Trouble at OverTrails Farm follows a group of friends as their day of therapeutic horse riding turns into a murder investigation. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

As a psychologist for decades, I worked with many disabled adults who had amazing strengths, sometimes hidden, despite having physical and/or intellectual difficulties. Therapeutic riding addresses physical, attentional, and emotional difficulties, and the program fits nicely into the horse country of central Virginia. The young friends are physically active and emotionally engaged, and I wanted to showcase Alex’s special strength of attunement with animals, especially the horses at OverTrails Farm.

What made this setting the right backdrop for a story about justice and friendship?

Humans tend to label people, problems, and things, including those who differ from the norm. Labels are broad, “convenient” categories that miss the fine details of individual differences and often portray the negative aspects of a group. Using common labels provides an opportunity to blame scapegoats for wrongdoing. While this tendency is common, there is incredible power in friendship and loyalty, along with the strength of a supportive community.

How did you construct the mystery without losing sight of the emotional stakes?

I began with the outline of showcasing Alex’s strength of loyalty to his friend and neighbor, Nina. (This was first described in my first novel of this “journey” series, in which they each protected one another from a local bully.) The initial outline included Alex’s development from a recipient of riding instruction to a volunteer support person for other students. My belief is that Alex is going to become a valued member of his community. With that idea as the premise, I inserted the stories of other troubled individuals who fall prey to their own mistakes, ultimately casting blame on Alex, a presumed easy target

What conversations did you hope Alex’s storyline would inspire among readers?

How do we miss attending to the whole person in our relationships?

How do we provide genuine loyalty and support to those around us?

What assumptions have we made about others in the past that were faulty and premature?

What do we assume about our own weaknesses, and what do we need to do to focus on and develop our strengths?

How do we become the hero of our own story?

Author Links: Website | Amazon