by Tiffany Noelle Chacon
I am thrilled to announce the release of my debut novel, JUMP! This is a story that is near and dear to my heart, and I am excited to share it with readers all over the world.
JUMP is a new adult equestrian clean romance set in the world of competitive show jumping. It tells the story of Mila Kozak, a college senior who is struggling to come to terms with a tragic accident that left her sister paralyzed while competing in the show jumping capital of the world: Wellington, Florida. Mila’s life is in disarray—her relationship with her sister is strained, her boyfriend of two years has broken up with her, and her love of show jumping is tainted by her fear of ending up like her sister. But when she rescues her friend and barnmate, Alex, with a kiss, it sets them on a trajectory that’s as surprising as it is electrifying.
A Story of Hope in the Midst of Tragedy
Part of Mila’s story is really about pursuing your dreams even when there are very real obstacles in the way. I drew a lot of inspiration for her journey from my own. In my mid-20s, I went from being a healthy, active person to being crippled by an unknown disease. At the time, I was teaching lessons at a barn and riding horses daily until it became too difficult to even walk. I had to quit my job and stop school. Essentially, my life ground to a halt. And the only thing I could do was write. So, I did.
I went on to receive my Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Tampa, where I learned to hone my craft, even in the midst of my crippling chronic illness. I’ve always loved the written word, but this is where I really learned to shape it.
There’s a Hemingway quote hanging in my office that says: “Write hard and clear about what hurts.” This was my goal with writing JUMP. I tried to take all of my physical and emotional pain caused by chronic illness and channel it into this story. But, this isn’t just a story about pain—it’s a story about hope, too. Which we all need, especially in times like this.
This is the essence of JUMP, and the story of my life as well: trauma happens. Pain happens. But we get to decide what we do with that. We can let it cripple us, or we can find a way to come out of the other side. Stronger, more resilient. We’re different because of the pain, yes, but we’re better for it, too.
An Authentic Equestrian Novel
As an author, I poured my heart and soul into this story. I drew on my own experiences as a competitive show jumper to create a world that feels authentic and immersive. As an avid reader and horse person, I’ve found it difficult to find horse books that truly resonated with me—it seemed that either the writer didn’t really know much about horses, or didn’t know much about how to write. They say you should write the book you want to read, and JUMP is that book for me.
When I penned these scenes, I wanted readers to feel like they were on course competing. Of course, JUMP isn’t just for horse people (or so say all of the non-horse people who have read it!). To help with that, I’ve included a glossary of horse terms at the front of the book for reference as well.
A Clean, New Adult Romance
I wanted to write a romance that was about more than just falling in love—I wanted to write a story about facing your fears, building your own happily-ever-after, and discovering who you truly are. Of course, there’s lots of love in this book too! JUMP is all about finding someone who makes you feel safe, who supports you through the hard times and who believes in you even when you don’t believe in yourself.
One of my favorite pieces to write in this book was the epilogue, from Alex’s perspective. As a writer, it’s always exciting when a character “surprises” you—and Alex surprised me with the depth of his emotion and his unrequited love for Mila. It was also a fun change of pace for me to write from a guy’s perspective! If you read JUMP, don’t skip the epilogue. You’ll thank me later.
I hope that readers will find something to relate to in JUMP. Whether you’re a horse lover, a clean romance fan, or just someone who enjoys a story of overcoming difficulty, I believe that this book has something for everyone.
I can’t wait for you to read it! JUMP is available for purchase on Amazon
So well said! Thank you for sharing your story. I’m inspired already and can’t wait to read the book!