Dylan Rutledge is a young man with a single passion: to create music, new music that will take the world by storm. It's not only his passion it's his obsession; everything else in life comes second. He's rash, obstinate, self-centered like most geniuses, and certain the world will fall at his feet when it hears his music. This passion of his leads to a complete break with his father and the life he knew. As a British expatriate in Paris, he throws himself into winning his just place in the world. Instead he finds rejection and ridicule, and the destiny he gave up so much for remains out of reach.
Counterpoint: Dylan's Story follows Dylan as life and experience knock him down again and again. He is able to get up each time and keep fighting because he has not only his passion and belief in himself and his music, but because he has the love of novelist Laurence Northcliff, a gentle, humorous, and wise man. A devastating loss causes Dylan to lose his belief in himself and his dream dies. He returns to England, prepared for a life as an impoverished piano teacher, with no ambition but to get through each day. Then, through an unexpected turn of events, he finds again the passion to create music and the ability to love again, if he has the courage to try.
Reviews for Counterpoint: Dylan's Story
Michele ‘n Jeff Reviews; reviewer Jeff "... a masterpiece! ...an epic love story ...painstakingly accurate historical depiction of nineteenth century English life. ... The story's central character, Dylan Rutledge, is a marvelously flawed and utterly human protagonist—passionate, arrogant, impudent, and undeniably lovable. ... The intimate scenes are romantic and tasteful, and the feel of the novel is of such high literary quality that the same-gender romance is inconsequential. It is purely a love story, and that is all that matters. Rating: 5 Kisses / Jeff's Top Ten 2010 http://michelenjeff-reviews.blogspot.com
Whipped Cream Reviews; reviewed by Cactus "... delightful novel .... The vibrant music is never forgotten or used as an easy prop and the cast of well-crafted characters will steal into your heart leaving laughter, tears, and joy. The drama and angst involved, expected with any great artist, never overwhelm the story but this is not a light read. Instead pick this up when you want something meaningful. You won't regret it. Rating: 5 Cherries http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/2010/08/counterpoint-by-ruth-sims.html?zx=35c6d703dd491f97
Gerry B's Book Reviews; reviewer Gerry Burnieb> "Counterpoint: Dylan's Story reads like silk rippling across naked skin, and the overall experience of it—the heights and depths of love, the highs and lows of life, the counterpoints of success and failure, and the triumph of the human spirit has left me with the afterglow of having read a great story! http://gerrycan.wordpress.com/?s=counterpoint%3A+dylan%27s+storya>
Bookwenches; reviewer Bobby Whitney "...a story of richness and depth and almost startling beauty. This one is a keeper, for certain." – Rating: 5+ Keeper - Excellent - Best of the Best http://www.bookwenches.com/september10reviews.htm - 631613212
Ebook Addicts; reviewer Kathy K. "... This is an unforgettable journey about love, family, genius, friends, societal disdain and, ultimately, achieving dreams. Powerful, heart-breaking, joyful and amazing... treat yourself." http://www.ebookaddictreviews.com/category/ruth-sims/
Fallen Angels; reviewer Teresa Rating: 5 Angels ... a beautiful story bringing to life a historical period with all its majesty and shortcomings. ... It was wonderful to read all the historical references as the story unfolded bringing that era to life for this reader. This is one book that will remain on my favorites list. Rating: 5 Angels http://fallenangelreviews.com/2010/December/teresa-counterpoint_dylansstory.htm
Feathered Quill; reviewer Pamela Victor ... Steeped in classical music, Impressionist paintings, the artistic scene in 19th century Paris, and true love, Ruth Sims' novel offers up a tender tale of a young man devoting his life to his passions. ... Laurence was Dylan's lightning, Geoffrey is the thunder. ... It's a romance full of nuance, emotion and heartbreak in his relationships with two very special men and the music he creates both with them and for them. Rating: 5 stars when posted on Amazon http://www.featheredquill.com/historical.shtml
The first twenty years of my life were spent in an impoverished and mostly dysfunctional family. Once you get past those years, my bio is about as interesting as dried-out paint. Seriously. I recently celebrated my 35th birthday for the 35th time. I married my high school boyfriend and am still married 50 years later (not easy when you're only 35). He's the only guy I ever dated and the only man I've ever willingly seen nekkid.
I love writing and reading; I love history, biographies, and historical fiction, but also poetry and humor and ... oh, a little of everything else. I don't tweet, twitter, or text but I'm big on blathering. I start blogs and then forget to blog. I'm short (4'11"); in my next life I will be tall or I'm not coming. I'd like to be idle rich instead of just idle. I look more like Pooh Bear than I do like Angelina Jolie. I love my family, friends, and fans in particular, and people in general, except for hypocrites, liars, and religious or political zealots. I also love long books, and fat newspapers and magazines. I have a cat who graciously allows me to live with her and serve her every need.
I write in whatever genre the book calls for, and I also do short stories. If I live to be 150 I may get all my works-in-progress finished!
Burma Girl (Suspense)
Mr. Newby's Revenge (How to get revenge on a bully by using kitty litter...)
Song on the Sand (Literary; a very different love story)
The Lawyer, the Ghost, and the Cursed Chair (Bestseller in UK! Humor)
Coming soon: The Legend of the Mountain Ash ( Fantasy Realism – Diversity Line)
nbsp;
An announcement from Ruth...
Counterpoint: Dylan’s Story has been named as one of the 108 Recommended Books for 2011 by the GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association! This is such an honor—especially to be on a list with the likes of icon Edmund White and other outstanding authors.
An Interview with Ruth Sims
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Ruth thank you so much for talking with us. Your featured book is the much anticipated sequel to The Phoenix. Please tell us about Counterpoint: Dylan's Story.
