Kiwi horse-lover riding high on literary success

Getting out of my car in a driveway along Havelock Road, I am greeted by a scene straight out of the book I have recently read.
It's brisk and there's been a heavy frost, the air is still chilly. In front of me, two horses are tethered to a fence, their breath steamy in the cold air. One is beautifully groomed, the other waits its turn as Amy Brown emerges from under pony number one to greet me.
The book I refer to is Jade and the Stray and Amy is the author.
This shy, unassuming young lady, who grew up in Hawke's Bay and went to Havelock North primary, intermediate and high schools, takes me inside where we have coffee and chat about her sudden rise into the world of publishing.
Amy, 25, tells me she wrote the book as a bit of a joke.
"For my 24th birthday my friend gave me a copy of Black Stallion," she said.
"My friends all know how ponies have played a huge part in my life and that I loved reading pony books as a child.
"So I decided to write a story about ponies to give to this person and, before I knew what was happening, it had morphed into a story I thought others might like to read."
Amy sent a draft to publishers HarperCollins.
"To my absolute astonishment and delight, I got a phone call from them saying they were interested."
The draft was given to an 11-year-old to read. Her verdict was that the story needed to be a bit more exciting. Amy obliged and the finished product is a tale of family, friendship, hardship and, of course, animals.
Amy's father, David, is responsible for her love of horses.
"I was about 6 when Dad got his first horse, Poncho. He bought a car to tow the horse float and the seller asked him if his little girl would like a pony to go in it. So I went home with Twinks."
Amy and her father were members of the Flaxmere Pony Club for nearly 10 years. She got her second pony, Kelly, when she was about 9.
She won her fair share of ribbons at gymkhanas over the years and, of course, read all the pony books she could get her hands on.
Now based in Melbourne while studying for a degree in creative writing, Amy's pony Ginny waits patiently at home in Havelock North for visits.
While Jade and The Stray is Amy's first novel, she is no stranger to writing and has had some significant literary achievements.
She has been the books editor for two magazines (she was also the creative writing editor for The Lumiere Reader) and a casual reviewer for the New Zealand Listener. She has had poetry, reviews and literacy articles published in various magazines.
Perhaps most impressively, her book, The Propaganda Poster Girl, was shortlisted for the Jessie Mackay Best First Book of Poetry Award at the Montana New Zealand Book Awards.
This very likely has something to do with the fact that both her parents are English teachers.
"My parents were always bringing me books home to read and my advice to young people wanting to get into writing is to read as much as you can, whenever you can,"Amy said.
Aimed at 8- to 12-year-olds, Jade and the Stray is the first of a series of four. The second novel, Jade and the Champs, will be released in March.
Keep your eye on this talented young lady - I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot more from Amy Brown.
REVIEW

Jade and the Stray
by Amy Brown, HarperCollins, $18.99
Jade Lennox gets off the bus in Flaxton, dragging her suitcase and looking rather lost to be greeted by her grandfather.
Sad and lonely, she has been sent to stay with him after a terrible tragedy in her family.
That is until she spies a pony looking sad and lonely just like her. When Jade discovers the pony is homeless, she sets out on a mission to save her.
While this is all going on, she also has to contend with starting a new school.
It's no fun being 11 years old and the new girl. Especially when there are some nasty girls who taunt her about her past.
As Jade struggles to deal with her losses, she focuses all her attention on saving the homeless pony.
This is a lovely story with just the right amount of tension to keep young readers interested. It's refreshing that the book focuses more on friendship and loyalty than bullies.
The first in a series of four, Jade and the Stray has tips at the end of the book on how to make friends with a pony. The author should be proud of her work.