Novels Completed
Seeking representation
the weight of a rabbit
Sparrow Sattler wakes up on the desert floor in New Mexico after falling from a horse and suffering a severe concussion. As she tries to remember where she is and how she got there, she recalls her childhood growing up on a commune in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her brother Robbie and her horse as her constant companions—until things are ripped apart. As a young adult, Sparrow realizes her dream of becoming a horse trainer, but a doomed romantic relationship forces her to confront the pain of her distant, self-centered parents and a lost brother.
A story that spans two decades, the lush hills of Virginia and Maryland, and the austerity of northern New Mexico, The Weight of a Rabbit examines the fragility of human relationships, trust and betrayal, and our yearning for connection in a world besieged by isolation and lack of understanding.
See sample pages here.
Cracked earth
A terrible accident leaves Allie Harrington broken. Stalked by guilt and an unshakeable grief, she takes a job at Javier Hawley’s ranch in the beautiful, unforgiving landscape of northern New Mexico to train the six former racehorses his ex-girlfriend left behind. The only son of a wealthy political family, Javier spends his days barely working as a political consultant, drinking too much beer, and watching ESPN—trying to distract himself from yet another failed relationship with yet another woman he didn’t really love. When Allie moves into his guest house and begins training the horses, Javier finds himself enchanted by her easy confidence with the animals and her ability to communicate without uttering a word.
Javier is eager to be closer to her, but Allie reveals little about herself—making Javier’s friends, and even Javier himself, suspicious of her past and her motives. Even as Javier and Allie fall into a romantic relationship, she keeps herself at a distance, saving her closest attachments for her beloved horses. It’s not until an unexpected tragedy that Javier learns Allie’s real story—but it might already be too late.
Cracked Earth is equal parts adrenaline-fueled adventure and gripping love story, exploring the complicated geography of the human heart and how we struggle to connect with one another in the face of often immeasurable pain.
See sample pages here.
laura ann mullane 