Author Interview: Jessica Burkhart

 

I'm so excited to be talking with Jessica Burkhart today. 

I loved her Canterwood Crest series and I was so happy to learn about the Saddlehill Academy books.

Currently there are four books out in the series AND I will tell you that there are mentions of Canterwood Crest characters! 

Read my reviews of all four books here. 

How many books could there be in the series?

Right now, I’m contracted for four books, but if readers pick it up and it sells well, there could be more. I’m hopeful there will be, but I don’t have any answers yet about the series continuing. It’s sad not to know already because with Canterwood, there were 20 books, and that’s what I’d hoped for Saddlehill Academy. But I’m afraid pushback from some bigots about the main character being queer in a sport that’s historically been incredibly straight and white has impacted the sales. Plus, It’s a really rough climate to be writing LGBTQ+ middle-grade novels. 

Still, I hope there will be additional novels, and I’ll write as many more as my publisher wants! 

I hope there are many more because I NEED to know what happens next! 

How much fun was it to go back to the Canterwood Crest characters?

So. Much. Fun. It’s a lovely blast from the past to see these characters that I’ve lived with in my head for so long. They’re all adults (!) now, which is wild. Returning to Canterwood Crest and some of my favorite characters has been a dream, and I hope OG Canterwood readers are having fun with their cameos in Saddlehill!

I am loving hearing about favorite characters. 

Is it hard or fun to write a mean girl scene? And why?

It’s…shockingly easy for me. I don’t know what that says about me as a person, haha. But I love writing mean girls and coming up with the sabotage and their arguments is such a fun part of the job. 

Are you the type of person who holds a grudge? 

Not usually, no. If a person wrongs me and apologizes, I’ll typically give them another chance. Most of my mean girls in Canterwood and Saddlehill sure do hold grudges, though! 

How do you come up with all the wonderful ideas for the drama?

 

I try to ask myself “what’s the worst that could happen?” within the framework of a scene and go from there. I pull ideas from media I’ve consumed and then put my own spin on them to fit the scene. 

The drama is so good. I never want to put these books down. 

Thank you so much for interviewing me, Jen! And happy Pride Month to all! 

Happy Pride everyone! 

Middle Grade Review: Perfect Revenge

* Book 4 in the Saddlehill Academy series * 

Abby was shocked to learn that Ava and Olivia are attending Saddlehill Academy. They seem excited to befriend her and happy to join the team. But things might not be all that they seem.

Abby's too busy worrying about her grades to deal with more team drama. If her grades don't improve in the next few weeks, her father will pull her from the riding team. Abby will be devastated if that happens, especially as she's waiting for word on the clinic from Sasha Silvers and Heather Fox.

My Thoughts: I love this series for the horses, the drama, the friendships, and the romance. Abby and Mila spend more time together in this book and couldn't be cuter. Even though I don't like the reasons, I love how the team starts coming together. I loved seeing Abby and Emery at their house and more family time due to Thanksgiving. I really love learning about the characters from the Canterwood Crest series. The drama in this book ends on a wicked Canterwood cliff-hanger. I need more books in this series! 

Cover Thoughts: Perfect. I love these covers

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: A must have series for your school and public libraries

I'm chatting with the author later this week, be sure to check back in! 

Middle Grade Review: Falling Hard

 

* Book 3 in the Saddlehill Academy series *

Abby and her teammates are finding their way back to being a team after the drama from the last book! They're not in the clear with their instructor yet, but they are making progress. They do have to apologize to everyone.

Once that's finished, they can go back to focusing on the upcoming shows, especially one at Canterwood Crest! Since it's near Halloween, there will be a spooky element. 

Even better, they learn about a clinic being run by the Sasha Silver. It's very competitive, but Abby dreams of winning a spot. 

Abby's struggling with all the pressure from riding, creating the perfect video for the clinic, and fixing things with her friends. They seem to be getting along just fine without her and excluding her from their hangouts. It gives her a pit in her stomach and makes her doubt everything - even the feelings she has for Mila. 

Will Abby find her balance again?

My Thoughts: Once I finally got my hands on this book, I tore through it! I loved every second of it. I loved the friendship drama and how everything turned out. I loved going back to Canterwood Crest. Even more, I loved catching up with old favorite characters from that series. There's a lot of drama in this series that keeps me turning the pages quickly. I love the friendships and the descriptions of everything. I really really want to attend Saddlehill Academy. I loved the Halloween and fall portions of this story - especially the costumes. It seems like so much fun! Also, I loved how Jessica Burkhart writes about representation and how it matters! 

Cover Thoughts: Charming

Source: Purchased

Library Recommendation: A must have series for your school and public libraries!

Review: The Showdown

 

* Book 2 in the Saddlehill Academy series * 

Abby's still having a hard time. She learns the identity of the person harassing her. But it doesn't help anything as the person knows her biggest secret - the one secret she doesn't want getting out. Abby hasn't even told her two best friends the secret.

On top of everything, horse shows are starting back up and Abby needs to be a team player. It's hard to be supportive when you don't trust your team. As Abby attempts to bottle everything up, everything explodes. Her friendships, her future, and everything she's worked for is now in jeopardy. 

My Thoughts: I couldn't put this book down; I loved it. I loved the drama, the friendships, the family issues, and of course all the horse moments. I love the Harvest Dance. I loved Abby's interactions with Mila. They were cute and funny. I did feel a little bad for Emery and I hope that relationship can heal. I can't wait to read what happens next....

Cover Thoughts: Adorable and right out of the book

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendations: Highly recommended for your school and public library collections.

Review: Sweet & Bitter Rivals

 

* First in a new series *

Abby St. Clair can’t wait to start another season with her elite riding team at her boarding school. She has something to prove after literally falling on her face during the biggest competition of the year the previous season. And she could really use a win after her mom left her family, her dad remarried, and Abby’s new stepsister, Emery, proved to be a strong rider and stiff competition.

Abby wants to return to some semblance of normal but is hiding a secret: she accidentally cost her biggest rival, Selly, a chance at team captain. Then Abby begins to receive anonymous messages, threatening to expose her unwitting sabotage and a video that makes it look like she’s trash-talking Emery. With an important competition on the horizon and the knowledge that someone in her circle knows way too much about her, the pressure is on.

Abby tries to put on blinders and have the perfect meet with her horse, Beau, but she’s about to find out the hard way that secrets don’t make friends at Saddlehill Academy. - summary from the publisher

My Thoughts: As soon as Jessica Burkhart announced this, I was SUPER excited! I LOVED the Canterwood Crest series. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. It was everything I wanted it to be - it had all the classics from the Canterwood Crest books - friendship drama, family drama, crushes, and of course horses. I loved the horse moments in this book. I felt bad for Abby as she struggled with the changes in her family on top of going back to school and trying to keep a secret. I loved the easter eggs from Canterwood Crest and learning more about our favorite characters. And of course, that cliffhanger ending makes me NEED the next book immediately. Luckily, I only have to wait less than two months!

Cover Thoughts: Adorable

Source: Book sent for review (I asked the publisher for this one, which is rare for me)

Library Recommendations: A must have book for your school and public libraries!

Top Ten Tuesday: If You a Fan

 This week's topic is if you're a fan of X. I'm choosing horse books as my X because I'm SUPER EXCITED that Jessica Burkhart has a new book coming out on May 30th.

If you're waiting for it like me, here are some books you might want to read in the meantime.

Obviously the Canterwood Crest series

Children's Books:

Graphic Novels:

Middle Grade:

YA:

Old School Children's Book: