INTERVIEW WITH CYNTHIA RUCHTI

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR, CYNTHIA RUCHTI

Today I am interviewing fellow author, Cynthia Ruchti. Cynthia Ruchti tells stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark through her novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction, and through speaking for women’s events/retreats and writers’ conferences/workshops. She draws from 33 years of experience writing and producing the 15-minute daily radio broadcast, “The Heartbeat of the Home.” Her books have received recognition from RT Reviewers’ Choice, Retailers’ Choice, and Family Fiction Readers’ Choice as well as finalist honors in ACFW’s Carol Awards and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, among others. She serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers, is a board member of the Deliver Hope ministry, and is part of the worship team at her church. She and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five grandchildren. Welcome, Cynthia! I’m so glad to have you here today!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below, with your email address, between January 13 and January 20, and be entered to win a free copy of her best-selling book, All My Belongings! We will announce the winner next week.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

We live in the heart of Wisconsin in a 100+ year old farmhouse on ten acres. My husband studied fisheries biology in college, so we have a half-acre pond that he designed and stocks with bass, blue gills, and crappies. Our three children and five grandchildren live about fifteen minutes away. I worked as a stay-at-home mom after seven years as a lab assistant in a chemistry lab in a large medical facility. When our middle son was two, I was given an exceptional opportunity to write and produce a 15-minute radio broadcast—despite having no training, no experience, no equipment, no thought of ever doing such a thing. That broadcast recently retired after thirty-three years on the air!

In 2000, I started seriously studying the idea of writing full-length fiction. I’d been writing radio drama (fiction) and devotional thoughts (nonfiction) all those years. I can see how the radio years equipped me in many ways for what I’m doing now—writing novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction.

Tell us about your latest book, and how it came about.

All My Belongings is the story of a woman desperate to escape the reputation her father brought on their family name, desperate to discover a place to belong. But no matter how far she runs, his reputation finds her. And the fragile hope that had started to form is shaken to its core by the choices that confront her.

In its earliest forms in 2005 and before, this was a much different story. I describe it as a progression from melodrama to drama. So much changed. But at the heart it remains a story of what it means to truly belong.

Share about your genre and why you write in this style.

I write women’s fiction, in particular family angst.  I tell stories hemmed in hope, stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark. The books address tough topics, but in a tender way.

Years ago, I thought sweet historical romances would be my forte. Although I might enjoy writing those stories, I feel most comfortable in the women’s fiction genre, with a leaning toward the kind of stories that feel lyrical and yet real.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by music, by overheard conversations, by curious little observations. Nature inspires me. My children and grandchildren are an endless source of wonder. Tiny details—a phrase, a word, a title, a random thought—can inspire me and form the seedling of a future story. Heightened powers of observation coupled with heightened empathy creates lots of inspiration!

Tell us about your writing process.

I’ve been blessed with a fairly steady stream of deadlines since my first novel was published in 2010. That, paired with my role as professional relations liaison for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and the responsibilities associated with that position, means I’m rarely writing a book—whether fiction or nonfiction—at a leisurely pace. I’m working on edits of one while sketching out the plot and characters for another while working on the discussion questions for a third while brainstorming about a novel not yet proposed. I collect bits of the story—a sentence, a quote, a scene, a character trait—in a file that grows until it bulges. But I’m not a detailed outliner. I love the discovery that unfolds as I write from a snatch of an idea. Yes, that can give me fits at times. That’s when I phone a friend. She talks me through the impossibilities I’ve created for myself. I’ve resigned myself to the idea that I won’t have ideal conditions for writing—a year sequestered in a quiet cottage on a tropical island with gourmet meals delivered to the door and daily maid service. The stories will instead by written in and amongst life’s interruptions and challenges.

Many of those challenges become plot lines.

 What are your writing goals?

Great question! Some of my goals are discussions only God hears. And I’m grateful to have seen several of my writing goals met already, which just means I need to practice dreaming bigger, God-sized dreams. Any goals related to sales numbers are connected to the ability to keep writing and publishing, and to reaching more readers with hope in story form.

I love every aspect of this process, especially connections with readers. So I have set goals regarding even more speaking engagements that put me in contact with readers and readers-to-be.

What do you wish someone had told you about writing?

I wish someone had told me how large a role waiting would play in the process. But it isn’t a fruitless waiting. God is always working behind the scenes, even when it doesn’t appear so on the surface. I would have fretted less in the early days if I’d known to expect Waiting to be such a prominent character in the story of writing.

Tell us something about yourself that nobody knows.

I was a majorette in junior high and high school. You know, that fact has had very little effect on my adult life. I can twirl a wooden spoon or a chopstick, but it’s amazing how infrequently that skill is required.

I know! I rarely get asked to do a cheer for a football team either these days. I probably would injure myself anyway!

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Reading and music are important to me. I know how to knit but rarely take the time these days. I’m a bargain hunter in second hand stores, which is both a hobby and a necessity.

Love shopping in thrift stores. Too bad we live so far apart.

Where can your readers contact you?

My web site: www.cynthiaruchti.com

 www.facebook.com/CynthiaRuchtiReaderPage

www.pinterest.com/CynthiaRuchti

www.twitter.com/CynthiaRuchti 

I enjoy interacting with readers and encouraging writers.

Thank you for inviting me to stop by. It’s much appreciated. I’m looking forward to any additional questions or comments your readers might have to add to the discussion.

Thank you, Cynthia, for being with us today. It’s always fun learning about the writing process and lives of other authors.

Don’t forget to leave a comment below, with your email address, between January 13 and January 20, and be entered to win a free copy of her best-selling book, All My Belongings! We will announce the winner next week.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my blog and newsletter below. You will receive my modern short story version of ‘Trapped: The Adulterous Woman’ in your thank you email.

The post INTERVIEW WITH CYNTHIA RUCHTI appeared first on Golden Keyes Parsons.