[QUOTE=Kwill;5588509]
The synopsis did not really sound all that appealing, I have to say.
A billionaire’s daughter? hmm. Plot sounds pretty contrived.
Jilly Cooper’s Riders will never be topped, but then it’s not a kids book, and it’s about show jumping.[/QUOTE]
If I was a 14-year-old girl, Jilly Cooper’s “Riders” is exactly the kind of thing I’d want to be reading — like Judy Blume, but with horses! 
[QUOTE=Coreene;5588623]
I hope they were fake daffodils in the jumps. Because they don’t bloom in summer. Just sayin’.
Product placement anyone? That will date the book faster than anything.[/QUOTE]
Already happening; Abercrombie is soooooo last decade.:yes:
LOVE The Perfect Distance!! Buying it in paperback now, as I’ve given it away twice in hardback.
From reading the first few pages, I am not sure the author will gain any sympathy for the misunderstood heiress (who I would assume is supposed to be Georgina herself).
Sigh… Pooooor little rich girl chipped in on her first jump and nobody understands… Ironically she (the author/Georgina) had no problem talking negatively about the “pinto that was trying to do a tiny pre-beginner wanna be-hunter course”. Most likely this book will reaffirm many of the rich people stereotypes- of course that’ll probably just make it more entertaining!
Regardless of whether it is crap or not, I’ll read it. My hope is that it will be popular and will encourage more riders to write. Then maybe one day we will get some really GOOD equine literature.
Fitz (the resident hot guy)! Wants to know if there is a “Fitz” in every barn??? Oh sounds like saddle club but not in the u.k.
So is the first girl- cant remember her name, but the rockstars daughter- supposed to be Jessica Springsteen? And is Georgina supposed to be the girl on the warmblood that chipped? Or was it just a coincidence that the rockstars daughter and the “billionaire who owns half of New York”'s are similar to the two of them?
[QUOTE=InWhyCee Redux;5588681]
And Catherine Hapka is an experienced children’s/YA author. Why anyone felt the need to have Georgina Bloomberg’s name above hers, I have no idea…[/QUOTE]
Credibility and marketing. Eventually, you’re likely to see GB listed as the only author when she has absolutely nothing do with the writing. The format for the stories is obviously cookie-cutter and cookie-cutter writing is not difficult at all to do which is why Tom Clancy has so many books with his name on them despite the fact that he has not had anything to do with the actual story development. In other words, it’s brand-name writing.
Well, obviously “Tommi” is Georgina herself, and I guess Jessica Springsteen didn’t mind having her life so thinly disguised as Zara. It’s so much like The Perfect Distance though it seems we’re going to be treated to the POVs of four people rather than just one. I hope I can like one of them…
I don’t think it’s so badly written as much as that first paragraph introduces us to Zara, whom I’m already not liking. Sorry Jessica!
Reminds me of not-so-great fanfiction. 
Not saying that I could do anything better, but if one of the two is a published professional author…geez, I would have expected better,
OK one more admits to reading the 5 pages…It made me a tad queazy…ugh.
On the topic of horse novels, I have thought for several years that the whole Heather Hargatt story would make a great detective story…
[QUOTE=hntrjmprpro45;5588732]
Regardless of whether it is crap or not, I’ll read it. My hope is that it will be popular and will encourage more riders to write. Then maybe one day we will get some really GOOD equine literature.[/QUOTE]
From a rider who is a wanna-be author… what exactly do we mean by equine literature. Somehow I keep getting this mental picture of Middlemarch but with horses <shudders>. Actually, horse drama might have made Middlemarch almost, ALMOST tolerable.
Anyhow, eventually I have a few ideas that I would like to A) finish and B) then have them published… but they will hopefully be found somewhere on the romance shelves. No good literature here
LOL Didn’t know there were authors, editors, publishers on COTH. And why not? In my BH (Before Horses) years, I was a children’s book author, too and tried for years to get some horse books published with no takers. But this is very interesting esp with Bloomsbury as publisher. If I thought they had “lifted” my story – not the idea for the story or series because you can’t copyright that – I’d get an attorney immediately. Or contact the Author’s Guild in New York. Plagerism exists and an out-of-court settlement is better than nothing.
Most often the person who does the cover has never read the book. Most often the art director who looks at the cover sketches has no technical knowledge of the subject matter. All they want is bright colors, a pretty picture, and good title to sell the book because the bottom line is what helps them to keep their jobs. The author has to care about his/her project and be willing to fight in order to have everything done right and with some class. Sounds like this was not the case here.
[QUOTE=Gnrock25;5588758]
So is the first girl- cant remember her name, but the rockstars daughter- supposed to be Jessica Springsteen? And is Georgina supposed to be the girl on the warmblood that chipped? Or was it just a coincidence that the rockstars daughter and the “billionaire who owns half of New York”'s are similar to the two of them?[/QUOTE]
I’d guess Teddi Jo Mellencamp before Jessica Springsteen.
“hard-working heiress” is an odd phrase. But hey, I could be wrong… probably not… but maybe.
Wow guys, lots of hate. Live and let live
I’m sorry to be negative about any horse-related fiction, but I really can’t get past that cover. It is so terrible. And for something SOOOOO specific about brands and trends (GPA, Charles Owens, A&F) it is hugely glaring.
Don’t authors get to see covers before they are published? I can’t image GB approving that monstrosity. A horse of GB’s would never be caught dead in head gear like that…
[QUOTE=AnonymousMarie;5588830]
“hard-working heiress” is an odd phrase. But hey, I could be wrong… probably not… but maybe.[/QUOTE]
Haha that was the first thing that jumped out at me too. I’m sure there are hard-working heiresses out there, BUT it would be weird to be described as that in the description of a book you wrote. It makes it seem like Georgina asked for that to be put in there!
[QUOTE=InWhyCee Redux;5588684]
If I was a 14-year-old girl, Jilly Cooper’s “Riders” is exactly the kind of thing I’d want to be reading — like Judy Blume, but with horses! ;)[/QUOTE]
Hopefully everyone here has also discovered “French Relations” by Fiona Walker. Great horse characters in the book. And it’s funny.
Also, back on topic, doesn’t Steve Job’s daughter show in the hunters? She would also be a billionare. Have no idea if she is hard working, however.
I think it might struggle. I couldn’t get past the first line. (The loser bit stopped me.) Might have worked better if the first character we meet was more sympathetic.
(Author here too, though my stuff is dark urban fantasy- no vampires though. ;))
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