Friday, September 16, 2011

New Cover


Just got this cover for my 12th book! Yes, my 12th book will be coming out this next spring—in 2012, how appropriate. The cover is by the very talented Peter Thorpe, who has done most of my covers. I think he did a wonderful job on this one. My son actually came up with the concept of a barn being “struck by lightning” as a play on the title, and Pete did a fabulous job of painting this image and doing the lettering.

“Barnstorming” takes my protagonist, equine veterinarian Gail McCarthy, into some new territory, both as she solves the mystery and in her personal life. Those who have read the series know that Gail starts out in “Cutter” as an eager 31 year old vet who is one year into her career, with a new boyfriend and a new horse. In the first ten installments in the series she ages one year in each book and goes through some important life changes. By “Chasing Cans”, the 10th book, she is 41 and the mother of a young child. (and still has to solve a dramatic mystery on the ranch next door—the woes of an amateur sleuth).

In my last two books Gail ages five years per book, as I wanted to bring her closer to my own age (I’m 54) and write about some themes that interest me now. “Barnstorming” has a lot to do with solitary trail riding and the challenges that come up. And since it is a mystery, Gail faces the challenge that I think all of us secretly wonder about. What if we met a truly nasty person out on the trail? What if that person had a gun?

All my books are very much based on things I’ve seen and done, and all the horses in my stories (and the other critters) are as true to life as I can make them. They behave like real horses (most of them are modeled on my own horses—and those who read this blog will recognize them); they don’t talk, or solve crimes, or defend their master from the bad guys (all of which I have seen and winced at in various novels). Sunny, my little palomino trail horse, has a starring role in “Barnstorming”, as he did in “Going, Gone”.

I will admit that I have been fortunate enough never to have met anyone truly nasty on my many solo trail rides, but I have met some odd/tough looking sorts and certainly had my moments of wondering “what if”, which gave me the seed of an idea for this story. I’m hoping you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

OK, the book is six months away from being published—I guess I shouldn’t go on about it too much. I’m currently in the process of getting my older titles available as e-books and on Kindle, which is taking me awhile, because I don’t have electronic copies of the first ones (written twenty years ago). So by spring that job should be done. In the meantime, here’s a list of my published titles, with a short synopsis of each book. If you would like to own a signed hardcover copy of any of the first eight books, please call my friends Wally and Lynn at Valley Feed (831)-728-2244 and they will send you one for $20, including shipping to anywhere in the continental United States. These older titles are also available online from Amazon etc, but sometimes they are hard to find or expensive. Hopefully by spring you will be able to buy them as e-books—I’m working on it now.

I’m very excited at the thought that these books may become readily available again. I put so much of my life into writing them, and the stories are not only good mysteries (or I think so, anyway), but also reflect a lot of my thoughts about life…and horses. I hope some of you will give them a try.

Here’s the list (I can hardly believe I’ve actually written this many books):

CUTTER: Veterinarian Gail McCarthy thought cutting horse trainer Casey Brooks was being paranoid with his stories of poisoned horses and sabotage, but when his blue roan mare returns riderless and Casey is found dead, she isn’t so sure.

HOOFPRINTS: Gail McCarthy is a horse vet with a hectic schedule, not to mention a horse, a new boyfriend, and a house payment, and her life is more than a little disrupted when she finds two dead bodies in the course of a routine call to a well known reined cowhorse barn.

ROUGHSTOCK: While attending the annual Winter Equine Seminar at Lake Tahoe, Gail finds one of her fellow horse vets dead, and another accused of his murder. The trail leads back to Gail’s hometown, and through the twists and turns of the team roping world, plunging Gail into a confrontation with an unlikely killer.

ROPED: A stalker haunting the ranch of an old friend creates a harrowing personal drama for Gail as she struggles to sort out a mystery involving animal rights and a bitter feud—and win a team roping event at the same time.

SLICKROCK: Gail embarks on a solitary pack trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with just her two horses and her dog for company. All too soon she stumbles upon a soon-to-be-dead man, and is drawn into the whirlwind of nefarious events that precipitated the tragedy.

BREAKAWAY: Faced with a depression and some big life changes, Gail struggles to find the right path as she is confronted with the strangest mystery she has ever heard of.

