Born to Run
I'm happy to have author Ann Hunter here to talk about her book Born to Run.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
I remember being in first grade and writing a story about a rabbit pulling a carrot out of the ground. I drew a little action "kapow" around the word POP, and my teacher really liked that. I also remember my aunt giving me this gorgeous book on Shakespeare's works when I was, like, 4, and I desperately wanted to know what the words said. Needless to say, I was reading Shakespeare by age 6.
But it wasn't until I was ten that I truly realized the power of words, when I had to write my first official story. The words poured out of me as though they came from somewhere else. They weren't mine. My hand couldn't keep up with my brain. I spent the next 6 years writing 20 novels in the same fashion.
What would you say has been the most difficult scene to write in the North Oak series, and why?
Every book has its most challenging scene. I want the books to MEAN something to the reader. I'm writing them so today's youth have a heroine to look up to who is going through many of the same scary issues they face daily.
North Oak #6: Dark Horse forced me to look at my own demons though, and was very hard to write. I didn't want to deal with my own depression that Alex, my main character, had to face. A lot of the books in the series have multiple points of view, but Dark Horse only had Alex. I wanted the reader to feel alone, because that's a big part of depression. You can be in a room full of people who are crazy about you and still feel alone.
In North Oak #5: Far Turn, I made myself cry. I won't give spoilers, but it was a funeral scene and I chose the song "I Can Only Imagine" as they played the life video of the departed. That was tough.
You dive into some pretty tough youth issues in your series—bullying, suicide, and sexuality, for a start. Are these things you wanted to discuss through your stories, or did the themes just appear because of what the characters were going through?
A little of both I think. I knew today's youth were facing some scary stuff, and I wanted to give them someone to look up to. I want them to find me someday and say "You wrote this for me." And I'll hug them and say "I know."
Especially the LGBTQ+ community. There's nothing else like North Oak on the market. I pray every night before I write that I'll be a vassal for what the Lord wants His youth to hear. And it's love. Everyone deserves love.
What is the randomest thing you’ve done to research something for a writing project?
With North Oak, I'm constantly researching interesting stuff. When you write what you love, researching turns into a geek fest. I have books on the aerodynamics of race riding, how it's changed over history, and so on. I recently had to research how a jockey actually becomes a jockey (all the laws and fitness testing, etc). You'd be amazed at what they go through.
And although I love my contemporary teen series, I enjoy my fantasy writing as well-- because you make your own rules.
Your writing deals with horses. What is your craziest horse story?
Perhaps my author bio for North Oak. I used to run around barefoot and half-naked with a herd of Arabian horses my parents bred when I was little. #truestory
Those really early years was when I learned all my fundamental horsemanship-- by being kicked, bitten, chased and trampled like any other naughty foal.
Second craziest horse story? That one was how I became a published author at age 12. For English we had to write a short story. Naturally, being the horse crazy girl I was, I chose to write about a horse. My teacher ended up flunking me because the story wasn't written and formatted the way she wanted. My reading teacher noticed how down I was and asked what was wrong. So I told him. He asked to see the story. I gave it to him... and didn't see it for a few weeks after.
The next thing I know I'm being called to the principal's office. Why? Because that story had gone from the reading teacher, to the librarian, to the 8th grade English teacher (who was a published romance author) and brought to the head honcho's attention. It got published in the paper, in full, and went on to win local awards.
I was transferred out of that flunky teacher's class, and she later apologized to me the following year.
REGARDING NORTH OAK: I do want to say it's not just a horse series. I set out with a mission to tackle the really hard, scary issues teens are facing today. The last few books have dealt with bullying, sexuality, depression, and suicide. The horses play more of a backdrop to the drama. Sometimes they even help teach important lessons about miracles and finding yourself.
I hope you'll give the series a try. There's nothing else like it on the market!
BTR links:
***
SERIES PAGES: AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MPDR72J?ref=series_rw_dp_labf BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/ann+hunter+north+oak?_requestid=1862889 KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=North%20Oak&fcsearchfield=Series&seriesId=091c7fab-78cb-57d3-8d7b-50fe9d17b2a0 APPLE IBOOKS: https://books.apple.com/us/author/ann-hunter/id792888890 GOOGLE PLAY: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=north%20oak%20ann%20hunter&c=books
ABOUT NORTH OAK:
North Oak champions tough issues kids and teens are facing today, such as bullying, suicide, and sexuality, all set against the exciting fast-paced world of horse racing.
BORN TO RUN (book 1) He lost a sister. She lost a child. Alex lost everything.
Alexandra Anderson is on the run from the law. When the thirteen-year-old orphan can run no further, she collapses at the gates of the prestigious racing and breeding farm, North Oak. Horse racing strikes a deep chord in her. She hears a higher calling in the jingle jangle of bit and stirrup and in the thunder of hooves on the turn for home. It tells her she has a place in the world. But when the racing headlines find her on the front of every sports page, she realizes North Oak is no longer a safe haven.
Money can't buy love, but it just might secure Alex's future. Will everyone at North Oak still want to offer her a home when they learn of her unspeakable crime? On the heels of Joanna Campbell’s beloved Thoroughbred Series, and Walter Farley’s Black Stallion, comes a brand new young adult horse racing series that will sweep you away like a runaway Thoroughbred.
About the Author:
Ann Hunter is awesome and hilarious. She loves mentoring other writers and has a soft spot for kids and teens. She is often told it must be a blast living in her brain. She argues that the voices in her head never shut up. The only way to get relief is to let them out on to the page.
She lives in a cozy Utah home with her two awesome kids and epic husband.
The North Oak paperbacks do a trick! https://youtu.be/KGQ5UZR7rbU
