Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

Tag: book

  • Which Swycaffer Book Should You Read First?

    The most prolific writer of the Emerald Cove authors is also one of my oldest friends. Jefferson Swycaffer and I first met while I was visiting his sister back in the late 1970’s. The next day after our first meeting (or a couple of days later), we happened to run…

  • Don’t Do This By Yourself

    Writing is a solo activity best done with friends. Yeah, that sounds contradictory. Frankly, it is contradictory. In my experience, however, I have found it to be true. Writing is more fun when someone else is reading what you write. In a prior blog post, I spoke about the importance…

  • How Are Those Writing Resolutions Coming?

    We are now approximately one month into 2021. It’s a good time to take a moment and assess how well your New Year’s resolutions are coming. On January 1, everybody talks about them, but then we all seem to forget very quickly. How often do we follow up on those…

  • How Can You Avoid Writing Distractions?

    We all have them — those things that distract us when we sit down to write. Or sometimes before we sit down to write. At times, they strike even when we contemplate thinking about intending to write. They can be anything — pets, email, household chores, social media, etc. Obviously,…

  • An Indy Author’s Resolutions

    Happy 2021! A brand new year. The Year of Hope. New Year’s resolutions are not usually my thing. I tend to prefer a Yoda attitude toward them: “Resolve not! Write or write not. There is no resolve.” However, in the spirit of this bright new year, and because my Friday…

  • Celebrations in Fantasy Novels

    Happy Holidays to all my friends out there! I hope that, despite the pandemic, your holidays are still filled with love and joy. And to all my friends and family who are celebrating Christmas today, I wish you a very merry one. Since my Friday blog this week falls on…

  • A Few Written Words About Audio Books

    Before I retired, my job often required me to drive long distances. Those of you familiar with Southern California freeways know that, during rush hour, it can literally take hours to drive a few miles. During those days of sitting in endless, slow-moving traffic, I discovered the joy of audiobooks.…

  • Update on Current Book Projects

    It’s been a while since I provided an update on the current writing projects, so this seems like a good time. John and I are still hard at work on our latest fantasy novel Prophecy’s Malignant Son. We have over 50,000 words written at this point, and we are still…

  • Writing and RPGs

    Think back to the year 1977. It was a great year to be a science-fiction/fantasy fan in San Diego. The original Star Wars opened in May 1977. The Silmarillion was finally published. The Star Trek Association for Revival met at San Diego State on the third Saturday of every month…

  • Writing, Marathons, and Mountains

    November is National Novel Writing Month, a time in which many talented people produce thousands of written words in a single month. They are probably drafting the upcoming New York Times bestsellers, even as I type this blog. Some day, perhaps, I will possess both the time and the capability…