HAYBURNER: Gail is called out to treat injured horses when the biggest boarding stable in the county catches fire. When a second barn fire occurs nearby, Gail finds herself in the middle of the search to catch the arsonist—before any more horses or people die.

FORGED: Gail’s horseshoer is shot in her barnyard, while shoeing her horse, embroiling Gail in a dangerous attempt to capture an elusive killer.

MOONBLIND: Gail’s cousin Jenny, who runs a Thoroughbred layup farm, complains of mysterious villains who are out to destroy her business—and harm her horses. While trying to support Jenny, Gail discovers this threat is all too real.

CHASING CANS: Legendary barrel racing trainer Lindee Stone is killed when a horse flips over backwards with her. The cops are calling it an accident, but Gail witnessed the wreck and thinks there is something fishy about it.

GOING, GONE: While on a vacation in the Sierra foothills, Gail finds that her old boyfriend, Lonny Peterson, is accused of murdering a local auctioneer. In an attempt to save Lonny, Gail ends up in a harrowing horseback race with a ruthless killer.

And to be released Spring 2012, BARNSTORMING: In which Gail, on a solitary trail ride, discovers a fellow equestrian shot through the heart, and embarks on an intense hunt to discover why violence is haunting her local trails.

11 comments:

Dreaming said...

The cover is very inviting... in smacks of mystery and intrigue! Congrats on your 12th book!

Linda Benson said...

Congrats on your 12th book, Laura! And awesome that you're working on getting the older ones released as e-books. It's a whole new world out there in publishing right now, huh?

Laura Crum said...

Thank you Dreaming. I can hardly believe I've written twelve books.

Linda--Yes, it is a whole new world, which I am slowly waking up to. It never occurred to me I would need digital copies of my books. I figured once they were published by a major publisher it was all a done deal. Right? Wrong.

horsegenes said...

Can't wait for the new book!

Kind of along the same subject but not... When you ride solo or when you used to do a lot of packing etc. did you care a handgun? I went riding with some friends a couple of weeks ago on the PCT and was kind of surprised when we got back to the trailers to learn both of them were packing guns. They both have concealed weapons permits so it was completely legal. But it made me go hmmmmmm.....

Jami Davenport said...

Laura, I had to delete my last comment because I didn't finish my commment. I'm so excited that you are putting your books out there in digital format. Now I can read all of them on my Nook, which is where I do all my reading anymore. Will the latest one be released in digital format, too?

There are some really good sites on self-publishing if you'd like me to send you some links.

Mrs. Mom said...

Looks great Laura! Cant wait to read it!!!

12 books. That is pretty darn great! I admire your ability to keep sharing the adventures of Gail and her family with us. Heres hoping we see many more!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations - that's a real achievement! Can't wait to read more . . .

Laura Crum said...

kel--I always had a gun when I packed in the mountains for multi-day trips--for a variety of reasons. I don't carry one when I trail ride around here-I can't see myself trying to fire it off my horse (!)

Jami--My last four books-- Moonblind, Chasing Cans, Going, Gone and Barnstorming-- are available on Kindle. And I think as e-books. Does this work for a "Nook"? I am really am clueless about this stuff.

Thank you Mrs Mom--I appreciate your support very much.

And thank you, Kate--I'd love to get your feedback on the next book.

Alison said...

Congrats on Book 12 coming out, Laura. It sounds so interesting.

I would also love to know if Kindle/Nook books are interchangeable, and who owns and loves which. Anyone out their have comments? Christmas is coming and the devices are on my and my daughter's minds.

Leslie said...

Looking forward to reading Barnstorming! Sounds like an interesting plot. I've enjoyed Gail's adventures! Glad she's got a few more coming around the bend. I like the idea she's over fifty, especially since I turned fifty in March this year.

Personally, I don't have a problem with guns,it's the people behind them you have to be careful about, but maybe that'll be the point in the story. My husband and I carry whenever in the woods. He has a CC,so he carries beyond our property.I haven't taken the class yet. I like to say I carry, but I'm not concealing,but that's only on our property.We have 60+ acres of forest/wooded hills. We've both been raised around guns and are respectful gun owners,taught our sons as well.

Interesting about getting your earlier titles into digital. That could bring even more readers! Congratulations on the hard work payback!

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