Not far from Las Vegas, Nevada is a delightful state park called the Valley of Fire. The valley gained its name and fame from the vibrant red color and strange shapes of its boulders.
My family first visited the park when I was a child. We kids enjoyed hiking the trails and exploring the strange rock formations. But more than anything else, I loved the otherworldliness of the area. Both the name itself (Valley of Fire) and the red rocks captured my imagination. To this day, the mere mention of the Valley of Fire conjures fond memories and fills me with a sense of adventure.
As I sat down to write today’s blog post, I thought about the lure of colorful rock formations and how they spark the imagination. There is something magical about the way they change color depending on how the sunlight strikes them. When we visited Uluru in the center of Australia, I was amazed at the different shades of red caused by the setting sun.
Even places that might not appear red during the day, can become vibrant and beautiful as the setting sun highlights them. The iconic mesas in Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation are outstanding to watch during the day, but when the sun rises or sets on them, their magic truly appears.
As you can probably guess, those awe-inspiring locations have influenced my writing. In our most recent fantasy novel The Grand Door, the characters travel to a realm which is strange to them and geologically volatile. When John and I were starting to envision how that land might appear, places like Bryce Canyon and the Valley of Fire immediately sprang to mind.
The novel is set in a fantasy world, so the landscape does not exactly match any of the real locations, but if you read the book, don’t be surprised if you see some red rock formations turn up.
-Susan 4/5/2024
Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors 
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