From TheStar.com: "J.R.R. Tolkien created the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he did not create the cult, and that crucial difference is what Carlene Cordova's Ringers is about." [More]

Edit: Thank you to Ringer spy Ascarwen, who rightly points out an error in The Star's story: Tolkien did indeed refer to his legions of fans as his "deplorable cultus," and not, as used in the story, "cultists." Nice catch!