A Family of Eagles

Returning from a walk yesterday and preparing to do farm chores, I heard an animal sound I didn't recognize, and looked all around for it. It was a chittering, talking sound.

Squirrel? No.

Redtail Hawk? No - they have a distinct Kee-Kee call.

With some hidden instinct, I looked straight above me and soaring high overhead I saw this:

Bald Eagles!

Actually, there were five total - two with the distinct white head and tail, and three smaller ones in a dark color, which I can only assume were juveniles.

Do they have a nest nearby? We live on a long ridge between two branches of a river, and hopefully there are enough fish in the river to support these eagles. I see them occasionally (maybe several times a year) around here, but have never seen what I believe to be a family of eagles in these parts.

It was definitely my thrill for the day.

Have you ever seen a Bald Eagle? Or a family of them?
Are they common where you live?

The Girl Who Remembered Horses in less than 2 weeks!

I've been waiting to show you my cover art for THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES until the book was actually up on the Musa Publishing website, as part of their YA imprint.

Musa's Euterpe YA imprint just opened, so *ta da - drum roll please* here it is:

In a world that has forgotten the ancient bond between horses and humans, can one girl’s dreams make people remember?

Several generations into the future, Sahara travels with her clan in a barren environment where recyclables are bartered for sustenance, and few remember horses or their connection to humans. But Sahara has recurring visions of riding astride on magnificent animals that run like the wind.

With the help of Evan, a young herder from the Gardener's Camp, Sahara discovers a crumbling book containing pictures of humans riding horses and learns her visions are real. Confronting a group of hunters led by hot-headed Dojo, Sahara rescues a wounded horse, but the animal escapes before it can be tamed.

Sahara is labeled a foolish dreamer and almost gives up her quest. Following horse tracks into a remote ravine, she finds wild dogs attacking a dying mare, and must drive them off in order to save the foal. Now she must attempt to raise the young animal, finally convince her clan of the ancient bond between horses and humans, and learn the secret of her true identity.

THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES is available for pre-purchase right now for $4.99, with an actual release date of November 4, 2011. It will be available in all digital formats, including PDF, ePUB, MOBI, PRC, so you can read it on any digital device including your home computer. Here's the link: http://euterpe.musapublishing.com/ where you can read an excerpt, and check out the other great offerings from Euterpe and Musa Publishing.

For more, you can:

"Like" THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES on its Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Girl.Remembered.Horses.LindaBenson

Add THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12538716-the-girl-who-remembered-horses

If you are a blogger/reviewer and you'd like to read and review a copy of THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES, please contact me: linda (at) lindabenson.net

Can you tell I'm a little excited?

The Bambi Effect

We live surrounded by woods, and I always have a hard time when hunting season begins. Yesterday was opening day for rifle season on deer.

Besides the fact that I am afraid to venture far into the woods during this time, even bedecked in orange, I always have the mad urge to race through the forest shouting "Run, Bambi, Run!"

Or, better yet, "Hide, Bambi, Hide."

Did watching the Disney movie at an impressionable age help me develop a soft spot for animals? Do books and movies about kindness make an impression on children?

I like to think so. I can't see a deer in the wild without imagining this:

Does reading a book like Black Beauty help a child understand horses, and life from an animal's point of view?

What do you think?

Can children develop kindness and feelings toward animals through the influence of movies and books?

What book or movie made an impression on you as a child?

The Case for the Late Tomato

Last year was the summer of the green tomato, but this year our tomatoes did even worse. After an extremely short warm season, with few days over 80 degrees, fall arrived with a rainy vengeance in the northwest.

Our tomatoes were still mostly green on the vine, and we covered them with a blue tarp for a day during the heaviest rains, so they wouldn't split and mold.

When we uncovered them, we realized that our warm days had passed, and we had no hope of any more red-ripe tomatoes this year.

But wait! My enterprising husband pulled the best ones from the ground, and hung them upside-down in the barn.

Look at those amazing plants trying to ripen their fruit! Anything that shows a little color gets taken into the kitchen to ripen fully, and they taste great!

As the days grow colder and winter looms - I say "Yay for Late Tomatoes!"

Did you get tomatoes from your garden this year?

Ever tried this method to keep your tomatoes going?

Movie Date with My Mom

I finally saw THE HELP last night. It was easily the Best Book I read last year, and now easily the Best Movie I've seen this year.

It was a great movie to see with my mom. Not only had we both read the book (and loved it) but there were two memorable mother/daughter relationships in this movie.

It's a movie for everyone, though, and you will alternately laugh, cry, and cheer. If you don't, well hey, you must not be human.

So if you haven't yet - go Read the Book. See the Movie. Trust me on this one.

Have you seen it yet? What was your impression?

Beauty

Sometimes beauty is where you find it . . .

Common Tansy on wind-fallen Alder surrounded by Big Leaf Maple.

maybe right outside your back door . . . if you just look.



Happy Launch Day, Musa!

Today I'm helping to celebrate the opening day of a brand new publisher, Musa Publishing.

They will publish my new YA novel, THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES on November 4, 2011.


Stop by their site:  http://www.musapublishing.com/
or their blog: http://musapublishing.blogspot.com/
where they are giving away prizes all week - Books! Swag!



If you don't see my name or my book on the site, it's because it will be released by their new YA imprint called Euterpe, which will be up and running very soon.

Why did I take a chance with a brand new publisher on a book that's been six years in the making?

Well, that's another blog post and story altogether, but suffice it say that right off the bat I was impressed with this company. It seemed to be run by a handful of smart, savvy publishing women with drive and business acumen. And what author wouldn't be impressed by a company that shares its contract and royalty structure right on their website for anyone to see?

Here's an interview with Editorial Director Celina Summers, which will give you an idea of the direction the company is heading: http://annieseaton.blogspot.com/2011/10/innovative-new-e-publisher-launches.html

As for me, I'm obviously very excited, too. THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES will come out first as an e-book (start your Kindles, Nooks, iPads, and various e-readers!) and hopefully soon after in paper. And I can't wait to share this story with you!