Linda Benson

The Leaning Tree

2012-01-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

There's a Douglas Fir tree in our pasture that amazes me. While we've lost other trees in severe windstorms (see my post right here) - this tree, although leaning at an awkward angle, still stands. In fact, if you look closely at the top, it's growing towards the light, trying to right itself.

I think about this tree a lot, how much it has withstood - how many storms it has lived through, how much snow and wind and rain and sleet it's been battered with (we had a foot and a half of snow here last week.) How many birds have built nests and raised families in its shelter? How much shade has it provided for cows, horses, and donkeys that stand underneath it on hot days? How many squirrels and cats have run up its crooked branches? Yet still it stands.

When you're going through bad times, whether it be rejections, or divorce, or death, or just everyday annoyances, think about the old Leaning Tree.

Even if you're tired or leaning or feel like you're growing crooked some days, hang in there, and keep Growing Towards the Light.

Flying with your Nook - and your Book

2012-01-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Just returned from a mini-vacation which involved a three hour flight each way. I do fly fairly often, but this was the first time with my brand new Nook Color.

I was excited! I loaded it up with a bunch of a books for the trip. Some I purchased, and some I downloaded from the library. I was so ready!!

Here's what I learned:

Make sure you fully charge your Nook, or Kindle, or eReader before your trip. Turn your wireless settings off, so it won't use too much power or interfere with the pilot, you know, flying the plane.
When you go through security, you still have to take your laptop out of your bag and place it in a separate tray (so annoying.) But not your Nook! In fact, so many people must have been flying with their new eReaders that the security guards kept announcing "Nooks and Kindles can stay in your bags."
If you are a nose-in-your-book, introverted reading nerd like I am, take along a paper book, too. I packed a lightweight paperback that I read during take-off and landing. But once you're in the air, you are fine to turn your electronic device on (power up that Nook or Kindle) and read the great story you are into! Or finish a piece of short fiction, because you have so many loaded on your Nook. Or read magazines. Newspapers. You have a whole library to browse through, so pick whatever you are in the mood to read!

Want to know the two books I read (concurrently) on the trip?

On the Nook, I'm reading REVOLUTION, by Jennifer Donnelly, which is a captivating novel weaving together stories of two teenage girls that live 200 years apart, one in present day and one during the French revolution. I felt like a teenager myself when the steward told me to "power off all electronics" as we started our descent, and I read really fast until I finished the chapter I was on.

I also had along a paperback titled THE CALL: A Novel, by Yannick Murphy, an unusually-told book about a veterinarian and his family, which I read during take-off and landing.

One year ago, I was one of those people who insisted that I only liked paper books. Real books, I called them.

Well, I'm here to tell you that I've changed. I love my Nook. I love reading on my Nook (I can turn it sideways and prop it up!) and I'll grab it anytime I have to travel, as long as I have electricity and a place to plug it in. I'm getting too damn old to backpack, but if I do, I'll take a couple of paperbacks. But for me, for now, it's my Nook, my Nook, my Nook!

Have you flown with your eReader yet?

Meet Mindy Hardwick

2012-01-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

I am happy to welcome to the blog Northwest author Mindy Hardwick, whose debut novel STAINED GLASS SUMMER just came out from Musa Publishing. (P.S. I've read it and it's wonderful!)

Mindy – How did you first come up with the idea for Stained Glass Summer? The initial conflict seems to be between 12-year-old Jasmine and her father, who she idolizes. How did this scenario come to you?

The idea for STAINED GLASS SUMMER happened when an artist friend gave me a couple pieces of broken glass she found in a dumpster. The story was originally called, Jewels from the Dumpster, and Jasmine had an alcoholic Mom. However, in my first workshop at Vermont College, Ron Koertge said, “Alcoholic mothers are a dime a dozen, change it.” It was hard to hear, but what he went on tell me was don’t go with the first idea. The first idea is usually known or predictable. Keep pushing the envelope and ask What If. I followed his directions, and Jasmine’s Father was created!

Did you know anything about creating stained glass before you wrote this book? Or did you learn about it during the process of writing it?

During the research process, I took a class in stained glass. I had a really hard time! I’ve always been a little spatially challenged, and cutting the pieces exactly to fit the pattern was really hard for me. But, those little sun catchers that we made in class ended up in STAINED GLASS SUMMER.

The idea of mentoring plays a pivotal role in this novel. Are you involved in mentoring, Mindy? Tell us a little about this, and how your feelings about being a mentor, or having a mentor, seep into your writing.

STAINED GLASS SUMMER is about Jasmine learning to define herself as an artist, and I think mentoring is a key part of being an artist—any type of artist. The artistic path is a journey, and on a journey, there is always a mentor who meets you at the first “doorway” and walks with you on your path.

I am a mentor in the Volunteers of America Children of Promise Program. I have been matched for one year and my mentee and I do lots of fun things together every month. We’ve gone bowling, decorated a cake, and she came with me to pick up my new puppy, Stormy. Faith and I did an interview on the Euterpe YA blog that can be seen here:

http://euterpe-ya.blogspot.com/2012/01/faith-and-mindy-hardwick-mentor.html

I also run a poetry workshop with youth in juvenile detention. You can see some of the teen poems on their blog at: www.denneypoetry.com. Although I don’t see the youth outside of the detention program, I feel as if I am their writing mentor in the poetry workshop.

What was the most difficult part about writing Stained Glass Summer?

I had a hard time finding the right age for the story. Jasmine began as a fifteen-year-old edgy character. As I revised the manuscript, her age moved downward, but everyone was still calling it young adult. The problem was when I went to try and sell the book, it was too quiet for young adult. I kept seeing the story as tween—a good story for kids in the middle school years (6^th-8^th) grade. Finally, after a couple of close calls in selling it, I sent the manuscript to be critiqued by freelance editor, Sarah Cloots. She called it an upper middle grade and suggested the story be called, STAINED GLASS SUMMER. In that revision, I changed Jasmine to be twelve and Cole to be thirteen. Once I made those changes, the story seemed to fall into place easily.

Stained Glass Summer, your debut novel, is being published first as an eBook. How do you feel about this? Do you read eBooks regularly? If so, do you see any difference between reading on an eReader vs. a print book?

I’ve been reading e-books for a couple of years. I heard Angela James speak at an RWA Conference in Seattle about e-books. She showed us her e-readers and I was hooked! I love having STAINED GLASS SUMMER published as an e-book. It feels like this is the exact right time for e-books!

One of my favorite characters in the novel is five-year-old Sammy, who at the beginning serves as a foil for Jasmine. Later, learning more about Sammy becomes a way for Jasmine to learn more about herself. Is Sammy modeled after anyone you know?

Sammy is modeled after a picture book character that I wrote (but haven’t sold yet). I was drafting my picture books at the same time I was writing STAINED GLASS SUMMER, and Sammy’s personality showed up in both stories!

And last question, do you have anything else in the works, Mindy? Any other projects you’d like to share with us?

My young adult romance novel, WEAVING MAGIC, will be published on April 27, 2012. Here is a brief summary:

He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher tell each other. Sixteen-year-old Shantel and Christopher are falling in love, while failing to deal with some serious issues. Christopher’s feelings about his father’s imprisonment and Shantel’s feelings about her mother’s suicide are smothered beneath blankets of denial and addiction. Even though Christopher attends AA, and is trying to stay sober, the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried, and soon, the two are headed toward a disastrous magic trick which sends Christopher to juvenile detention and forces both of them to move beyond magical illusions to find true love.

Wow. Sounds like you are one busy lady, Mindy. Thank you so much for stopping by to share your story and tell us about your books.

To learn more about Mindy Hardwick, follow these links:

Website: www.mindyhardwick.com

Blog: www.mindyhardwick.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stainedglasssummer

Twitter: @mindyhardwick

and to buy the book (it will be available at all major online booksellers soon) here are two links:

Musa Publishing http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=120

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Stained-Glass-Summer-ebook/dp/B006RIN5CO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326658599&sr=1-1

Oh, did I mention the book has a great setting in the San Juan Islands of Washington State? Yeah, that too!

The Case of the Missing Collar

2012-01-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

As some of you may remember, we own the Best Dog in the World.

His name is Homer.

And because we love Homer so much, we thought he was lonely, so we got him a friend.

