Showing results by author "Jan Ruth" in All Categories

Jonathan Jones has written a novel. Losing his job a few days before Christmas means the pressure is on for his book to become a bestseller, but when his partner drops her own bombshell, the festive holiday looks set to be a disaster. When he’s bequeathed a failing bookshop in their seaside town, it seems that some of his prayers have been answered, but his publishing company turn out to be not what they seem, and when his ex-wife suddenly declares her romantic intent, another Christmas looks set to be complicated. Is everything lost, or can the true meaning of words, a dog called Frodo, ...

An emotive trio of stories with festive themes. Rudolph the Brown-Nosed Reindeer Rick isn't looking forward to his lonely corporate Christmas, but it's the season of goodwill and magic is in the air. An off-beat love story. It's time Rick wore his heart on his sleeve, or is it too late? Lessons in love from an unlikely source. Jim's Christmas Carol Santa and Satan pay a visit. One brings presents, the other an unwelcome presence. Paranormal reality. Jim's played with fire it's time he got his comeuppance, but from who? Home for Christmas Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Fa la-la la-la, ...

This is the journal of an ordinary horse girl as she rides over the Welsh hills towards her pension years. There’s adventure when she follows an ex car-mechanic on an 80 mile trek across Cumbria, poignant times remembering the Guardian Angel of Lost Stirrups, and isolation when the coronavirus pandemic hits the UK. But mostly it’s about her indomitable riding buddy, Purl Rainstorm; a Dartmoor pony who understands the limitations of short legs, and the fun of cantering across unauthorised spaces.

This is the memoir of an ordinary horse-girl. Fifty years of riding schools, borrowed horses and long lost dreamscapes. Fifty years of a passion which has seen considerable changes from the gradual demise of the public riding school, to the loss of access to safe bridleways. But My Life in Horses is not filled with sad nostalgia, it’s also a kaleidoscope of hope and inspiration. From the dappled sunlit lanes of Cheshire to the rugged mountains of North Wales, and beyond.

Imagine living eighteen years of your life around a mistake… Caroline Walker’s daughter suffers a horrific riding accident. Her distraught parents wonder if she’ll ever walk again, let alone ride. And when Mollie’s blood group is discovered as rare, her husband offers to donate blood. Except Ian is not a match. In fact, it’s unlikely he’s Mollie's father. Eighteen years previously, Caroline had a one-night stand with Irish rock star, Rory O’Connor. Caroline fell pregnant. Deeply flawed boyfriend, Ian, was overjoyed. And Caroline’s parents were simply grateful that their ...

Part Two of the Midnight Sky Series A golden promise for the future in a lonely palomino mare, but life deals a cruel hand for James and Laura. James is still running from the past after the loss of his wife, and a devastating accident forces him to face his final demons, but at what cost? Laura is forced deeper into his rural world – a life she once despised – but discovers empathy and hope in the palomino mare she calls Song. Repercussions abound for Maggie too, when the full extent of her daughter’s dangerous liaison comes to light, leaving the entire family in turmoil. Will James ...

An emotive trio of stories with themes of home. Home Sweet Home. Only it's not always sweet, or homely. Callum doesn't do sweet. Mel doesn't do homely. Sometimes the world of fantasy is actually the right one, and the facts are less important. A Long Way from Home. A wedding in Wales doesn't turn out as the father of the bride expects. Mal's a good bloke really, surely it was his time for some karma? Home is Where the Heart is. Unless it's out of town. Never mix love and business. Just when Morgan thinks he's lost it all, he finds a happy ending.

Part One of the Wild Water Series. The tragedy and comedy that is Jack's life; secrets, lies and family ties. Jack Redman, estate agent to the Cheshire set. An unlikely hero, or someone to break all the rules? Wild water is the story of forty-something estate agent, Jack, who is stressed out not only by work, bills and the approach of Christmas but by the feeling that he and his wife, Patsy are growing apart. His misgivings prove founded when he discovers Patsy is having an affair, and is pregnant. At the same time as his marriage begins to collapse around him, he becomes reacquainted with ...

Al is the black sheep of his family, Kate, the good shepherd of hers. Can black and white become silver, or just a dark and dangerous grey? Alastair Black has revealed a secret to his wife in a last ditch attempt to save his marriage. A return to his childhood family home at Chathill Farm is his only respite, although he is far from welcomed back by brother George. Kate, recently widowed and increasingly put upon by daughter, sister and mother, feels her life is over at fifty. Until she meets Alastair. He's everything she isn't, but he's a troubled soul, a sad clown of a man with a shady ...

Part Two of the Wild Water Series The tragedy and comedy that is Jack's life; is there a future for him and Anna, or is the past too destructive? Jack Redman, estate agent to the Cheshire set and skilled juggler of complex relationships. Someone to break all the rules, or an unlikely hero? In this sequel to Wild Water Jack and Anna return to discover that history repeats itself. Anna's long-awaited success as a serious artist is poised to happen, but her joy, along with her relationship with Jack, is threatened by old scores. Simon Banks is a depressed and unstable man with a plan. He wants...

Part Three of the Midnight Sky Series A rosy future seems certain but Laura has some tough decisions to make. Maggie is devastated by her daughter’s plans, but Jess is determined to remove the past from her life no matter the upset it will cause. James is no longer running from his past, but a multitude of unresolved issues are set to catch up with Laura. As an orphaned foal and a motherless teenage girl slip seamlessly into her life, are they key to a positive change or an omen for impending danger? Armstrong is a troubled young man and a trail of minor events ends in a catastrophe no ...

Three couples in crisis, multiple friendships under pressure. On-off-on lovers Daniel and Tina return to their childhood town. After twenty-five years together, they marry in typically chaotic fashion, witnessed by old friends, Victoria and Linda who become entangled in the drama, their own lives changing beyond recognition. However, as all their marriages begin to splinter, and damaged Victoria begins an affair with Daniel, the secret illness that Tina has been hiding emerges. Victoria's crazed and violent ex-husband attempts to kill Daniel and nearly succeeds, in a fire that devastates ...

Part One of the Midnight Sky Series How can we harness the future if the past will not set us free? 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...

Short Stories What to do About Clara? The certainty of old love, or the uncertainty of new? Frankie has two women in his life and he needs to make a choice. Over The Moon. It’s Pattie’s birthday, but will all her wishes come true? Events are planned, but Pattie simply longs to escape, preferably to the man next door! Two Hearts One Soul. Celtic fantasy, inspired by the many Druid circles and standing stones scattered across the Welsh hillsides. The bond of a twin can never be broken, not even by death. Belief is a powerful, invisible tool. A Piece of Cake. Alpha male thinks he’s in ...

Part Three of the Wild Water Series The tragedy and comedy that is Jack's life; a dangerous web of lies concludes a bitter-sweet end. Jack Redman, estate agent to the Cheshire set and someone who’s broken all the rules. An unlikely hero or a misguided fool? In this sequel to Dark Water, Jack and Anna must face the consequences of their actions. As the police close in and Patsy’s manipulative ways hamper the investigations, will Jack escape unscathed? With her career in tatters and an uncertain future, Anna has serious decisions to make. Her silence could mean freedom for Jack, but an ...