Stay the Distance

July Carter’s world is perfect from the back of a horse. From the ground, everything is a complete mess — her jockey mom ran off years ago and July’s certain she could come home at any moment. So certain she puts her life on pause, working with the racehorses after high school instead of preparing for college, like she’d planned. All to see a glimpse of her mother, maybe, one day.Although she’s taught herself not to get attached, July can’t help connecting with Kali, a hopeless filly that refuses to run when it counts. July is determined to save Kali from the claiming races, although with bankruptcy rumors swirling the future looks more uncertain than ever.July can’t stand losing one more thing, but when she finds herself facing what she wants the most she’s not sure what to do. Are you defined by what you have, or how you act? How can July have a future when all she can think about is the past?

Mara Dabrishus is an author and librarian at a small college in Northeast Ohio. Horse racing is her first great love, but for the past several years she's ridden dressage, learning how to spiral in, half halt, and perform the perfect figure eight. For more information, please visit www.maradabrishus.com.