The Key to the Quarter Pole

Louisa Ferncliff is a fixer. She fixes horses with scrambled eggs for brains and counsels the lost little people on the backstretch of the racetrack. But her own life is a mess of impulsive decisions. Now, as she limps towards retirement with a quirky horse and an unethical protégé, she gets a surprising second chance at happiness.

Robin T. Williams is a humor writer and speaker. She earned an M.A. from the prestigious creative writing program at Hollins University and spent five years as a feature writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she won frequent statewide recognition for her writing, including finalist for UPI's Journalist of the Year. Her first collection of humorous newspaper columns, Chivalry, Thy Name is Bubba, drawn from the Times-Dispatch, The Goochland Free Press and other sources, immediately drew a legion of fans. Her second collection, Bush Hogs and Other Swine, which includes a foreword by Earl Hamner, creator of "The Waltons," has delighted her growing circle of readers. Mystery writer Rita Mae Brown calls Robin "the country Seinfeld." Robin has received numerous awards for her writing. The manuscript for this book received the sixth biennial Best Unpublished Novel award sponsored by Richmond Magazine and James River Writers. Robin served ten years as a commissioner on the Virginia Racing Commission during the early years of racing in Virginia. Six of those years she served as chairman of the commission. She also served on the boards of both trade associations for racing regulators, the North American Pari-mutuel Racing Association and the Association of Racing Commissioners International, where she was the driving force behind the development of the National Racing License. Following two terms on the VRC, Robin became instrumental in founding a chapter of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and serving as president of the national organization. The James River chapter of the TRF operates a highly successful rehabilitation program for prison inmates using rescued ex-racehorses. Robin lives on a farmette in Virginia with her husband and the usual cats, dogs and horses. She is a recovering craftaholic.