149 ratings | 63 reviews | avg rating:4.13

Shelley’s Year In Books

Shelley’s 2023 Year in Books

Take a look at Shelley’s Year in Books. The long, the short—it’s all here.

Go to Shelley’s 2023 Year in Books

Shelley Lee Riley’s Followers (21)

Shelley’s Bookshelves

read (149)
currently-reading (5)
to-read (31)
chick-lit (1)
fantasy (8)
mystery (0)
science-fiction (4)
thriller (0)
ya-fantasy (4)

Shelley’s Friends (70)

Kari Lynn Mackey

3,870 books | 389 friends

Elizabeth

4,214 books | 277 friends

Laura Prindable

7,936 books | 188 friends

Yaritza

17,493 books | 3,102 friends

Shelly Hammond

2,956 books | 515 friends

Valleri

1,479 books | 220 friends

John Bluck

124 books | 702 friends

Lois Jean

3,927 books | 114 friends

More friends…

Shelley Lee Riley

Goodreads Author

Born

in Salinas California, The United States

Website

http://www.shelleyleeriley.com

Twitter

Shelleyr1992

Genre

Memoir, Fiction, Young Adult

Member Since

April 2013

edit data

Married to a jockey, I learned my trade as a trainer in the competitive, male-dominated sport of horse racing while I attended California State University, Sacramento. All the while, I worked hard, hoped and dreamed, as I guided the young horses in my care.
Twenty years passed in this way, and one morning, in a snow storm, at a January Thoroughbred sale in Kentucky, lightening struck. The inconceivable happened, when my eyes met those of a small, fuzzy and inquisitive seven month old colt. When I signed the sales tag, after placing the winning bid, I had no way of knowing that I’d just gotten lucky…really lucky. I had struck the mother lode of horse racing, even though I wasn’t to know that for many months to come.
In writing Casual Lies Married to a jockey, I learned my trade as a trainer in the competitive, male-dominated sport of horse racing while I attended California State University, Sacramento. All the while, I worked hard, hoped and dreamed, as I guided the young horses in my care.
Twenty years passed in this way, and one morning, in a snow storm, at a January Thoroughbred sale in Kentucky, lightening struck. The inconceivable happened, when my eyes met those of a small, fuzzy and inquisitive seven month old colt. When I signed the sales tag, after placing the winning bid, I had no way of knowing that I’d just gotten lucky…really lucky. I had struck the mother lode of horse racing, even though I wasn’t to know that for many months to come.
In writing Casual Lies – A Triple Crown Adventure, I quickly found I was writing to an audience, not of horsemen and women, but to the television audience that loves horses and who delights in the beauty and pageantry of the sport of horse racing.
I wanted to give a glimpse into what goes on behind the Network camera lenses, and to those who tune in on the first Saturday in May to watch, arguably, the most famous horserace in the world—The Kentucky Derby. With its pretty horses, colorful crowds and a level of excitement that virtually heaves off the screen, every year’s event is an extravaganza to the senses.
The book is a true-life story about the head strong, talented and charismatic colt that took me to that event, not as a spectator, but as a participant.
Casual Lies never met anyone he didn’t like, and his ardor for life was both palpable and a powerful motivator whenever I would begin to doubt the wisdom of our course and found my hope had begun to fade. Together, we challenged the horses and horsemen at the very pinnacle of the Thoroughbred world.
What I learned from the adventure of a lifetime, was that believing you can, is every bit as important as hope in achieving a dream.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my rescued greyhound Nigel.
www.shelleyriley.com
...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Shelley Lee Riley questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Shelley Lee Riley’s books

Average rating: 4.36 · 67 ratings · 34 reviews · 8 distinct works • Similar authors

	Casual Lies-A Triple Crown Adventure 4.47 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Into Madness (Born From Stone, #1) 4.35 avg rating — 20 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	For Want of a Horse: A Short Story Collection 3.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Labyrinth of Ruin it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2024 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Labyrinth of Ruin it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pilgrim really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Beezle really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In Brief: A Short Story Collection 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Shelley Lee Riley…

143 posts
Shelley Lee Riley's Blog: https://bluntbookreviewer.blogspot.com

Road to the Triple Crown of Racing

Now that the new year is upon us, the road to the Triple Crown is heating up. There is always increased interest in some of the unique stories behind past participants. For those who haven’t had the chance to read the story behind Casual Lies, the fuzzy brown colt that nobody wanted, now is your opportunity to get the eBook at the discounted price of $.99 at Amazon.com. Or you can read it for

Shelley is Currently Reading

Shelley Riley is currently reading

The Pariah (Covenant of Steel, #1)

by Anthony Ryan (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

May 05, 2024 02:44PM

Shelley Riley is currently reading

Immortal Hearts The Complete Series: Paranormal Fantasy Romance Books 1-5

by Lilah T. Bane (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 13, 2024 11:11AM

