That’s when her mother caught her reading the catsup bottle, she said. When eating breakfast, she was reading ingredients and more on the cereal box.

“If it’s the printed word, I’m on it,” Paul said.

She’s not a fan of vampire stories, but reads material on plenty of subjects.

Her favorite authors are Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Lee Child.

About age 14, Paul decided to started reading the dictionary, she said.

Paul didn’t make it far into the “A” words when she abandoned the plan.

“I decided I don’t want to read the words, I want to write them,” Paul said.

The Tonganoxie resident has penned some 300 poems and stories, about a third of which are in a self-published book, “Hold What You Set Free.”

Paul said there are 97 poems in the book.

“It was difficult releasing private thoughts, but a dear friend read a few and said, ‘Oh, my God, you need to write a book,'” Paul said.

The title comes from the poem that the friend’s encouragement and friendship inspired. She said she’s working on a second book that she hopes will be published in January. In addition, seven short stories also are in the works.

Born in Missouri, Paul was adopted and brought to the area. Her family lived north of the Leavenworth County Shop. “My first four school years were at one-room Central School, and indeed, I did walk to school and home each day,” she said.

School consolidation sent her to Jarbalo for six years, a second consolidation sent her to Tonganoxie.

She earned her bachelor’s in education at Friends University in Wichita.

In 1973, in Wichita, while substitute teaching, a sixth-grader threatened to throw her out of a third-story window.

At that point, she decided to make a career move.

She switched to a clerical career and has worked in prison mental health, marketing departments, patient accounts, medical records and education development.

In 1979, Paul moved to a farm in the Tonganoxie area and raised “three bright, productive children, each graduating from Tonganoxie.”

About six years ago, Paul met her birth mother and six siblings.

Amazingly, she grew up 15 miles apart never knowing about each other.

“It’s a great experience to meet them, love them and recognize family traits passed on to my children,” Paul said.

So far this year, Paul has read 40 books.

All of that reading helps her in her writing, she said.

“Studying how other writers manipulate language creates an urgency to write my thoughts,” she said. “Every moment presents an opportunity to turn a phrase and capture a feeling.

“When ideas swoop in, I stop the car or get up in the night to jot notes. Often the whole poem explodes, sometimes it simmers, develops slowly.”

Paul said she hopes her writings might inspire others to write in their own words.

“Words are powerful,” she said. “They start and end wars, change lives and bond hearts. No one truly understands unless you open up your head and express yourself.”

Paul really dug into writing when she was 16. Her first “serious” poem focused on some friends being drafted for the Vietnam War.

“It’s not a great work of art, but it expressed my fear and confusion,” she said. “Sometimes life slaps your face and writing is a way to share joy and wonder, or release sorrow of losing a friend.

“Words capture ideas and emotions. They add warmth, depth and paint a picture.”

The local author had a reading and book signing at a small local gathering, but hopes to schedule more.

There is a copy of her book at The Raven Book Store, 6 E. Seventh St. in Lawrence.

The book costs $15 plus $2 for postage.

Anyone interested in obtaining a copy can send a check for $17 to Paul at P.O. Box 408, Tonganoxie 66086.