Guest Post: Rafferty Lincoln Loves by Emily Williams

RAFFERTY LINCOLN LOVES

by Emily Williams

Guest post

I am delighted to welcome Emily Williams to my blog today. I reviewed Emily's previous novel Letters to Eloise about a year ago and so it was lovely to hear about her new book, which is for Young Adults. Sadly I haven't had a chance to read this book yet, but I've invited Emily along to tell us everything we need to know! So without further ado, I shall hand you over to Emily!

I’m delighted to share with you my new novel Rafferty Lincoln Loves… and why I chose to write the novel and donate the proceeds to the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre.

Why I chose to write about horses…

Horses have been my life for a very long time. My earliest memories were sitting on the pony that lived behind my childhood home when I was around four years old, and then trips through the New Forest (despite being kicked) ignited my passion even more. When we moved to Shropshire, there were again ponies behind the house. I wrote to the owners but sadly, she didn’t want any help with them! I then, around age ten, started visiting a local Victorian farm museum and became a regular. Soon, I knew the family well and was given tasks to help out with day to day running of the farm. I was also able to ride their Shetland pony, Neddy.

This love for horses continued over the years, and I began to help with the farm’s shire horses and rode another pony, a piebald cob, as I’d grown too tall for Neddy. By the time I reached my teens, I was desperate for my own pony and started saving. It wasn’t until I was twenty one that I finally bought her, my beautiful American Quarter Horse mare Profits Red Ridge, aka Bella. She is now retired and has a Welsh Mountain pony Lucy, for company. Bella was the inspiration for the racehorse in the novel, also called Profits Red Ridge but what the teenagers affectionately named Minty, due to his love of mints.

Since childhood, pony stories lined my shelves and I loved the Ginny novels by Patricia Leitch, about the wild Arab Shantih. As a teenager, there were few and far horse related novels that were also age relevant. Often they were aimed at a much younger audience. The Horse Whisperer was the last horse-related fiction book I read before wanting to write my own.

The idea behind Rafferty Lincoln Loves…

The blurb

Rafferty Lincoln doesn't like horses. Not one bit. But when the popular high school girl of his dreams, Liberty Ashburn pulls him into a world of lead ropes and horse brushes, who is he to say no?

Except this isn't any old horse. This is the missing racehorse, Profit's Red Ridge. The horse Rafferty and three of his friends are hiding from the world. And Liberty Ashburn isn’t just any ordinary high school girl. How far will Rafferty go to win her over?

An intense, witty and powerful coming of age story with startling consequences.

The idea for Rafferty Lincoln Loves… developed, previously called ‘The Subtle Art of Keeping a Racehorse’, when I wanted to write for this young adult market. I used to love stories that involved keeping a horse as a teenager especially when parents weren’t involved. It filled a dream I had, knowing full well that I couldn’t afford one back then! I knew I wanted to write for a charity, as this would give me the motivation to finish. I had developed rheumatoid arthritis and after several operations on my hands, arms and wrists, typing had become painful and difficult. With the help of dictation software and the support of the charity, I finished the novel.

The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre was a charity I’d followed since childhood, when I’d read about the centre and its work in a pony magazine. I was delighted when the ambassador of the charity, Frankie Dettori, wrote the foreword to accompany the novel. The novel, released on 14^th February 2018, is my first young adult novel. I’d love to hear what you think about the novel.

About the charity ‘The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre’

The proceeds from the novel ‘Rafferty Lincoln Loves…’ will be donated to The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre.

BTRC is dedicated to improving and promoting the welfare of retired racehorses through education, retraining and suitable rehoming in order to ensure that our Thoroughbreds have a rewarding and valuable life after their racing careers have ended.

Each year thousands of horses leave racing, some because they reach the natural end of their career and others through injury or lack of ability. Established in 1991, The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre was the UK’s first charity dedicated to ex-racehorse welfare, retraining, rehoming and protection for life.

‘It is fantastic to see a contemporary novel for young adults embracing passion and love for horses, as well as advocating for their welfare. Emily’s fast-paced novel not only explores the relationship and incredible bond between horse and rider but also delves into darker aspects relevant to today’s challenging world of growing up. Rafferty Lincoln Loves… deserves to be celebrated for bringing an important cause to the forefront of today’s young adults.’

Frankie Dettori MBE, Ambassador for the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre

‘I am thrilled to have written this novel for the BTRC and to be donating the proceeds to such an important and dedicated charity for the welfare of retired racehorses.’ 

Emily Williams

More about the author

Emily Williams lives by the seaside in West Sussex with her family and a menagerie of small pets. After graduating from Sussex University with a BA in Psychology, Emily trained as a primary school teacher and teaches in a local school. 

Rafferty Lincoln Loves... is her first YA novel after the success of her debut bestselling adult novel, Letters to Eloise, released in 2017.

You can follow Emily on twitter @EmilyRMWilliams and on Facebook on her Emily Williams Author page. Her books are available on Amazon in both paperback and kindle.