I grew up on horse books. Before I had a way to ride, I had a way to read—thanks to my local library, which nurtured my interest in equines through loaning me Marguerite Henry books. More on my tribute to the beloved queen of horse books in a bit. . .
They say, "Write what you know," and I know horses. I've had four in my life—two heart horses. My current guy is a strapping retired Thoroughbred racehorse, Tiz A Knight. I love writing almost as much as I love riding, so it's only natural I would express my equestrian self in words on the printed page. Knight gets to be the star in two of my books. I'd love to introduce you to my horse and rider books, and tell you about my newest book. Happy reading!
Horses Adored and Men Endured: a Memoir of Falling and Getting Back Up was my first book. I contrasted the lame dating stories of sketchy men I endured with the gallant horses I had the privilege to know over the years. Full disclosure: it's a compilation of many awkward moments, both in and out of the saddle.
One reviewer said it reminded them of a G-rated Christian, Bridget Jones' Diary. I took that as a compliment. Someone else touted it as a good "beach read." I love Horses Adored because it was my first horse book, but I know my writing has gotten more sophisticated since my first effort. The only way to get better at writing (like riding) is to write more.
My second equestrian memoir released July 2023. We launched at Breyerfest which was a total blast. Marguerite, Misty and Me is the heart book of my collection of four horse books I've written.
Click here to peep Marguerite, Misty and Me!
I was obsessed with Marguerite and Misty as a child. The obsession continues. Apparently I'm not alone as evidenced by Breyer Misty collectors. I met a woman who spent ten years searching for the "Four Eyed Misty" model. She finally found it and she didn't disclose the price, but said it set her back enough that she had to check with her husband first.
I spent two years sussing out the backstory of the life of Marguerite Henry. Through reading archival documents and interviewing people who knew her in real life, I was able to create a Marguerite Henry timeline.
Click here for the visual format of the Marguerite Henry timeline.
I'm so proud to be able to honor the legacy of an amazing writer and wonderful human in my latest equestrian memoir about my heroine: Marguerite Henry. If you grew up on her stories, I hope you'll read it too.
The second book I wrote is Strands of Hope: How to Grieve the Loss of a Horse. Not a book signing event goes by that I don't see someone shed a few tears when they pick up this copy. I have such mixed feelings. It's cool to be able to hear the story of a horse they loved so, and connect with them on a deep level, but I never want to be someone who makes another cry! But I get follow up emails about how much the book helped. So that makes me feel good.
Strands of Hope was based on a blog post I wrote several years ago about how I processed the loss of my heart horse DC. It's a short book because who wants to spend hours and hours thinking about loss and grief? But it is from the heart. I remember crying as I typed my way through it.
Take a peek at Strands of Hope here.
Last but not least. Unbridled Creativity: 101 Writing Exercises for the Horse Lover was a total whim. lol My niece was working her way through a creative writing prompt book and I thought, "I can make one of those! But mine will have horses."
So, I used my training as an English teacher to use classroom writing prompts as a template, but changed them up to reflect horsey themes. I had a blast making that equestrian activity book. I figure it's a fun gift, great for waiting around at horse shows, or even perfect for home schooling.
Learn more about Unbridled Creativity here.
Thanks for reading! If you love horse books as much as I do, please sign up for my 2x monthly email newsletter. I often share what I'm reading and cute pictures of my horse Knight.
Click here to get on the list!
Also, follow my adorable Thoroughbred Knight and me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
