HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I wonder how many of us will say yes: did you
play with horses when you were a girl? You know we had real ponies and horses
when I was growing up—we had to clean out stalls before we took our morning
showers before school. (And I still have a scar on my leg from a rambunctious
ride that did not end well. )
 |
| Not mine--but I definitely had these! |
I also had about, well, fifty million plastic ones,
of all sizes and types. Mostly hunters and jumpers and dressage, but also some with
Western saddles and gear. And I read every horse book, from the Connemara
McGuire books (Golden Sovereign and Silver Birch? And more? Did you read
those?) to the Black Stallion and Misty and Flicka and I know you will all
remind me of more.
I can’t wait to hear what you
all thought of horses when you were..11? Ish?
But some of us were lucky enough to maintain our equestrian life as
adults. How cool is that? And I am so
delighted to introduce you all to the amazing Kari Bovee. And her pals. And how horses changed her
writing life!
By Kari Bovee
I’m so excited to be with you
here on Jungle Red! Thank you so much, Hank, and the rest of you lovely Reds
for inviting me spend some time with you and your readers.
I’ve just come inside in beautiful
Corrales, New Mexico where I have been playing with one of my beloved horses. I
honestly don’t know what I would do without these amazing creatures in my life.
They have consoled me, inspired me, excited me, and at times took me wayyyyy
out of my comfort zone, for which I am grateful.
My love affair started with
horses when I was very young. My father traveled quite a lot for business, and
he would always bring home a present for my brother and me. I don’t remember
what my brother received, but for me, it was books. One time, he brought home Misty
of the Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry, and I was spellbound. Several more
of her books later, I also became enchanted with Walter Farley’s Black Beauty
series. These reading adventures set me on a course that would forever change
and enhance my life in ways I never imagined.
Although I loved reading
about these majestic creatures, I had no desire to ride them. They were other
worldly to me, and quite scary. But, my mother, seeing how much I loved the
books, decided I would benefit from riding lessons. So, she marched her
terrified eleven-year-old daughter to the neighborhood stables. My instructor
assured me I would come to no harm, and she set me upon her prized horse, an
Arabian mare named Fahar. And then, the magic happened. I was in love!
From then on, I ate, drank,
slept, and dreamed of horses. After a year of lessons, I got my first horse,
and there have only been a few years in my life since that I did not have at
least one equine companion. I’ve competed in almost every horse showing
discipline, and have also spent the last decade studying natural horsemanship,
horse behavior, and equine psychology. And, I still have so much to learn.
It was only fitting that I
should feature horses in my novels. When I started researching the iconic Annie
Oakley for my Annie Oakley Mystery Series, I found that she did
oftentimes perform on horseback, but it was never clear if she had a special
horse in her life. So, I decided to bestow one upon her with the creation of
Buck – a buckskinned beauty who was fashioned after one of my horses, Hi
Handsome CCR, an Arabian Quarter Horse Palomino.
Handsome is what we in the
horse biz refer to as “my heart horse.” I have had the pleasure of being his
human for almost fifteen years, and he has taught me so much about love,
compassion, patience, and most importantly, about myself. Horses are often a
mirror—and in them we see the parts of ourselves that we can rejoice in, or in
many cases, what we need to work on.
When I was writing Grace in the Wings, the first book in my Grace Michelle Mystery series which
takes place in New York City, 1920’s on Broadway, I wanted to somehow
incorporate a horse into the story. So I sent Grace on a transcontinental train
trip out West, where she encounters a lovely Palomino named Golden Ray of
Light. I won’t give any spoilers here, but suffice it to say, the spritely mare
makes an impact on the talented costume designer turned Ziegfeld star.
It’s hard to imagine what
life, or my books, would be without horses in them. These spiritual, magical
beings have infused themselves into my heart and into my soul. They are where I
go when I am jubilant and inspired, or when I am disheartened and need to
escape from some of the harsh realities of life. And, they have made me a more
complete and fulfilled person, which is really what this journey of life is all
about.
Is there someone, or
something, that you cannot imagine having in your life? That very special
person, animal, or thing that rounds you out as a person and is completely essential
to your well-being? I’d love to hear about it!
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh great question! Love this, Kari! What say you, dear Reds
and readers? Horses? Past of present? Or
who’s your essential companion?
Empowered women in history, horses, unconventional characters, and
real-life historical events fill the pages of Kari Bovée’s articles and
historical mystery musings and manuscripts.
An award-winning author,
Bovée was honored as a finalist in the Historical Fiction category of
the 2019 Next Generation Indie Awards for her novel Girl with a Gun. The
book also received First Place in the 2019 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards in
the Mystery/Crime category, and received the 2019 Hillerman Award for Southwest
Fiction. She was also a finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical
Fiction category for her novel Peccadillo at the Palace. Her novel Grace
in the Wings finaled in the unpublished Romantic Suspense category of the 2012 LERA Rebecca
contest, the 2014 NTRWA Great Expectations contest, and the RWA 2016 Daphne du
Maurier contest. The novel was released in September of 2019.
Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune 500
Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and has worked
in the education field as a teacher and educational consultant. She is the
author of the Annie Oakley Mystery Series and the Grace Michelle Mystery
Series.
She and her husband, Kevin, spend their time between their horse
property in the beautiful Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, and their condo on
the sunny shores of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
