Welcome to these pages about my Gail McCarthy mysteries. On other pages you will find examples of my writing as well as some material pertaining to the western cowhorse tradition and to mystery writing. On this page, I would like to provide a short biography for interested readers. Please browse around and let me know what you think.
I was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, where my family has been running a ranch for four generations. As a teenager I broke horses for my uncle, a part time rodeo cowboy. After getting a B.A. in English from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, California, I went to work at a horse packing station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Then followed several years of running a cattle ranch in northern California and several more years of working for various professional cowhorse trainers in California’s Central Valley. I’ve trained and shown my own horses in cutting horse and team roping events, as well as trained horses for others.
Several years ago I made a decision that I wanted to write about the western horse world and, taking a cue from Dick Francis (a personal favorite), I began to create a mystery series. Equine veterinarian Gail McCarthy, my protagonist, is based on a childhood friend who became a vet. Cutter, my first book, was released by St. Martin’s Press in 1994.
I still live in rural Santa Cruz County, where the books are set, and I still own horses. Gunner, Plumber, and other horses who are described in the books roam happily on my property, as well as some of the dogs and cats Gail encounters. Most of the animals in the book are based on my own pets, or others I have known. The people (and the murders), though, I have to make up.
If you would like to learn more about the western horse world, click on the picture of me showing my horse, Gunner.
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