If it’s ever been said that reading can change a person’s life, Kit Ehrman is proof of that. She went from working for the government to working on a horse farm, all thanks to author Dick Francis.
Now she’s putting her 25 years of horse experiences to use in a new career: as a mystery writer. Her Steve Cline Mystery Series “…blends the beauty of the horse, heart-pounding suspense, and a captivating hero you won’t soon forget.” Her fourth book in the series, Triple Cross, was just recently released. I contacted Ms. Ehrman and asked if she’d be interested in an interview. To my delight, she said, “Yes!”
Here’s what she had to say about her series, horses, her cats, and the affect of them all on her life:
Courtney Mroch: For those not familiar with your mystery series, can you give a little background?
Kit Ehrman: My mystery series is set in the horse world. One of my goals with the series, besides offering a suspenseful read, is to showcase various equine venues and sports such as horse racing, show jumping, polo, eventing, driving. My first book, At Risk, takes place at a hunter/jumper show barn in Maryland. The second, Dead Man’s Touch, takes the reader to the backside of the racetrack, giving a behind-the-scenes look in the barn area during a hot, humid Maryland summer. The third book, Cold Burn, takes place in Virginia on a Thoroughbred breeding farm. The reader gets to see what it’s like to deliver a foal in the middle of a cold winter night. I’ve done all these jobs, so the research was easy. The fourth book, Triple Cross, which just became available in January ’07, returns to the racetrack for the running of the Kentucky Derby. This is racing at its best, and it’s a very different world from the normal, every day job of horseracing with the Derby’s crush of fans and media and the excitement that transforms Louisville and Churchill Downs. I liken it to Louisville’s version of Mardi Gras. My protagonist, or hero, is Steve Cline, a barn manager who has a knack for getting involved in mysteries.
CM: On your website, I read that it was after reading a Dick Francis novel that you switched career paths to work with horses. Did you have experiences with, or a love of, horses before that? Or did his novel affect you that profoundly?
KE: Like many young girls, I loved horses, but I had very little experience with them and never considered a job in the industry until I discovered the work of Dick Francis. In the Frame was the first title of his that I read. After reading every book that he’d published at the time, I quit the government job I’d been working and got a job on a horse farm. I worked in the horse industry and owned horses of my own for almost 25 years thereafter. Quite literally, his novels changed my life. I was so enthralled with the world he portrayed, I had to experience it for myself.
CM: How do your novels both differ from and compare to Dick Francis books?
KE: Well, Dick Francis is the master, of that there is no doubt. I only aspire to write as wonderfully complex, brilliant novels as he does. Where we differ–many of his later works are less grounded in the horse world. They illuminated different industries outside of horse racing or breeding. I’m trying to stick closer to the horse setting. Mr. Francis wrote standalones, using a new protagonist for each novel, except for two returning characters, notably Sid Haley and Kit Fielding. My mysteries are a series, featuring Steve Cline in each new installment. I also am a bit more graphic when it comes to sex scenes and language.
Where we are similar–we both write in first person; we both include a great deal of suspense; and oftentimes, our main character is in grave physical danger.
CM: What is it about horses that enthrall you the most?
KE: They are beautiful, graceful, intelligent creatures who allow us to mold them, bending to our will with an amazing generosity of spirit. Each one has a very unique personality and individual quirks and character. They are very giving creatures. Plus, I love how they smell.
CM: Do you own any horses now? If so, what are their names, ages, breeds, quirks, etc.
KE: My very first horse was a Quarter horse/Arabian. His was a huge fellow, a flea-bitten gray. When I bought him, he was considerably overweight, and his mane was growing out and stuck straight up in the air. He looked like one of those massive bronze statues from the Roman era. I named him Stonehenge, Stoney for short. He was with me until he turned thirty-one. I’ve also owned some lovely ex-racehorses. My last horse was an Appendix Quarter horse mare, a gorgeous chestnut with a beautifully chiseled face and the sweetest personality you could ever imagine. Her name is Dominant Sunshine, a.k.a. Flare. My husband is NOT into horses, so when writing and book promotion took up more and more of my time, I decided to sell my horses. It’s a disservice to own them and not do anything with them. They always received excellent care, but they deserved to be worked and made over and I no longer had the time.
Flare, photo courtesy of Kit Ehrman and used with her permission
CM: Do you have any other pets? If so, what are their names, ages, breeds, quirks, etc.
KE: Two cats “own” my family. Black Cat is, you guessed it, a black domestic short hair. She’s seventeen, and she adores my two boys. She loves the men of the house, especially my youngest son. He’ll often get up from his computer, limping, because the cat has been sleeping in his lap for hours. The other cat is seventeen, as well. The family calls her Gray Cat. This is an absurd result of both cats being around when the kids were young, and they insisted on calling them these silly names. Her “real” name is Snaffle. She is “my” cat. In fact, it often seems as if she’s physically a part of me. When I’m writing, she’s in the chair next to mine, and when she wants attention, she’ll touch my arm with her paw. If I’m not quick enough to respond, she’ll walk on my keyboard. I end up rocking and petting her for extended periods. She also has a heated cat bed on my desk, right behind my flat screen monitor, where she’ll curl up once she’s had enough attention. But at night, she is usually plastered against me while I sleep. She is a beautiful long-haired cat and looks like a tabby with very wide stripes, but I guess she’s technically Calico since she has white on her chest. She’s skittish around the boys since they used to try to catch her in a laundry basket when they were little.
CM: Does either your cat or your horses help with your writing?
KE: Even though I no longer own horses, I still feel connected to them through my writing. All of the horses in the series become their own characters, but many of their quirks or personalities are derived from horses I either owned or worked with. Many of the equine idiosyncrasies are behaviors I observed when I worked the night shift on foal watch, things most people don’t get to witness, like a mare talking to her unborn foal, or a mare talking in her sleep. Those experiences and relationships are very much a part of my writing.
My cat helps me by insisting that I take numerous breaks from the keyboard, which actually works out pretty good because I have time to relax while I’m rocking her and think through what I’m writing or what I’m about to do next.
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Kit’s Cat, photo courtesy of the author and used with her permission
CM: Being a horse person, have you been following Barbaro’s story? If so, any thoughts on it? (Chances he’ll fully recover, surprised he’s made it this long, etc.)
KE: Yes, I’ve been following Barbaro’s story, the game Thoroughbred who broke down in the 2006 Preakness. In fact, his photograph is above my computer. I’ve always had mixed feelings about horseracing. Any sport that’s competitive puts tough demands on the animals who participate—that’s a given whenever humans are a part of the equation. I love Thoroughbreds. I love how intelligent and bold and noble they are, how they try to please us. We push the equine athlete, whether it be racing or eventing or jumping. There’s a tough balance to be maintained, and there are no easy answers. What I do know is this: If we didn’t use horses for sport, most of the wonderful horses we’ve shared our lives with would never have been born. We breed and raise them for a purpose. And another thing I know: It was obvious that Barbaro LOVED his job. He lived for going out on that track and running. As long as they are happy doing their job, and we do everything we can to keep them safe, then I suppose that’s an acceptable balance.
Barbaro will never fully recover, but I hope and pray that he survives. That is not guaranteed. He’s still in a very precarious position, especially since his setback on the evening of January 9, 2007. Dr. Richardson and the staff at the UofPA’s George D. Widener Hospital have done a wonderful job. If you go to my links page you can peruse a collection of Barbaro links that will connect you with updates on Barbaro’s condition, interviews with his doctor and his trainer, Michael Matz, and Barbaro art.
CM: Thanks so much again for agreeing to do this!
KE: Thanks, Court, for this fun chat!