Now this new dog is a Work-in-Progress, and we are at the moment going through a round of

Difficult Edits.

Her name is Penny.

Ah, she was such an adorable puppy. But her teenage months were filled with digging, chewing, destroying, acting out and generally being hard to live with. Like most teenagers.

She is getting better. Slowly. But she still has one annoying habit we haven't been able to break her of.

She takes Homer's collar off. In their daily wrestling matches, she grabs hold of his collar and tugs it right off his head.

And of course, then I have to find it, because a dog can't go around without his collar and identification tags, right?

Well, one day, I could not find Homer's black collar. But it was old anyway, and the tags were hard to read, so after a day or two of searching Every. Square. Inch. of the yard (did she bury it?) I broke down and bought Homer a Brand New Blue Collar. Like this:

and I sprung for some new tags with Homer's name on them, and he looked spiffy. Almost like a young dog again. Plus, we'd be able to find this collar easily if Penny took it off his head.

So, of course, after I spent close to twenty dollars on a new collar for Homer, guess what mysteriously turns up on the concrete right outside of our garage?

Yes. You are correct. The old black collar was suddenly lying on the concrete, right there in plain sight.

Great, I thought (not quite understanding how it got there.) But I put it in the cupboard to use for a spare, in case the new blue collar mysteriously disappeared. Which it did, the very next day!!

So I put the old black collar, with the old tags back on Homer, and this is the routine we follow, day in and day out - find Homer without collar, look for collar, put collar back on.

Sidenote: The new twenty dollar blue collar (including identification tags) has never been found . . .

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:38:00.001-08:00

Happy 2012, Everyone!

This will be an exciting year for me. Beside promoting my newest book, THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES, and working on a sequel, I have two more eBooks coming out this year from Musa Publishing.

I bet you think they're about horses, don't you?

Well, actually, they're not. But they both encompass the theme that seeps into all of my writing - the bond between humans and animals. (And this first book does have two old rescue horses in it.)

SIX DEGREES OF LOST, with a release date of June 2012, is a contemporary novel set in the Pacific Northwest. It's told in alternating voices of the two main characters - Olive and David.

Olive’s mother is headed to jail and her brother to join theArmy, so thirteen-year-old Olive is uprooted from sunny California and dumpedin Washington State like a stray, which is exactly what she feels likesurrounded by her aunt’s collection of homeless dogs, cats, and horses.Fourteen-year-old David’s future is already carved in stone. From a militaryfamily with two brothers serving overseas, he’s been pointed towards the AirForce Academy his entire life - but a rafting trip gone awry and a burning haybarn might ruin his chances. When a runaway dog dashes into the road and isalmost hit by a car, the search for its owners leads Olive and David, two kidsfrom entirely different backgrounds, to an unlikely bond. Will their growingattraction to each other be enough to keep Olive from a foolhardy journey tofind her mother? Will David risk his family’s plans and honor to save her?

WALKING THE DOG has a tentative release date from Musa of September 2012. Here's a short blurb about this novel:

Jaredis smitten when his teacher seats the new girl, Sophie, right next to him. Evenwith the scar running up the side of her face, Jared thinks she’s the mostbeautiful girl in the entire sixth grade. But why did she transfer here so latein the year? Rumors say something bad happened to her.

Jaredand Sophie develop a friendship while walking the guidance counselor’s newtherapy dog, but Jared’s overprotective parents are not happy with thisarrangement. Besides, ever since his younger brother’s accident, Jared issupposed to keep an eye on Petey. But little brothers can be pests. First Peteylets the orange cat loose at the animal shelter where Jared and Sophie havebeen secretly meeting. Then Petey turns up missing. Will Jared’s parentsunravel his elaborate lies and make him do community service at the seniorcenter? What will Jared do when Sophie shows up there, afraid to go home?

So 2012 will be a busy and exciting year for me. I'll be writing, revising, talking about my books, blogging, and hoping to find time for a little exercise and fun somewhere in there, also.

What about you? What do you have planned for 2012?

So Many Ways to Read

2011-12-29T13:57:00.000-08:00

Like many of you this year - I received an eReader for Christmas. I got the Nook Color.

I love it, and although I'm a tad technologically challenged, I am slowly learning all the features and fun things it can do. Plus, since THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES was published as an eBook this year, I get to read it (finally) on an actual eReader.

I love the fact that you can get samples of books on the eReader, which allows you to see if you like it and want to read on.

I still love paper books though, and have plenty checked out from my library. Now, though, I can also borrow eBooks from my library, right off my Nook. How cool is that?

I think that eReaders (as popular as they are becoming) will never completely replace paper books, but only augment our reading experience. Not only can I get magazines and newspapers on my Nook, but many short novels and novellas that I might not have had access to otherwise. I love short fiction, and will probably read more of it now. And I can't wait to load my Nook up with several good novels to read for the next time I travel.

As you know, I'm a huge reader. I read a ton of books in 2011.

Well, to be more precise, I've read exactly 127 books this year, according to my Goodreads Challenge, but I still have a couple of days left, so that number may rise.

But as an avid reader I'm excited about all the new ways we can now find great material to read.

And as a writer, I'm plenty excited about all the new ways we now have to reach our readers.

Besides THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES, I'll have two more new eBooks coming out next year, both from Musa Publishing. I'll have details about those soon.

But for now, what to read? What to read? Something from the pile of books I got for Christmas? Or from the pile of books I checked out from the library? Or to the great books waiting to be discovered on my Nook? Choices, choices, choices!

Were you one of the many who received an eReader this Christmas?

What kind did you get?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

Peace on Earth

Goodwill to all creatures, great and small.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Last Minute Horse Books

2011-12-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

Still looking for a few last minute gifts for a young horse lover on your list? Here are some suggestions:

Take the Reins, Canterwood Crest - Book One - by Jessica Burkhart

This is the first book in the wildly successful Canterwood Crest series by Jessica Burkhart (over half million copies sold.) I wasn’t at all sure what to expect with this novel, because it deals with totally unfamiliar territory for me: a young girl arriving with her horse at a prestigious boarding school, hoping to fit in not only academically and socially, but become part of an elite jumping team. But in the first few pages, our main character Sasha loses control of her horse, Charm, who spooks on the way to his new stable, runs off and causes the fall of another rider, who immediately becomes Sasha’s enemy. What a horrible first day! Can we say high drama in the horse barn? (And trust me, I’ve had the experience of a horse pulling out of my hands and running loose through a group of horses and people. It’s not only dangerous; it’s one of the most embarrassing and scary moments imaginable – all rolled into one.)

Take the Reins is indeed filled with drama, and at times I almost wanted to dub it “mean girls” because I was appalled at the horrible stunts pulled on Sasha by a group of snooty girls, led by arch-enemy Heather, all because Sasha’s abilities as a rider may cost another girl a highly-sought after spot on the advanced show-jumping team. But Sasha is a spunky character who doesn’t whine to either her parents or her coach. She just keeps her head down and deals with her problems by studying and working harder, and she is definitely a character to be admired. These dire social situations, thrown in with a little romance and plenty of horse details obviously appeal to a certain young audience, because there will be a total of 15 Canterwood Crest books published when the last two arrive next year: Initiation and Popular.

Ms. Burkhart’s writing style strikes a chord in young readers, offering just the right mix of horses and social drama, because the books continue to be gobbled up and collected. They are available in both paperback and e-reader editions, and your young horse enthusiast might just love one for a Christmas gift! You can check them out right here.

