Finding Daylight - Mara Dabrishus

Goodreads summary:

Georgie Quinn and the filly Sweet Bells are an unbeatable team. When they win the Breeders’ Cup Classic against colts, the world can’t seem to get enough. Overnight, Georgie becomes the face of horse racing, and Sweet Bells becomes its queen.

Although they’re the morning line favorites, Georgie feels like she’s barely keeping her head above water. Her parents’ farm is a crumbling has-been, her jockey career consumes her time, and Harris Armstrong, heir to Tupelo Stud and grandson of Sweet Bells’ owner, won’t forgive her for telling a lie that kept her family together as the truth ripped his apart.

Georgie refuses to apologize, so she’s stunned when Harris asks her to ride his new colt. The most tenuous partnership in racing has begun. One that threatens to swallow Georgie whole.

My review:

4.5/5

I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I thought when I had a hard time getting into it, but once I did, I loved it. I've become a fan of Mara's writing a while ago, when I read Stay the Distance and then Whirlaway, and I think it's going to stick with me for a long while.

Once again, I found myself surrounded by a realistic and amazing horse world in which I fit more than I ever do in books. It's full of details, well researched and it feels like you're the one riding the horses or taking care of them. While the atmosphere in the stables of this one isn't as heartwarming as in Mara's other books (for obvious reasons: it's pretty much the most important part of the plot), there's something reassuring as soon as there are horses in a story. I loved Sweet Bells dearly, especially since she reminded me a lot of my own horse of a few years ago, which I had to sell and it broke my heart. I could relate a lot to Georgie because of that, since I experienced having to let a horse you love go without having a say in it. I also loved learning about horse racing, since it's always been quite foreign to me, seeing as I'm an English saddle rider who lives in Canada (where there aren't any races, at least in my province). The fact that Georgie is a jockey taught me a lot about this profession and its ups and downs, which I loved. I would never be able to ride racing horses because of my paranoia and my obsession with control, but I can see how some people can love it. 

The relationship in this novel is even more complex than the one in Stay the Distance, but so is the whole story. I think that might be the reason why I couldn't get into the story at first, since I wasn't sure I understood what I was reading. Don't get discouraged if that happens to you, because you'd miss such a good story! I loved both Harris and Georgie and I shipped them pretty much from the beginning, because there's something about them that tells you they care for each other even when they're both convinced they hate each other. Seeing them learn to be around each other again and try to protect the other one was really touching and it made me swoon more than once. 

This is a fantastic story that is about horses, but also about much more than that. It can be pretty heartbreaking at times and it's definitely not light-hearted, but it did leave me with a good feeling. I thought it was confusing at first, but I would recommend it to everyone. 

Thank you Mara for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I did an interview with the author last summer, which you can find here. 

Interview: Linda Ballou

Nothing pleases adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, more than seeing gorgeous country from the back of a good horse.  Her articles have appeared in Equus, Horse Illustrated and numerous travel magazines. Being a stowaway on a cross-country course in Ireland is detailed in her story Irish Mist which was included in the anthology Why We Ride with a forward by Jane Smiley.  She is also the author of Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, and Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i an historical novel that transport the reader to the Islands as they existed prior to missionary contact.  The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon which takes you from the show jumping arena to the high Sierra and back is her first “new adult” novel. I recently interviewed her and became very interested in her personal story, so keep on reading to discover what an amazing person she is! If you haven't yet, you can read my review here.

 

What inspired you to write The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon?

LB: I was crawling from my bed to the refrigerator on my knees for about six weeks due to extreme nerve pain when it occurred to me that I had to do something, or I was going to go crazy. I was told that I had to give up riding, give up my mare and that if I was lucky I wouldn’t have to have surgery on my back. Crying didn’t help much. Writing this story took my mind off my predicament and the tremendous sense of loss I was feeling. John Muir’s book My First Summer in the Sierra prompted me to take a couple of horse pack trips into the Eastern Sierra’s that imbued me a deep love and respect for nature. Many of the details in this story were collected on those journeys. I always wanted to return and trail solo in the high country, but had to let Gemcie do it for me. Writing Cowgirl was a big part of a healing process for me. I gave my mare to Hearts and Horses where she helped with handicapped children. When I was able to walk again, I went on to become a travel writer with a penchant for guest ranches and International riding treks. .


