Steve Ruthenbeck was born in Minnesota. He grew up on a farm surrounded by corn and soybean fields. One of his earliest memories is hearing about a boy who got lost in a cornfield.
Ruthenbeck went through the standard K-12 school program. There, he read a book about a mutant goldfish. It inspired him to write his first horror story, which had a similar theme. Ruthenbeck eventually attended South Dakota State University and graduated with a degree in journalism. In between classes, he wrote a column for the college newspaper. Sometimes the column was good. Sometimes the column was bad. Once the column got him in trouble with the fraternities.
After college, Ruthenbeck began work in the communications field, where he has earned numerous Spotlight on Excellence awards. He also started selling short stories here and there. His first novel, Dogs of War, was published by Harbor House in 2005. DogSS of War is his preferred version of that story.
In his spare time, Ruthenbeck enjoys movies, sports, video games and spending time with his family.