Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

  • 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… Read more

  • It’s Not Really a Boxed Set

    No matter how many times I click the “publish” button for a new book on Amazon, the experience still fills me with a rush of excitement and anxiety. You’d think that after four years and… Read more

  • Cities of Legend

    On a recent trip to New York City, we started from Battery Park and cruised out to see the Statue of Liberty. Even before I looked at a map, I knew that the Bronx was… Read more

  • 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,… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • 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.… Read more

Welcome to Susan’s Monthly Blog!

On the first Friday of every month, Susan writes a short post about our books, the craft of writing, upcoming projects, travel, writing inspiration, and similar topics that strike her fancy. We hope you enjoy reading them.

Feel free to leave a comment. Susan loves hearing from readers!