Risky Chance - Horse Diaries - by Alison Hart

This is #7 in the Horse Diaries series, written for a slightly younger audience, but wonderful all the same for anyone who loves horses. This series is told from the point of view of the horse (a la Black Beauty) and Risky Chance is a young thoroughbred destined for the race track. The book starts, in fact, when he is a very young colt, still with his mother, racing the other colts across the pasture. How he loves to race! The story follows Risky as he is trained for the track and eventually taken to Santa Anita. The time is during the 1930’s, the Great Depression, when another great racehorse came to fame – Seabiscuit. Although Risky Chance loves his job, and loves to run, things don’t go as smoothly in his life as planned, and at one point his fate becomes dire and uncertain. This book has a happy ending, though, and you’ll be glad to gift it to any horse loving youngster this Christmas. I also liked the fact that the author, Alison Hart, author of many books for young readers (including Shadow Horse and Whirlwind) offers factual information at the back of this book explaining more about Thoroughbreds, horse racing, as well as the Great Depression. I highly recommend any of the books in this Horse Diaries series. Here's the link to the page on Amazon.com

Riding Invisible - by Sandra Alonzo

Running away on a horse? How many of us have imagined this when our life became difficult and hard to control? What if you had a mentally unstable brother that threatened to harm both you and your beloved horse? This book is the journal of fifteen-year-old Yancy Aparicio, who runs away into the California desert with just a flashlight, a backpack, a journal, and his horse. When this book came out last year, I was so engrossed in the story that I read it in one sitting. A wonderful read, fast-moving and heart-felt, it's not only an adventure story of a boy and his horse running away from problems, but also a serious story of a family coming to grips with a very difficult situation, and a boy finding his own courage and heart throughout it all. Powerful and gripping, I highly recommend it for both boy and girls who are not only horse lovers, but also lovers of realistic adventure stories.

The best part is that Riding Invisible is available now on Amazon at a reduced price in hardback, and also in paperback and for eReaders. Don’t miss this one!

The Girl Who Remembered Horses - by Linda Benson

Of course I have to mention this one. It’s my brand new book. It’s available right now as an ebook, and if you’d like to choose it as a gift for someone, you can! On either Amazon or Barnes and Noble, simply click the button in the upper right hand corner of the page where it says “Buy as Gift.” Cool, huh? Here's the link on Amazon.

A great adventure story, The Girl Who Remembered Horses is set in a future world that has forgotten the ancient bond between horses and humans. It has a spunky main character named Sahara who dreams of horses and attempts to tame one, and it’s garnering 5 star reviews from readers. Be sure and check this one out, as well as all of the great books above. I hope you find just the right last minute gift idea for your reader.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Reading, Everyone!

Styling in the Barn

2011-12-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

I bought myself an early Christmas present yesterday.

Something I needed badly - and it couldn't wait.

You see, I had holes in my barn boots, which I wear every morning and evening to do chores.

I had already patched them once, with duct tape, and now the other boot was leaking.

So I went into town, fully expecting to buy a new pair of the same old lace-up mud boots that I always wear, but they didn't carry them!

And so, after trying on every pair of galoshes in the supply store, I came home with these:

Stop Laughing!

It's what all the cool Farm Girls are wearing around here! (And I'm sure they'll look fine once I get some mud on them.)

Hey - sometimes you just need a little style in the barnyard! Okay?

Meet SG Rogers

2011-12-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

Meet S.G. Rogers, author of fantasy and speculative fiction, who has a brand new novel out from Astraea Press, a new book out from Musa Publishing in April, and a Free Read available Dec 7th, 2011 from Musa Publishing.

Suzanne, how long have you been writing?

I’ve had a knack for writing my whole life, but it was after the birth of my son when I became serious about pursuing a career as an author. I started out with screenplays, and then branched out into fiction.

Do you write mostly for children and young adults, or have you written for other age groups?

I write what I like to read, so I tend toward writing young adult fantasy. I wouldn’t mind writing more romantic fantasy, which appeals to a broader spectrum of adults.

Is The Last Great Wizard of Yden your first book? And it's out as an e-book with Astraea Press?

Yden is my first full-length title with a publisher, and it’s in e-book format. If I can make a market for the Yden series, it will go to print. Personally, I love e-books.

Tell us briefly about this book. Does it involve time travel?

When Jon Hansen’s father is kidnapped in a supernatural way, his quest for answers leads him to another dimension—the magical planet known as Yden.

Is fantasy your favorite genre? Why? What kind of books do you like to read? Are they also fantasy?

The first section in a library or bookstore you’ll find me is the young adult fantasy aisle. I love diving into other worlds, or exploring what might be hidden here on Earth. My favorite author is Diana Wynne Jones (The Chrestomanci series), but I really enjoy the Percy Jackson series (Rick Riordan), and the Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling)…among many others. The creativity I find in fantasy literature just blows me away.

Here's a little about her debut novel, The Last Great Wizard of Yden:

After his father is kidnapped, sixteen-year-old Jon stumbles across a closely guarded family secret--one that will challenge everything he has ever believed about his father and himself. A magical ring his father leaves behind unlocks a portal to another dimension, but in using it, Jon unwittingly unchains the forces of evil. A crisis develops when a malevolent wizard transports to Earth to kidnap Jon’s would-be girlfriend. With the help of some unlikely schoolmates, and a warrior princess from Yden, Jon embarks on a dangerous quest to free his friend and his father from the most vicious wizard the magical world has ever known. In the end, Jon will be forced to fight for his life as he attempts to rescue the last great wizard of Yden.

The Last Great Wizard of Yden is available at Astraea Press, Amazon, and B&N.

Suzanne, do you have any other projects coming up you'd like to tell us about?

My short story, Apocrypha is available Dec. 7^th as a free read at Musa Publishing. (Tagline: Sometimes, even for a demon, love is in the cards). Apocrypha will be the foundation for a full-length paranormal adventure/romance coming later in 2012. In April, Musa will also be releasing the first of my Asgard Adventure series novellas. In The Druid, an adventuresome woman meets an Immortal hero from the pages of a book—bigger than life and twice as Elvish. It’s a modern take on Nordic mythology, and I’m pretty excited about it!

Awesome, Suzanne. Thanks so much for stopping by the blog and letting us know about your work.

Readers, starting December 7th, jump on over to Musa Publishing (publisher of my newest book THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES) and look for Suzanne's (S.G.Rogers) free short story called Apocrypha. And look for the other Free Reads they are offering also, as a way of saying Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

And to learn more about S.G. Rogers, check out her website: http://childofyden.wordpress.com/

Thanks again, Suzanne. It's always nice to get to know new authors, and best of luck on your publishing career!

Stories All Around Us

2011-11-30T09:15:00.000-08:00

I've been a Bad Blogger. I haven't written a new post in 11 days, oh no! But I've been traveling, visiting, Thanksgivinging (I made that word up) and helping a loved one move. But the entire time I've been working on a new novel by Story Sparking. (I just made that phrase up, too, and writers will know what I mean.)

There are Sparks, or Story Ideas, Everywhere! Here are a few - based on real events - that I've tucked away in my brain for possible future use in a novel (all names and places to be changed to a fictitious version of course.)

Driving a rental truck across several states and narrowly avoiding a several car pile-up in the fog. Or having the truck (with all your worldly possessions) break down on a narrow stretch of mountain pass (oh, and let's have a snow storm, shall we?) and waiting for hours until another truck becomes available, only to have to move everything from the old truck to the new one. But then you accidentally drop the cat carrier and the hinge breaks and the door springs open and out flies your cat . . .
Arriving in your new location, and the movers you have lined up to help you unload boxes are the shiftiest looking people you have ever seen, and you are alone. Or wait, maybe it's the hunkiest, most handsome guy you've ever seen and he questions you about your life, and you tell him, but finally you are alone in a new apartment in a new town, a new state, with everything that constitutes your entire life stacked in boxes around you and it's just too much, too much - and you begin to sob but you can't find any Kleenex, or toilet paper, and your cat begins to howl because it wants out of the cage which is now wired shut, and the neighbor opens his door to greet you, and . . .
Okay, I ran a little long on that last one. How about you are in the airport flying (home after Thanksgiving, moving, starting a new job, whatever) and you meet a young man waiting at the gate with you, for the same flight, and he confides that he's just ridden the bus three days from Alabama, and now he's flying to the Northwest for a job and it's the first time he's ever flown on an airplane, and he's a little nervous. So you comfort him, and ask about his life, and he tells you he's making a new start, a better life for his daughters. How old? you ask. They're six, he relates. Oh, twins? you ask (a natural question.) Nah, he says, flashing white teeth in a huge grin, and you really, really want to ask more, but decide to leave it at that.

See what I mean? Stories all around us.

Now must begin Writing . . .

First Snow

2011-11-19T14:40:00.000-08:00

I decided this morning that I've lived in the north country long enough. Normally I delight in the first snowfall of the year, get out the camera and take pictures of the lovely snow-laden branches and crisp frosty air, crunch through the new-fallen snow in awe of its beauty.

