False Gods: The Show Jumper's Challenge

Teens

synopsis

Synopsis

Cory Iverson's junior year is off to a lousy start. Publicly humiliated by the school's hottest guy and terrorized by a bullying band director, Cory flees sports try-outs and just about everything else she begins, earning a reputation as a loser as well as a quitter. But when her wandering dog leads her to the barn of a former Grand Prix rider, she finds a welcome refuge in the familiar world of horses. It's not too long before she starts dreaming of showing in one of the country's most prestigious shows--a totally unrealistic hope--until she rescues a mysterious horse with some unusual talents. But her road to success is littered with roadblocks as events spin out of control: prescription painkillers appear in her mother's purse; her ballerina sister wastes away before her eyes; her boyfriend is keeping secrets; and her normally opinionated trainer becomes strangely evasive. Worst of all, the horse show world is not what she imagined. It isn't long before Cory's winning spree attracts the attention of a brutal trainer with a string of unexplained horse deaths in her wake. When Cory lands in the crosshairs, she has to decide if she'll once again back down and flee or stand up for herself, her horse, and her dreams.

bio

Author Biography

Inspired by everyday miracles, L.R. Trovillion weaves magical stories of hurting people who find hope through horses in her Maryland Equestrian Novel series. Although she earned a degree in Russian and spent a career in government service, her real love has been caring for and working with horses. That love shines through in her series, focusing on the healing power of horses in the lives of teens facing complex and sometimes dangerous family situations. Believing there is more to this world than meets the eye, she adds a dash of the supernatural to each story. L. R. Trovillion lives on a small horse farm in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and several animals that really run the place. Her other works have appeared in Baltimore magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and various poetry anthologies.

website

Author Insight

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Winter is my enemy, I've decided. It's out to get me. If you hate the cold like I do, you're in good company. Seasons and the weather often act almost as characters in my stories because they are such a big part of my life as a horse owner. In the winter, we battle frozen water buckets, heavy, dirty horse blankets, having to remove gloves to work buckles and clasps... In the spring, it's mud, in the summer, flies. You get the idea. But Winter! It wins the prize. The other day I tossed a water bucket onto the ground to break the ice out. It flipped, then crashed to the ground, spraying chunks of ice and frigid water all over the front of my jacket, down my pants, into my boots. But I had to finish the chores in the 5 degree temps. When I went in the house, I couldn't get out of my coat--the zipper was frozen! Like I said, Winter is my enemy.

Book Excerpt

False Gods: The Show Jumper's Challenge

After the performance, the wind had picked up. Trash flew down the sidewalk, hitting Cory on her legs before she brushed it aside and watched it flutter along the ground. The back of her coat was plastered against her legs as she pulled the front closer around her.

“Hurry up, I’m freezing,” she called to Kevyn over the howling wind.

Kevyn struggled with the keys in the lock, then pulled the door open for Cory. It nearly ripped out of his hands as it ground against its hinges. She jumped into the truck, and the two of them pushed and pulled the door shut. She leaned over and unlocked his door, the freezing air swirling around her legs before he slammed it shut.

“Let’s get the heater going.” Kevyn started the truck and leaned over, fiddling with the dials. “Unfortunately, it takes a little while to warm up.”

“That’s okay,” Cory said. “I have you to keep me warm.”