In & Out: Year One in the Jumping for Gold Series
Author Barbara Moss has always said she was born with "the horse gene." As a child, she dreamed of horses and drew them every she chance she had, despite the fact that no one in her household had anything to do with horses. This inborn passion combined with the knowledge she has acquired during nearly twenty years of competition in horse shows makes her an ideal chronicler of the glamorous, exciting, and sometimes seedy world of equestrian competition. Moss’s writing is clear-eyed, wholly realistic, and filled with the kind of authentic details about horses, riding techniques, and business practices that only an insider could provide.In & Out, Moss’s debut novel and the first in her ambitious Jumping for Gold Series, is set in her hometown of Wellington, Florida, which annually hosts the Winter Equestrian Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious series of competitions held in the U.S. Moss has clearly observed the events, the characters, the horses, and the intrigue that make up such a festival very closely, for she shrewdly brings all these things to life in her fictional narrative.At the center of her narrative stands the romantic figure of Jericho Brandeis, a talented trainer and rider full of fierce passion, unrealized ambition, and curiosity about his mysterious past. The reader’s first glimpse of Jericho provides a telling view of his character—and of Moss’s own terse yet descriptive style with its undercurrent of erotic implications:"Mid to later twenties. Tall—just over six feet. Lean and hard—but then sitting on six to eight horses a day and hitting the gym pretty good afterwards would do that. Battered jeans, the seat and inner thighs almost white from saddle wear—hard muscles rippling visibly beneath the well-worn fabric. White tee shirt. Chestnut, sun-streaked hair pulled severely back and braided, the thick end swinging between broad shoulder blades in time with his stride—it would be one hell of a mane, let loose."The reader immediately sees that Jericho is not merely a rider of horses but a man who is horse-like in his very characteristics, from his rippling muscles to his chestnut "mane" to the wild freedom of his movements.  He is a man who can "let loose" at any moment.The dramatic conflicts of the novel arise from Jericho’s untamed nature, as his stubborn individualism is often at odds with the rules of society’s games. Jericho is drawn to supposedly unbreakable horses, to women who are already spoken for, and to physical confrontations. But he also desires to be known as the best in his chosen field, which means competing successfully in the World Equestrian Games. To reach that goal, however, he must ensure that his unruly passions and destructive impulses do not prevent him from getting his shot.An intriguing cast of characters surrounds Jericho, including the wealthy patron Bob Marx, the only man who can help Jericho realize his dreams, Marx’s sexy young wife Darien, whose illicit love could become Jericho’s downfall, U.S. Chef d’Equip Chuck Frankel, the closest thing to a father figure Jericho has ever known, hunk bartender Trevor Braeden, Jericho’s friend and rival, and the indomitable stallion Chasseur de Lion, an alluring yet potentially fatal challenge to Jericho’s considerable horsemanship. Jericho must maneuver his way through a hazardous maze of violence, corruption, and seduction if he is to fulfill his aspirations.In & Out is the kind of novel that will appeal to anyone who loves horses or who simply relishes a well-told tale, full of fascinating characters, romance, incident, and intrigue.