Horse Gods: The Dressage Rider’s Betrayal

Teens

synopsis

Synopsis

A half-wild horse, a Celtic legend, and a teen trying to escape… Regina Hamilton has three months to prove to the courts she can earn a living on her own and avoid going home to her abusive mother—a tall order for a teen with only her riding skills to rely on. Desperate to prove herself, Regina lands a job at an exclusive dressage barn. But when workers start to mysteriously disappear, she becomes ensnared in a web of lies and deceit. With time running out and unsure who to trust, Regina turns to an unlikely trio: an unusual boy who trains hawks, a reclusive professor of Celtic history, and a half-wild red mare. Together they form a bond that will be tested when a long-held secret exposes a much greater threat—and Regina’s the target. To save her horses and her life Regina may have to trust her enemies and betray her friends.

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.

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Author Insight

What's a Villain and Do You Love Them?

Every story has to have a villain. The definition of villain is a character whose evil actions are essential to the plot. Often the villain is another person, but sometimes it is a force within the main character herself. A villain can be anything that keeps the main character from achieving her goals--anything from a natural disaster to a gang of mean girls. In HORSE GODS there are several elements I might call "villains." One I loved was the character Willow. Not wanting to reveal any spoilers, Willow is an unreliable character that keeps the reader guessing whether she can be trusted from one scene to the next. So, does she turn out to be a bad guy after all? You'll just have to read HORSE GODS and find out!

Book Excerpt

Horse Gods: The Dressage Rider’s Betrayal

Willow is nowhere to be found at school. She didn’t show up for Mrs. Navarro’s math class and I looked for her in the halls and cafeteria. Today, her beat-up car is parked in the farthest end of the parking lot, so I know she’s got to be here. I need to talk to her about the glove. Why did she take it, and more than that, why did she slip it in my pack? Now Declan is in trouble with the police because of her.

I’m crouched against Willow’s car, waiting, when she walks up from the other side. She doesn’t see me when I stand up.

“You avoiding me or what?” I ask.