Novelist Lesley Ranft, former East Windsor resident and Class of 1981 graduate of The
Peddie School, has released her romantic novel, “One Pulse,” based on her own true love story.
Set in the 1990s, “One Pulse” follows the romance of Leah Ashby, a single mother and Manhattan corporate executive determined to break through the “glass ceiling,” and Anthony Sanchez, a Hispanic man from California working hard to overcome his humble upbringing and systemic racism.
“Publishing this novel shows me that it’s possible to have your dreams come true,” Ranft said. “This was my fiancé’s last wish, and I’m so happy to have his last wish be fulfilled
now.”
Ranft and her fiancé dated for seven years long-distance before he proposed to her. After being engaged, Ranft shared her draft of “One Pulse” with him, to which he encouraged Ranft to quit her job as a staff recruiter, become a writer and turn her story into a movie.
Seven weeks later, her fiancé died in her arms after a car accident.
“Not only was he my soulmate in every sense of the word, but things were also always driving us together. It was as if a divine intervention brought us together, something extremely passionate, touching, and transformational,” Ranft said.
With “One Pulse,” Ranft hopes to allow readers to reflect on the importance of love in a world filled with challenges and strife, and to succeed when life changes lead to new beginnings.
Linda Frank, host of the TV program “Writer’s Dream,” said, “I believe ‘One Pulse’ will do
very well, and I highly recommend it. I most enjoyed how the two [Leah and Anthony]
proceed in love with caution through challenges until nothing can stop them. It reminds
me of the popular ‘Outlander’ series of romance novels. ‘One Pulse’ will go far.”
In addition to publishing ‘One Pulse’ as a novel, Ranft hopes to fulfill her fiancé’s wish and adapt it as a movie. With the screenplay written, Ranft and producer Jeffrey Frentzen are currently in the pre-production phase and hope to release the movie by the end of the year.
Prior to becoming a novelist, Ranft was a medical journalist for over 20 years, publishing over 700 articles for various medical organizations and reaching over 19 million readers.
Ranft traces her inspiration for writing to her time at The Peddie School in Hightstown, where she was awarded the Walter H. Annenberg Scholarship. She plans on dedicating her life to spreading ‘One Pulse,’ for which she has already finished writing the sequels, as well as continuing her health journalism with her book, “Your Health Tips.”
Learn more about ‘One Pulse’ on the website https://onepulse.movie/