Pelham’s Ann Searle Horowitz combines passions to write middle grade fantasy novel ‘Trident’

When you have a variety of passions, it can be hard to find one activity to involve all of them. But in Ann Searle Horowitz’s new book “Trident,” she was able to incorporate her love of swimming, writing and mythology.

The book’s protagonist, Richard Tomlin, is a competitive swimmer for the same swim team Horowitz was on. He deals with bullies, a mom obsessed with “I Love Lucy” and an blabbermouth twin sister. When he finds a pair of magical goggles that might be the key to going to the Junior Olympics, Richard is instead transported to the mythical city of Atlantis.

The book, published in December, has already sold more than 200 copies and can be purchased on Amazon and barnesandnoble.com. It is for middle grade readers (ages  8-12).

Horowitz discovered her love for the water at the young age of three after being handed a paddle on a three-day canoe trip with her parents. She started her competitive swimming career at seven, went on to win three state championship titles in high school and swam for William and Mary. As a Pelham parent, she was a deck coach for one of her twin sons in high school swimming. She now works as a coach for the YMCA in Rye.

All of these roles have allowed Horowitz to create the characters in the novel.

“I know it from all three of those dimensions, and I’m able to use all of that in the book,” Horowitz said. ““You have to mine your past for your likes and dislikes” when writing.

Horowitz grew up in New Haven, Connecticut. Swimming, writing, reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys and mythology were some of her favorite pastimes. In college, she majored in French and minored in sociology, though she joked she took so many English classes she probably could have minored in it, too.

Horowitz moved to New York City and worked in advertising for 17 years. When she took up golf at the Split Rock Golf Course, she started to become familiar with Pelham. Horowitz later moved to the town with her husband and two-year-old daughter.

She said she has several children’s manuscripts written that are just waiting to be edited. Working on the marketing, advertising and public relations side of selling a book is on her list. Horowitz is exploring into getting “Trident” in a couple of local bookstores and maybe doing an author appearance at the Eastchester Barnes & Noble.

As for more “Trident” books, there is a sequel in the works. Horowitz started writing it while she worked on “Trident.” Due to changes in a big  part of the ending of “Trident,” she had to go back and rewrite parts of the sequel.

“And that’s the risk of starting something that is a sequel before you finish the prequel,” said Horowitz. 

On Feb. 28, she is doing an author visit at the Pelham Public Library at 3:30 p.m.