This morning, I woke up and said "oh, it snowed. It's going to be a long winter." Then I laced up my insulated rubber boots, discovered there was a rip in the outer covering which means I need new ones, padded over the cold garage floor to find duct tape, and proceeded to patch them together so my feet wouldn't get wet and frost-bitten. After pulling on several layers of clothes, an orange Carhart fleece cap (it's still hunting season,) scarf and mittens, I trudged out to feed animals and take the dogs for a short romp.

At least Penny, eleven months old, thought the snow was pretty fun. Here she is pointing at mice or some other suspected "prey" in the grass.

For my part, I'm dreaming of warmer climates. But at least winter gives me plenty of time to curl up by the fireplace and read, which is one of my favorite things to do in life. And write.

Just a short reminder that a giveaway of two copies of my brand new ebook, THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES, is going on over at Equestrian Ink. Here's the link if you haven't entered: http://equestrianink.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-book-and-giveaway.html and the contest runs through the end of November, 2011.

Do you like winter?
Or do you groan and whine, like me, and dream of summer?

Book Club News!

2011-11-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

Our New Book Club (hmm, we don't have a name yet, maybe we should remedy that) is off the ground and running. We had our third meeting this week with eight members and a lively discussion.

So far we have few rules, and are managing to pick books by consensus. Usually someone has read one and recommends it, but occasionally we pick a new release that no one has read, but we've agreed that they sound awesome. And we're managing a mix of heavy topics interspersed with lighter fare.

Here's what we've picked to read for the next few months:

Sarah's Key, by Tatiana De Rosnay

The Last Time I Was Me, by Cathy Lamb

The Lost Wife, by Alyson Richman

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

My Life in France, by Julia Child

Second Glance, by Jodi Picoult

Secret Daughter, by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Are any of these titles on your reading list?

Already read some of them? Let us know what you thought!

Feel free to jump in with a comment!

A New Book - Finally!

2011-11-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Gosh - folks - getting this brand new book out was like birthing a ten pound baby in a short but furious labor. Releasing an ebook is a different critter than releasing a paper book.

Why? Well for one thing, releasing a hardback book often takes up to two years, at which time the UPS man delivers a box of books to your door, which you open lovingly, take one from the top of the stack, inhale the wonderful new book smell and then begin to gingerly turn the pages, all the while thinking "Mine. I WROTE this."

No, publishing an ebook with a brand new publishing house, whose staff is keeping round-the-clock hours, means it's possible to sign a contract just over two months ago, go through two rounds of edits with a head editor, be working on copy edits, acknowledgment pages, and an author bio right up almost until the release date itself, with your stomach in knots hoping everything is finally, actually correct. Then looking at your pages in a PDF document on your computer, formatted in book form, with a beautiful cover with wild horses galloping across it, thinking - Wow, this looks (and reads) pretty darn good!

Then, on Release Day (yesterday) looking on the Musa Publishing/ Euterpe Imprint site and seeing a picture of your book cover and it now says "Featured Book." And then seeing that it's actually up on Amazon, too. (It will be on the Barnes and Noble site soon, also.)

If you want to know the actual length of time it took for THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES to go from glimmer in this author's brain cells to published, you can read its journey on fellow Musa author Sharon Ledwith's blog: http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/2011/10/authors-in-limelight-linda-benson.html

If you want to know some of the reasons I'm glad it's coming out as an ebook, read Euterpe's blog post right here: http://euterpe-ya.blogspot.com/2011/11/todays-release-girl-who-remembered.html

THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES is now available in all electronic formats PDF, ePUB, Mobi, PRC. It's a great book for Horse Lovers of all ages - from 9 to 99. (My 86-year-old mother is reading it in PDF form on a laptop.) So Go! Buy it! (It's only $4.99) And be sure and let me know what you think!

Right now I'm going to go take a well-deserved Nap. Birthing this book was Exhausting!

A Family of Eagles

2011-10-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-10-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-10-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

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!

The Yellow-Jacket Trail

2011-09-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

If you've read any of my books, you've soon met an animal, a pet, or a trail through the woods. Maybe that's because it's where I do some of my best thinking, and every trail I've ever followed stays with me.

When I was younger I spent a lot of time in the mountains at my grandparent's cabin. We had a trail on the sidehill behind the house filled with madrone and redwoods. One of these big redwoods, possibly scarred from fire, had a huge opening near the base. A wild cat had given birth there one time, so my brothers and I named the trail "the Kitty Cat Trail." That trail, and the story about that tree, inspired one of the events in my first book FINDING CHANCE.

There are lush woods and fern-filled trails right out our back fence where we live now, too. Here is the end of our "Upper Loop Trail," coming home with the dogs this morning:

And we have a narrow short-cut trail that we often take leading over to our neighbor's logging road. It was a convenient cut-off, until suddenly I was stung on the hand by a yellow-jacket as I went through. Ouch! My hand swelled up, hurt like %$#! for a couple of days and then itched for two weeks!

Sure enough, the nasty pests have a huge hole in the ground right where we walk, and until they go dormant in the winter, I'm not traveling that way anymore.

But of course that led to a name, and so forevermore, this path has now been dubbed "The Yellow-Jacket Trail":

What brings you inspiration in your daily life?

Do you have favorite trails? Do you name them?

Waiting on Cover Art

2011-09-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

I'm on total pins and needles waiting to see the cover art for The Girl Who Remembered Horses.

Musa Publishing is a brand new publisher that launches next week, October 1, 2011, and I love that they have asked for suggestions. So because this book is an exciting adventure story about horses, I sent them lots of pictures of wild horses running, like this:

And this:

Of course there might also be a picture of Sahara, the main character in the novel, the girl who dreams of magnificent creatures that run like the wind - at a time in the future when no one remembers horses.

Will Sahara be on the cover? I don't know. I don't know. I can hardly wait to see, and can hardly wait to show you!

Meanwhile, hop on over and check out Musa Publishing. They are accepting submissions, and their Euterpe YA imprint is also looking for middle grade and young adult manuscripts.

The Girl Who Remembered Horses will release on November 11, 2011 and I should see my cover art soon. Don't worry! I'll post it here as soon as I can! *shiverswithanticipation*

Snowman: The Eighty-Dollar Champion

2011-09-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

When I'm not writing books, I'm reading them. And I adore books about horses. Here's one that I just finished. It's currently on the New York Times Best Seller list, and it's fantastic.

I just wrote a review over on Equestrian Ink and you can jump over there and read it, but Snowman is a true story of a horse saved just in the nick of time from slaughter, who went on to become a champion jumper. Unbelievable story and highly recommended!

If you want to see what else I've been reading lately, here's my Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3421565.Linda_Benson

And if you want the latest information on my soon-to-be released book, The Girl Who Remembered Horses, here's the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Girl.Remembered.Horses.LindaBenson

Are you a writer? Or a reader? Both?

What have you been working on or reading lately?

And Suddenly It's Fall . . .

2011-09-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Summer was brief here in the Pacific Northwest. We had rain and gloom through July, a few nice days in August, then just as the kids went back to school in September, we finally put together a string of lovely warm days in the high 80's.

But now I look outside and realize that Fall has arrived. Days are still pleasant but cloudy, the trees are turning color, and it won't be long before the cold rainy season is upon us. But somehow I don't mind.

I've got lots of new writing projects in front of me, and I'm eager to dive in.

I'm working on edits for my brand new YA novel THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES coming out in November 2011 (in less than 2 months) from Musa Publishing in their brand new Young Adult imprint called Euterpe. I can hardly wait to see cover art, which I will share with you as soon as I can!

I'm polishing up two more manuscripts and getting them ready for submission.

And in between all this, I'm working on my newest YA novel in verse. And when I say working, I mean I am several thousand words into it, my mind is churning, and my character is frantically telling me her story while I make notes so she doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

So you can see why I'm almost looking forward to the rainy season. Time to stay inside and WRITE!

Which season is your favorite?

Are you sad to see Summer go?

Picking a Book Club Book

2011-09-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

Our New Book Club meets tonight for the first time. I'm excited! We've all been asked to bring at least one recommendation for a book to read, and in some fashion we will all decide what to read as a group.

Everyone is all in a tizzy. What to choose? How to pick? What is a "Book Club" book anyway?

Is it one of those you see with the ready-made questions printed in the back?
One that's been on Oprah's list? Or from some other Book Club list, like Goodreads?

