We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Burkhart a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Every book I’ve written means something to me, but the one I’m finding the greatest joy and authenticity in is my upcoming middle-grade series, Saddlehill Academy, which is a series featuring a queer 12-year-old equestrian that debuts in May 2023 from Simon & Schuster.

Growing up, I was a queer horse girl, but I didn’t have representation in the books I cherished, such as Joanna Campbell’s Thoroughbred series and Bonnie Bryant’s The Saddle Club books. While wonderful, these books didn’t have any LGBTQ+ characters; as a kid, I wondered if queer equestrians like me even existed.

When I wrote my best-selling Canterwood Crest series that debuted in 2009, I chose not to openly code any of my main characters as queer for fear that I’d tank my career. I was out in private, but in my public author life, I was closeted. In 2021, I sold SWEET & BITTER RIVALS (Saddlehill Academy #1) which featured a queer lead, and I came out shortly after the book deal announcement.

It’s a terrifying time to be a queer author. Book bans are happening with increasing frequency, queer authors aren’t being invited to school visits, and we face horrific abuse both online and at in-person events. While I could have kept writing straight-coded characters, I couldn’t let go of the fact that I didn’t want another queer horse-loving kid to grow up not seeing themselves in books. I’m living my life as my authentic self now and that’s pretty great.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

At 19-years-old, I was a senior at Florida State University in 2006 when I landed a literary agent. My first book, TAKE THE REINS, sold as part of a four-book series to Simon & Schuster. That series grew to 20 books. I’ve since published a YA non-fiction anthology, LIFE INSIDE MY MIND: 31 AUTHORS SHARE THEIR PERSONAL STRUGGLES, about mental health, a YA romance, WILD HEARTS, and a four-installment chapter book series, UNICORN MAGIC. I have over 1.5 million copies of my books in print.

I’m a former homeschooler who grew up in poverty and when I made my first check for writing at 13 and made a whopping $5, I was hooked. I knew I could make a career out of writing, and it’s what I’ve done since I was barely a teen. I’ve worked hard to diversify my portfolio and am adding screenwriting and game writing into the mix now, too.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

At the height of my career, I became a drug addict. I took pills for anxiety and pain and that led to a full-blown addiction that lasted seven years. I hit rock bottom when I was told I was going to die if I didn’t seek help and after going through severe withdrawal several times over the course of my addiction, I knew I had to make a change. I went to rehab and got clean. It’s been five years since I took my last pill.

My addiction took so much from me, and I lost years of writing time. Saddlehill Academy is my first book series to debut post-addiction, and I had to claw my way back into publishing. This new series is a rebirth for my writing career, and I’m not going to waste a second of it this time around. I’ve been open about my addiction in hopes that it encourages someone else who is struggling to get help. I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t gone to rehab, and if you’re struggling and looking for a sign–this is it! Get help. It’s worth it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I strive to entertain kids with my stories. I want to give them books that they’ll want to reread over and over because they couldn’t put them down. I love creating stories that kids want to talk about with each other and scream their frustration because I left them with a cliffhanger ending. (Kids have lovingly screamed at me before, and I’m so here for it!)

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.linktree.com/jessicaburkhart
• Instagram: http://www.instragram.com/thejessburkhart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialcanterwoodcrest/
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jessicaburkhart
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jessicaburkhart87
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessica_burkhart

Image Credits
For TAKE THE REINS, LIFE INSIDE MY MIND, Canterwood Crest books, and Unicorn Magic books: (c) Simon & Schuster For WILD HEARTS: (c) Bloomsbury For SWEET & BITTER RIVALS: (c) Simon & Schuster. Art Director: Karin Paprocki. Illustrator: Lana Dudarenko.