The author of Be: The Journey of Rol is Ric Colegrove – husband, dad, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, storyteller, illustrator, and juggler. Ric is blessed to live with his family in Northern Virginia, where each season of the year is just right. His immediate family consists of a beautiful and incredibly supportive wife and two amazingly inspirational children. In their creative and faith-filled home, their individual talents complement each other as they encourage and support one another in all expressive endeavors, whether it be school projects, crafts, game invention, creative and non-fiction writing, or even cooking.
Ric has an extensive background in creative communication through engaging writing and visuals, with a successful and award-winning career in advertising and marketing spanning more than 20 years. He has enjoyed being immersed in the various stages of his children’s lives through active parenting, community involvement, school and church boards, coaching, and scout leadership roles. Experiencing first-hand the journey through life of his children, and seeing their interactions with family and friends, has been an integral part of his writing—the main characters in Ric’s present book series are teenagers, with a variety of the fictional and humorous situations derived from real world encounters and challenges faced. His role as a parent has impacted his writing immensely, allowing him to see the perspectives of children as well as their relationships with each other and with adults in their lives.
Throughout his life, Ric has had many encounters with interesting characters, and although some of those memories have very loosely found their way into the book, most of the situations that Rol and his friends face originate from pure imagination and a passion for writing. Be: The Journey of Rol is a labor of love for the enjoyment and enrichment of children, inspired and fueled by the Holy Spirit, family, and friends.
A note from the author about a recent classroom visit with homeschool students, ages 10-13:
“I was asked to pay an author visit to a class of middle school children who are taught in a homeschool environment. In short, I left our discussion feeling extremely inspired. The children were amazingly engaged, asking questions, making comments, and answering questions in such a dynamic way that I knew they had absorbed Be: The Journey of Rol the way it was intended—as a fun adventure with lessons on life and faith scattered throughout. Each child was excited about the prospect of a follow-up book and they even asked when a movie about the book is going to be made. Speaking with a few parents after the discussion I was told that they also enjoyed the book, in many cases reading it aloud to the entire family, sharing the experience, laughing, and wondering what would happen on the next page or in the next chapter. That was also very inspiring to hear, as my hope for the story is that it will reach an audience of children (and adults) who will read the tale together and benefit from that interaction and sharing of a common, wholesome experience. What more could an author ask for?”
