About Ricky Rude
Truth, Told Slow
I’m Rick — around here, folks know me as Ricky Rude, which is as much a way of living as it is a pen name. I believe truth is rude. It doesn’t care about your comfort, your schedule, or your carefully curated feed. It just is.
Get in TouchSee the PhotographyMeet Rick
The small things are the special things.
I live in Virginia Beach, not far from the boardwalk and seagulls of Rudee Inlet that show up in my stories. I call this season of my life my “Year of Resurgence” — a return to the things that actually matter: faith, family, story, and doing the next right thing, even when it’s inconvenient. Every word on this site comes out of that same place.
I look at life through rose-colored glasses on purpose. To me, life is a gift, a blessing, a challenge, and an experience, and it’s meant to be enjoyed. I started playing piano at 54, because it’s never too late to create — and everything else here, the photography, the writing, the stories, comes from that same stubborn hope.
I didn’t set out to build a brand. I set out to tell the truth about my family, my faith, and my home — and it turned into this.
The Work
Stories in Every Shape
Six ways the truth comes out, one page at a time.
Novels
Southern literary fiction, co-written and solo. Long-form stories about buried secrets and the truth that finds its way out.
Read The Trespass →Memoir
True stories about the people who made me. Starting with HUNNY — a tribute to my parents’ 54-year marriage.
Coming SoonChildren’s Books
Stories for kids 7 and up, like Sal & Sugar — seagull tales set at Rudee Inlet about kindness, courage, and friendship.
Read Sal & Sugar →Fables
A lion and a butterfly, meant for the young and the young at heart — stories built to be shared out loud with the people you love.
Read The Lion and the Butterfly →Essays
Short, honest reflections on faith, creativity, authenticity, and what it means to live on purpose in the South.
Read the Blog →Poetry
Verses under the pen name Ricky Rude — the rawest, most unfiltered form the truth takes.
Coming SoonExplore More
There’s More Where That Came From
Sunrise photography, piano at 54, and four free stories — all in one place.
FREE GUIDE
Caring for Those Who Cared for Us
A lot of Gen X folks are quietly doing two jobs right now — raising their own kids and caring for aging parents. I put together a free, 17-chapter guide with real Virginia resources, phone numbers, and a whole lot of heart, for anyone in that season of life.
Say Hello
Let’s Talk.
Questions, story ideas, or just want to say hi? I’d love to hear from you.
Get in Touch