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Rick Ludwig

Goodreads Author

Born

in Pasadena, California, The United States

Website

https://www.rickludwigauthor.com

Twitter

JRLonMaui

Genre

Mystery, Paranormal, Fiction

Member Since

July 2011

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James R. (Rick) Ludwig, Ph.D. spent over forty years in the academic, health care, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries. Rick also maintained a writer’s journal since his junior year in high school and populated it with short stories, poetry, and essays throughout his career.
Although a published author of multiple scientific papers and book chapters, writing for a popular audience presented a unique challenge. Rick spent the first year of his retirement, converting all of his writings, including his journal, to digital format. Since then, he has written full-time and self-published two novels. Mirrored (2014) and Something More (2015).
More recently Rick has had three of his books published by Babylon Books: Eyes of the Beholder ( ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What inspires you to write?

Rick Ludwig Dear Karen,

I have not looked at my Goodreads Author page for over a year and just got on to let people know I have a new book coming out, when I saw y…moreDear Karen,

I have not looked at my Goodreads Author page for over a year and just got on to let people know I have a new book coming out, when I saw your question. I apologize for not answering your question when you asked it and would completely understand if you are less than pleased with me.

The answer to your question is not one thing. It is a collection of things that came together to not only inspire me to write, but allow me to focus on writing. I spent most of my life in scientific research in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. I wrote my first book, a memoir, while I was still working full time but did so as part of my therapy suggested for severe depression, which I was suffering from at the time. This was back in 1998. Another part of that treatment was a trip I took to the Holy Land. The book described my entire battle with depression, including that life-changing trip. I shared this book only with close friends and relatives, who were extremely complimentary about my writing style. Ten years later, when I retired from scientific research, I decided to get serious about writing. It helped greatly that we moved to Maui when I retired. This amazing island made it seem perfectly proper to write. A lot of creative people live here and collecting a lot of creative people on a small beautiful island is a catalyst. I spent the first year digitizing everything that I had ever written to form an electronic writers journal. The earliest entry was from when I was eight years old. Of course, I had a lot of writing I'd done in school and all of my published scientific papers and books. I then attended a writers conference on Oahu and shared my memoir with editors, publishers and agents. They liked my writing but questioned the market potential of a memoir of an unknown scientist writing about depression. Probably a good call. I went back to Maui and started to write some fiction. A year latter I attended my first writers workshop, again on Oahu. I shared my work with other budding writers and the best selling author who taught us. I learned a great deal and went back to my stories. The next year, at the same workshop, my writing was much better, but I was trying to write three different novels simultaneously. Our teacher suggested that I merge the three and this became my first novel, Mirrored. I had never set out to write a mystery but found that format allowed me the freedom to share my crazy ideas in a structured way--a police investigation. I also joined a writers group in Lahaina and found sharing with other writers my works in progress and commenting on theirs charged me up. Having the beautiful, friendly, peaceful Island of Maui as my backdrop provided a stark contrast to the brutal crimes my detective protagonist dealt with on a daily basis. Now for the one sentence answer to your question.

I was inspired by the feeling that I had I had something important to say, a unique way to say it, and a safe place to do the work.(less)

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What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Rick Ludwig In my second book, "Something More", I included references to my own life in the form of the character, Rob Lister. Like him, I grew up in Orange Coun…moreIn my second book, "Something More", I included references to my own life in the form of the character, Rob Lister. Like him, I grew up in Orange County, CA and visited Disneyland two weeks after it opened. I did see Walt Disney watching a technician test out the Dumbo ride as described in the story. I also was a Clinical Specialist in the US Army during the Vietnam era and worked in pediatrics at Letterman Army Medical Center. During my initial medic training, another soldier attempted to strangle me as I slept. I found out later that he'd strangled some people in San Antonio, Texas, after his encounter with me. I always wondered what happened to him after that. In my story I solved that mystery and answered this question, fictionally, of course.(less)

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Rick Ludwig’s books

Average rating: 4.4 · 15 ratings · 4 reviews · 7 distinct works

	Mirrored: A Keone Boyd Mystery (Keone Boyd Mysteries Book 1) 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Something More: A Maui Mystery (#2) 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eyes of the Beholder (Maui Mysteries, #1) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Voice of the Victim (Maui Mysteries Book 2) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pele's Fire (A Maui Mystery Book 3) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Soul of a Sleuth (Maui Mysteries Book 3) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Maui Mysteries Box Set 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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by Jo Nesbø (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 15, 2025 10:26AM

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Ben Kincaid (Mysterious Profiles)

by William Bernhardt (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 28, 2024 08:37PM

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Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

by Martin Edwards (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 19, 2023 10:16AM

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