By Britney Grover
Jessica Burkhart’s story might have been typical: She was “bitten by the horse bug” early on, grew up reading every horse book she could, and climbed fences to spend as much time as she could with them. Despite growing up in a family that didn’t have the money to pay for her equestrian career, she started out by exchanging lessons for working in the barn. She might have gone on to find a discipline she was passionate about, become a working student and dedicate her life to becoming the best horsewoman she could be, maybe even making a living as a professional.
But Jessica’s story had a dramatic twist—literally. By 14, her spine had become so twisted that she had to have it fused—ending her equestrian career. The abrupt change was so difficult that it took Jessica five years to let her passion for horses back into her heart—and onto the page. She’d developed skills as a writer, and at 19 Jessica found herself living the equestrian dream she never thought she’d have—through the eyes of her characters.
Today, at 36, Jessica has over 1.6 million books in print and her acclaimed 20-book Canterwood Crest series published in multiple languages. She lives in Western Illinois, where her own story has continued to unfold, complete with terrifying, life-threatening challenges and exciting developments. Though things have turned out differently than she might have hoped as a child, Jessica is clearly headed toward her own happy ending—she just hasn’t finished writing it yet.
How long have you been part of the horse world?
I grew up reading every horse book I could get my hands on as a kid, and when I moved to a house that had a boarding stable behind it, I was in awe of every horse and pony! I’d climb the fence and play with the horses for hours every day before the barn owner said she’d give me lessons in exchange for cleaning tack and doing stable chores. I rode as much as I could from 8 to 14 years old.
Did you ever show?
As a poor kid, I didn’t have access to the resources I needed to show consistently. I did get to enter one local show in two very different disciplines—an English walk/trot class and a Western pleasure class. I didn’t place in English but won the Western class! It was so much fun.
Why did you need spinal surgery?
In fourth grade, I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and my spine twisted into an S-shaped curve and pressed on my heart and lungs. I wore a hard plastic back brace for 24 hours a day, but it didn’t slow the curve. So, at 14, I had a spinal fusion at Shriners Hospital for Children in St. Louis, Missouri. With the severity of my case, I’d never be able to have the rods and screws taken out because my spine would curve all over again.
When did you become an author?
I began writing articles and essays for magazines at 14 years old because I needed a hobby while recovering from my spinal fusion. I spent nearly a year in bed recovering, and I always loved reading, so writing felt like a natural step. Plus, I was growing up in poverty and wanted to do something to contribute to my family’s finances. I got dozens and dozens of rejections before finally getting my first acceptance at 14 in a magazine, and I was paid $5, which was incredibly exciting.
How did you come up with the Canterwood Crest series, and how did you get it published?
I wrote articles and essays all through high school and finally, at 19 in my senior year of college, I saw a post about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and decided to try it. The goal of the challenge was to write 50,000 words during the month of November. I’d never written a book before and wasn’t even sure what to write about. But a few days before the challenge began, the idea for “Take the Reins” came to me. It was the childhood fantasy I’d always had: going to an elite boarding school and competing on an equestrian team. So, I drafted that novel—my first—in November 2006.
After doing NaNoWriMo, I revised my draft and got a literary agent. That agent had me do multiple rounds of revision to help get my manuscript in good shape before she submitted it to publishing companies. Simon & Schuster made an offer very quickly, and I signed with them for four books. Now I’m 27 books into my career, which is wild to me!
Tell us about all the series you now have.
“Sweet & Bitter Rivals,” which came out May 30, is the first book in the Saddlehill Academy series for middle-grade readers. It’s about a 12-year-old equestrian who struggles to keep her eye on the prize while dealing with anonymous threats. Book two, “The Showdown,” releases on July 25.
The Saddlehill Academy series is a spinoff of my Canterwood Crest series, which is 20 books long and has over 1.5 million copies in print in multiple languages. For younger readers, I have a chapter book series called “Unicorn Magic.”In standalone titles, I have a non-fiction book about mental health—“Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles”—and a romance with mustangs called “Wild Hearts.”
What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?
Writing for kids is pretty magical. I love meeting them at horse expos and book signings. It’s the best part of my job!
What are you doing in the horse world now and what are your goals?
After losing the equestrian career I’d dreamed of so young, it took me five years of not thinking about horses before I was able to summon the strength and find the passion to write about them. It’s so cheesy to say, but it’s true—I’m now riding along with my characters and feeling every bit the horsewoman I always wanted to be, even if it’s in a different way than I imagined when I was a kid.
What are your goals in the writing world?
I’m aiming to sell more books of all age categories soon and also move into screenwriting. I’d love to be staffed on a TV show and write both TV and movies.
You’re open about your drug addiction—what happened and how are you now?
Everyone’s journey is different, but I had to hit below what I thought was my rock bottom to begin to face down my addiction. I began taking benzodiazepines for anxiety the year my book debuted and quickly became addicted. While writing my Canterwood Crest series, I developed painful golfer’s elbow and began taking opioids. Soon, I was addicted to those, too, and before I knew it, I was spending more time doctor shopping in New York City than I was writing. If I didn’t have the pills, I went into severe withdrawal and experienced everything from vomiting to hallucinations. During the seven years I was addicted, I had prescriptions for over 30 different painkillers and benzos.
I overdosed several times and even that wasn’t enough to make me stop using. But one night, I was heading to buy heroin for the first time, and I passed out and overdosed before I could leave my apartment. That was the moment that shocked me—thinking about what I’d been about to do. I entered treatment the next week.
It took two years for me to come off everything completely, and it was an extremely painful and difficult process. I tried to write while getting clean, and I wasn’t in the right headspace to do so. I needed time to heal. But after a few years, I slowly started writing again. One sentence a week was all I could muster for a while! Then a paragraph a week. And it kept growing from there until now, six years after getting clean, I am finally back to writing as much as I did pre-addiction.
What are you writing now?
I’m busy working on the fourth Saddlehill Academy book now. After that, I’d love to write an adult romance and a new young adult novel. I’ve also got a freelance gig writing interactive choose-your-own-adventure story games for StoryLoom, which anyone can play. Finally, I’ve written a couple of TV show pilots and will be searching for a manager and TV/film agent soon because I want to break into screenwriting next!
What is the best thing about your life?
Being clean and feeling like myself again is truly the best part of my life. I love what I do, and I’m so fortunate to be able to tell stories for a living!
Best-kept secret about what you do?
This job is not at all as glamorous as some may think! I spend most of my days in sweats with my hair in a messy bun while I mutter at my laptop. There are a lot of ups and downs in the publishing business, but I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have a lot more dreams to chase in the writing sphere!
For more information, visit jessicaburkhart.com
Photos courtesy of Jessica Burkhart
