Daily Inspiration: Meet Robert N. Ruesch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert N. Ruesch.

Hi Robert N., we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Writing has always been a calling for me. In the mid-sixties I was first published in a college work. OK, it was on the last page, but it still counted. From that point on, I would write articles for newspapers and other print items. I started working at a local Indiana newspaper as a photographer, and they asked me to write an article or two. I remember the editor of the newspaper signaling me to his desk as I was looking at my first byline and feeling more than proud. He told me people purchase newspapers for two reasons. One to read and forget what they have read, and to place the rubbish in and not to forget the second reason. He was your typical newspaper taskmaster, grouchy, though, and somewhere down deep caring. I learned a lot from him. Which helped me hone my interviewing and writing skills so I could progress on to write for emergency medical magazines. My writing included devotionals, Christian newspapers. I’ve covered Promise Keepers (70s) and now contribute articles and photos to a local mountain newspaper.
As we were involved in mission work in the USA. I produced newsletters as needed and also my wife and I started a monthly newspaper for the Evergreen area in the 90s. And that brings me to becoming a multi-published author of four books.
Decades ago, in the 1970s, I outlined a book about growing up at the YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park Center. I did nothing with the outline until the 1990s. A friend challenged me to enter a writing contest/challenge called NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The NaNoWriMo challenge involved writing a 50,000-word book in November, which I completed.
A publisher received and published the book, In the Warmth of the Shadow. I wrote my second book, When We Were Pioneers, about developing Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA, and then on to a children’s book The Elf NOT On the Shelf for advent.
My new book, *The Long Road Home*, details my daughter’s 35-year addiction. Told in the first person from her and my view point this book is gaining recognition. And that is where I am today.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I haven’t found writing to be a smooth road. Writers must have thick skin because of rejection and criticism. Hemmingway one said, “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” You pour your heart out, set your thoughts to paper, rewrite, edit, rewrite again. Submit it to a publisher or agent and then someone you don’t know rejects your manuscript. How much fun is that? In today’s world, with independent publishing, any person can probably get a book published. That creates tremendous competition for getting your work to a reader. To stand out in a market of 2 million books a year, writers must actively market and sell their own work. You can only sell so many books to family members, friends and co-workers.
That is the writer challenge, as most writers/authors are introverts, marketing and promotion is not something they want to be a part of.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I believe we each receive gifts. Some individuals are excellent at managing, others in sports, and a few in being able to place pen to paper as an author or writer. It is important to recognize your gift, develop that gift, and then use it to benefit society. I feel I am known for my ability to place words on a page and enter the mind and heart of the reader. I am blessed to do this. Frankly, I dislike talking about my writing skills; I see that as bragging. I prefer readers to be affected by my words. Positive reader reviews are rewarding, especially when they’ve gained self-awareness. If one of my works causes a person to see changes in their life, I have done my work.

What matters most to you? Why?
I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Because of this belief in my life, I follow His will and direction. I write because it gives me a way to reach people about who Jesus is, and the importance of His presence in their life.

Pricing:

• In The Warmth Of the Shadow $15.99
• When We Were Pioneers $24.99
• The Elf NOT On the Shelf $17.99
• The Long Road Home 15.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.robertnruesch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertnruesch/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.ruesch
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/robert-n-ruesch-9a028215/
• Twitter: https://x.com/RobertNRuesch
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=robert+n.+ruesch

Image Credits
All photos from author’s collection.