Mike Reuther is a journalist by profession, but he never stops writing. Most mornings, before he heads to work at the daily newspaper, where he reports on government, politics, health care, crime, sports and general news, Mike works on his novels and self-help books. A non-nonsense and prolific writer, he has 18 books he’s self-published since 2011.
Mike ReutherHis fictional characters are complex characters who find themselves in difficult situations, often with the odds stacked against them. One of his most memorable characters is Homer Newbody, in the novel “Nothing Down: The Short Baseball Life of Homer Newbody.” A young man with amazing talent, Homer loves baseball. He tells a sportswriter he’d play for nothing, an off-hand comment that polarizes the people in his life. His fan base loves him for his honesty and down-home values; his teammates resent him for casting a negative light on their own salaries and motivations for playing. Toss in romance, a near-career-ending injury and a plot climax that finds Homer facing his own mortality, and you’ll soon learn why this novel became an Amazon bestseller.
Mike’s book is “Pitching for Sanity” a book about (you guessed it) man who seeks redemption through his love for baseball. Bill Barrister, who retired from a stressful career in the military, is riddled with anxiety, which prevents him from living a normal, happy life. He harkens to the zen of his teenage days as a baseball pitcher, and finds that it brings him peace. A free-spirited boyhood friend lures Bill on a cross-country road trip, and Bill embarks on a reluctant journey of self-discovery, and his past, pitching baseballs along the way.
Mike new book, “Fishing for Sanity,” finds another character who is experiencing a mid-life crisis, but this time he’s finding solace in fishing. Jack McAllister feels he has close to the perfect life in the mountains of Pennsylvania. This unconventional existence he’s carved out for himself amounts to fishing his beloved trout streams near his home with longtime pal Soothsayer, the wizened sage of the Green Spring Valley, and guiding angling clients. But his life is soon to change with the sudden appearance of a mayfly hatch and the unwanted change it brings. Soon, the Shad River and the whole remote Green Valley become a destination spot for too many fly-fishers and commercial interests. By the time, an intrepid reporter, a slick and fast-talking attorney, and a lovely magazine editor enter Jack’s life, things have become more than complicated.
You’ll also learn about Mike’s passion for writing, which stems from his love of books. He’s got a no-nonsense approach to writing and tries to fit writing into his daily routine. He counsels other writers to do the same in his fiction books, “Write the Darn Book,” How to Write a Book Without Going Crazy,” Writing Resumes, Making Money” “Fast Writing, Self-Publishing” “Freelance Writing for Beginners” and “Writing Fiction, Telling Tales” and more.
