rutter chorale arrangements.

6. I was once a very active member of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Suzanne Kuhn

1. I got my kids kicked out of a private school.

2. My father proposed to me instead of my husband.

3. I have a water fountain in my dining room.

4. I told Ashley Judd she would enjoy Disneyworld more without her kids.

5. Favorite band of all time: Stray Cats.

6. I love to binge watch sci-fi.