For me, I think any book might work, as long as it is well-written and invites discussion afterward. A book that you savor, that you can't stop thinking about - a book that actually makes you think.

I'm still working out what I'm going to suggest. There are two books about animals that I really want to read. They are:

The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation

by Elizabeth Letts

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend

by Susan Orlean

But although these are probably wonderful, are they really "book club" books? Maybe.

But here are two more that I know will be conversation starters. The first I have read (and it's wonderful) and the second I haven't.

The Outside Boy

by Jeanine Cummins

The Submission: A Novel

by Amy Waldman

Of course, everyone else is bringing suggestions, too. What will we pick?

Don't know, but I'll let you know, and you can read along if you like!

Have you read any of the above books?

What book would you suggest?

Laptop Desk, the Coolest Thing since Sliced Bread

2011-09-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, writers - and all you other people who spend hours a day working and/or playing on your computer - I know your back hurts! Why? Because you sit in a chair all day. Or if not in a chair, you sit on a couch, or a bed, all hunched over with your computer in your lap.

Go on. Admit it. You know it's true! And your back hurts, right?

I know that mine does. I do stretches and use an ice pack to keep the pain away, but since I spend long hours in front of the computer, the back pain seems like it's always there.

I kept thinking and dreaming and imagining some little desk where I could sit upright, in my comfiest chair, and still work on my lap top. I searched online and found such a thing, but it was a little spendy for my budget. But I kept dreaming - could a person rig up such a device?

Imagine my delight when my husband walked in one day (yes he's a keeper, girls) with this one and promptly put it together for me. He found it at a Fred Meyer store (they have numerous locations in the Northwest) for a measly (sale price) of $29.95. Best Thirty Dollars ever spent.

Now I can move this desk to whatever chair or couch I want (it comes with wheels also,) adjust the height, adjust the pillows behind me and sit upright while still being comfy and in a better position for my back.

Just wanted to share my find.

I hope you can find one like it near you!

The Girl Who Remembered Horses

2011-08-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to announce that my novel THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES was just accepted for publication by Musa Publishing for their brand new YA imprint.

Publication date is scheduled for November 11th, 2011 as an e-book, with paper book some time in the future.

Of all the novels I've written, this one is probably dearest to my heart. It was inspired by a college research project on women and their obsession with horses, as well as the changing status of horses today as we become a more urban society.

THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES is set in the future, in a time when almost no one remembers horses or their connection to humans. But one girl has recurring dreams of riding astride on magnificent beasts that run like the wind. Labeled a foolish dreamer, can she possibly convince her clan of the ancient bond between horses and humans before the horses are slaughtered for meat?

I'll be working soon on edits, and I'll keep you posted when I get cover art, but I am really excited for all of you to read this book. Hope you love it as much as I do!

Old Dog, New Dog

2011-08-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

You may remember earlier this summer we added a new black pup to our collection of animals. Part border collie/australian shepherd/or lab, Penny's heritage is anybody's guess. Her energy level is off-the-charts, and we are still working on a few things in the behavior department, but so far she knows how to sit, stay, come and she is learning heel and down. She is turning into a good dog, a great walking partner, and mostly a good companion for our older dog, Homer, who seemed a little depressed and lonely in his golden years.

But not anymore. Now he has someone to wrestle with -

Tussle with -

play tug-of-war with -

play "my stick, my stick" with -

play tug-of-war even MORE fiercely

And just generally hang out with.

Homer looks happy with his new buddy, don't you think?

Have you successfully added another young (or new) dog to your menagerie?
How has is worked out for you?

A Book Club!

2011-08-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm excited. I'm starting a Book Club! I love to read, and I want to meet more people that like to read, so I'm starting an actual physical meet-in-someone's house book club!

We are starting small, with just a few members, and we're going to make up the rules so they fit us. But I have a few questions, and if anyone has been part of a book club, feel free to chime in and help us out!

What's the best way to pick books to read and share? Should we pick a book that a member has read and recommended - or choose one that no one has read yet? Should we vote on what we'd like to read, or should everyone get a chance to choose a book? Should we make a list ahead of time, say three-six months in advance, or decide each month what the next book shall be?
What is a good number for the group? So far, we are starting with 3-4, but I'm sure that number will grow as people hear about us, and some will drop in and out, show up or not. Should we try for 8, or 10, or 12 people?
How should we decide what to talk about? Does everyone bring one question they'd like to discuss? Or should the person who chooses the book develop a list of questions to discuss?
Is it important to keep everyone on track, and talking about The Book? Or is veering off into other discussions part of the fun of the group?

I have never been part of a Book Club before, and I don't know how it's going to go, but I can hardly wait!

Have you been part of a Book Club?
If you have any helpful hints or ideas, feel free to share them in the comments.
I'd love to hear from you!

The Bucket List

2011-08-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

I was walking with my friend a couple days ago, and she asked me "What's on your Bucket List of things to do?

When you are young, the entire world is on your bucket list, because it's all there to be explored, enjoyed and learned about. But as you get older - you start sorting out things in your head that are still actually Do-able.

When I was younger, I always wanted to ride (horseback) the entire Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Canada. Alas, it didn't happen, and at one point it started sounding like way more than I wanted to tackle, and I fondly crossed it off my list.

But what about now?

Well - off the top of my head, when my friend asked me, here's what I answered:

Meet the great race mare Zenyatta in person. Right now, she is carrying her first foal, so I'm sure public access will be limited. But maybe someday when she is older there will be a place where her fans and loving admirers can actually meet her and kiss her sweet nose. I hope I can be one of them.
Attend the Kentucky Derby. I always watch this on television, where I get a very good view, and I'm sure it's a logistical and traffic nightmare to actually go in person, but still - just to say I've been there - yeah, I'd like to do that.
And after coming home and thinking about this some more, I'd like to make a trip to Ohio someday and visit the grave of my great-great grandfather, who died from wounds suffered at Gettysburg where he fought for the Union. He was a prolific writer (hmm, runs in the genes?) and we have many actual letters describing his experiences.

So that is my Bucket List. What's on yours??

How Walking in the Woods is like Writing a Manuscript

2011-08-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Starting a New Manuscript is like taking a Walk in the Woods. You find a new path that looks interesting, and you boldly begin.

But before too long, you find your self trapped in dense plot problems which you didn't anticipate,

so you take some time and think things over.

After you get a better perspective on your situation, you decide to have a little faith in yourself and just press on through, even if it means going blindly on, trusting the process, and forging your way through the undergrowth.

And when you get to the muddy middle, you wonder if you will ever find your way home, or if you should just give up on the whole idea entirely . . .

But because you have courage, and heart, you keep going that extra mile, even though the way is challenging and finally . . .

with any luck, you spot it. The way out of the forest. The path to the finish. The trail that leads you home.

And at this point you are very proud, because you did not give up, you found your way through the forest of your wildest doubts, the plot tangles in the middle of your manuscript, and you are indeed, Almost Home.

Good luck to all of you starting a new trail, muddling through the middle, or forging your way to the end - with thanks to my models: good dogs and pathfinders Homer and Penny.

Confronting the Dark

2011-07-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

I woke this morning with a bad dream. Bad enough to rise early, turn on my computer and write it down. Sometimes writing things helps you get over them.

Then I checked my e-mail and social media accounts. Right there on Twitter someone had posted a quote:

Confront the dark parts of yourself. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. ~ August Wilson

Wow, I thought. Is that a sign?

I've been struggling for some time - hashing out whether to write something in a different genre. I've always written light-hearted stories with children and animals that usually come out alright in the end. But could I write darker? Write from some scary experiences deep inside of me, some stories that might want to be told?

So I wrote a scene. One scene - in verse.

Sometimes being a writer means being open to what comes through you.
I might be on a bit of a different journey here - I think I'd best hang on for the ride . . .

Birds in the Barn

2011-07-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

Summer is such a busy season in the country. There is mowing, watering, and weeding to be done, as well as picking strawberries, raspberries, and soon, vegetables.
And of course there is Birdwatching.

I caught these little Barn Swallows on their very last day in the nest, just before they fledged.

I'd been watching this nest for days. It's on the rafter right above the stall door, and the mama and daddy flew off whenever anyone came near. I wasn't sure they'd be successful raising their babies, and I hardly heard a peep above me. So imagine my surprise when I looked up one day and noticed these little ones, already crowding the nest.

