Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.
The winner from the last Author Spotlight giveaway is AMY BRADSHER! Please email info {at} suzannewoodsfisher {dot} com with your mailing address to claim your prize.
This week we are featuring Cynthia Ruchti, author of All My Belongings (Abingdon Press)! To enter to win a copy of All My Belongings, leave a comment on this post.
What is the smartest writing advice you ever got?
I now realize how profound it was, in light of the kinds of novels I write. After toying with short historicals, convinced I’d never write contemporary fiction, I was challenged to write “the story that will cost you the most emotionally.” I thought I didn’t have a story idea like that. It surprised me that I did . . . and that my novels are contemporary women’s fiction with strong emotional connections. Also significant was the advice my band director father gave me—and all his students—many years ago. “Right or wrong, blow it strong.”
What was your biggest break?
When I heard that Abingdon Press was launching a fiction line with Barbara Scott at the helm at the time, I asked for an appointment with Barbara at the ACFW conference. She listened to my pitch and reported “goosebumps,” insisting they were the God kind of goosebumps. A little over a month later, she took my manuscript to committee. That project was my debut novel—They Almost Always Come Home, a Carol Award finalist.
I’m inspired by . . .
Snatches of phrases. Many times, all I have when I begin a book project or even a devotion is a poignant phrase, a title, one snippet of a scene.
If I could go anywhere, it would be . . .
Near “big” water. Pacific Ocean. Gulf of Mexico. Lake Superior. Lake Michigan. The Atlantic. I love to travel and have appreciated every terrain I’ve been privileged to see—desert, mountains, Canadian wilderness, both coasts, orange groves of Florida, Alaska . . . But my heart “settles” when it’s near massive bodies of water. I was born in Oceanside, California, but only lived there for eight days before my mom and I flew to Wisconsin to await my father’s return from Korea. I haven’t been back to visit Oceanside, which incidentally—or not—is one of the key scenes in the novel All My Belongings. Someday. Someday.
If you have only . . . an hour . . .
Music, a good book, and a cup of tea.
Describe yourself in one word:
Hope-aholic.
If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save?
My laptop . . . because most of my family pictures are on it. Plus years’ worth of work.
What has been your most surreal, “pinch-me-I’m-dreaming” moment so far?
Oh, so many. One treasured moment was standing side-by-side with Debbie Macomber while we worshiped together. I saw her heart for God overshadowing even all her publishing success. That spoke volumes to me.
What drives you to succeed?
I’ve been entrusted with the ability to write—to tell stories that help put into words what other people feel but may not know how to express. I don’t take that lightly. I tell stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark.
Best Surprise
Being able to place the Advanced Reader Copy of my debut novel in my mother’s hands two weeks before she died. She’d been such a huge support for me in all areas of life. Christian fiction had been instrumental in reaffirming her faith in the years after Dad died. No one cheered harder for my writing than she did. It gave her great joy to see that book in print. When I showed it to her, she clutched it to her chest and said, “My book! I mean . . . our book!”
Best Saturday Afternoon Read:
A magazine about coastal living.
Best Forgotten Custom:
I live in the North, but weirdly appreciate it when someone calls me Miss Cynthia or Miss Cindy.
Best Way to Break a Sweat:
There’s a good way? Um . . . giving birth?
Best Style Icon:
Katie Couric. I’m sure you see the resemblance. ☺
Best Time-Waster:
Boggle. My daughter’s a genius at it. I’ve been practicing. Shh. She doesn’t know.
Best Indulgence:
Crème brulee. I have to eat gluten free. So finding a decadent dessert that appears in nature without gluten is a joy.
Best Advice:
Pre-forgive people. It’ll make it a lot easier if the day comes when they disappoint you.
[Tweet “@cynthiaructhi’s best advice? Pre-forgive people. It makes it easier when they disappoint you!”]
Cynthia Ruchti tells stories of Hope-that-glows-in-the-dark through her novels and novellas, nonfiction projects and speaking events. All My Belongings is her eighth release (including three non-fiction books). Ruchti has also written articles for numerous magazines and industry publications and currently serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Ruchti lives in Wisconsin where she spends her days diving into words, worship and wonder.
Learn more about Cynthia Ruchti and her books at www.cynthiaruchti.com. Readers can also become a fan on Facebook (cynthiaruchtireaderpage) or follow her on Twitter (@cynthiaruchti).
Celebrate Spring and the release of The Rescue with Suzanne’s “Birds of Springstagram” giveaway! Click here to learn more about how you can enter!
Start the Lancaster County series today! Pick up a copy of The Choice ebook for FREE from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christian Book Distributors!
Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.
Yay another new Author!! I have found a lot of new authors lately and I love it!
Thanks for your comment (and enthusiasm), Sierra!
I would love to read this.
Felecia, I’ll meet you in the pages!
I would love to read this. Sounds very intresting.
I change so much as a person with every book I write. The caregiving aspects of this book–All My Belongings–gripped my heart. I hope they will yours, too, Peggy.
Sounds like a good one and I would love to win a copy. Thanks for the give-away.
Ann, thanks for your kind words.
I have not read anything by this author, but I am sure it is a good book. I love to read Christian Fiction so I am sure I will like it. Thanks for the opportunity to sign up for this giveaway.
One of the joys of being hosted by Suzanne is the opportunity to connect with those who haven’t yet read my previous books. I hope you’ll take a look at All My Belongings, and the others I’ve written, too, Brenda!
Thank you Suzanne for introducing us to new authors. Would love a chance to read this and add it to my growing list of new authors. 🙂
And here’s a great opportunity for me to express my gratitude again to Suzanne. What a blessing!
I’ll need to search out her books….they sound great!
