Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

Tag: book

  • 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…

  • Walking Through Someone Else’s Writing Inspiration

    The two pictures sat next to each other on the page in front of us. One was a photograph of Switzerland’s beautiful Lauterbrunnen Valley. The other was artwork done by J.R.R. Tolkien depicting the valley of Rivendell from his fantasy books. The similarities between the two pictures were striking. We…

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Bergen, Norway

    Bergen, Norway is a wonderful city. A beautiful waterfront, fascinating historical sites, and so many other things make it a great destination. John and I had the privilege of exploring the city during two different trips, the first time in 2013, and more recently during a cruise last summer. As…

  • Announcing Our Free Newsletter and Short Story!

    It’s official! John and I now have our own author newsletter/email list. Anyone who signs up will receive a free copy of our short story Reflections of Disdain, a fun little prequel to our full-length fantasy novel The Keyhole Wizard. If you’ve been following this blog for a while and…

  • Writing Inspiration While Walking

    When you’re a writer, ideas can come to you at odd times. Some authors get story ideas when they’re in the shower. In fact, you can buy a waterproof notepad to keep in the shower, so you don’t lose any precious words. Other writers get ideas at night. No doubt,…

  • It’s Our Anniversary Sale!

    In celebration of John and my wedding anniversary, the ebook version of our fantasy novel The Keyhole Wizard will be on sale for 99 cents, starting today and running through the weekend. If you’ve been wondering what our fantasy writing is all about, this is a great time to check…

  • They’re Here! They’re There! They’re in Balboa Park?

    It has been an exciting couple of weeks! Two of Emerald Cove’s long-awaited books are finally live on Amazon. The fantasy anthology Exiles of Eeria is now available as an ebook. Exiles of Eeria is Emerald Cove’s most ambitious project to date. The collection of urban-fantasy short stories tells the…

  • Recharge Your Writing with Travel

    Our recent driving trip to Oregon to see Crater Lake National Park reminded me of the many ways that travel benefits an author. Visiting new locations can inspire scenes in books or even the plot for an entire novel. A chance encounter on the road or an unexpected sight may…

  • June 2022 at Emerald Cove

    It’s been a few months since the last Emerald Cove Update, so it seems like high time for one. Emerald Cove’s intrepid authors are currently in the process of assembling, proofreading, and formatting the short stories in our shared-world anthology Exiles of Eeria. Our hope is to release the book…

  • When Real World Places Remind You of Fantasy Novels

    On a Sunday afternoon in 1992, I set out on foot from our hotel in Athens with only a paper map for my guide. I wandered through the winding lanes of the Plaka neighborhood around the base of the Acropolis and eventually reached the ruins of the Roman Agora. Those…