Shelley Riley is currently reading

Winter's Mourn (Winter Black #1)

by Mary Stone (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

May 12, 2023 08:36AM

rss
Shelley’s Recent Updates

Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Dead Last (Crossroads Queen, #3) by Annabel Chase	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21 minutes ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dead Last by Annabel Chase. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dead Last by Annabel Chase
Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Dead of Night (Crossroads Queen, #2) by Annabel Chase	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 08, 2024 11:51AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dead of Night by Annabel Chase. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dead of Night by Annabel Chase
Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Dead to the World (Crossroads Queen, #1) by Annabel Chase	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 07, 2024 06:24AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dead to the World by Annabel Chase. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dead to the World by Annabel Chase
Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Jesse and the Magi Vault (Exemplar Hall #2) by J.L. Madore (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 05, 2024 09:41AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Jesse and the Magi Vault by J.L. Madore. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Jesse and the Magi Vault by J.L. Madore
Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Captured by the Magi (Exemplar Hall #1) by J.L. Madore (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 04, 2024 04:11PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Captured by the Magi by J.L. Madore. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Captured by the Magi by J.L. Madore
Shelley Riley rated a book it was amazing Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
It started slowly, but I persevered and finished it in one day. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While there was no cliffhanger at the end, it was still enticing, and I look forward to the second book. The intimacy scenes didn't engage my gag reflex, ...more
Jul 02, 2024 10:49PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard
Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Bound by Blood (Tracking Trouble #2) by Lindsay Buroker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 01, 2024 03:25PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Bound by Blood by Lindsay Buroker. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Bound by Blood by Lindsay Buroker
Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Marked by Magic (Tracking Trouble #1) by Lindsay Buroker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 30, 2024 03:16PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Marked by Magic by Lindsay Buroker. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Marked by Magic by Lindsay Buroker
Shelley Riley rated a book it was amazing Wicked Little Tricks (Four Ways to Fate Book 1) by Sara C. Roethle (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 28, 2024 02:34PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wicked Little Tricks by Sara C. Roethle. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wicked Little Tricks by Sara C. Roethle
Shelley Riley rated a book really liked it Dealer's Choice (Dealer's Choice, #1) by Liz Cain (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 26, 2024 01:20PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dealer's Choice by Liz Cain. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dealer's Choice by Liz Cain

More of Shelley's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Choice ...: What are you reading now?	7845	3627	Apr 30, 2016 01:24PM
Cozy Mystery Corner : What are You Reading Besides a Cozy?	1192	709	Dec 31, 2016 12:00PM
All About Books: What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews	12799	1766	Oct 16, 2017 08:33AM
A Million More Pages: Counting Cards ~ Team Snake Eyes	184	31	Dec 13, 2019 10:20PM
All About Books: Alphabet of Books You've Read	1771	595	May 14, 2023 05:30PM

More…

Shelley’s Quotes

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
― Albert Einstein

tags: attributed-no-source, human-nature, humor, infinity, philosophy, science, stupidity, universe

145973 likes

“A man with a scant vocabulary will almost certainly be a weak thinker. The richer and more copious one's vocabulary and the greater one's awareness of fine distinctions and subtle nuances of meaning, the more fertile and precise is likely to be one's thinking. Knowledge of things and knowledge of the words for them grow together. If you do not know the words, you can hardly know the thing.”
― Henry Hazlitt, Thinking as a Science

tags: language, power-of-words, vocabulary, words

223 likes

Shelley’s Year In Books

Shelley Lee Riley’s Followers (21)

Shelley’s Bookshelves

Shelley’s Friends (70)

Shelley Lee Riley

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Shelley Lee Riley’s books

143 posts
Shelley Lee Riley's Blog: https://bluntbookreviewer.blogspot.com

Road to the Triple Crown of Racing

Shelley is Currently Reading

rss
Shelley’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Dead Last by Annabel Chase

See a Problem?

Preview — Dead of Night by Annabel Chase

See a Problem?

Preview — Dead to the World by Annabel Chase

See a Problem?

Preview — Jesse and the Magi Vault by J.L. Madore

See a Problem?

Preview — Captured by the Magi by J.L. Madore

See a Problem?

Preview — Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard

See a Problem?

Preview — Bound by Blood by Lindsay Buroker

See a Problem?

Preview — Marked by Magic by Lindsay Buroker

See a Problem?

Preview — Wicked Little Tricks by Sara C. Roethle

See a Problem?

Preview — Dealer's Choice by Liz Cain

Topics Mentioning This Author

Shelley’s Quotes

recent posts
Shelley’s Groups

Shelley’s Friend Comments

Shelley Lee Riley’s Followers (21)

Shelley Lee Riley

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssShelley’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Dead Last by Annabel Chase

See a Problem?

Preview — Dead of Night by Annabel Chase

See a Problem?

Preview — Dead to the World by Annabel Chase

See a Problem?

Preview — Jesse and the Magi Vault by J.L. Madore

See a Problem?

Preview — Captured by the Magi by J.L. Madore

See a Problem?

Preview — Cloak of the Vampire by Sapir A. Englard

See a Problem?

Preview — Bound by Blood by Lindsay Buroker

See a Problem?

Preview — Marked by Magic by Lindsay Buroker

See a Problem?

Preview — Wicked Little Tricks by Sara C. Roethle

See a Problem?

Preview — Dealer's Choice by Liz Cain

Topics Mentioning This Author

rss
Shelley’s Recent Updates