Rudi Tautz

Rudi Tautz was conceived in the Ukraine, born in Montenegro, raised until the age of 10 in Kunming, China and brought to the United States by an American couple in 1939. Sent to Montana with his step-mother and her infant daughter (due to fears of a possible German invasion of New York) he joined the Army at age 15 to escape a miserable life as a boy cowboy on a Montana ranch. Home schooled by his stepmother he was encouraged to explore knowledge wherever his interests led him.

When asked how he found his material for his novels he said, "I’ve always found people interesting. I would walk up to somebody and say, 'Tell me about yourself. You strike me as a very interesting person.' I found that people were very anxious to tell me about themselves – and tell me their stories. Many of these stories served as the basis for my stories. More importantly, I like to include examples of how helpful other people can be – even when you least expect it. All my life I have found mentors just waiting to help me. All I had to do is say, 'Yes, I’d like to have your help.' I think it is probably true that everybody has mentors all around them. So all we have to do is wake up, take note and say ‘yes’."