Usually the fledglings fly around in the rafters for a few days, testing their wings and getting a good handle on the whole flying process. But not these guys . . .

The very next morning they were all over the sky! Mom, Dad, and not three, but four babies! Soaring, darting, swooping through the air - a multitude of scissor-tailed Barn Swallows!

Good luck little ones! Have a Happy Life!

Have you ever watched baby birds learning to fly?

Year on a Deserted Island

2011-07-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

If you had to spend one year on a deserted island and could only take One Book with you, which one would you choose?

This question was posted on Twitter, by my friend and fellow writer Holly Bodger. It took me about twenty minutes to come up with an answer, and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Would you choose a favorite piece of fiction, or should you choose a non-fiction book to learn things from?

After more reflection, I kept thinking I should have picked a title on How to Survive on a Deserted Island or Robinson Crusoe or something that might actually be useful. Maybe I should have picked the thickest book I could think of so that I might use it for starting fires or well, other personal matters. But since this was a hypothetical question, assuming you would be rescued at the end of one year, here were the books I choose: (I cheated and picked two.)

FLOTSAM, by David Wiesner, which is a picture book without words, quite appropriate for the situation, and I could look at it for days, and weeks, and months (yes, probably twelve whole months.)

THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS, by David Allen Sibley, because this is the best book on birds that I know, and I am constantly curious about new birds, and I might see an actual Frigate Bird or something.

How about you? If you had to spend one year on a deserted island, what one book would you choose to bring along?

Social Media - How Much is Too Much?

2011-07-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

So - I'm on Twitter (which I Love), Goodreads (which I love), Facebook (which I keep mostly for personal stuff), I Blog (on two different blogs), and now (because it's new and for the cool kids *sigh*) I joined Google+.

Why? Why?? Why???

Yes, you will soon read article after article about how cool Google+ is, how clean, uncluttered (no ads!) and how you can drag people into Circles!!

For me (bah humbug) all the circles are making me dizzy and learning One. More. Thing. is about to tip me over the edge. I just keep wondering how much important stuff do we all have to talk about in all these different mediums without repeating ourselves over and over and over . . .

But the thing that worries me the most is seeing how human beings are changing. Although we now have the means to contact people we don't even know, all over the world, and tell them something Instantly. Right Now. With Pictures!!! we often sit in separate rooms of the house and talk to each other on the computer, or by text, and humans are forgetting how to actually Speak to each other, in person, in a meaningful and useful way.

Don't think so? How many people do you know that will not answer a phone call from someone they don't know? Or they do know? And prefer to receive a text instead?

Technology is a wonderful thing, but I do see it changing us as humans. And on days like this, when I'm feeling overwhelmed about having to learn one more new way to communicate with people (yes, that's you Google+) I just want to personally go up and shake someone's hand, or give them a hug, or look them straight in the eye and say "HI - How's your day going?"

Let's not let too much technology and too much social media take the place of actually, personally communicating with each other.

Excuse me - I'm now going to go tell my husband (in person) how much I love him. And then go OUTSIDE!! and walk the dogs.

Are you on Google+ yet? What do you think?
How much is Too Much Social Media for you?

Meet Rosanne Parry

2011-07-05T13:50:00.001-07:00

Please Welcome Northwest Writer Rosanne Parry, author of two wonderful novels for young people - HEART OF A SHEPHERD and SECOND FIDDLE (both from Random House) as well as a picture book called DADDY'S HOME!

HEART OF A SHEPHERD, set in Eastern Oregon ranching country, has won numerous awards, including two state books awards, the Rodda award, and nominated on Best Book lists by Horn Book, Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and is a Cybil's nominee for middle grade fiction in 2009.

Her newest book, SECOND FIDDLE, released March/2011 is already an Indie Pick book, with I'm sure other awards to follow. Clearly, Rosanne is an author to watch, and to read!

So now - on to the interview:

Rosanne - how did you get your start as a writer? What made you want to write for young people?

I didn’t much care for writing when I was a child. I’m a terrible speller and sitting still has never been a talent, but I have always loved to make things up. I did lots of story telling as a camp counselor and a teacher. Once I had a houseful of my own children I decided to seize the moment and write some of my stories down. I still don’t like the sitting still part, which is why I’m sitting in my tree house right now. If I get stuck, I can indulge in a few trips down the zip line and up the rock wall.

I was quite moved by Heart of a Shepherd, and talked about it in an earlier blog post entitled Kids, Animals, and the Effects of War.

Second Fiddle, although it has some dark and scary situations, is more of a light-hearted adventure story.

The two books are so totally different - can you explain?

Yes, my editor and I had a long conversation about what kind of book to follow up Heart of a Shepherd. He would very much like me to keep writing in the more intense and literary vein, and although I hope to write many books like that one, I don’t want to write a book that makes people cry every single time. So we have a general plan to alternate more serious books with somewhat more light-hearted ones. My editor is also mindful of not having me pigeon-holed as a regional author so we chose a second book with an international setting.

Rosanne – your use of setting in both of your novels is such an integral part of each book. Heart of a Shepherd takes place in the rugged ranching country of Eastern Oregon, and Second Fiddle is set in Berlin and Paris. In each case, your descriptions make us feel like we are right there. Can you talk about this a little?

Setting is one of my favorite parts of a story to develop, because it’s a great opportunity show something about a character in a unique and memorable way. For example, Heart of a Shepherd opens with a chess game. The way that Brother plays chess, assigning a personality to each chessman, says volumes about the kind of boy he is and where he’s from. He doesn’t have a dozen other kids on the block to play with. He doesn’t have a lot of fancy toys, they are playing with the same chess set they’ve had for 4 generations. He has an extensive knowledge of horses. He has a crush on his best friend’s sister, adores his grandparents, is worried about his dad’s deployment, and values honor above victory. That’s a lot of information about a person to pack into a scene of a thousand words. I don’t know how I’d do it if I didn’t have setting to lean on.

How did you come to know these settings so well, and do you find it easy or difficult to use setting in your books?

The difficult part about setting is the need for accuracy. You can trace every step my girls take in Second Fiddle from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the Eiffel Tower because I had maps of those towns beside me on the writing table and I looked at them every day.

When I wrote Heart of a Shepherd I used for reference: a topographical map of Malheur County, and field guides to birds, mammals, tracks, trees, weather, geology. and stars. I had photographs, school schedules, times for sunrise and sunset, travel times on horseback and in a car, the Oregon state brand registry, calendar of county events, and information on local cattle and sheep breeds. There’s a lot more research in fiction writing than I thought there would be.

One of the similarities I did notice between the two books is that both feature main characters from military families. Do you have experience with this?

My husband is a veteran of Desert Storm, and I have many extended family members in the active duty military, so I do know a thing or two about the dynamics of a military family. When I was writing HEART and FIDDLE from 2003 to 2009 there were not very many books about the military family experience. But in the last 2 years there’s been quite a few good books about them, which delights me because the military is in many ways it’s own culture and deserving of representation in literature just as much as any other minority culture.

I had the opportunity to do a panel at NCTE in Orlando called Fiction and the Military Family with authors Suzanne Morgan Williams (Bull Rider) and Sara Holmes Lewis (Operation Yes). There is a list of resources from our panel on my website
http://www.rosanneparry.com/resources/resources-for-teachers/resources-for-military-families
I’m very happy to be presenting this panel again at the New York Public Library’s Literary Salon on November 12th. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, please come. 1.7 million children have had parents on overseas deployment. 900,000 of them have had parents go on multiple deployments, it’s a much bigger part of the current landscape of childhood than many of us realize.

Do you consider yourself a YA author or middle grade? I read a lot of books from my public library, and sometimes they shelve them as Middle Grade (Junior) or YA in a rather arbitrary manner. How do you feel about each of your books? Does your publisher market them one way or the other –YA or MG?

Random House markets the novels as middle grade, which is the perfect choice for me as they focus a lot of attention on teachers and librarians. I need those readers the most, because they are the people who can give a book longevity. I’ve seen my books shelved in middle grade, young adult, adult regional interest, and travel sections of the bookstore. They have been used in classrooms as young as third grade and as old as high school. To my surprise and delight Heart of a Shepherd has been chosen as a first novel in English to be read by adult English Language Learners in a number of local colleges. What an honor!

