Author Bytes

 

The original title of Circle of Doors was Echo of Lilies. Ranse changed the name after writing the chapter titled Heart of Fear.

 

Ranse’s family kept the Circle of Doors writing project a secret for the entire 5 years it took to write, edit and first publish the work. One of his next-door neighbors didn’t discover that he was a published author until about 6 months after the book was commercially published and she had picked it up at Costco.

 

By the time Ranse was married at 23, he had already owned 17 vehicles.

 

During the first edit of Circle of Doors that averaged 14 hours a day for 9 straight days, the only rest Ranse took during the day (except for eat-while-you-work meals and bathroom visits) was a one-hour break in the afternoon to watch Stargate SG-1.

 

The term “Henry Effect” from Circle of Doors is a tribute to the scientist Henry Eyring who pioneered many theories regarding the interactions of atoms. Ranse received a personal letter from Henry B. Eyring, a son of Henry Eyring, for recognition of the tribute and to wish him success with his book.

 

The name of the Joshua character introduced in the Circle of Doors chapter Echo of Lilies was inspired by an episode of The X-Files.

 

When Ranse graduated from college and first moved to Utah, he purchased a race modified Suzuki sport bike and leathers with plans to join and race with the Utah Sport Bike Association. He abandoned the idea when it was discovered that the group only raced on Sundays.

 

Three of his uncles had pilot’s licenses at the same time and all flew small fixed-wing aircraft.

 

The “all seeing eye” on the back cover of the book belongs to Ranse’s last child and only daughter. She was 8 when the original picture was taken.

 

Ranse has been receiving $1,000 checks every month for the past 4 years from a company that he cancelled a contract with over 5 years ago. The company won’t acknowledge the error and stop sending checks, so the stack of unopened envelopes just keeps growing.

 

He holds a Federal Communications Commission General Operator’s license.

 

The coach of an opposing Little League baseball team once presented Ranse with the game ball after he came in as relief pitcher and struck out the next 21 consecutive batters.

 

The Mr. Woolsey character in Circle of Doors was inspired by the television series Stargate SG-1.

 

Ranse has always been interested in road racing and was at the inaugural Miller Motorsports American Le Mans Series Utah Grand Prix in 2006. His comments on the Audi R10 TDI were published in Automobile Magazine. He’s also had short articles published in other magazines including Road & Track.

 

After leaving his second company due to disagreements over operations with investors, Ranse spent two years paying back $50,000 in personal debt that was accrued while building the company. The other option was bankruptcy, which he saw as completely unacceptable.

 

The names of all four of his children appear in different places in Circle of Doors.

 

Ranse used to play the drums in bands, but has a certain level of stage fright, which occasionally still causes him some anxiety in crowds.

 

He won the accuracy portion of a Frisbee competition when he was 18.

 

Ranse and radio personality Dale Nelson went on the air early one morning at KSL Radio to chat when Dale decided to announce that Ranse had proposed to his then girlfriend Gayle. Family friends of Gayle’s parents were tuned in and called Gayle’s parents to congratulate them. Unfortunately, their daughter and future son-in-law hadn’t yet personally informed them of the good news.

 

He has coached both boy’s and girl’s soccer teams.

 

Ranse’s mother was a schoolteacher for over 40 years and taught him when he was in kindergarten. When he was in the fourth grade, she began teaching fifth grade at the same school and Ranse ended up with his mother as a teacher for a second time.

 

Ranse met Glenn Beck in 2007 and gave him an advance copy of Circle of Doors. Glenn had a profound dream of his own that along with other factors initiated a major change in his own life.

 

Prophetic quote from Ranse’s wife: “Man I’m ornery. This really ticks me off.”

 

Ranse says his most embarrassing moment at a signing was when a Barnes & Noble employee came to the table to ask what the phrase was he had been writing in the books along with his signature. Apparently a lady who had purchased a signed copy earlier in the day had called the store to ask because she couldn’t read his writing.