In Memoriam: Ruth Sims

The news has come that the m/m community has lost one of its kindest, sweetest authors. Please join me in thinking of some way that Ruth Sims touched your life.

I met her when I first started reviewing. Her stories, Song on the Sand and The Legend of the Mountain Ash, made me cry, but in the best way, because the stories were sweet, sad, and ultimately not-sad in a way that still makes me sniffle. Pam reviewed Song here because I couldn't find the words, and I reviewed Legend, and Ruth wrote both of us notes thanking us. She was gracious to a newbie, and gave me the confidence to keep doing this new, scary thing.

I am sure Ruth scattered her kindness like petals, without thinking, because that was just the kind of person she was, and I treasure our correspondence and my rereads of her work.

She will be missed.

Her obituary is here.

The Legend of the Mountain Ash by Ruth Sims

The Legend of the Mountain Ash by Ruth Sims
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Romance, GLBT, M/M, Gay
Length: 14 pages



Summary:

Ethan is a Doughboy wounded in the battle for Belleau Wood. Davy is a reviled British conscientious objector serving in a military hospital. Two young men drawn to each other in the midst of the horrors of the Great War. Neither has a family, for the soldier's has all died and the CO's has cast him off in disgust for refusing to take up arms.

The bond of love that grows between Ethan and Davy takes them to Ethan's beautiful Appalachian hills, where they build a home and make a life. It is there they find that their love is strong enough to conquer everything, even time and death.

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The opening lines of Ruth Sims' short story puts the reader at the feet of a storyteller swaying in a rocking chair on the porch of a log cabin such as Ethan and Davy live in. The Legend of the Mountain Ash mixes the eeriness of myth with a story set in a time we can recognize.

In a few brief words, Ms. Sims captures a hideous time for the young men in World War 1, the fighters and non-combatants both. Ethan and Davy, the wounded and the medic, find love in the horror and a refuge in the Appalachian Mountains where Ethan was born.

The outer world intrudes on them again, when the drought of the early thirties brings destitute, thirsty strangers through. Davy lives his beliefs with every breath, and will not turn anyone away, though they have barely enough for themselves. Ethan, a good man but more pragmatic, stops arguing about it, but looks at the empty sky, saying he'd give anything for rain.

Sometimes, someone or something will take you up on that kind of offer, particularly in the Appalachians. Ethan got his rain.

The story goes in waves of disaster followed by quiet happiness, described in language simple and poetic. There's years of background covered in a few pages at the beginning, with no dialog. It's a common structure in a folk tale though frowned on in modern romance, so let the opening set the right sort of expectations. Ethan and Davy are almost archetypes of good men and devoted lovers, but the setting and situation make them unique, and keeps the story anchored in time. Stating dates created a weak point; it pulls the reader out of the flow of legend. I think we could have been well enough anchored from knowing the events of the Great War and the Dust Bowl. The ending explains almost a little too much, but it's still mystical. And happy.

The love between Ethan and Davy comes through wonderfully clearly, not needing any explicit descriptions of their lovemaking, and I don't want that kind of detail from the storyteller in the rocker. This is a love story with a folk tale feel, and I will sit at Ruth Sims' feet any day. 4 marbles

Rainbow Awards

One of my favorite reviewers, Elisa Rolle, has been working very hard to narrow down a huge number of good reads to a small handful of really outstanding stories, distracting us along the way with the cover contest. (WOW did I love looking at some of those covers every time I went to vote.) Results are in.

The entire list of winners is here at Elisa's LJ blog but I hope she won't mind the signal boost. Because there are three categories that are really close to my heart.

Best Gay Contemporary Romance: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1188344.html
1) Sloan Parker - More
2) Marie Sexton - Strawberries for Dessert
3) Eden Winters - The Wish

And if you click on that link at Elisa's, you'll Eden's other book, The Angel of Thirteenth Street, was Honorable Mention in this same category, so two books in the top ten!

And some other serious favorites have also been honored: Ruth Sims' Counterpoint: Dylan's Story made the top ten for Best Gay Historical Romance, see the entire list here.

And if Eden hadn't already cleaned up one category, her novel Duet made the top ten for Best Gay Paranormal/Horror, which may be as close as you can come to characterizing a book this unique. The whole list is here.

Allessia Brio picked up an honor as the cover artist for Angel of Thirteenth Street, too, more reason to celebrate! You guys have to see this. Hardly ever see such a good fit with cover and story, too, so congrats, Allessia!

So why is a reviewer getting all excited about all this? First off, I'm so new to being a reviewer that I'm just happy that someone else agreed with me! I reviewed Duet not long ago and, and I've read almost all of her other work and loved it, whether or not I reviewed. Ruth Sims' short story is wonderful, too, and Counterpoint is burning a hole in my hard drive on the TBR list.

And second, Eden and Ruth both took the time to say a kind word or two to someone they don't even know, because I (and Pam) opened my mouth about what I'd read. So I'm all excited that something good happened to two sweet people.

As Eden said, "I'm jumping up and down, and that could be dangerous for a woman my age!"

Ladies, I'm jumping with you.

(And my TBB list just expanded by about 42 books.)

Song on the Sand -- Ruth Sims

I'm having a guest review from PD Singer today, because she's reviewed an amazing story and I don't think I can find better words to talk about it. "Read this!" she tells me, but forgets to mention that a box of Kleenex would be a good idea for this sad, beautiful, and ultimately not-sad story.


Tony Dalby finds himself on the wrong end of his 80s, confined to a nursing home, with his days as a dancer a thing of the past. The appearance of Drew into his life brings a welcome distraction, as well as a bit of mystery as to why Drew constantly visits the wheelchair-bound, comatose Jesse. As secrets are revealed, Dalby finds he may have a renewed purpose for living after all.


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I first met this story as an excerpt posted on the author's blog, and was moved to write the following after only a few hundred words:

You have just officially broken my heart. This is what I do professionally -- not primary care, but admin/supply a couple levels up and out -- and what I've felt lurking in everyone I talk to. You've given them the voice that I hear as a sussurus of time and experience, of knowledge forgotten as words. Sometimes as disjointed conversations, sometimes as the cry of one whose body will no longer do his will. Excuse me, I'm going to go cry now.

And I did. Then I ran to read the rest.

I stand by those words, but know that the despair drawn so eloquently at the beginning changes to other emotions that moved me equally strongly, as the old man and the young man pooled their unachievable dreams and drew something amazing, beautiful, and uplifting from them.

I cried again at the end, but for other reasons.

5 stars at Goodreads only because they don't have 10

Buy at Amazon, Diesel, or Smashwords.

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Thank you, Pam, and thank you for all the pretty coding. And I agree about the stars!