This is not the post I wanted to write today. I know I promised in the last newsletter to give the results of the mini-poll and talk about AI, but I will have to postpone that. I have some sad news, and I don’t want to put off telling you about it because I know many of you have been reading my newsletters for a long time, and you will want to know.
I have made the incredibly hard decision to euthanize my horse, Booker. Learning to care for him has been one of the biggest joys of my life,and a huge inspiration for many of my stories. In fact, Booker is the inspiration for Shin Mei the gelding in Black Annis Year.
I won’t go into the medical conditions that brought us to this point because it won’t make much sense to non-horse people. And I know that horse people will—with good intentions—want to offer advice on how to treat his ailments. Honestly, I don't think I could handle that right now. All though I am certain we are doing the right thing, I continue to second-guess myself, so any advice now, no matter how well-meaning will only add to that distress. Trust me when I say, if there was something to be done, we’ve tried it. For the last year, every day has been a struggle for Booker while he lives in pain. I probably should have made this decision months ago, but I was hopeful that we could rehabilitate him.
If you read Black Annis Year or follow me, you might know about the struggles horse owners face getting vet care in my area. For this reason, I had to schedule Booker’s appointment well in advance. It won’t happen for another few weeks. Until then, rest assured he’s on palliative care and being spoiled.
I won’t post again when it actually happens, because it’s about the same time as my next book launch. I’ll probably be a blubbering wreck behind the scenes, and I’m kind of private about those sort of things.
Making the decision to let Booker go and be pain free has been one of the hardest choices of my life. Oddly, I take comfort from Kyra and Elenna, because I know in my heart, they would tell me it’s the right thing to do, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
Here is my favorite picture of Booker and my daughter, taken about 10 years ago. I choose to remember him this way, so full of life, he seems to shine. I will think of him running in this green meadow.
I have made the incredibly hard decision to euthanize my horse, Booker. Learning to care for him has been one of the biggest joys of my life,and a huge inspiration for many of my stories. In fact, Booker is the inspiration for Shin Mei the gelding in Black Annis Year.
I won’t go into the medical conditions that brought us to this point because it won’t make much sense to non-horse people. And I know that horse people will—with good intentions—want to offer advice on how to treat his ailments. Honestly, I don't think I could handle that right now. All though I am certain we are doing the right thing, I continue to second-guess myself, so any advice now, no matter how well-meaning will only add to that distress. Trust me when I say, if there was something to be done, we’ve tried it. For the last year, every day has been a struggle for Booker while he lives in pain. I probably should have made this decision months ago, but I was hopeful that we could rehabilitate him.
If you read Black Annis Year or follow me, you might know about the struggles horse owners face getting vet care in my area. For this reason, I had to schedule Booker’s appointment well in advance. It won’t happen for another few weeks. Until then, rest assured he’s on palliative care and being spoiled.
I won’t post again when it actually happens, because it’s about the same time as my next book launch. I’ll probably be a blubbering wreck behind the scenes, and I’m kind of private about those sort of things.
Making the decision to let Booker go and be pain free has been one of the hardest choices of my life. Oddly, I take comfort from Kyra and Elenna, because I know in my heart, they would tell me it’s the right thing to do, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
Here is my favorite picture of Booker and my daughter, taken about 10 years ago. I choose to remember him this way, so full of life, he seems to shine. I will think of him running in this green meadow.
I have some responsibilities to show you Book Fair Banners, but other than that, I think we'll forgo any other book promos today. You can always check out my website if you need any info about my books. And The Fair Folk of Mullarkey Page has links to past stories about Booker.
Book Fairs
