When we first married, my husband was a part owner of a thoroughbred race horse. The filly named Paul’s Gold won 13 races and placed in others before being sold as a broodmare. We still have photos hanging in our garage of her winning races.
Racing is an old sport. It’s full of both glamour and despair. Some call it a rich man’s sport. A good horse certainly isn’t cheap to either purchase or train. I remember going to the yearling sales as a child. It was an all day thing and my brother, sister and I went with our parents when they were looking for a horse to purchase. We were told to behave and not to fidget while the auctions took place. I took my parents’ stern warnings to heart and was always afraid to move in case I purchased a horse by mistake. They are beautiful animals, and I decided a while ago that I wanted to find a way of putting horses into a book.
HOUSE OF THE CAT is that book, except I don’t think a trainer from Earth would recognize the horses on the planet Ornum.
My hell-horses are black in color and look more like overgrown hyenas than their Earth counterparts. They’re savage beasts and eat meat as well as vegetation. They’re also very intelligent and are man-killers. Jockey Camryn O’Sullivan has her work cut out for her trying to train a hell-horse to win the Dowry Derby.
Buy your copy of House of the Cat from Ellora’s Cave today. 
Have you ever attended the races and did you enjoy them?
NEWSFLASH
I’m blogging over at Access Romance today about ideas and where I find them for my books. Here’s the link.
Related posts:
October 14th, 2009 at 4:21 am · Link
Hi Shelley :)
Thank you for sharing today. That must have been great, having a horse in the races. I love the concept of a hell-horse.
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
October 14th, 2009 at 5:20 am · Link
Sounds like an intriguing concept! I’ll have to check it out. I’ve never been racing but I was raised around rough quarter horse stock as a girl. My aunt owned a farm and cattle.
Jaime
October 14th, 2009 at 7:56 am · Link
Looks interesting! But sadly it’ll have to wait until Friday. Hugs my friend!
October 14th, 2009 at 8:37 am · Link
I love the races. But you’re right, it is an old-money sport. Which is too bad because the sport is dying.
October 14th, 2009 at 8:59 am · Link
I love the races. My grandfather would take me to Woodbine and Greenwood (before it shut down) to watch harness racing.
Yes, he had a bookie and was gambling but he was such a “top” VIP winner he was always in the “nice” areas of the track. Frankly, I just liked watching the racing.
You are on fire with your releases lately. Go you!
October 14th, 2009 at 9:57 am · Link
I’d have been right there with you, terrified I’d actually buy a horse — but wanting to do it so badly, I’d be temped to move, just to see what would happen if I won…
October 14th, 2009 at 11:33 am · Link
I’ve never been around horses, although I think they are beautiful animals.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:37 am · Link
Happy release day, Shelley! I’ve never attended the races, but it’s exciting watching horses run and move–they’re gorgeous in motion!
October 14th, 2009 at 12:43 pm · Link
Susan – oh, yes. It’s very tempting to jump up and down and shout at the auctioneer to pick me! There’s a yearly sale near us and sometimes hubby and I pop in to window shop. It is very tempting!!
October 14th, 2009 at 12:45 pm · Link
Amy – I enjoy watching both harness races and the gallops. In November each year New Zealand and Australia practically close down for the running of the Melbourne Cup. Most offices run sweepstakes and it’s a lot of fun.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:47 pm · Link
RK – I hope others enjoy my concept as well.
Jaime – Quarter Horses are beautiful. It’s weird because my father has always had horses. He’s almost 80 and he rides his horse on a regular basis. I like and admire horses, but I work better with my feet firmly on the ground!!
October 14th, 2009 at 12:48 pm · Link
Amy –
I loved the photos…
Catherine – racing is alive and well down this end of the world.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:50 pm · Link
Mary – my father rang me up the other day really excited about the new foal they have. I haven’t seen it yet, but I must go armed with my camera when I do. It sounds like a real cutie.
Fedora – thanks so much! We have a lot of picnic race meetings where you go with your family and a picnic lunch. It’s fun, although I haven’t been for ages.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:18 pm · Link
I’ve never been to the races, I think the horses are beautiful though.