Jake Leonard has more than his share of troubles. He’s close to 40 now and suffers from bipolar disorder and the painful memories of the psychotic episodes that derailed his life. Living in the rural south, Jake spends his days breaking horses and his nights training dogs in solitude. His 19-year-old girlfriend, Nikki, is the daughter of the local sheriff, and she’s just getting worse with drugs and alcohol. Jake does his best to persuade her to ease up on them, but things go from bad to worse when Nikki has a breakdown and gets involved in heroin and low-budget porn. After a friend’s funeral, Jake reconnects with his ex-wife Michelle. He’s never stopped loving her, but she’s remarried with a young daughter. Soon, chaos unfolds like a pocketknife, and as Jake’s dark history is revealed, he finds himself spinning toward the inner demons he’s worked so hard to escape. “The Ruin Season bristles and lurches powerfully… but make no mistake, it’s a runaway train whose engine is pure heart.” – Jeridiah Ayres, author of Peckerwood