Today, I want to introduce our guest author and Susan Ruff!
Susan and her husband John co-write their books! Susan, welcome!
Can you tell us what genre(s) you primarily write? Epic Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery.
My kinda stuff! What type of books do you write?
Novels (with an occasional short story).
I love the variety there. When did you start writing?
Back in the 1970's.
So you've got a little experience with the pen! How many books have you written to date?
Eight full length novels.
That's awesome. How many have you published?
Three, with the fourth coming out on March 16.
Susan, can you recall what first inspired you to write?
I've loved fantasy ever since I first read the Lord of the Rings when I was in the 7th grade. I continued to read fantasy voraciously all through high school and college, and then started trying to write it.
Perhaps it's cliché, but the Lord of the Rings is still a favorite for me.
Do you consider your work to be Noblebright?
Yes, definitely.
Why?
Noblebright fantasy is my favorite subgenre to read and write.
Our stories focus on the courage and heroism of the characters, and their strong bonds in the face of adversity. Though a character may occasionally start out with less-than-noble-motives or a troubled background, evetually they all strive to do the right thing, even against overwhelming odds. Like Tolkien, I prefer to write (and read) stories with happy endings, so our books always have a happy and positive ending. (And we never kill sympathetic characters unless there is a REALLY important plot reason.)
I love that! Is your faith prominent in your writing? If so, why?
Not specifically. Because our books are high fantasy, we generally try to avoid writing about real-world religious beliefs. The characters in the stories have their own religions and morals, and faith may be a theme in the stories, but our books are not "Christian Fantasy." That makes sense.
So what are some of the most prominent influences (literature, art, entertainment, etc.) in your writing?
The early fantasy authors -- Tolkien, McCaffrey, Zelazny, Kurtz, McKillip, and Eddings, to name a few.
How do you incorporate those influences into your work without be derivative?
John and I have tried to write with the heroic themes and positive outlook of those authors, but not to copy either their plots or their worlds. We try to keep our fantasy universes original and distinct from those of other authors. For example, we always make sure the magic in our stories operates in a unique and interesting way.
So, what are some of the major themes that readers will find in your work?
Trust, friendship, duty, honor, loyalty, courage, and perseverance.
Those are themes I can appreciated.
What book of yours should we be reading today?
The Keyhole Wizard.
Using just five words, give us a taste of what we can expect in that book.
Underdog heroes, magic, courage, adventure.
And where can we find The Keyhole Wizard?
Susan, what is the best way for us to follow you and John, and your work?
You can sign up for our free author newsletter (and get a short story as a thank you gift) at: https://susanandjohnruff.com/short-story-reflections-of-disdain/
We also have a Facebook page
Thank you for joining us today, Susan! Any parting thoughts?
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to spread the word about our books! It is always a delight to work with other authors in the noblebright fantasy genre! -Susan