Category: Uncategorized
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Fiction Writing as a Group Activity
Some solo activities lend themselves well to working around others. Quilting, for example, is always more fun when done in a room with other quilters. Even when each participant is working on a separate project, being in the same place as people engaging in similar tasks provides a spirit of…
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Five Memorable Walks
When you love both walking and traveling, it’s fun to read about memorable hikes. Often, the articles I’ve read describe superlatives: “The Five Best Hikes in the World” or “The Five Most Dangerous Trails in the Country” or “The Five Most Beautiful Walks in the State.” My post today is…
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Those Amazing Red Rocks
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…
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Opening the Doorway to Magic
With the publication of The Grand Door, the third and final book of our Doorway to Magic trilogy, coming up on March 16, this seems like a fine time to reminisce a little about the twisted path we took to get there. It all started in a Fuddrucker’s restaurant. Back…
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Writing in the Rain
Writing in the Rain. It sounds like song lyrics: “I’m writing in the rain. Just writing in the rain. What a glorious feeling…” In truth, I am not actually writing this blog post in the rain. Which is to say, I’m inside my house and my computer is not getting…
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A Summer Walk in January
The pleasant breeze from the ocean softened the heat of the January sun. Flowers bloomed in planter boxes along the city streets, and fountains sparkled beneath the blue skies. Eucalyptus trees, palms, and a host of other plants filled the city parks and squares. I was engaged in one of…
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Welcome to Travels, Walks, and Tales
What’s more difficult than hiking up a mountain? Trying to find a good title for a literary work that hasn’t been used before. I’ve done both. I find the former much easier and more satisfying. When I published my first author blog post back on May 1, 2020, I had…
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A 50-Year Dream Fulfilled
When I was young, there was an adventurer/archaeologist whose stories of daring and discovery captured my imagination. I watched him on the big screen and read about him in books. And, in case you are wondering, his name was not Indiana Jones. Yes, I think Dr. Jones is great. But…
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And…It’s Done!
The first draft of the 3rd book in The Doorway to Magic trilogy is finally complete. At the moment, it is about 106,000 words long, but that is likely to change in the second draft. As I finished the manuscript, I was reminded, once again, of the importance of having…
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The Road Accidentally Taken
As a fantasy author, I love to write sweeping adventure stories full of danger and perilous magic. When I am a traveler in real life, however, I prefer my adventures a lot more safe and sedate. As Bilbo Baggins once said about adventures: “Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late…
Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors 