by Susan Peterson

I love the “Eat It Conway” restaurant reviews on Facebook that are written by Jay Ruud and Stacey Margaret Jones. They use a witty “he said/she said” format, providing honest insights from dual points of view. It’s a delightful repartee between this husband/wife team, who are eager to share their culinary opinions and restaurant experiences with others. I wanted to learn more about these writers, and I found out that Jay is way more than an occasional restaurant reviewer. He’s a very accomplished author in the 501!  

Retired University of Central Arkansas professor Jay Ruud is an accomplished author.

History and literature were always of interest to Jay, so he combined both these passions with a PhD in medieval literature from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His knowledge of the Arthurian legend inspired him to write “Fatal Feast” in 2001. At that time, he was working as a dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern State University in South Dakota. Unfortunately, the inability to find a publisher and assuming a new role as professor and chair of the English department at the University of Central Arkansas in 2003 delayed the book’s publication for 11 years. Instead, Jay focused on producing scholarly writings – books on Chaucer, Dante and Tolkien. He also wrote an Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature. 

About three years ago, Five Star Press (a division of Cengage) published “Fatal Feast,” the tale of a knight who dies mysteriously at a banquet. They also published his second novel in the series, “The Knight’s Riddle: What Women Want Most” (2016). It’s a mystery set in Camelot and deals with an assault that was supposedly committed by a knight of the Round Table.

When Five Star decided to discontinue its mystery line, Jay contracted with Encircle Publications of Massachusetts. That company was seeking to build its catalog of trade fiction historical mystery titles, so it was a perfect match! They published his third book, “The Bleak and Empty Sea: The Tristram and Isolde Story,” in November 2017. The fourth novel in the series, “Lost in the Quagmire: The Story of the Grail,” is in press and will be released in October. The fifth book is complete and is titled “The Knight and the Cart.” The sixth (and final) is in progress.

Jay’s books have received outstanding customer reviews that include such comments as: “. . . full of intricate storytelling;” “rich with fascinating details of life in the Middle Ages;” and “. . . surprises throughout.”   

More information can be found about Jay, who recently retired from UCA, on his web page, jayruud.com. There you’ll find information about his books, the Eat It Conway blog, movie reviews and a unique compilation of videos titled “Poetry with Dogs.” These brief videos feature Jay reciting poetry to four beautiful canines who seem remarkably receptive to the experience. He also enjoys acting in local community theater productions.

Jay Ruud’s Merlin Mystery book series brings legend to life. They are available in several format selections from Amazon and Barnes and Noble or directly from the publisher at encirclepub.com. 

Susan Peterson

Susan Peterson holds a PhD in education and taught at the University of Central Arkansas and Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. She retired in 2004 and now spends her time doing artwork (painting and pottery). She is the executive secretary of the Arkansas Reading Association, a professional organization for educators that has about 800 members statewide.