Featured Interview With Ruan Oelofsen
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Montana Pretoria South Africa. I still live in Pretoria. Yes, i have 2 dogs and a cat
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with reading really developed between the ages of 7 and 12, but the spark for writing arrived in Grade 6. It started uniquely—not with stories, but with writing formal letters to people. That was when I first realized I had a genuine knack and an itch for connecting with others through written words.
Later on, I experimented with using AI tools to help draft fiction, but my writing path shifted completely after a profound personal tragedy. Three years ago, I lost my father—my hero and best friend—to terminal liver and pancreatic cancer. Two years after his passing, I knew I needed to share the raw reality of that pain, and I knew it couldn't be generated by a machine.
My debut memoir, The Drive Through Grief With Me, was written with absolutely no AI. Navigating life with Cerebral Palsy, I used voice-to-text technology to physically dictate the manuscript, pouring my own unfiltered heart, soul, and original poetry into every single page. It is a completely human story, written by me, for anyone sitting in the dark valleys of loss
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Because of my disability, reading traditional physical text can be a challenge as my eyes tend to jump around the page. Because of that, I haven't fully stepped into the traditional reading world yet, but I am an auditory learner. One of my big goals is to use my book royalties to invest in an Audible account so I can fully immerse myself in audiobooks. When I do dive into stories, my favorite genres are drama fiction and mystery.
As for who inspires my writing, my faith is the absolute foundation—Jesus Christ is my greatest inspiration. Close behind Him, my writing is deeply inspired by the memory of my dad, who was my hero, and by the person who inspired 'Grace'. They give me the strength and the purpose to share my heart with the world.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Drive Through Grief With Me is a deeply personal memoir and grief drama born directly out of the intense emotional pain my family and I experienced after the tragic passing of my father.
The process moved fast once the inspiration hit—it took me about a year to a year and a half to fully write the manuscript. The timeline moved rapidly from there. In February and March of 2026, I held my very first physical proof copy in my hands. By March and April, my first 20 physical copies were officially sold locally here in South Africa. Seeing that initial response made me realize the story needed a global reach, so I expanded to international platforms like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Amazon quickly became my primary home because of the incredible promotional tools it offers, like the 5-day free download window I am using to get this book into the hands of anyone who needs it.
There is also a fascinating creative backstory to this book involving a central figure named Grace. Originally, I thought Grace was just a fictional character existing purely in my head when I was experimenting with an early book project titled Anderson and the Journey through Grief. It was only at the very end of that project's audio production that I had a sudden, shocking realization: 'Oh shoot, Grace is actually based on a real person!' Once I made that connection, I began giving the character the true-to-life depth and traits of that real person, which completely transformed my writing.
Ultimately, this book serves as a guide for anyone walking through a dark valley. I wanted to show readers that it is okay to wrestle with God. He is a loving, compassionate Father who cares deeply about our struggles, and He isn’t going to strike you down just because you ask hard, confusing questions. Personally, I found true healing when I stopped pretending and started being completely honest with Him.
This book actively pushes back against the traditional expectation that you have to have your faith and your life perfectly figured out when your world falls apart. It is not just for people who have it all together. It is specifically written for those who have been minimizingly told that grief is 'easy' to move past, and for anyone carrying the heavy, invisible scars of emotional abuse from family or toxic environments. It's an invitation to stop rushing the process and to heal slowly, honestly, and together.
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