So I don’t think of myself as a category of writer any more than I think of myself as a category of reader. But marketing, I’ve learned, requires a measure of focus and the middle grade focus serves me best. I occasionally blog over at From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors. It’s a great resource for anyone interested in middle grade literature. My latest post is here: http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2011/06/summer-camp-writers/

Can you describe you writing process, Rosanne? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you use an outline and have an idea where the story is going, or just set your characters on the page and see what happens?

I usually start with a setting and a character that interests me and write a group of scenes or sometimes a whole draft of a story with nothing more than a vague end point in mind. But once I’ve got a draft to work with, then I’m pretty organized about plotting. I’ve found I need to write about 100,000 words in a novel before I really know my character well enough to write something I feel good about. It’s not very efficient, and I am not at all patient with the process. I probably could learn to speed it up, but I bet I’d be unhappy with the outcome.

What does your writing life look like?

Ha! Messy!

Do you write every day?

Nearly, but how much I write depends very much on where I am in the process. If I’m working on a first draft I try to write 1,000 words a day and in reality I tend to get about 5,000 words a week. If I’m revising I often take out thousands of words and replace them with a few hundred. When I’m doing a final draft or copy edits I might work for 10 to 14 hours a day reading 10-20,000 words over and over very slowly out loud and only make a few dozen words worth of changes. That doesn’t seem very productive but it’s hugely important in terms of the quality of the final book.

How do you balance the demands of writing and family?

Balance? Who balances? I don’t think anybody balances. Sometimes I write too much and it’s not so good for my family. Sometimes I spend time with them that plays havoc with my deadlines. I work very long hours. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t work on a weekend. On the other hand, I love my work, and I have a family of avid readers who are wonderfully supportive of my crazy schedule. I feel incredibly lucky to have the demands I do. My life would be so much smaller without them.

I understand you are going to be part of the faculty at Fishtrap Writers’ Workshop in Joseph, Oregon in July, 2011. http://www.fishtrap.org/ Tell us a little more. What will you be teaching?

I feel so honored to be invited to do this, and I nearly fell out of my tree house when they told me that it was Molly Gloss and Ursula LeGuin who recommended me to lead the first YA writers class at the Fishtrap Summer workshop! It’s a great opportunity to meet and learn from writers from all different genres, poetry, non-fiction, memoir, literary fiction, and essays. It takes place in the spectacular Wallowa Lake region which is the Alps of Oregon—simply breathtaking!

I’ll be teaching a 5 day workshop on coming of age fiction. I’m really excited about it. We’ll take a look at what makes YA fiction uniquely powerful and tackle the nitty-gritty of developing strong setting, characters, and plot. I’m starting over on a project so I’m looking forward to doing all the exercises myself in the company of like-hearted writers.

Any words of wisdom or advice for fellow writers?

Well, everybody says READ! And everybody is right about that. But I think it’s equally important to do stuff, so that you have something to write about that you know intimately.
When I was working on Second Fiddle I started playing my violin again and Loved It! I never would have been able to get at the heart of making music with your friends if I was just listening to music or just remembering what it was like to play as a child. The best writers I know have things in their lives besides books and their work is the richer for it.

And finally, Rosanne, are you working on anything new you could share with us?

Yes, I have another novel in progress that I’m very excited about. It’s set in Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. That crossing of the Columbia bar is the most dangerous dozen nautical miles in the Pacific so it seemed like a promising setting for a novel about cousins spending the summer together.

I also have a younger chapter book about a boy who makes friends with the dark, which was a blast to write, and I recently finished a picture book text inspired by a trip I took to Ireland this spring.

Exciting! I'll be looking forward to these. Thank you so much for stopping by the blog, Rosanne! To learn more, please visit Rosanne at her website: http://www.rosanneparry.com/

Rosanne has agreed to giveaway a copy of her most recent book SECOND FIDDLE. Set just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and featuring 3 friends and their adventure across Europe involving a wounded soldier, a music competition, and a dangerous train ride while being followed by the KGB, this is a great read!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below.

One more entry each if you are a) a follower of this blog and b) if you repost or retweet this interview (let me know!)

Contest runs through through July 10, 2011, so hurry!

Good luck, everyone!

Puppy Watch, Happy July, and Coming Attractions

2011-07-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Happy July Everyone! Hope you spend the weekend Reading, Writing, Riding, Barbecuing, Sailing, Skydiving, Biking, Hiking, or whatever else suits your fancy!

As for me - I'm on Puppy Watch.

Our new dog Penny had her spay surgery yesterday. We picked her up this morning with instructions to keep her calm and quiet for 10-14 days. Are you kidding me? This whirling dervish of a dog?

The veterinarians must have felt sorry for us because they sent us home with tranquilizers. Penny is an outside dog, constantly leaping, chewing, digging, biting, running, jumping, and wrestling with our old dog, Homer. I had envisioned simply separating the two dogs, and that Penny would lie down and nap. Ha!

Even after a tranquilizer, this little dog darts around like crazy, and so now she is locked in a big crate (I am not a fan of this, at all) while I take her out for frequent short walks on a leash or sit with her. *sigh*

Let's hope she heals quickly so we can return to some degree of normalcy, and she can go back to leaping, playing and being her youthful, exuberant self.

Meanwhile, some upcoming things to watch for -

A great interview with author Rosanne Parry, author of Heart of a Shepherd and her newest book Second Fiddle, with a giveaway of Second Fiddle. Coming up here on the Blog - Soon!

Summer Reading Giveaway over at Equestrian Ink (a blog of horsepeople/authors of which I am a member.) Every Saturday for awhile, we'll post a giveaway of one of our books, including one of mine, soon. Here's the link: http://equestrianink.blogspot.com/

Have a great weekend! Find something good to READ! And wish me luck keeping Penny calm and quiet!

To Walk Across America - in 1896

2011-06-26T15:47:00.001-07:00

I just finished two amazing books - both about the incredible true journey of two women, a mother and daughter, who walked from Mica Creek, Washington to New York City, a distance of about 4,600 miles - in the year 1896.

Wearing long skirts, cumbersome boots, and corsets (!) which was the proper costume of the day, they set out to accomplish this feat to win a prize of $10,000 in order to save the family farm from foreclosure.

WaterBrook Press ~ 2011

Although Helga and Clara Estby kept notes and journals along the way, much of this material has been lost, but there are still newspaper articles and other recordings of their actual journey. Both of these novels were fascinating to read, and so interesting to note how each author took the same set of events and created a slightly different story from it. For me as a writer, it was almost like taking a class in how to write Historical Fiction.

Jane Kirkpatrick has written lots of historical fiction (many about the Pacific Northwest) and I'm a big fan. THE DAUGHTER'S WALK is billed as adult, and also delves into Clara (the daughter) Estby's life in the years following the cross-country adventure.

Carole Estby Dagg is a first time author, and THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS is Young Adult, or for ages 12 through adult. What a great debut novel! Carole is the grand niece, and great-granddaughter of the participants in the walk, and she wrote this book because she believed their story was worth telling. And, oh is it ever!

Clarion Books ~ 2011

You can't help but be inspired by the strength, fortitude, and courage these women displayed. And it is amazing to see how much attitudes towards women have changed in just over 100 years since these events took place.

Can you imagine walking that far?

If you can't imagine, at least you can read about it, and I guarantee that reading about these spirited women's journey will leave you inspired.

Read anything lately that left you inspired?

The Name Game

2011-06-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

How do you choose names?

Whether you need a name for a character in your novel, a horse, a new puppy, or even a new baby - names can leave people stumped.

Personally - I love choosing names.

When I used to sell horses with my dad, we'd always try to give the horse a great name, like Latigo or Dreamer, because it helped them sell.

When I raised donkeys, we got to use great names like Jasmine, Buttons, Peaches, Chester, and Grace.

But how about characters in the book you're working on? Do you use regular names - like Jake, or Sarah, or Annie? Or unusual names? - like Heron (from my book FINDING CHANCE) or Mandarin (love that name, from LIKE MANDARIN, a new YA novel by Kirsten Hubbard.)

I've used names from geography, and named characters after rivers, or deserts, or cities.

Here are some websites to get you started:
http://www.babynames.com/
http://www.name-meanings.com/
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/

I've used this last one a lot. At the bottom, if you click on Top 1000 popular baby names, you can search by year and sex, which means whether your book is set in 1911 or 2011, you can find an appropriate name.

