My Obsession
For as long as I can remember, I have loved horses. There is something special about them, the way their muscles jult when they run, how their hair literally flows in the wind. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than those graceful animals.
How It Came To Be
It started at a very young age, my love for the animals, and although there were many reasons for it, I will share the most memorable experience. The first time I can remember feeling moved at seeing horses run was when one of my older brothers and his friend watched Return to Snowy River. (If any of you have not seen this movie and love horses and Australia and romance and anything and everything good in this world, you need to watch it.) I was very young, and, of course, my brother didn't want to have his annoying sisters around, so I stayed in my room which was right next to the livingroom which was where they were watching it.
I remember they sat down and ate lunch as the movie started, and I was instantly intrigued by the beautiful music I heard coming from behind the wall. And then I heard the pounding of horse hooves against solid earth, the whinnies coming from running horses, and the crack of the whip above all else.
I remained silent in the room, trying to hear as much as I could, but it soon got to the point where I couldn't hear enough! So, sneaky as I was at so young an age, I silently walked into the kitchen so my brother would think I was simply moving from room to room, and then I got on my hands and knees and crawled around the livingroom wall. I hunched behind the couch the boys were sitting on and held my breath, praying they wouldn't hear me. When no movement was heard in front of me, I relaxed more, and peered slightly around the couch so I could see the small TV with only my right eye.
And there I sat for nearly two hours, completely enthralled with what I was seeing. The romance in it was superb, the horses were fantastic, and the dirt flying up from the black horse's hooves was empowering! I loved every second of it and was highly disappointed when it came to an end.
So, with a crook in my neck and a sore back, I scurried back into the kitchen, stood upright, and sauntered to my room, proud of myself for my little deception. I didn't feel bad, though I probably should have. Instead, I justified it by telling myself that I would never had been introduced to that wonderful movie if I had not been so sneaky. And to this day, I'm glad I did it! (Sorry to my brother and his friend for the public confession. I hope you can forgive me.)
My Birthday & Christmas Wish
And so it began, my obsession with horses. From that point on, every single birthday and Christmas I celebrated I asked for a horse. Seriously. Every single one. Not one has gone by when I have not asked for a horse. And I still do, and will continue to until my wish comes true! Of course I never expected to get one; I had done my research (even at the young age) to know what they cost. But without fail, just as long as I had asked, my parents would buy me a horse! A stuffed one, that is. But each one I received was still just as precious to me as anything. I still have them all, some fifteen of them, on my bed or in my spare room.
When I started dating my husband, he knew how obsessed I was with the animals, and I didn't even have to ask him to get me a horse (even though I did when he asked what I wanted...I was only joking, of course...), because on my birthday, he took me horseback riding! It was the most wonderful thing ever, and I'll never forget how happy I was!
How I Deal With It
Though it's hard to not have something I desperately want/need, I get by with the wonderful horse presents each year, watching Man From Snowy River, Return to Snowy River, Hidalgo, and the Heartland series constantly, and by, and this is the most obvious to readers of A Secret Fire, including them in my writings!
Spitfire & Sweet Tooth
I knew I wanted to add so much more in A Secret Fire about horses, but I knew it wasn't crucial to the integrity of the novel, so I restrained myself and included what I thought was an adequate amount. I have read stories where the author knows so much about something that he/she puts in an excess amount of information in the story that just bogs it down, and that is not what I wanted to have in A Secret Fire.
So, instead, I only put a few scenes in with Emma and her horse, Spitfire, and Thatcher and his horse, Sweet Tooth. Those are some of my favorite scenes, when a horse is involved, because it adds another dimension, another character, to the storyline. And having an animal be a character always adds another interesting way to see the main characters' behaviors and quirks.
As for choosing the names of the horses, I knew I needed to choose ones that I liked, and that I knew that Thatcher and Emma would've liked, too.
Emma's was named Spitfire because it is the complete opposite of Emma. Emma goes to Spitfire when she needs to unwind and let herself go, and she can only do this with her horse. Having a horse named Spitfire gives Emma some of the courage and strength she needs to let go of her worries at certain times.
Thatcher's was named Sweet Tooth because that is exactly what Thatcher has. He has a hankering for all things sweet, but shows it at only certain points of the novel. Also, described in A Secret Fire, we hear that Sweet Tooth gets his name from eating "a whole bucket of sugar cubes as a colt." This shows that Sweet Tooth, like his master, can't stop himself from eating something sweet and devouring the whole thing!
The End of My Long-Winded Explanation
And so, with having such an obsession with horses, I was able to add another dimension to the characters in A Secret Fire, and I hope you've all been able to see that come about!
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Deborah
Find A Secret Fire at http://www.asecretfire.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment