Come Running When I Call

2016 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS FINALIST - MEMOIR/OVERCOMING ADVERSITY The door lay in shattered pieces scattered across the floor as my father flipped back his vest to reveal the gun he always carried. “I’m tired of you being so mouthy. You better learn to watch your tone with me.” I stuck my face right in his, leaned in, and yelled at full volume. “Pull the gun!” There came a point when living no longer mattered. It didn’t matter if you lived or died, as long as the torment ended. I never knew if it was Dad’s joy of intimidation, his apparent need to push the boundaries of society as far as possible, or his mental illness that brought him to that point in the spring of ’91. But I knew what had brought me there. It all started on June 1 of 1979, when my mother drove me down to a neighbor’s of ours in rural Dayton, Maine to see a new-born foal and my life changed forever. At the ripe age of nine, I met and fell in love with the horse who would become my best-friend, alter-ego, and confidant for the next twenty-five years. A gripping coming-of-age memoir about finding yourself, over-coming abuse, learning how to value and protect yourself and those you love, but most of all about the power of love and how it can change your destiny.

I'm a Mainer born and bred, so if you ever have the occasion to meet me don't be surprised by the heavy Northern accent. I've never been in a city bigger than Portland, Maine and I have no wish to. I'm a country person down past the bone into the very marrow of me. But even in the country, I don't fit the "normal" mold. I've never hunted animals with anything other than my camera, nor have I raised my own meat or planted a garden. My seven acres of our great country has been given back to nature's hand with not even a lawnmower touching it in the last nine years. The wild grasses, blackberry, and raspberry patches have taken over and I watch the native animals enjoying them on a regular basis. I write poetry, short stories for both children and adults, and science fiction for fun. But I've only ever written one book that could make the world a better place by allowing people to see how special and loyal horses are when they are raised with love. "Come Running When I Call" is my tribute to the most special horse in the world, Trixie, the silly filly and beautiful girl who changed my destiny for the better.