Today’s guest is author Jan Ruth who writes contemporary women’s fiction – as she puts it: “Love stories with strong, identifiable characters, about family life and relationships.”
Jan is offering her book “The Long and the Short of it“, a collection of five short stories, for FREE for three days starting today, so grab a copy, read the interview below, and get to know this amazing author from Wales, UK, today!
Where to get it:
Chrys: Hi dear Jan, welcome! Could you start by telling us a little about yourself?
Jan: Real life is so boring isn’t it? I’m in my mid-fifties… yikes when did that happen? One son in London, two step-children in New Zealand. I live in a very rural area of North Wales called Snowdonia, UK. Love the hills, horses, dogs, books.
Chrys: When and why did you start writing?
Jan: Always loved books since being a small child and then the stories followed on. I’ve never thought of a reason why, I think I was encouraged by a good teacher at primary school initially. I just enjoyed it, and then I won little prizes, but it didn’t really develop until my early twenties. I was unhappy in my first marriage and I guess it was something of an escape.
Chrys: What genre(s) do you write and why?
Jan: I write contemporary fiction with a strong romantic theme. I do believe in ‘write what you know’, or what is close to your heart. Novels about real people and their complicated relationships have always drawn me, both in preferred reading choices and in my own writing. There’s no fluff or flowers though, and you won’t find any handcuffs either! Plenty of pace, even the odd spot of manslaughter and arson, plus a good sprinkling of humour. The Welsh landscape features a lot, it makes both a romantic, and a dramatic background.
Chrys: What are your current projects?
Jan: My current work in progress is called Silver Rain and again, romance and drama aplenty in the Welsh hills. This one features main characters in their fifties. I don’t do cliche!
Chrys: What do you find particularly challenging about writing?
Jan: Stopping to make dinner? Currently; to write a love story where the main characters are in their fifties!
At first it was keeping a handle on all the many aspects involved, the plot, the characters, the development, the dialogue, all of it really. Writing is a craft that has to be learnt. It’s still an on-going battle for improvement, always more to learn as with any skill. The most difficult part now, for me as a self published author, is the editing and polishing and then the promoting.
Chrys: What inspires you?
Jan: Life. Interesting people and funny situations. The landscape, horses, music.
Chrys: Can you tell us a few words about your current titles?
Jan: I currently have three full length novels and one set of short stories and excerpts called The Long and the Short of it which will be FREE for two days 26th/27th June.
The Long & The Short of It. FREE 26-27th June.
An emotive collection of stories and excerpts from the Welsh Mountains of Snowdonia.
Five short stories, followed by a full chapter from each of Jan’s three full length novels. Over thirty thousand words of humour, the complications of relationships and the poignancy of love.
This is a short, funny excerpt from one of the stories:
Tom gave the group a furtive glance and sidled into the shrubs to relieve his bladder. He pushed through a thicket of gorse; no sooner was he in an uncompromising position when two things happened. First of all he spied Helga’s unmistakable shape through the trees, but there was something else unmistakable too. What the… what on earth? She was stood, braced, like a man taking a pee. Helga was clearly, unmistakably, a man!
Tom’s mobile suddenly sprang to life, but before he could silence it, the theme tune from Live and Let Die filled the small copse with a dramatic burst of music. Helga quickly turned and met his eyes and for a nanosecond of embarrassed shock, both men stared at each other.
Tom fumbled with his flies, then with the phone. It was Melanie. Fighting his way back out to the beach with one finger in his ear to drown out the raucous laughing of the group, Tom tried to make sense of what she was saying; something about suspenders?
‘I can’t hear you! Slow down and speak clearly.’
‘I’ve been SUSPENDED!’ she yelled, ‘Is that clear enough? We’ve been found out, Tom. Uncle Charles wants your cheating head on a plate.’
Chrys: Sounds excellent! Where can we buy your novel(s)/stories?
Jan: My website carries all the links for each title.
Chrys: Links??? 🙂
Jan: Website: http://janruth.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanRuthAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JAN-RUTH-Author/152542251518210
Email: jan@janruth.com
Contributing Blog: http://authorselectric.blogspot.co.uk/