MIDNIGHT SKY
Jan Ruth
Author Bio
The real story began at school, with prizes for short stories and poetry. She failed all things mathematical and scientific, and to this day struggles to make sense of anything numerical.
Her first novel – written in 1986 – attracted the attention of an agent who was trying to set up her own company, Love Stories Ltd. It was a project aiming to champion those books of substance which contained a romantic element but were perhaps directed towards the more mature reader and consistently fell through the net in traditional publishing. Sadly, the project failed to get the right financial backing.
Many years later Jan’s second novel, Wild Water, was taken on by Jane Judd, literary agent. Judd was a huge inspiration, but the book failed to find the right niche with a publisher. It didn’t fall into a specific category and, narrated mostly from the male viewpoint, it was considered out of genre for most publishers and too much of a risk.
Amazon changed the face of the industry with the advent of self-publishing; opening up the market for readers to decide the fate of those previously spurned novels. Jan went on to successfully publish several works of fiction and short story collections and after a brief partnership with Accent Press in 2015, has returned to the freedom of independent publishing.
Description
How can we harness the future if the past will not set us free?
Opposites attract? Laura Brown, interior designer and James Morgan-Jones, horse whisperer – and Midnight Sky, a beautiful but damaged steeplechaser.
Laura seems to have it all, glamorous job, charming boyfriend. Her sister, Maggie, struggles with money, difficult children and an unresponsive husband. She envies her sister’s life, but are things as idyllic as they seem?
She might be a farmer’s daughter but Laura is doing her best to deny her roots, even deny her true feelings. Until she meets James, but James is very married, and very much in love, to a wife who died two years ago. They both have issues to face from their past, but will it bring them together, or push them apart?
MIDNIGHT SKY covers many aspects of relationships, a family struggling with money, awful teenagers, a depressed unresponsive husband and a middle-aged woman (Maggie) who’s fighting to keep everything under control as well as her expanding waistline.
While there are four different threads to the story (all running at their own pace) the main theme concerns Laura and her dilemma. She’s in the middle of a crisis and is desperate for help…which comes from an unexpected quarter.
Midnight Sky gives us colourful characters, lots of depth and real life problems.
This book moves at a cracking pace – when it matters – and at the same time, slows down to lull us with lush descriptive prose about where it is set. The reader will feel the stunning and often wild Welsh countryside, ranging from balmy summer days on sweeping coastal beaches to austere conditions in a harsh winter amid the mountains.
Book excerpt
When she felt it was safe, Laura sat back down. ‘Must have been something I ate,’ she said, too embarrassed to look at him, but he didn’t seem fazed, more mildly concerned, ‘Are you saying your sister’s poisoned you?’
‘No,’ she said, horrified he should think that. The only plausible solution Laura could think of to redress the farce, which was taking over the entire weekend, was the truth.
‘Okay it’s not something I ate. It’s morning sickness, but at night.’
James nodded sagely and his face softened ever so slightly, not quite a smile.
‘I think I might have something for that.’
‘You’ve got something for morning sickness?’ she said warily, watching him going through the kitchen cupboards, all kinds of paraphernalia falling out.
He made ginger tea.
Laura didn’t know what to make of him, or the strange infusion.
The telephone ringing saved her, and James disappeared into the office. He was quickly engrossed in a conversation, something about a delivery of linseed and two tubs of molasses. Laura, quickly splashed some cold water on her face, then because she couldn’t find anything else more suitable, scrubbed at the sink with what looked like a dandy brush.
Although rustic to the extreme, it was a remarkably well-stocked kitchen for a man living on his own. He even had a bag of split lentils in date. She looked sideways at the spines of all the cookery books piled on top of a box of wine. The titles were extremely diverse and the wine was top-class, definitely not just for cooking. There was an iron rack suspended from the ceiling, full of well-used pans, two bridles, a set of red leg bandages and a string of onions.
Nothing was decorative; everything had a use.
But the rural imagery of it all was flawed. He was, without question a total slob. As well as the unwashed dishes, there was a heap of filthy wet clothes on the floor and a huge raw marrowbone covered in fluff, on top of the ironing board. A lot of the stuff, like the nuts and bolts and buckets, looked as if they should maybe be outside.
When James came back into the kitchen, Laura was using a pan lid as a mirror. She put her lipstick away and got to her feet.
‘Better?’ he said, putting the lid back on his sauce.
‘Yes, much, I must get some of that magic potion.’
‘You may as well have this,’ he said, giving her the box. ‘Don’t think I’ll be needing it.’
Laura made her awkward escape, clutching the teabags. Both conversations now with Mr Morgan-Jones were the most unorthodox business meetings she’d ever had, if that’s what she could call them. She just hoped she’d done enough to smooth the way. At least he hadn’t slammed the door behind her. In fact, Laura had the distinct feeling he was watching her reverse her car.