Pascal, Francine

About the author

Francine Pascal (b.1938) is an astoundingly prolific author. How many titles are written by her exclusively is debatable (the giveaway word here is that she “created” some of her series). For the Sweet Valley High series, which sees twins Elizabeth and Jessica through High School, a team of six or seven writers was used. Pascal wrote the plot line for each book, and the writers were then let loose, although not too loose. The books have to stick to Pascal’s “Bible” – the characters and places, and, as Pascal wrote “stay close to what they are told to do.” Sticking to the formula certainly paid off. The Sweet Valley Twins series and its numerous spin offs number in the hundreds – there are at least 700 books under the Francine Pascal name. The Sweet Valley girls go through High School, University, and are whizzed back to pre-High School days. Whether all that romance ends in a solid settling down and marriage I cannot tell you.

However, it was inevitable that, in the search for plotlines, some of these would involve horses. Pascal has also created one series, Caitlin, which at least in its initial volumes, is based at a stables. It doesn’t, as far as I can tell, have any relationship to the Sweet Valley series at all. There are no other horse series as such, just the odd horse-related volume in the sea of teenage romance.

It’s interesting to note that some of the Caitlin series were written by Joanna Campbell, who obviously learned the lessons Francine Pascal taught her well. Joanna Campbell went on to create some epic horse series of her own.

Finding the books
Very easy, as they’ve gone through multiple reprints. Many were printed in the UK too.

Links and sources
LA Times, Publishing’s Queen of Teen Romance, 20th April, 1986
Fantastic Fiction – Francine Pascal – a listing of just about everything. An heroic endeavour.
Terri Wear: Horse Stories: An Annotated Bibliography
Thank you to Janet for her help with this page.

Series

Caitlin
Loving
Love Lost
True Love

Caitlin – Forever
Tender Promises
Forever and Always
(A New Promise)






Bibliography (horse books only)


Caitlin: Loving

Written by Joanna Campbell, created by Francine Pascal

Bantam, Toronto, London, 1985, 200 pp.

Caitlin is sixteen, and she has everything. She’s popular, rich, and has plenty of horses, but life isn’t always as it seems. She’s neglected at home. The boy she wants is going out with someone else. Caitlin schemes to get him to herself.

Caitlin: Love Lost

Written by Joanna Campbell, created by Francine Pascal

Bantam, Toronto, London, 1985, 198 pp.

Caitlin has never revealed just what she did to cripple Ian. She gives up riding her horse Duster, and her summer social life so she can work with Ian.

Caitlin: True Love

Written by Joanna Campbell, created by Francine Pascal

Bantam, Toronto, London, 1985, 199 pp.

Jed has rejected her: Caitlin’s still hurt, but manages to work with Ian, and lets him ride her horse Duster, until she finally admits to the Fosters her part in Ian’s crippling accident.

Caitlin: Tender Promises

Written by Diana Gregory, created by Francine Pascal

Bantam, Toronto, London, 1986, 181 pp.

Caitlin visits her boyfriend Jed in Montana. There should be a summer of riding and romance, but Jed has had girlfriends before, and one of them’s still in Montana. She’s jealous of Caitlin.

Caitlin: Forever and Always

Written by Joanna Campbell, created by Francine Pascal

Bantam, Toronto, London, 1987, 203 pp.

I’m assuming that because this is written by Joanna Campbell there’s some horse content. When her grandmother dies, Caitlin has to take over Ryan Mining, but there’s opposition in the shape of Colin Wollman, who will stop at nothing to ruin things for Caitlin and Jed.

Book 3, A New Promise, has no horse content. Caitlin’s at university and has left her horse behind.

First Place

Written by Jamie Suzanne, created by Francine Pascal.

Bantam, New York, 1987, 106 pp.

Sweet Valley Twins, 8

The richest girl in town gets everything; and when she gets a horse, and doesn’t even begin to appreciate how lucky she is, Elizabeth can’t help but be jealous.

Out of Place

Written by Jamie Suzanne, created by Francine Pascal.

Bantam, New York, 1988, 104 pp.

Sweet Valley Twins, 22

Ginny Lu is new at Sweet Valley High, and is wishing she’d never gone there. She wishes she was back in Tennessee until Elizabeth Wakefield comes to her rescue.

Lucy Takes the Reins

Written by Jamie Suzanne, created by Francine Pascal.

Bantam, New York, 1991, 133 pp.

Sweet Valley Twins, 45

Can Lucy help Ted win the jumping competition? She needs to, because Ted is behind on his livery payments, and might have to sell his horse.

Cowboy Kisses

Written by Diane Michelle Crawford

Bantam, Toronto, London, 1994, 135 pp.

Sweet Dreams

Kenzie Sullivan is spending her summer working at the Lucky R Ranch. While she’s there, she falls for a handsome cowboy, who doesn’t think she’ll last a week at the ranch.

Kimberly Rides Again

Written by Alice Nicole Johansson, created by Francine Pascal

Bantam Books, New York, 1995, 136 pp.

Sweet Valley Twins, The Unicorn Club, 8

The Unicorn Club go to a Dude ranch, where the best thing there is the gorgeous riding
instructor, for whom all the girls fall.

Elizabeth’s Horseback Adventure

Written by Mollie Mia Stewart, created by Francine Pascal

Bantam Books, New York, 1996, 96 pp, illus Ying-Hwa Hu

Sweet Valley Kids, 64

Elizabeth Wakefield dreams of competition success, until she gets thrown by her horse
Puddles. Elizabeth decides she’ll never ride again.