Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

  • 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… Read more

  • 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.… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • Is That Where They Got the Idea?

    “Don’t those rocks look familiar?” John and I were on a road trip passing through the Dixie National Forest in Utah on our way to Bryce Canyon. Suddenly, we found ourselves driving beside the spectacular… Read more

  • 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… Read more

  • A Few Thoughts on Writing Prequel Stories

    John and I have been busy writing a new short-story in our fantasy series. We’re hoping to give it out as a thank-you gift to our newsletter subscribers. It takes place earlier in the timeline… Read more

  • A Perfect Day on Vacation

    What makes a perfect vacation day? I suspect every person has a different answer to that question. My years of travel have provided many great experiences. Because today is Cinco de Mayo, it seems like… Read more

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Delphi, Greece

    Greece is a wonderful place to visit and provides a constant source of writing inspiration for me (as you can tell by the number of times my blog posts have included locations from that country).… Read more

  • Some Irish Castles for the Month of March

    If you are a fantasy author, castles are always a wonderful source of writing inspiration. They are fun to visit, great to explore, and marvelously photogenic. I love them all — from the oldest ruins… Read more

  • Writing Inspiration Destination: Catalina Island, California

    On Valentine’s Day weekend in 1992, John and I went on our very first cruise together. It was a little 3-day jaunt. It sailed from Long Beach, California, to Catalina Island, to Ensenada, Mexico, and… 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!