Ruby Duvall's Blog

October 6, 2025

The Scourge of Generative AI

   
“Those who rally for technology’s creation impose ...
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Published on October 06, 2025 16:45

February 6, 2022

Authors, Beware of NFTs

Congratulations for getting past the title without going “sounds boring, skiiiip!”

Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to enjoy any time spent on understanding the NFT–blockchain–crypto space that we sometimes hear about on Twitter and Reddit.

But if you bear with me, you won’t need to wonder anymore if you’re missing out on something (read: money) by avoiding NFTs. They’re nothing but a complicated tech scam that hides behind jargon and pyramid-scheme hype. Because once you’re in it, you need to...

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Published on February 06, 2022 10:48

July 22, 2021

Cover Reveal!

At long last, I can share the new covers plural for the Dark Court, including a new, third book coming October 1st!

The Dark Court, Rebranded.jpg

My kids just started preschool and brought home a cold—our first since the Plague began—so I’m writing this while s...

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Published on July 22, 2021 09:13

December 31, 2019

Romance Books I Loved in 2019

I was in a weird place for a long time when it came to reading romance books. I devoured dozens a year from high school through college, and then didn’t read much from about 2006 to 2018. I kept up with a couple of romance series and read a few books by fellow EC authors, but I otherwise read manga instead. (Like, a lot of manga—most of it romance. I highly recommend Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun or “Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun,” which is freakin’ hilarious.)

When I first joined Goodreads in 2012, I...

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Published on December 31, 2019 10:26

January 15, 2019

Historical Research (Or: How Many Browser Tabs Can I Have Open Before the Window Crashes?)

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Historical accuracy is highly important to a significant number of romance readers, especially those who almost exclusively read historicals, so getting all the details right is part of a historical romance author’s job in addition to crafting an engaging plot, well-paced narration, and a memorable love story.

But historical research can be a real bear. While some places and eras are well documented in every area of interest, from clothing to food to everyday life to politics and more, the sa...

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Published on January 15, 2019 08:12

January 3, 2019

Behind the Scenes: What Inspired “Caught in the Devil’s Hand”

   

Some of my readers know I used to write fanfiction (still do on rare occasion). Fa...

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Published on January 03, 2019 08:07

What Inspired “Caught in the Devil’s Hand”

citdh-inspiration.png

Some of my readers know I used to write fanfiction (still do on rare occasion). Fanfic is an excellent way for a writer to build their narrative muscles, explore their author voice, get feedback on what they’ve produced, and enjoy their favorite media with a like-minded community of fans.

More specifically, creating “non-canon” dialogue and scenes using an existing IP lets writers practice their craft without as much requisite world-building. For example, a Harry Potter fanfic doesn’t have to...

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Published on January 03, 2019 08:07

December 23, 2018

New & Improved: a Re-Release Bonanza!

My first four full-length novels are hitting bookshelves again. And they're packing new heat! back-list-CTA.png What's new?

new covers

updated blurbs

fresh edits

new scenes!

All four novels are second editions, meaning they've been revised. Improved readability, snappier dialogue, hotter sex scenes, and tighter narration. Drawn Into Oblivion (previously published as Oblivion) now has a more satisfying ending that also leaves open the possibility of a third novel in the series. (Ooh!) And Stay With Me has a brand-n...

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Published on December 23, 2018 13:05

November 2, 2018

Ikémen Sengoku: Story Events and Collection Events

Updated: November 2018

In my review of Ikémen Sengoku: Romances Across Time (iOS | Android), I didn’t go into great detail about how to play “campaign events” within the game, of which there are two general types: story events and collection events.

Story Events

While some story events are based around a theme, such as “Raising a Child” or “What If We Were Married?”, some story events take place on the birthday of one of the romance options. This time, it’s Mitsunari Ishida.

Mitsunari is also the most recently released romance route for the main game.

Mitsunari is also t...

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Published on November 02, 2018 15:56

Ikémen Sengoku: Playing Story Events

In my review of Ikémen Sengoku: Romances Across Time (iOS | Android), I didn’t go into great detail about how to play “campaign events” within the game, of which there are two general types: story events and collection events.

As I write this, a story event is into its second day. While some story events are based around a theme, such as “Raising a Child” or “What If We Were Married?”, some story events take place on the birthday of one of the romance options. This time, it’s Mitsunari Ishida....

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Published on November 02, 2018 15:56