I'm not going to try and outdo myself on this one in terms of speed. I'll just write every day and whatever happens will happen. I'm in between jobs again, (it seems to be a pattern for 2023) and thought I would just sort of crank out another novel. This one is a drama. It's not associated with the others, it's just sort of loosely designed the same as "Edinburgh" in that the characters will be friends, and I'm again using my own friends as guinea pigs because they really don't mind, and they have such diverse ways, means, and mannerisms. I could write a book on each one of them if I wanted to.
In this book Jule Armstrong, a character based on myself, is an Insurance Adjuster, and an author. She's also the owner of a newly opened horse ranch in Oklahoma County, just before you cross the County lines of Canadian County and Kingfisher County. It's up there in the Cashion, Crescent, far west end of Piedmont sort of - - we call it "No Man's Land" but it is becoming more populated. It was once only cattle and wheat but today there are more housing developments. The ranch survived quite a bit (in the book) and will be reopened as both a barn to facilitate English and Western riders, but it also be my character's daughter's place of residence and employment. She will be a Mustang horse trainer, a former barrel racer, and pole bender who refuses to give lessons. We have a trainer at the barn to give lessons, but that's going to be part of the plot so I won't say too much today.
Jule has three kids, and I have three kids. She's younger than me, and therefore, her children are a bit younger as well. Her son Ethan Alexander Armstrong is a military man. He's a career enlisted sort that moves up in rank and volunteers for several overseas missions. Her daughter Melora Grace Armstrong is determined, dogged, and trustworthy. She's the barrel racer and trainer. Her other daughter (unnamed as of this date) will be the younger, and the more worldly, the traveler, the other writer in the family. She may be married, or she may have kids. I have no idea. I'll figure it out as I go.
Bay Sorrel Ranch is a drama novel. It takes place mainly in Oklahoma but has flashbacks to a time when the characters moved to Indiana, and there will be a few European events that the characters recall. The drama is horse-related for the most part. If you've never been inside a fast-paced competitive horse barn, you may not realize how the amount of drama that takes place in one day could fill a few pages in anyone's book. Girls can be the worst of the worst to themselves, to their "friends" as well as to their opponents or competition. If you've seen "Mean Girls" with Lindsay Lohan, you'll understand a bit of it. Think Mean Girls meets Rodeo, and then throw in a bit of murder, mayhem, muscle, and music. That's the storyline of Bay Sorrel Ranch.
The name, by the way, comes from a joke. Years ago, I told my daughter Laura I was going to open up a Mustang rescue ranch and call it the Bay Sorrel Ranch since all the horses we seemed to find to rescue were either bay or sorrel in color. For years we only had bay or sorrel horses! It's also fun to say it's the "BS" ranch...you know, it's sort of along those lines too. Things happen that NO ONE would believe, and everyone has to imagine because it's right in front of their faces; sometimes on camera. I'm having fun. I've written the first chapter tonight, and I'll write again tomorrow after I run a few errands before noon. I think if I had to think about it, I could be finished by my birthday, which is also my new character's birthday, November 22. She'll turn 55. Such a baby!
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