RS: Where to begin? Counterpoint: Dylan's Story is the love of my writing life. I'm conceited enough that I like everything I've written, but Counterpoint is special, and every reader and reviewer I've heard from, agrees. At my age (71) I've experienced love and life and loss and just about every thing else, so I bring a lifetime of experience to the story and the characters. There aren't many good things to say for getting old, but that's one of them. Though my protagonists are less than half my age, they experience life. They laugh and they love and they hurt. They are knocked flat by circumstance and have to struggle to their feet and start all over again, Dylan especially. It's a love story of many different kinds, because love involves much more than "I-think-you're-hot-I-want-to-jump-your-bones" emotions, and there are many kinds of love (including some mild bone-jumping - lol), including love for friends, for music, for creation, for life.
HH: What do you like best about Dylan and why will he appeal to romance readers?
RS: Dylan is lovable; in some ways he's like a puppy because he's clumsy in social situations. One of the things that appeals to me most is that he is so aware of his own faults. He knows he's obstinate, stubborn, impetuous, a non-intellectual because the only thing he cares about is music. He has a sly sense of humor, he's loyal and loving to the few people who understand him, he's passionate to the point of obsession about his music. No genius is easy to live with and Dylan is no exception. But those who love him always forgive him and make allowances... and he can be a right pain in the arse.
HH: What do you like best about Geoffrey and why do you think readers will relate to him?
RS: I'm such a sucker for violinists. And if the violinist is a Rom (Gypsy) ... oh, my. Geoffrey is as brilliant in performance as Dylan is in composition. He's a little younger than Dylan, and when they first meet Dylan is with someone else and Geoffrey is a teen. Geoffrey is electricity and Dylan is thunder. (Isn't that nice? One of the reviewers came up with that.) From childhood he's battled tragedy and prejudice. He's an exotic. He looks like a prince but beneath a genetleman's clothing is a wild boy who would rather be living free in a vardo than in a house in London. He's outspoken, and not at all shy in pointing out things in Dylan's music that he thinks should be changed. Dylan does not take it well! I think readers will relate to him because of the way he relates to Dylan and to life itself.
HH: What sort of research went into this work?
RS: What didn't? What I knew when I began, was that I loved Classical/Romantic era music, especially violin. I knew a little (very little) about composition, though I'd read a lot about composers over the years. I knew a fair amount about the Victorian era because of having written The Phoenix. I knew NOTHING about playing, caring for, or even holding a violin. Nothing about Victorian courts or prisons. Nothing about Romany life, history, or the racial prejudice they faced and still face. Nothing much about Paris. Nothing about the French language. Nothing about pipe organs, which I had to know on page one! Nothing about Yorkshire. Well, the list could go on and on. I did tons of language research in French and British slang, for instance. I had some wonderful help from my British betas who also happen to be terrific authors -- Alex Beecroft, Erastes, and Michael Gouda. Basically, I guess you could say I had to research just about everything.
HH: What do you think today's reader is looking for in good romantic fiction and how does this story meet that need?
RS: If I knew the answer to that, I'd be selling thousands of books! I like to think they look for the same three things I look for: characters, characters, characters. And genuine, honest, realistic emotions even if it's a historical setting. They'll get all of that in Counterpoint. All of the emotions Dylan, Laurence, and Geoffrey face are emotions every reader has experienced, though the situations may be radically different. Loss is loss. Love is love. We all bleed the same color when we're hurt. Our tears are all the same. So is joking, fun, and laughter. And there's plenty of that, too.
HH: What else do you have in the works for lucky readers?
RS: I put so much of myself into Counterpoint that I'm kind of burnt out on novels right now, and am in the middle of a writer's block. Having a computer on its last legs doesn't help! Mostly I'm writing short stories at the moment. And if I may interject a commercial, they're all available from Untreed Reads. I believe I listed them in my backlist. I have several unfinished books that hopefully will be coming out eventually, if I live that long. A Bit of Earth is a non-gay historical of a young couple in an American Indian - white mixed marriage early in the 20th century. Rain Dancer is about gay hate crimes. Whom God Destroys is about a very unusual Victorian serial killer. Quinn is a gay love story between a late 19th century trade unionists and a powerful union buster. Hamilton's Wife is a love story of a good woman for a charismatic, brilliant and emotionally damaged politican, Alexander Hamilton. I think that's all.
HH: Ruth, why did you want to be a writer? Why do you still?
RS: I was painfully shy and poor, and found living through books much easier than the real thing. And I think most early readers sooner or later have a yen to write, to take that escape one step further. The odd thing, I suppose, is that I didn't turn to fantasy, but for some weird reason prefer stories with real settings. I'm still a writer because it's the only skill I have. Well, that and being a damn good cook and baker.
HH: If you weren't a writer, you'd be a...?
RS: Probably a doorstop or a bum. I can't do anything but write.
HH: What's your favorite guilty pleasure?
RS: Oh dear. Shh. Two cable tv shows -- "Hoarders" and "Toddlers and Tiaras." They both fill me with such absolute fascinated horror I can't stop watching them! Luckily, they have short seasons.
HH: What is your biggest hope for 2011?
RS: That my husband would find it financially possible to retire from his job. He's never really liked it, he's done it since he was 19, he's 70 years old now, and he's on his feet all day. He's had two bouts with cancer (clear of it now!) so I more than ever am aware of how lucky I am. I want him home where he can sit down and put up his feet if he wants to. And, yes, old fashioned broad that I am, I'd be glad to wait on him hand and foot. Not because it's "expected" -- I probably wouldn't want to do it if it was! -- but just because I think he's earned it. It's a modest hope, but I hope it comes true. Hey, we're just getting a good start on our second 50 years together!
