Christy Cashman
Author Interview - Christy Cashman
Author of The Truth About Horses
Fourteen-year-old REESE TUCKER and her parents live a humble but happy life in Birdwood, South Dakota, raising and training horses at the BIG GREEN BARN. Every year, the Tuckers dream of running a horse in the Black Elk, a race that, if won, could turn their fortunes around. They’ve finally found a horse that can win: their beloved TRUSTED TREASURE. Mom can always spot the rare horse that has the X-factor. The family’s hopes have never been higher.
But two connected tragedies set Reese’s world spinning. Trusted Treasure has a debilitating fall at the Black Elk finish line just as he seemed about to win, and a family drive intended to help them forget their troubles for a while—a drive during which they have a near-mystical encounter with a herd of wild horses led by a mysterious black stallion—ends in a highway accident that instantly kills Mom.
Author Interview - Christy Cashman
Author I draw inspiration from:
The authors I pull inspiration from are Dave Eggers, John Irving, Frank McCourt, Wally Lamb, Tom Perrotta, Olive Ann Burns and Gail Honeyman.
Author Interview - Christy Cashman | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
I like to read about anywhere, but I love reading on a plane.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I adored the character that Gail Honeyman created in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I couldn’t turn the page fast enough to see what she was going to say or think next. I just loved being on her lonely inward journey and getting to understand what made her tick. She was all of my favorite things in a character; tragic, vulnerable and likable.
Author Interview - Christy Cashman | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author was in my freshman year at Brevard College in North Carolina and we dissected Summer and Smoke by Tennessee Williams in English Literature. I found myself really drawn to the process of breaking a story down and understanding what was “between the lines.” I loved that there was a science to storytelling that was disguised in a way. I loved the idea of creating worlds and characters that were there to enjoy on one level but to also to delve into deeper layers if you wanted to.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I’m strictly a paperback gal. I zone out on audiobooks and I don’t like always reading off a screen. Since I travel a lot, paperbacks are lighter than hardbacks.
The last book I read:
The last book I read was “Water” by John Boyne. It was really well-written and he was extremely economical in telling the story. Even though the novel is fairly short, it felt like it still had a lot of layers and depth. I didn’t feel cheated. It was believable and tragic yet hopeful.
Author Interview - Christy Cashman | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I start my day writing in my gratitude journal with a pen, a relatively new practice that I find helpful. I then read from a few different books that are spiritual, give creative insight and get me thinking. Then, I open my computer and dive into my manuscript which is called, Beulah. It’s a story set in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee in the 80’s. Barrett Childress Owens feels like an outsider in her own town because the prices in Beulah have skyrocketed from people moving in from New York, Chicago and Boston. When she and her parents have to move out of their family home and can no longer afford their hometown, she feels that the people of Beulah see her differently. In order to fit in, she enters the Kudzu pageant that every fifteen-year-old girl in Beulah participates in—a right of passage. After finally fitting in, the town of Beulah is turned upside down when one of her classmates goes missing.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I would be a veterinarian. I have a very keen interest in holistic health for animals, and for people.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I love the 70s! Bell bottoms, no bras, platforms, the whole nine yards!
Place I’d most like to travel:
I’m very lucky. I’ve traveled quite a bit. My husband and I just spent over a month in Australia and ended up in Tasmania. It was so much fun and we loved the entire experience. I’d love to see more of America. I was born in Ohio, grew up in North Carolina and lived in LA and NY. But I feel like I always fly over the most beautiful parts. I’d like to spend more time in Wyoming and Montana.
My signature drink:
I love a good dry martini. And to counter the effects of that, I put MCT oil in my coffee every morning!
Favorite artist:
I’d have to say I love Carly Simon. I read her book, Boys in the Trees and was blown away by her life story.
Anything else you'd like to add:
I want Beulah to be a series on a streaming service!
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/cashman.christy
https://www.facebook.com/christycashmanauthor
www.Christycashman.com
About Christy Cashman:
Author Interview - Christy Cashman
Christy Cashman is an author, actress, and producer who has appeared in more than twenty films, including American Hustle, Joy, The Women, Ted 2, and The Forger, and whose screenwriting credits include The Love Guide and Dixie Storms. An active member of the Boston community and beyond, she is on the board of directors for the Associates of the Boston Public Library and co-chairs its Literary Lights dinner committee. Christy also serves on the board of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and supports the nonprofit Raising A Reader.
Her first novel, The Truth About Horses, which was published in August 2023, achieved the status of #1 new release and Amazon bestseller. Furthermore, the book has been contracted with Jane Seymour for co-production on screen. Christy is also the author of two children’s books, The Not-So-Average Monkey of Kilkea Castle and Petri’s Next Things, inspired by the true story of a heroic monkey who lived at that historic Irish castle.
Christy, her husband, and their two sons, Jay Michael and Quinn, live in Boston and spend time in Ireland and on Cape Cod. Christy has three dogs and six horses and is an avid equestrian, riding both stateside and internationally, all year long.
She is currently working on her second novel, Beulah, and her third children’s book, The Cat Named Peanut Shrimp Cookie Fry Muffin Who Lives on Staniel Cay.
