46 SIDELINES MARCH 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Young Writer’s Imaginary
World Becomes Reality
By Dani Moritz
L
ike most young equestrians, when Juliana Hutchings
wasn’t at the barn she was imagining one with Breyer
horses spread all across the room. Juliana and her sister
had created a world where each horse had a name and a role and
each day as they played their story unraveled.
But unlike most horse lovers, Juliana and her sister’s imaginary
world didn’t end as just a memory. It transformed into a book that
Juliana wrote at age 14. “My sister inspired me to write the book,”
she said. “It was a way to preserve our childhood.”
The book, titled A Horse to Remember, follows the story of
13-year-old Hilary Thompson, who has recently moved to a small
town in the country after living in the city her entire life. There, she
begins working at a local stable and meets Satan, a wild mustang
stallion that belongs to the owner of the barn. Against all odds, she
earns the trust of the stallion as she learns about horses, people
and unconditional love.
Juliana’s book was published when she was 17 - after a long,
hard struggle to fnd a publisher. After having no luck with a literary
agent, she sought out a publisher herself. “I started looking on my
own at publishers all via the Internet and I would send professional
query letters…and virtually all of them turned me down,” she said.
“They wouldn’t even read it.”
But she didn’t give up. And after eight months of searching and
editing, it all become worth it. As her mom was cooking dinner in
the kitchen, Juliana’s jaw dropped at the sight of two emails in her
inbox - both from publishers wanting to publish her book. “Finally
it all clicked and I had to choose between two companies which
was really nice,” she said.
Juliana began working with the publisher she selected, Raven
Publishing, Inc, on her now best seller and learned a few lessons
along the way. Juliana says there was a lot of back and forth.
They would send her edits and suggestions on a few chapters and
she would send the chapters back, making each change herself.
“That was a bit of an eye-opener,” she said. “I did all of the work
and I had expected them to do all of it, but that was something I
learned.”
She also learned a lot about the writing process itself. “They
taught me a lot about showing not telling,” she said.
All the while, Juliana led a life far from the normal high school
student’s. Instead of going out to the movies and partying, she
spent most of her days at her desk - determined for her book to
be published. “Honestly, I
didn’t really mind because
in high school I was all
about the horses,” she
said. “I didn’t like to party
in high school and I didn’t
care when I wasn’t going
to the movies on a Friday
night. I saved all of that
for college.”
All of Juliana’s hard
work paid off because
Juliana takes a moment
to breathe on her current
French Thoroughbred,
Rouge Et Noir.
Photo by Coral Hoesli
The cover of A Horse
to Remember. The
photo was taken by
Juliana’s sister and the
cover was published
exactly as Juliana and
her sister had always
pictured it.
Continued on page 48