Stop by my website and linger a while, Connie. 🙂
I love Cynthia’s books. She touches the heart and soul in ways that are so real. You feel her books with all your senses. I enjoy getting to know her in interviews like this. Boggle is something I get sidetracked with, too. 🙂
Joyce, you made my day. Thank you! Boggle-away!
This sounds like a really good read. I’d love to win this book!
Thank you, Vivian. I can’t wait for you to meet Becca and Isaac.
Great post and a new author to me.I am looking forward to reading this book.Thanks for sharing with us Cynthia.
What a complete thrill to find new readers! Thanks, Jackie.
All My Belongs sounds like it could be a healing book for me. I struggle with forgiveness. A hurt that has cut me so deep that at times I feel as though I’m drowning and gasping for my next breath.
Pre-forgive someone is a hard one for me. I cling to my faith and I know that God is with me and I know I must completely forgive. God knows my heart and He knows I’m trying.
I have read only one other book of yours Cynthia, Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices. I just checked out my review of it on Amazon to see if I liked it. I gave it 5 stars!
Blessings!
Judy B
Judy, I pray that All My Belongings is a sweet salve to your soul. Thank you for the 5 star review for Ragged Hope! Readers who take time to write a review are a huge blessing to an author. I’m so grateful.
Cynthia, you are welcome!
Love to read new writers
Thank you, Kathleen!
I would LOVE to win a copy of All My Belongings. As an adoptee leading a ministry of adult adoptees and birth mothers I deal with countless women who are seeking their place of belonging and identity in Christ, who have been confused and discouraged by life. Many have faced sadness and unresolved loss and grief/shame in light of their painful pasts and separation in adoption. My passion is to point them to their 1st and Forever Father, who knows them by name and longs for them to know that they are His beloved and He has a plan for their future. I am currently finishing up my 2nd online bible study with adult adoptees, Rewriting Your Emotional Script by Becky Harling- which addresses topics such as identity, unresolved loss, the journey of forgiveness and belongingness. Would love to follow up by reading Cynthia’s book that should be a source of encouragement and HOPE for women in my outreach ministry.
Jody, the kind of needs you work with all the time were on my heart as I wrote.
I enjoyed getting to know Cynthia a bit more. I loved They Almost Always Come Home and can’t wait to read her newest book.
Merry, you’ve blessed me today. Thank you.
Have not read any of your books but always love to find a good book from a new author. This sounds like a very interesting story and would love to win it. Enjoyed the review of your personal life and ambitions.
Marilyn, it’s wonderful when an author has the opportunity to be introduced to new readers. I’m so grateful Suzanne afforded me this “space.”
I love your pre-forgiveness thoughts! I will so have to remember to do that! I think I could learn a lot from this author!
Sonja, I have had to pull out the pre-forgiveness card many times in my forty-plus year marriage, and to survive parenting, and with friendships that threatened to crumble, and…
I love meeting new authors in this way! I’d enjoy reading your book!
Connie, thanks for stopping by to say so. This is such a privilege for me.
I would love to read this book.
Thanks, Linda. I hope it has the impact on readers that it’s had on me.
When my stepson graduated from basic in Georgia I loved when everybody called me ma’am, too.
🙂 It’s a lovely tradition, isn’t it?
What a wonderful interview! I can’t wait to start reading Miss Cynthia’s books! 🙂 Thank you so much for the opportunity to win a copy of ALL MY BELONGINGS!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about it, Britney.
Thank you for this spotlight on this author. Her thoughts on preforgiving and ending comment about what she hopes her readers glean from her books, attracts my heart like a magnet. How very much she wants to give glory and honor to the One who has given her the gift of writing. I’d love a copy of her book, but know in my heart it will be worth paying for it. God bless you, Suzanne, and you, Cynthia.
Donna, what a beautiful encouragement! Thank you.
I found the interview interesting. And the book sounds like a good read. 🙂
Glad you stopped by to comment, Pen.
I am intrigued with the concept of, “pre-forgive people. It makes it easier when they disappoint you.” However, I think that is a negative view of mankind, and my impression is that you will always have to forgive everyone. Am I judging this improperly? My take from this is reworded to, ” forgive yourself and others you encounter, so misunderstandings in words or deeds do not keep you from forming further kinship.”
I will read one of Ms. Cynthia Ruchti’s books, because she comes so highly recommended. It is wonderful to find a new author (new to me, I know she is not new to writing) to enjoy new places, and new people. It is great to discover a series of books that have been written that you enjoy, and you can read back to back without waiting for the next book to come out! So, I believe my list of good books to read has. Increased to easily get me through rest breaks this summer… I am excited just talking about it.
We love readers who are excited about the stack of books waiting for them. The pre-forgive principle is, for me, less about assuming people will disappoint you and more about prepping for what my reaction will be if they do. If I decided long ago to forgive, then I’m far more ready to get to the forgiving part. And you’re so right–that includes forgiving ourselves. Eager to have you read All My Belongings and see how that fits into the idea.
Another book to feed my addiction? Ohhhhhh! 🙂
it would be fun! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this interview. I especially like her advice to pre-forgive.
Thanks so much, Connie. All these responses are such a blessing.
I am so thrilled that I found this website today (thank you Cynthia) and read all about you Cynthia! My favorite section is the advice that you gave about pre-forgiving. What a wonderful concept of dwelling in God’s enabling grace and forgiveness, whether one is struggling from the past, present or even concern for the future. I would love to develop your hope-aholic attitude also. Thank you for sharing about yourself. You are a new author for me and I look forward to reading and reviewing some of your books including All My Belongings. I would love to read about Becca and how she is freed from her past and finds her identity in Christ. Many blessings!
Oh, Roxanna! I love your enthusiasm! Thank you. Reviews are always appreciated!
Spot on with this write-up, I seriously feel this website needs a great deal
more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the information!