Episode 38: Welcome to the Equestrian Author Spotlight podcast! In each episode, you’ll hear inspirational stories from horse book authors including writing advice and marketing tips to help you write your own horse book. If you are an author, aspire to be an author, or simply love horse books then you are in the right place!
In this week's episode, you'll meet Women's Fiction and Fantasy Author Mary Kit Caelsto. You'll learn ...
Watch Mary Kit Caelsto's Interview on YouTube!Or listen to the audio only version.About Mary Caelsto
Mary Kit Caelsto never grew out of the phase of being a "horse crazy girl". Though she's now over 40, she's finally fulfilling her dream of writing equestrian books for others who haven't grown out of being "horse crazy". She lives in the Ozarks with her four very spoiled and very opinionated horses, as well as a large flock of poultry and enough cats to qualify her as a crazy cat lady. Her husband, though not an equestrian himself, understands and supports all her equestrian dreams.
She's convinced three of the best things in the world are the smell of a sun warmed horse, the smell of leather tack, and making sure to hug her horses every single day. Mary Kit Caelsto Podcast Interview Excerpt
Carly: Tell us about the services you offer to fellow authors?
Mary: My business is called My Author Home. I love doing the tech stuff. I love dealing with websites. I love editing and formatting. I ran a publishing company for several years, and one of the best parts was working with authors, watching their books come together, and seeing the work get better with each editing path. I help authors birth their books, so I handle everything from promo graphics to book covers to book formatting to editing. An author could actually come to me and we could take them from manuscript to publication. 
Carly: That's a great segue to get into talking more about your life as an author. What compelled you to become a writer of horse books?
Mary: I made the big decision at the ripe old age of 12 that I was going to work on a horse farm and write books as an adult. I wanted to create the same types of stories that took me away as a young adult and gave me that escape into the world of horses. Carly: What were some of your favorite childhood horse reads? Mary: One of my favorite books is Ride a Dark Horse by Lynn Hall. It was set on a racehorse farm. There was a bit of a mystery involved in it. I grew up on the original Saddle Club Series and The Thoroughbred Series. I loved all of those books.
Carly: Tell us about your books. You have different series and you're writing across genre.
Mary: Throughout my entire career, I have written probably close to a hundred books. My first published book was an erotic romance in 2002. Under my Mary Kit Caelsto pen name, I have close to 15 books out. I have The Noble Dream Series., which is set at the barn Noble Dreams, and the books are about the barn experience that I wish I had. It is about a bunch of 30 and 40-something women dealing with life, but also being very competitive in the hunter/jumper arena. It is a horse book series written for those of us who still love horse books, but are tired of reading about teenagers. 
About Steady On Course (Book One): Dealing with her husband's infidelity means Eva's throwing herself into her equestrian dreams. Her trainer convinces her to show. Her goal? Not to embarrass herself. Except her husband wants back into her life, her horse has colic, and Eva's world is turning upside down. Does she want him back into her life and what if her riding goals are stressing out her horse? Eva knows there's only one way to get through. Heels down. Eyes up. And relying on her support team, which may now include her husband.
Note: Each book in the Noble Dreams Series focuses on one character, though a fuller picture is provided by reading all the books in the series.
Carly: You have a fantasy series as well?
Mary: I do have a fantasy series. It's the world of the Musimagium. It actually sprang from an idea that I've been working on for about 10 years. Basically if you envision Harry Potter, but instead of wands, they use big musical instruments to create their magic. It's contemporary magic, so it's all happening modern day. The characters use AM radio and the Internet a lot to communicate. Unicorns show up, Pegasus show up, and then dragons showed up. Each character usually has a somewhat sarcastic animal sidekick.
Carly: Do you have any advice to share with other authors? Maybe take one tip from your toolbox on how to market their books?
Mary: That's actually something that I'm still working on and learning about myself. You're always learning, because everything's always changing. There's always new ways to get the words out there. What I would say is find what makes your book different. Even if you're writing, the 80 millionth secretary falls in love with her billionaire boss book, there's still something that you uniquely bring to the story. There is a take on it, a character quirk that you can take and use as your hook for marketing and to really make you stand out. Connect with Mary Kit Caelsto
Website: www.marykitcaelsto.com
Blog: www.marykitcaelsto.com/blog Facebook: www.facebook.com/marykitcaelsto Twitter:www.twitter.com/charmedozarks Books by Mary Kit Caelsto
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy any books featured, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate purchases help with the upkeep of the podcast. Thanks for your help keeping this site running!
Podcast Listener Special: Free Novella
Get a copy of Course Clear from Mary Kit Caelsto for FREE!
The riders of Noble Dreams are pushing hard for year-end awards. Eva's thinking about moving up a level, while Linda battles her own health issues and family obligations. Sara's the star as always, yet Eva's gaining on her. At this show, will the bonds of friendship break beneath a competitive spirit? And will the ladies of Noble Dreams be able to balance work, life, and their love of horses? The course is full of obstacles; it's up to them to jump clear. This is a stand-alone novella in the Noble Dreams Series. 
New Podcast Episodes Each Wednesday!
Make sure you never miss a show by subscribing on YouTube or Apple Podcasts. This podcast is made possible by listeners like you. I appreciate your support! Thank you for joining us this week on the Equestrian Author Spotlight podcast I hope you enjoy these Q&A sessions with wonderful equine authors who love all things horses and writing just like me.
If you are an author who writes about horses and would like to be spotlighted please let me know. Visit my contact page to fill out a request. I'd be happy to have you on the show, too. About Your Host Carly Kade
Carly Kade is a creativity coach, award-winning independent author, horse owner, and the host of the Equestrian Author Spotlight Podcast. She helps fellow equine authors build, grow, and expand their author careers. Creative writing makes her spurs jingle!
In the Reins, the first in Carly's series of novels inspired by the equestrian lifestyle, has been an Amazon best seller for more than 10 weeks, is an EQUUS Film Festival Literary Award Winner for Best Western Fiction and has earned two Feathered Quill Book Awards in the Romance and Adult Book featuring Animals categories. The In the Reins book series was written with horse lovers in mind, no matter which discipline they ride, and the horses are as vital to moving the story forward as the human characters are. The books are perfect for poolside reading or taking to the beach. 
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Books by Carly Kade
In the Reins is an EQUUS Film Festival Official Literary Award Winner
In the Reins earns TWO Feathered Quill Book Awards
Cowboy Away Earns Carly Kade Second EQUUS Film Festival Literary Award
In the Reins is the Self Publishers Association Book of the Week
Book TrailerAuthor InfoCarly Kade writes for anyone who loves horses, handsome cowboys and a great romance. Creative writing about horses makes her spurs jingle! Please note: This website contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy any books featured, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate purchases help with the upkeep of the podcast. Thank you for your support in keeping this site running.
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