Tim Valente

My latest book, A Line Crossed, is about a once-in-a-lifetime horse and his ruthless trainer who will stop at nothing to secure a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby. It's non-stop action from start to finish!

Hiking The Narrows at Zion National Park.

A Line Crossed

For the first time in its 147-year history, Churchill Downs has decided to ban a horse and trainer from competing in the Kentucky Derby. Genuine Issue, the morning-line favorite, has been disqualified because of a suspected blood doping violation in Florida. The trainer, Jimmy Payne, insists he was framed claiming his horse was sabotaged. Was he? His winning percentage suggests otherwise. A Line Crossed is a thrilling ride around the racetrack where greed, ego, and the pursuit of winning outweigh the well-being of the horses.

Available in paperback and Kindle.

Sugar Hill

Available as a Kindle book.

Raised by white supremacist parents in Clewiston, Florida, Raymond Claiborne knows firsthand what the racial atrocities of the Jim Crow South were like for the area's Black residents. These recollections motivate him to invest millions of his own money to build a revolutionary upscale housing development in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Glades, coincidentally named Harlem. Far-right zealots show up at the construction site to protest, which leads to hundreds of extremists descending on Clewiston for a rally that turns violent. This doesn't deter Claiborne from pursuing his dream of making life sweeter for the impoverished people of Harlem, Florida.

Reviews

"Sugar Hill is an amazing book. It made me laugh, cry, and at times angry. To learn of this forgotten town that was beaten down and then controlled by Big Sugar and racism was heart-wrenching. But it took one man with regret and shame in his past to take on Big Sugar to bring hope, pride, and prosperity back to this small Florida town."

"A Line Crossed is an eye-opening look into the underbelly of the horse racing world and the tragic outcomes due to illegal doping. It is a relevant topic in light of the recent scandals with some of the world’s top trainers. A very enjoyable read and an educational one as well."

–H.C. Gordon

–Tyler D

Let me know what you think.

Feel free to leave a review or comment.

Taking a break at Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona.