"A Filly Called Easter"

"This book is full of inspiring themes - redemption, loyalty, trust, friendship. This is truly a wonderful book. It is a great book for all ages, not just Young Adults. I for one thought it the best in the series and loved every minute of it." Goodi Niosi, The Star

"This book is a must for all those who are thinking of breeding their mare for the first time or any child interested in how a foal is born." BBobsien, DVM

"A Filly Called Easter" is a story for all ages, especially for those who believe in miracles. The characters are believable, the writing tight, the dialogue crisp, and the topic well researched. Easter's struggle through her pregnancy and the birth of her foal is both moving and inspirational. Easter's pregnancy is based on a "real" mare's experiences; although, many faucets of her medical condition have been simplified in the name of literacy. A veterinarian should be consulted at all times before trying any of the life-saving methods discussed in this novel.

Excerpt:

Linda scooted around a tall pile of hay bales, then skidded to a stop. There were dozens of wooden railed pens filled with scrawny, mangy cattle and horses. The sharp overhead lights made every rib stand out. Men with downcast faces and eyes wandered about the pens, their shoulders slumped in defeat. Slim boys in stained jeans and gum-boots forked hay into the pens. The cattle and horses kicked and bit their neighbors, fighting for the feed. Tears filled Linda's eyes. It was clear that many ranchers had tried to hold out through the winter but hadn't made it...sad eyes and racks of ribs was the result!

She slowly walked by the pens of thin cattle and thanked God that they had two really good cuttings of hay last year. Her mother complained that her father was a Scrooge, but now Linda was grateful for it.

She kept her eyes to the ground until she rounded the corner and reached the first of the horse pens. She stopped and looked over the stall door. Six rangy mustangs looked back at her, their eyes filled with mistrust, their mouths filled with hay. She reached over the gate and tried to scratch a dark bay filly with a half-moon on her forehead, but the horse spooked backwards and almost toppled over a big bay gelding.

"You won't do. You're way too spooky," Linda said sadly.

She glanced at the horses in the pens she passed, but none of the horses seemed worth a second look. She dodged a chap with a wheelbarrow, clipped him on the elbow and muttered an apology. She raced on until she found her way to the horse in question.

The filly popped her head over top of the stall door and whinnied at Linda. Linda skidded to a stop, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open at the sight of the dark palomino before her. The filly's eyes were big and round; they regarded her with a calm intelligence. She had a white blaze down the middle of her face and a luxurious white mane and tail.

"Wow! You're beautiful!" Linda exclaimed.

Linda stroked the filly's nose. The horse snorted, dipped her head back inside her stall, then lifted it back up, her mouth filled with hay. She nuzzled Linda's hand gently, then reached over the door and looked down the aisle, fascinated by all the hubbub going on around her.