Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

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  • Our Electrifying Journey

    When John and I drove the 930 mile round-trip from San Diego to Baycon/Westercon last weekend, we decided to try something different — we made the drive using our BMW electric car. Electric vehicles are not really new at this point, but the two of us had never taken a…

  • Ever Visit a State House?

    If you love U.S. travel and you enjoy history (especially local history), here’s an unusual suggestion for you: when you are in the state’s capital city, visit the state house. Every state has one — the building where state government takes place. The exteriors and interiors are as varied as…

  • Preparing for a Challenge

    Every so often, I like to challenge myself. I don’t like too much of a challenge, so I typically pick a task that moves me a little out of my comfort zone, but not too far. Participating in Na-No-Wri-Mo (National Novel Writing Month) back in 2021 was that kind of…

  • The Tenuous Taste of a Fantasy Story

    It can be dangerous to write cozy high fantasy books with a culinary twist. As an author, you spend your time describing sweet, wonderful desserts. While you’re writing, you get hungry. And your mouth is watering for all those lucious treats. You must contend with the lurking menaces of unwanted…

  • My First Travel Adventure

    In 1962, my parents bought a Ford “Econoline” camper van, hitched a trailer containing all their worldly possessions, loaded up their three young children, and drove from Connecticut to California to start a new life. I had just turned five years old at the time, and I don’t remember too…

  • Observatory Observations

    Observatories and planetarium shows have fascinated me all my life. When John and I stopped in Flagstaff, Arizona on a road trip a few years ago, we had the pleasure of visiting the Lowell Observatory on a clear summer night. We got to peer through one of the telescopes and…

  • Ready for Tea and Treats?

    Are you are in the mood for something fun to read — a fantasy book without all those grimdark characters and pesky, world-threatening plotlines? Then check out our new cozy high fantasy novel. It’s clean, light-hearted, gentle fantasy. I have been jokingly calling it “Susan and John light.” It’s a…

  • Fun With Fellow Authors

    What’s more exciting than going to a writers’ conference? Attending a conference that is specifically designed for self-published authors. In mid-October, I attended the Self-Publishing Live conference in North Carolina. (Fortunately, the area around the conference hotel was not damaged by the recent hurricane. Some of the local businesses we…

  • A Blog on Fog

    Yesterday morning, I went for a walk in the fog. While the San Diego County coastal region often gets a “marine layer” of low morning clouds, a heavy ground fog is not as common. As I often do while I am walking, I thought about writing. With all those heavy…

  • We’re Keeping the Ruff Part

    In our upcoming book, John and I will do something different from our previous novels. We’re writing under a pen name. Why switch to a pen name after four years of publishing fantasy novels? We’re doing it to avoid confusion. Up until now, our novels have fit mostly into either…