Why This Book? Boys Ride Too!

I will be honest, after four books featuring girls and horses, I had no intention of writing a book featuring a boy. I have nothing against boys, I just did not feel I could do a boy book justice. After all, I raised a girl. What could I possibly know about boys?

I dodged the boy book for as long as I could. After event after event of parents asking me where the book was for boys, I decided it was time to write it.

Sounds easy? Not really. Most of my books start with an idea or are based on something that has happened. Take for instance my book Show Day. This one is about the young riders sharing a horse at a horse show after one of the girl’s horses was injured. While Show Day isn’t exactly what happened, I used it as inspiration for the book. I was feeling that inspiration for the boy book was never going to strike when I suddenly remembered something Lizzie’s trainer used to say to the girls when her son would ride with them.  “Boys Ride Too!”

And I had it. A story about a boy who loves horses and wants to learn to ride, but his friends tease him, saying riding is for girls. But he is determined.

Even with the idea in hand, I still struggled through this book. It took me over a year to get this one from start to finish. I admit I parked it for some time and worked on another project. Sometimes writer’s block hits even when we write illustrated books.  When I finally thought I had the story together and most of the illustrations done, I put it together and found some holes that I had to patch up.

In the end, a new character and his horse have joined the Cowgirls on their adventures. Be on the lookout next year for a new book featuring the girls and boy and their horses!