Katherine Ruskey shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Katherine, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of work, one thing that brings me joy is playing with our yellow lab, Tuck. He’s 3 and so full of energy. His favorite thing to do at the beach is swim and look for fish! He’s an avid paddleboard dog and just absolutely loves to be at the beach. He loves boat rides and digging for clams on the sand bar. I think deep down he’s a hunting dog because he loves to hunt for putt putt balls in the parking lots- and there is no shortage of them! He really started to collect them last summer. He has a basket that he puts them in and plays with them when he gets bored. He’s up to something in the 90s! You can see pictures of him and his golf balls on Instagram @tucktucklab.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Katherine Ruskey and I’m a writer! I have 11 published children’s books, my first being The A B Seas of Ocean City, Maryland. My newest trilogy was recently complete. If You Give a Crab a Seashell, Should You Give a Shrimp a Sword, and When You Give a Whale a Whistle were winter projects that kept my mind on the beach during those cold winter months at the beach. Writing about the beach makes me happy! But I also love the snow, too! My children’s book, Inside Out Jammies, helps readers complete 12 tasks in order to help bring the snow when it’s forecasted. My favorite task is putting your jammies inside and throwing ice cubes on the lawn- but eating some cookies comes in pretty close to the top, too.
Not only am I a children’s book author, I’m a novelist! While children’s books are fun to write, I wanted more of a challenge. Writing a fictional beach novel felt right up my alley. And when I was able to combine Ocean City with the most exciting week of the entire summer, I knew what I wanted to write about. My adult novel, Marlin Week, is a seven chapter beach read where the entire setting is the week of The White Marlin Open. If you don’t know, The White Marlin Open is the largest and richest billfishing tournament in the world. The excitement of these monster fishing being brought in by the enormous boats is electric. My writing style in Marlin Week is very casual and relaxing. My inspiration is the one and only Elin Hilderbrand of Nantucket. I aspire to be the Elin Hilderbrand of Ocean City. I remember posting that on Instagram one day and she actually liked my post! I think I nearly fainted with joy!
Writing has always been wanted to do. Ever since elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Writing has led me to so many different opportunities- one being a writer and content creator for oceancity.com. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities that I’ve earned with my writing. I’ve come a long way and I promise you- this is just the beginning!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I’m not sure if it’s the first time, but one time that really comes to mind was some of the first comments from my editor, Malory. (@themissinginkllc). Writing a novel is no easy task. And it’s time consuming! There’s so much that goes into it, especially like my novel, Marlin Week. I had to make sure that anything related to the fishing tournament was realistic. At the same time I needed to make sure that the characters were believable, relatable, and that people could connect to them on a personal level. I remember opening up my email the first batch of edits and one of Malory’s first comments in that email were along the lines of “You really have something special” and “you have a real gift in your writing.” For someone who didn’t have to be nice- meaning their job was to make your writing better, to say comments like that was extremely powerful. I thank God for those encouraging words because it gives you motivation to write more. So, “Thanks Malory!”
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I think as a writer, I always feel scared that people won’t like what I write. And that can sometimes make me feel self conscious about writing and putting it out there. One thing that I always try to remember is that you can’t make everyone happy one hundred percent of the time. I remind myself that my writing is good! I’ve been told by many, many people. When I’m feeling scared or doubtful about my writing, I think about a time that a mom of two young kids DMed me on Instagram. It was around the holidays and she told me that my book, Elfcation, was her son’s favorite holiday bedtime story and they read it every single night for two weeks straight. When I think about comments like that, it takes the fear away and give me back some confidence.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
There are so so many! I’m going to put a bunch of them out here for you! Let’s manifest these! Are you ready? One- I will be the Elin Hilderbrand of Ocean City, Maryland one day. People will wait in lines to buy my newest beach novel and reread them on the beach every year and talk to their friends about their favorite characters. Tw0- I would love to write novels for Hallmark. Despite my husbands opposition, I love watching Hallmark Christmas movies year round and it would be a dream come true to write for Hallmark! And three- this one is kind of new so if you have any connections, you let me know. I was recently on a cruise to the Bahamas. And I had this incredible idea that my beach trilogy would be absolutely perfect for their on board cruise ship store! Imagine being on a cruise after a long day at the beach. You have the best soft served ice cream for dessert and you’re tucking your kids into bed. A beachy bedtime story on board would be the perfect bow to tie up that beach day experience. Like I said, I’m getting started.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I was born to be a writer. It’s in my heart- my young heart knew it. And here I am in my 40s doing what I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kruskeyauthor.com
- Instagram: @kruskeyauthor
- Twitter: Katherine Ruskey
- Facebook: Katherine Ruskey Author
- Other: Oceancity.com, @oceancityphotos, @SeeOC (Writer for this website)
