My New Book Is Coming Soon
When I first met this former racehorse, nicknamed Blackie, I was a thirtysomething professional woman devoted to my career. Married without children, I had recently landed an ever-better job in a new town. But unlike the big city where I lived before, this smaller town’s suburban ranch-style living easily accommodated horses, and I was soon tempted into returning to the wonderful world of horses where I had found such joy and refuge as a child.
Little did I know, however, that, in the simple, straightforward conveyance of Blackie’s Jockey Club papers, I had signed adoption papers, of a sort, for my first “child.” In transitioning Blackie from a racehorse to a riding horse, I confront trials of many kinds, some life-threatening, while I learn to calm his temperamental mind and volatile behavior. As I struggled to tame this “wild child,” though, I discovered he was not the only one who had demons to slay.
FUR MAMA (100,000 words) tells the story of my taking on this young, tempestuous racehorse, and how I juggle him and my new job. As I strive for better life-work balance, Blackie and the baby Labrador who I rescue along the way inspire me to shift my priorities. Through their charms and challenges, I slowly and unexpectedly discover another kind of motherhood that re-shapes my career and re-makes my life for the better.