Cyd RaschkeThe author loved horses even before her memory took root. Growing up in rural Washington State, a relative placed Cyd atop a palomino Belgian when she was a toddler. Although always partial to palomino Belgians, as a teenager her half-trained QuarterHorse was partial to Cyd and Cyd alone. She was often found up the cherry tree next to his pasture, pen and tablet in hand failing to draw him, but succeeding at writing poems and stories.After receiving her PhD in Social Psychology, Ms. Raschke enjoyed writing in the corporate world. Eventually moving to Newburyport, Massachusetts, she and her husband raised two sons. Cyd's contributions to her community have been recognized with the Bush Point of Light award, and as one of three co-founders of the Newburyport Black History Initiative, the 2024 Award of Excellence by the American Association of State and Local History.One inspiration for Cyd's story was to correct assumptions that wild horses are not native to America. In fact, fossils and artifacts have proven that Equus first evolved in North America. She set the novel in Texas after learning the story of Mustang Island and visiting Hill Country where she saw how ideal the land would be for horses to thrive. Early colonists inflicted many sins upon native lands, but returning Equus to its original home was not one.Of Alaskan Native and Scandinavian heritage, Cyd feels a sense of loss shared by many descendants of Indigenous Nations. Her Alutiiq grandmother died shortly after Cyd's mother was born, breaking maternal connections to their ancient lineage. Despite two years of research, this novel might fall short regarding some facts about native culture, but it has given the author a chance to acknowledge a legacy worth preserving. Read More Read Less