What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

LB: While I was writing Cowgirl I was reading On Writing by Steven King, considered by many to be the best book written on the subject. I didn’t realize until I reached the last chapters that he too was writing to distract himself from the tremendous pain he had to endure while his body healed from an accident. I didn’t know that he had been run over by a van and that he had extensive injuries that made my garden variety herniated disc seem like a cakewalk. Feeling connected to this great writer and his suffering helped me through this very difficult time. As for research, I was immersed in the riding world and had read just about every book written on riding technique, horse psychology. My first published article “The Art of Falling” appeared in Horse Illustrated. After that my byline turned up in Equus, and Western Horseman to name a few. I was doing three-day events at the time of my injury and my whole life revolved around the horse world.


How did you come up with the title?

LB: That’s funny you should ask. A girlfriend gave me a t-shirt with that tag over the picture of a cowgirl jumping over the moon on a starry night. It just stuck with me. I always loved the image and cut it out when it was time to toss the well-worn gift away. I wrote the first draft of this story many years ago and that little reminder was pressed inside the journal that contained the notes for the story that has it found its way to fruition.


Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

LB: The Mariposa equestrian facility in the story is modeled after what I observed in the celebrity-owned ranches nestled in Hidden Valley in Southern California. I was a groupie at horse shows trying to absorb the courage of the riders like Susan Hutchison, recently inducted into the 2015 National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. I so admired Susan’s riding skill and bravery that I kept her foremost in my mind while writing the riding scenes in the book. She is the protégé of the legendary trainer Jimmy Williams, who I was privileged to interview in 1993, not long before his passing. The character Billy is modeled after this authentic “horse whisperer,” who was a giant in the riding world.


If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

LB: I actually have two authors that I admire. Tim Cahill, author of nine adventure travel collections, is my travel-writing hero. I went to his home in Livingston, Montana to interview him. The outcome of that conversation is in my book Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales. Jack London, the master of adventure writing, said that desire incited struggle followed by action creates character arc. He wrote in a crisp, succinct manner that I love. In my piece Jack London and Me I talk about how my personal path and that of one of America’s finest writers have crossed. 


What book are you reading now?

LB: Mustang-The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West by Deane Stillman. This book provides a comprehensive history of the horse from the beginning of time to the present with focus on the wild herds of mustangs that still roam 10 western states in the U.S. I became interested in the plight of the herds that are being rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management in response to ranchers whose cattle are competing with them for natural feed resources. It seems the answer is to exercise birth control in the herds. This is more humane than the slaughter house, but will eventually cause the wild horse to go extinct if it is effective.


What are your current projects?

LB: I am an adventure-travel writer with a host of articles on my site. I am anxious to get back to taking great trips and writing about them. In September I am spending time in St. Croix in the American Virgin Islands with Sharon Pohl who has invited me to test drive the Wellness Week for Equestrians she plans to offer. Sharon’s site www.Zealoushorses.com (in the pre-launch stage) will provide many exciting tips for horse lovers including a couple of my articles on horse treks I’ve taken.


What was the hardest part of writing your book?

LB: It was physically difficult because I had to write it standing up at my breakfast bar. Sciatic pain in my right leg would not allow me to sit for any length of time. Like a shark I couldn’t rest and had to keep moving. Deep emotions over the loss of what I cherished washed over me during the first raw draft. I needed to put the story away for many years. Still, I loved the characters and the environmental message delivered through Brady’s actions became more important to me over time. It took huge self-discipline for me to steal a nine-month chunk out of my life to focus on getting the story right, but I needed to finish what I had started. Reader response is making me feel that it was worth the effort. 


Have you ever hated something you wrote?

LB: No, but I wrote a story that everyone who read it hated. It was a short story about the controversial use of an anti-rape device. I thought my story leveled the playing field, but apparently it flattened it and offended readers male and female alike. I finally put it back in my drawer and will never share it again. However, in my mind it remains one of my best efforts.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

LB: Writers write. Builders build. Surgeons cut. If you say you are a writer then write. Keep notes of your stay on the planet. Journal about your experiences. Reflect upon what you see and try to capture the essence of it in words as a painter tries to capture it in colors and images. You will not remember the details that make a story vibrant. You have to write your impressions and feelings down as you go along. Then when you have time to organize your thoughts and know what it is you are trying to say you can go back to your notes and extract details that will enliven your work. Don’t wait to be a writer. Life go goes by too fast. Simply be a writer and see what happens.


Thank you for answering!



Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, calls Topanga, California home. She shares Great Outdoor days in L.A, as well as a host of travel articles on her site, along with reviews of her books travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com. Her quest today is to get to as many beautiful places as she can before they are gone. Subscribe to her blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

Here's the book trailer for The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon:

Interview: Mara Dabrishus

Today, I've got an interview for you! It's with the author of the Stay the Distance series, which I read and adored. Here's my review of it, if you haven't read it yet!

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Mara and thank you for being here today! I have a few questions for you about you novel, Stay the Distance, and yourself, so let's get started! Can you explain what your novel is about?

Sure! Stay the Distance is a coming of age story about July Carter, her horse racing family, and a summer full of changes. July’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess: her jockey mom ran off for California years ago and her dad always seems more interested in the horses than in her. Unsure of what she wants to do in her summer after high school, July starts riding horses for her dad on the New York racing circuit, while her best friend wants her to move into the city, go to college, and maybe live a real life for a change.

July isn’t sure that real life isn’t all horses all the time, especially when she can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. When bankruptcy rumors start swirling around the barn, the future is murkier than ever. July can’t stand losing one more thing, and Beck, the barn owner’s son, knows more about the rumors than anyone else. July will get the truth, even if she has to pry it out of him, for Kali’s sake and her own.

 

What inspired you to write this story?

I read a lot of horse books when I was a kid. Of those, I adored the Thoroughbred series and the Black Stallion, which introduced me to horse racing. After I grew up with those books I did the first thing you’d think to do: go searching for more horse books. The pickings were pretty slim, especially for young adults. Part of my aim with Stay the Distance, Whirlaway, and my upcoming Finding Daylight was to write more of the kinds of books I wanted to read, particularly for young adults. People who love horses don’t just stop loving horses when we’re teenagers and pick it back up again when we suddenly like romance and mysteries as adults. We’re horse people, period. That’s what inspires me to write. 



There's also a short story, Whirlaway, related to your novel, which we can download for free on your website. Do you plan on writing more novels in this series?

Yes, I’m working on the outline details for a sequel, and I’m already threading a loose plot for a third book. My goal is to get July to a point where I feel comfortable leaving her, even though contemplating that makes me sad!



How did you choose your stories' titles?

Titles sometimes pop out of nowhere and stay, like Whirlaway. Incidentally, I set the story during the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct, and I liked the name Whirlaway as it applied to July’s mother, who seems tantalizingly within reach yet so far away. For Stay the Distance, horse racing commentators always love asking whether or not a horse can win at a certain distance—whether or not they’re bred for it, even. I chose Stay the Distance because of those racing roots, and because it connects back to July’s struggles throughout the novel in terms of her family, her mom, and what on earth she wants to do with herself. 



When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

This is such a good question. Writing is something that I always played with, but also something I didn’t know how to realistically pursue when I was younger. All through college I wrote while getting a bachelor’s degree in Classics, and I kept writing through grad school to get my master’s in Library Science. I’m a librarian by day, but always I was writing.

Then I wrote Whirlaway and sent it off to the Thoroughbred Times, which they loved and published. That was my wake-up call, that moment where I thought that writing could be more than something I do in my spare time. So now I’m this mixed breed of indie and traditionally published author. Stay the Distance has been out since March, I’m editing my next book, and a very different short story will be appearing in an anthology in April 2016. Most importantly, I’m having a lot of fun!



Your novel is a lot about horses. When and why did you start being around them?

I have absolutely no memory of the why when it comes to horses. I think I just saw them in a field one day as a toddler and a switch flicked somewhere, as I believe happens with most horse people. Since I didn’t have a horse crazy family to grow up in, I begged for and received riding lessons when I could get them, but barns sold and people moved, and eventually I stopped riding until I was in my late twenties and decided out of nowhere that not riding was unacceptable. So I found a dressage barn and learned my little heart out.



What is your favorite equestrian discipline? Why?

So I have two. Bear with me. Horse racing is my first love. It’s thrilling to watch horses in motion like that. Dressage is the first discipline I really felt that rider-horse connection, which is thrilling on a whole other level. I love it for all the tiny details that go into it, and how much of a difference those tiny details make.



Is there a rider that you admire particularly?

This might seem like a cop out, but I want to say every female jockey that has ever lived. The horse world always seems dominated by women, but that is not the case with horse racing. People still second guess a woman’s ability to ride a race horse, so I admire all women who put on silks and do that job.



Describe your dream horse in terms of personality, breed, looks, etc.

I’m a sucker for Thoroughbreds. They’re phenomenal work horses that just try and try, and I know without a doubt that if I ever find myself in possession of a horse it’s going to be an OTTB. I’m also a sucker for bays with white feet, and some white on the face. It gets me every time.



