by Toni Shiloh
I’ve always thought horses were beautiful. There’s something majestic about their stance and form, and watching them run is captivating. Though I was born and raised in Texas, I’ve only been on a horse once in my life. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from dreaming about a Black woman riding her horse across lands that could only be found in Kentucky.
I’m not sure why the thought entered my mind. Does any writer know why some ideas land in their laps and others have to be brainstormed into fruition? Regardless, I couldn’t stop thinking about this woman. I knew she was raised in Kentucky. I knew she wanted to win the Derby with her horse, but she was not a jockey. I knew her best friend would be instrumental in that process and that she would be in love with him. I even knew her parents were Caucasian and had adopted her from Africa when she was younger.
But that’s all I knew.
So I filed the information away and went on with my current writing project. Fast forward a couple of years to the day my editor wanted new stories from me. I went back to that file to see if any of the tucked away ideas sparked my interest. And then I saw it. I’d labeled the idea For the Roses because that was a Kentucky Derby term.
I wrote up that idea and a couple of others and turned them into my agent who sent the proposal to my editor. Voila, the Love in the Spotlight series was born. The book I’d been calling For the Roses was retitled A Run at Love, and my own race started. I had to research the Kentucky Derby and all things equestrian. I wasn’t just a novice, I was completely ignorant.
But when I was feeling hopeless and thought my story wouldn’t go as planned, God put the perfect person in my life. She introduced me to an equestrian who answered all my horseracing questions and then some. This woman read the first draft of my book and complimented me on my research. She literally saved the day. She helped me realize that God had me. He wouldn’t let me get over my head in a story without sending a life raft.
Now that story about a beautiful Black woman who loves horses and her best friend is out in the world. When you read it, I hope you see God’s handiwork between the pages. I’m only a vessel, but I worked hard to make sure horse enthusiasts, Derby fans, native Kentuckians, and others would be pleased with my efforts. I wanted all horse enthusiasts to remember why they loved those majestic creatures in the first place. I wanted Kentucky Derby fans to cheer as Piper’s horse enters race after race. And I wanted the novice, the reader who was just like me before I wrote this story, to love it all. This story will probably go down as my most researched, but after a lot of tears and prayer, it’s also the one I’m most pleased with.
Now that the book is running free, I can look back on the journey with gratitude. I’m grateful for those who helped me make this story better, thankful for all those who will read it, and blessed for learning something I knew nothing about. There’s beauty in running for the roses.
About the Author
Toni Shiloh is a wife, a mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. Her novel In Search of a Prince won the first ever Christy Amplify Award. It has also been praised by Oprah Daily, POPSUGAR, Library Journal, and Booklist. Her books have been finalists for the HOLT Medallion and the Selah Award. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Toni loves connecting with readers and authors via social media. Learn more at ToniShiloh.com.
About the Book
As a Black woman in a field with little diversity, Piper McKinney is determined to make her mark on the horse-racing world. Raised on a Thoroughbred farm in Kentucky, Piper's dream is for her horse to win the prestigious Kentucky Derby. With the help of her best friend and trainer, Tucker Hale. Then a shocking scandal hits the media, implicating both Piper and her parents, and she and Tucker will have to survive the onslaught to find their way to the winner's circle—and each other.
Did You Know?
Over 285,000,000 Instagram posts are currently tagged with #nofilter; a reality that reveals a growing need for authenticity. People are beginning to wake up to the reality that the filters they have used to present an acceptable identity are simply lies. Yet, while this need for authenticity grows and the #nofilter moniker increases, filters beyond the photo lens challenge our worth and ensnare our identity. According to a Barna Group study, Americans allow things like family and patriotism to influence and filter their identity even more than their faith.
62% of Americans are most influenced by family. At first glimpse, it’s tempting to think this isn’t so bad. However, the reality of adapting our identity from fellow sinners rather than our Creator is dangerous. When humans set the expectation of our identity, layers of unintended filters mask the Creators intended design.
52% of Americans are most influenced by patriotism. Again, a noble idea, yet dangerously distorting. When a nation begins to embrace sinful ideology and distorted design, its influence will only serve to distort and destroy.
38% of Americans are most influenced by their faith. Though on the right track, we must be mindful of the dangers of allowing religion to shape our identity rather than the Creator Himself. The people and traditions of our faith can layer the filters just as easily as anything else.
Stop measuring your worth with the filters you’ve donned and find joy in who the Creator has made you to be!
-Jodi Hendricks, #NoFilter: Unmasking the Woman God Created You to Be
Why I LOVE My Local Christian Bookstore
“I like to shop in bookstores because I love being with people and talking to them. I like holding a book in my hands so I can turn the pages. I also like to discover new books and new authors. I could spend hours in a bookstore and never get lonely!”
-Crystal Bowman, Who God Wants Me to Be
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