Michael Ruddy is a graduate of the University of Denver with a degree in engineering administration. He has spent the last forty years associated with both the commercial and residential disciplines of the construction industry, which inspired many of the events of this story. Currently, he resides in Boulder, CO with his wife, five children, dog and cutting horses. While the author has been published in short-story format, this is his debut novel. www.rodeopublishing.com

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Q: It’s rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a ‘real’ job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you’ve had in your life? Have they influenced/inspired your writing?

A: I am also a builder and have been associated with construction all of my working life. And, yes those experiences have inspired my writing––especially this book, Conflicts with Interest. Anyone who has bought a home or is contemplating a purchase will benefit from the lessons apparent in this book––from the many different viewpoints.

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

A: Anger and frustration with the current legal system and insurance industry. It started out as a how-to-book and turned into a novel with some interesting characters. And, yes, the answer is that the system really does work as explained in the book.

Q: Tell us briefly about your book.

A: The book, Conflicts with Interest is contemporary fiction based in the San Francisco, CA area. Readers will find themselves inside the festering wounds of insurance and legal corruption that is overtaking the construction industry––and, its many ramifications.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: My next book about a tough western family set in the mountains of Wyoming in 1967.

Here is a brief excerpt: The old man leaned forward in his stirrups and lifted himself out of the saddle­­­—just right. “See that?”

HB pressed his horse closer to the edge, but kept his distance from the old man: one step and one arm length to be exact. Tom and Jimmy sat still, holding a tight rein. One representative was enough unless specifically requested. All three boys knew that.

Cornball stayed even with the lead horse as always. The black and white border collie seemed to be forever even with the old man. The alpha discussion had taken place much earlier in his life and he never forgot the ringing in his ear. Something the boy’s could have learned from.

“Dammit HB … will you look there,” the old man pointed his gloved rein-hand toward the north end of the ditch below. “Got a plan there, do ya?”

HB closed his eyes before looking at the object of the point. He knew it was coming.

Q: Do you have a favourite character? Why is s/he your favourite?

A: The lawyer in charge of insurance coverage (coverage counsel). Most of my readers single him out as a favourite. He is raw and genuine, telling it like it is … disgusted.

Q: How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?

A: It’s a weird feeling … to hold the result of so much work … to see it packaged so nicely … hoping readers will enjoy the story.

Q: If you could live in one of your books, which one would you live in? (If you’re promoting your first publication, feel free to talk about an unpublished piece.)

A: The new book that I’m working on. I love sitting a horse in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming.

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

A: Besides the needs of family, writing is my escape to another exciting world. Time is then irrelevant … mostly late at night.

Q: The main characters of your stories – do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

A: That depends on the story. For instance, there is a lot of me in Conflicts with Interest. T.R. Morgan and I share a similar lifestyle.

Q: Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

A: No writing mentor, but I would probably identify John Grisham as a favorite … along with Rand and Tolstoy. But I can’t say that I emulate any of them. I just appreciate how good they are/were. Every writer must establish their own style. Otherwise, the unnatural effort would be obvious.

Q: When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?

A: Books and writing are only a small facet of this old chipped-up stone. I hope that my writing will be mentioned along with my paintings, horses and relationships.

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

A: I’m left handed and require any impartial chair or sofa available. I’ve learned from my oil painting experience that inspiration can come unexpectedly, so be prepared to write anywhere. I also favor the use of different writing instruments for alternate moods; much like different brushes for effects.  For instance; I’ll use a Pilot rollerball to get ideas down quickly, or a stubby, bored out, Mont Blanc dipper for creativity … and stuffy moods require uncasing the venerable S.T. Dupont. You’ll know which pen was used when––my lower lip starts to twitch when the words twist around.

Q: Is there any particular book that, when you read it, you thought, “I wish I had written that!”?

A: Yes. Harry Middleton’s The Earth is Enough. I also love to flyfish and listen to the stories of the older-than-me folks. Some of the names reappear in my work. Wait ‘til you learn about Robbie Hopper in my new novel.

Q: Is there anything you’d go back and do differently now that you have been published, in regards to your writing career?

A: Change my career path to writing and literature. Without regret though, my construction background did inspire my first novel and caused me to write. I can only imagine that it would have been more fun to focus on writing alone. Imagination coupled with hindsight is everything.

Q: In my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to you and what do you find more difficult?

A: Nothing comes to mind as easy. I am never completely satisfied and will rewrite to a fault. But there are times when the rollerball just flows and the thoughts are faster than ink.

Q: Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?

A: All the time. That’s the fun of a new character––not knowing where or how far. Just let it go––whoa, and rope it back in where needed. I’ve even killed a few and enjoyed it.

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

A: The editing dilemma is how much writing you throw out and still have a good read. And, experiencing the time before that ends up wasted. It’s a killer to hit delete on a large body of text. I hate it when that happens.

I would encourage thoughts on the book from the reader’s perspective. Not so much a review but a notion of what was learned and could be taken away by the reader into their own life. My contact email: info@rodeopublishing.com/. Also, please visit my blog: www.constructiondefects.blogspot.com/

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