Ruth Frances Long, also known as R.F. Long and Jessica Thorne, (20 April 1971) is an Irish author who writes in the fantasy and romance genres. Her novel, The Stone's Heart by Jessica Thorne, was nominated for the Romantic Novelists' Association Fantasy Romantic Novel award. Her latest series, The Hollow King, began with Mageborn, while she has also had several individual novels published.[1][2][3]
Biography
Ruth Long is a Dublin-born writer of fantasy novels, novellas and short stories, both for adults and young adults. She completed a M.A. in English Literature and also studied History of Religions and Celtic Civilisation. Long has always been interested in fantasy, romance and ancient mysteries. Along with writing, she is a librarian working initially in the County Dublin library system. Long is now head librarian for a private specialized library of rare and unusual books.[1] She currently lives in Wicklow.
Long originally wrote novels and novellas as R.F. Long. The Scroll Thief, Soul Fire, The Wolf's Sister, The Wolf's Mate & The Wolf's Destiny were republished in 2019.[4]
Her first novel as Ruth Frances Long was The Treachery of Beautiful Things in 2012, a 10th anniversary edition was released in 2022.[5] She then released The Dubh Linn trilogy beginning with A Crack in Everything, which was published each year beginning in 2014.[6][7][8]
Long signed with digital publisher Bookouture for the publication of fantasy novels, beginning with The Queen's Wing series written under the pen name Jessica Thorne.[9][10]The Stone's Heart was nominated for the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Fantasy novel of the year.[11] Thorne's duology The Hollow King began in February 2020 with Mageborn.[2] Long has since had several standalone novels published under this name.
As Jessica Thorne, Long wrote the Tomorrowland tie in novel[12]The Rise of Adscendo published June 2023.[13] Her newest fantasy series has been picked up by Bookouture and is due beginning in 2024.[14]
Awards
In 2015 Long won the Spirit of Dedication Award for 'Best Creator of Children's Science Fiction and Fantasy' for A Crack in Everything from the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS), announced at the 37th Annual European Science Fiction Convention (Eurocon 2015) in St. Petersburg, Russia.[8][15]
Bibliography
R.F. Long
Short stories
Elements appeared in Flashing Swords' Summer Special (2008)
Carrying Keptara in the Hadley Rille Books Anthology Ruins Metropolis (2008)
The Wrecker's Daughter in the Fall issue of Ocean Magazine (2008)
The Holtlands
The Wolf's Sister (2008)
The Wolf's Mate (2009)
The Wolf's Destiny (2011)
Novels
The Scroll Thief (2009)
Soul Fire (2010)
Songs of the Wolf: Tales of the Holtlands (2010) (collection of the novellas The Wolf's Sister and The Wolf's Mate)
