Meet Ruth Mitchell | Author and screenwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ruth Mitchell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ruth, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“I never wanted to be a literary writer. I wanted to be an entertainer. All I wanted was to give what a lot of writers gave me: a good time on a bad day.” M.C. Beaton

This quote by the prolific Scottish author is my de facto motto. My main goal is to leave my readers with a little more hope. Not that my books gloss over all of life’s bleak realities. One Amazon reviewer called my YA sci-fi DELETED “George Orwell scary.” But my debut novel also has a lot of fun twists and turns and–a happy ending. I absolutely believe in happy endings. Every story can have a happy ending, just depends on where you end it. We could all use a few more happy endings.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I write witty, charming, love stories that keep you up past your bed time. My books are all a bit buttoned-up–but in a good way. They have almost no cussing, minimal violence and no sex scenes. I also adapt books to screenplays.

The current publishing market with so many would-be novelists, breaking out as writer is incredibly challenging. My first book was published by a small publisher. I’m so grateful for that experience because I learned so much from it. But mainly it gave me the the confidence and conviction to take my career in my own hands and decide to self-publish.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Buckle-up! I have a lot to say on this. Showing people hidden San Diego is my jam. No visit to San Diego is complete without a visit to Torrey pines, I suggest early morning (before 9 a.m.) If it’s a low tide (One foot or lower) run or walk south on the beach at Torrey Pines. When you get to the very end by the gap between the cliff and flat rock, go around the corner to Black’s Beach. This 2-mile stretch of golden cliffs and empty beach is a hidden gem because most people in San Diego think of it as a nude beach. But early in the morning you won’t see anything more than fishermen or runners (with their clothes on). About half a mile from flat rock are some really great tide pools with crabs, sea anemones and star fish.

If it is high tide, hike the trails of Torrey Pines which are filled with wild flowers and views of the ocean. On a crowded day, take the Parry Grove Trail. Everyone is scared away by the steep stairs at the beginning of this secluded path.

After Torrey Pines, you may want to pick up some donuts from Sidecar Car Donuts in Del Mar Heights or if you are in the mood for more protein get a Super Breakfast Burrito from El Cotixan (I go to the one in Clairemont). Or you could go to La Perla Cocina # 2 on Grand Ave. in Pacific Beach. This “hole in the wall” restaurant is a family favorite which my sons discovered while rowing with the San Diego Rowing Club. Trust hungry rowers to find the best burritos. Order the Oaxaca, which is basically a California burrito wrapped in a quesadilla and is bigger than your head.

My second favorite spot in San Diego is The Coast Walk in La Jolla. Continue from this cliffside trail to Coast Boulevard, stopping along the way to see the pelicans, sea lions and seals. Depending on the weather, you might want to take a swim at one of the small beaches off the trail. After taking all the pictures you want of the seals at Children’s Pool it’s about a two minute walk to Puesto, a snazzy taco place that’s many degrees fancier than El Co or La Perla. Another great place for tacos is The Taco Stand in La Jolla. Pro tip: order online and you can skip the long line that is always outside. Also, their churros are top notch.

If you are interested in a picnic, the sandwiches from Wayfarer in Pacific Beach are always delicious. I also adore Pot Pie and Co in North Park. My favorites are their steak and ale pie as well as their roasted veggies and yellow curry. I always get their kale slaw on the side and lemon curd and berry hand pie for dessert. You can eat the pies in the restaurant or take them with you for a picnic at Balboa Park. Another favorite lunch spot in North Park is Pete’s Seafood. My father who grew up in Boston says it feels like he’s back home.

Once you are in North Park you might as well visit three of my favorite stores: Pigment, a gift shop that specializes in succulents and everything So Cal; Verbatim, a quirky used book store, (great for browsing and taking selfies); and finally Meet Cute Romance Book Shop, which is exactly what is sounds like. All of these stores are within walking distance from each other.

Our favorite beach is in Pacific Beach. Sometimes we walk from the beach to pick up carne asada fries from Taco Surf. We end nearly every beach trip at Mr. Frosties on Garnet. I order the twist cone dipped in chocolate or the raspberry shake.

Another favorite outing is to go to Coronado and rent a double surrey at the bike rental by the Hotel Del. Afterward we like to go to Moo Town Creamery and get the ice cream nachos to share.

Finally, no trip to San Diego is complete without a visit to Convoy Asian Food District. SO. MANY. GOOD. RESTAURANTS! Our family’s absolute favorite restaurant is DJK Korean BBQ. We love this place. We order the marinated short ribs. Other favorites on Convoy are Green China Grill with hand-pulled Chinese noodles (I always order the cold sesame noodles, but it’s all good.) Formoosa and Steamy Piggy are also worth a visit. For dessert we either go to Somi Somi or Iceskimo.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Rebecca Barney is my good friend who happens to be a graphic designer. When I wrote my first book she designed a cover just for fun.

She recently helped me update my logo to better reflect my brand. She also designed a new cover for Adelaide a contemporary rom-com which will be available to all my newsletter subscribers. Rebecca is also the mastermind behind the covers for my new series of Modern Jane Austen retellings with the first two books coming out this November. The first book will be— INFLUENCED: Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, followed a couple weeks later with TOLERABLE, a Modern Pride and Prejudice.

Rebecca can be found at barneydesign.com.

Website: https://www.literallyruth.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/literally.ruth.mitchell/

Twitter: @literallyruth

Image Credits
Personal photo by Sam Zauscher @samanthazausch