If you could bring any of your characters (including horses) to life, which one would it be and why?

I thought this would be a difficult question at first glance, but after a couple of seconds the answer became obvious: July’s trusty pony, Maggie. She’s a sweetheart and I would definitely keep her in my backyard.



If you could make a movie of your novel, who would you cast as your main characters?

So my confession is this: I based a lot of Beck on Jensen Ackles circa Dark Angel. If time travel is possible in this hypothetical, it would be really difficult for anyone to dissuade me from plucking Jensen out of 2001. As for July, I am going to aim high and say Jennifer Lawrence. My movie is now Oscar worthy!



Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Hopefully I’ll have ten published books to my name. Cross your fingers for me!



If you could give one tip to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Start! I like to say that you have to get the words on the page. Writing is personal, and everyone goes about it differently, but the words have to be on the page before you can revise, rewrite, and ultimately become a better writer.



Are you a fan of social medias? Where can your readers find you?

Absolutely I’m a fan of social media. You can find me in several places, so take your pick:
TWITTER: marawrites
FACEBOOK: maradabrishusauthor
Instagram: maradabrishus
Tumblr: marawrites

You can also find me at my website, www.maradabrishus.com, where you can read the occasional blog post, sign up for my newsletter regarding new books, or just e-mail to say hi.


There's a giveaway of Stay the Distance on my blog, which will be open until September 20th. You can participate here!


Stay the Distance - Mara Dabrishus

Goodreads summary:

July Carter’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess: her jockey mom ran off for California years ago, her dad always seems more interested in the horses than in her, and the horse July wants for herself will never be hers.

Even though the New York racing circuit has taught her not to get attached, July can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. When bankruptcy rumors start swirling around the barn, the future is murkier than ever. July can’t stand losing one more thing, and Beck, the barn owner’s son, knows more about the rumors than anyone else. July will get the truth, even if she has to pry it out of him, for Kali’s sake and her own.


My review:

4.5/5

If you're a horse lover, then you need to pick this book up. You won't regret it.

From the beginning, I was hooked. I loved the descriptions about the horses' personalities, looks and performances, as well as all the actions taking place near horses. As a horse lover, being around horses makes me relax, which is why I was happy and calm while reading this novel. It just made me feel like I was truly around horses, which is always a good feeling.

I didn't know much about this novel before I started reading, except that it's about horses. I wasn't expecting it to be about races, but I'm happy it is, because I learned a lot about them and I've always been interested in horse related things, especially races. It's a whole new universe for me, because there aren't any where I live. I didn't expect it to be so serious and demanding, but it showed me how different it can be when you're on the inside. The only thing I wish had been different is the fact that there are many words I didn't know the meaning to, partly because I don't know much about horse races, partly because all I've heard about them was in French. It would make it harder for a reader that doesn't know much about horses to understand the story, because there aren't definitions or explanations. I understood more or less what the words meant when I continued reading, but the beginning was tiring for me.

Since I was just expecting a horse book, I was surprised to find that it's also a lot about family. July's mother has left them a couple of years ago to be a jockey on the west coat, which her daughters are still not over. July's obsessed with her at the beginning of the novel, but she starts to let go of her, deciding to care about her life instead of her mother's. I was happy to see everything change during the story, because I was angry at her mother, too. Also, I liked how much I got to understand her father's character, because I feel like a lot of the story is based around him, even if he doesn't appear that frequently in the novel.

I liked the romance in this novel, because I think it was necessary to the storyline. Yes, it's adorable and it made me swoon, but it also changed July's thoughs about Lighter, which she couldn't help but dislike, and it made her more courageous and open. I enjoyed seeing her grow like that and I definitely think the story couldn't have been so good without such a good romance. Also, it didn't feel rushed or fake, it just felt natural and romantic. It was perfectly done.

Finally, I think the way it's written made the book perfect. Everything is fluent, well described and perfectly said, which made me enjoy my time reading. The only thing I didn't enjoy as much was how little the races were described, because since I was passionate about them, I would've wanted them to be described from the first second to the last. I understand that they don't take such a long time and that some readers would dislike long descriptions, but I wish they had been at least a bit longer, because then I could've really felt the anxiety and passion.

I highly recommend this to all my horse lover friends. It's a great book and I'm not surprised to see all the high ratings it gets.

(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I did an interview with the author, Mara Dabrishus, which you can find here! Also, check out this post to participate in a giveaway to win this book.