Also, if you think your book might be published in, maybe 3 years (2014) and will be for 10-year-olds, you can search popular baby names for the year 2004, and find appropriate names for classmates of that era. (Cool trick, huh?)

Or, you can go back in time, and just name your dog Homer (not Homer Simpson - way farther back than that, kids. *grin*)

How do you pick names?
Have any cool ones you care to share?

Garage Sale Faux Pas

2011-06-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

I love Garage Sales.
In fact, I wrote a must-read post about Putting on a Successful Garage Sale right here.

And although having your own garage sale is a lot of work, going to garage sales is fun!

If you're ambitiously searching for something, you need to get up at the crack of dawn and hit as many sales as you can - early.

But if you're not looking for anything particular, you can just go from sale to sale, chatting with people and casually perusing merchandise to find that special something. Here's what I bought yesterday:

An old blue pot (I like old things. And blue things.)

What in the world am I going to use it for?

Why to plant more flowers in, of course! *grin*

Oh, but I didn't tell you about our giant garage sale social blunder yesterday, did I?

My friends and I were idly driving up and down streets in a small town, looking for garage sales advertised in the newspaper, but having no luck. Where were they?

There, we said, pointing.

Lots of cars surrounded a house on the corner, with the small garage open and motorcycles, shelves, old bookcases, miscellaneous junk strewn all over the yard. We shook our heads. Looked like kind of weird stuff - and maybe we'd just pass.

But me, ever the optimist, spotted a pretty pot of flowers on top of a shelf near the road. I got out to ask the price - and a woman scolded "This isn't a sale!"

Whoops. I jumped sheepishly back in the car and we varoomed away.

Do you like garage sales?
Are there lots of them in your part of the world?
What great treasures have you found there?

Unhappy Campers, or Donkeys on a Diet

2011-06-14T10:48:00.001-07:00

Mr. Chocolate (right) and Mr. Big (left) are quite upset. They've been locked out of their lush pasture (in the background.) Cold Turkey.

Here they are sulking:

Not only are they getting too fat, but all this grass we have in the Pacific Northwest is too much for donkeys, who evolved in desert surroundings. They can founder, and I've already lost one dear donkey to founder.

This is not a pregnant donkey - this is Mr. Big, a 7 year old gelding who is now on a diet.

Yes, Mr. Chocolate and Mr. Big are not very happy with me right now. They are restricted to what little grass is left in the corral and dry grass hay.

But hey, it's tough love. Tough Donkey Love.

(Now if someone could just do that for me - with chocolate) *grin*

Ever had to put your animals on a diet?

Why Do I Blog?

2011-06-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this question a lot lately - ever since an off-hand remark by a new acquaintance that "People who blog have too much time on their hands."

"But I'm a writer," I retorted. "That's what I do!"

Really, though? Is blogging one of the things that I "do" as a writer?

Now admittedly, I started this blog (as well as my website and my twitter account) to have an Online Presence. Why? Well, to get my name out there, of course. All authors, from would-be authors to struggling-to-be-published authors, to lightly published to very famous authors need to have a Web Presence, right?

Why? Well, so people can Google and find us. It's a given - in these electronic, internet-crazy, online times.

But a Blog, over time, morphs into so much else. Some blogs are fountains of information about books, or agents, or writing. Some are hilarious, some boring, and I have to admit that after keeping up a steady blog for close to two years, there are times when I wonder What in the World should I Talk About?

I mean, I know blogs should reflect your personality, which hopefully will translate into people actually feeling as if they know and like you well enough to buy your books. But it seems like everybody and his brother and sister has a blog these days, so does it really mean more book sales?

When I'm totally immersed in writing a new book - I often post about the writing process, or when reading a lot - books I've enjoyed recently. But I also sometimes get totally immersed in my New Puppy, or my New Donkeys, or Wildflowers, or Kittens or Migrating Birds. All of this stuff fascinates me, and I end up blogging about it because, well I guess because this blog has become a reflection of Who I Am.

One of the most interesting things for me is the Stats that Blogger provides. People read my blog in Australia, India, China, Europe, South Korea, Russia, as well as the United States and Canada. Who are all these people? And why do they read MY blog?

Here's a list of my most popular posts:

Dogs that Guide the Blind (about my trip attending a Guide Dog graduation ceremony)

Meet Ginny Rorby (author interview - and I have lots more on my blog)

Setting, or a Sense of Place (Post about writing)

The Tevis Cup, or Hanging in there for the Long Haul (about Endurance riding)

Interesting. I also get tons of hits when I post about swallows, and swainson's thrushes, and yes, even kittens.

Not always about writing or being an author, huh?

So I guess I'm coming to realize that for me, my blog has morphed from a measly attempt at establishing an online presence as an author (although hopefully it serves that purpose also) to something more. Perhaps a sharing of things that I find interesting and worthwhile in life. And it truly makes me happy if other people enjoy some of these things, also.

Do you blog? Has your blog changed over time?

And if you're a reader (which I truly appreciate) why do you read my blog? I am fascinated to know.

Vintage Dog Books - or how I picked our new pup.

2011-06-04T10:12:00.001-07:00

After we got our new puppy a few days ago, I started wracking my brain about who she looked like. Some character in a book I read - but what book?

I mean, besides letting us cart home armloads of books from the library, my mother read us lots and lots of books, over and over, while I was growing up. And I'm living proof that it's the way to make a reader. (Thank you, Mom.)

But there were So Many Books, and I kept thinking of a dog I'd seen, like our new pup - Penny. I mean, there must have been some subliminal reason why I brought home such a muttly little black dog. She reminded me of a dog I'd read about.

Was it this one? No . . .

This one? No, I think the dog wore a hat, but . . .

it wasn't this one. In frustration, I called Mom, who still has cartons of well-used and dog-eared (haha - get it?) books that we pawed through as kids.

"Mom," I said. "It was something to do with a fire house."

She dug through the boxes, and found this one -

But no, it wasn't exactly right. It was a Black Dog. And because I couldn't quit thinking of this One. Certain. Book. - I googled, and eventually found the right one.

It's about a black dog, a very famous dog that actually lived and performed heroic duties working at a fire house - and it's called:

Notice the resemblance? All she needs is a fireman's hat and she could be -

Penny, the Fire-Engine Dog.

What vintage dog books do you remember?

What Was I Thinking?

2011-05-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Remember we were looking for a companion for our wonderful dog Homer? I blogged about it right here.

After bringing one dog home that didn't fit in (it chased my cats terribly) we decided that with personal and professional obligations, maybe we should just forget adding another animal to the family right now. Especially a dog because, ya know, they're a lot of work.

But then I came across this little black dog that someone had just found and almost hit in the road. They wanted to find it a good home, so I went to look . . .

and of course it was adorable, and a female (which we wanted) and . . .

very playful.

And Homer seems to like her.

And she's smart, and she listens, and even my husband thinks she's cool (yay!)

He named her Penny.

But I woke up this morning, and I knew I'd let my heart do the talking, and just like that song by Dierks Bentley, I wondered "What was I thinking?"

Because Penny was smelly, and full of fleas, and of indeterminable breed, heritage, or history.

So . . . today she had a bath . . .

And a 7-way vaccination, and a she has a new red collar.

She looks better, don't you think? I guess we'll keep her.

So my question to you is: What combination of breeds do you think Penny is?

Nature's Springtime Glory

2011-05-23T11:41:00.001-07:00

I haven't been blogging much lately. I've been gardening. Spring comes so slowly to the Northwest, when we finally get a sunny day or two I race to the nursery to buy plants, eager to get my hands in the dirt.

I've planted tomatoes, zucchini, crookneck squash, as well as geraniums, pansies, bacopa, million bells, ceonothus, azaleas, violets, nasturtiums, and more.

But I'm not immune to the show that the wild plants are creating right around me. At the edges of our property, on ground not tended by humans, Nature puts on its own springtime show, and I've been watching.

The first to bloom in the spring is Indian Plum. This one grows at our fenceline, backed by huge native red cedar trees.

This one is Red Flowering Currant, growing next to our driveway. A native shrub, it's so pretty that nurseries also cultivate it, so you might find it for sale at your local plant outlet.

Just outside our vegetable garden is a huge Red Elderberry bush (below.) In the summer it will be filled with red berries that the birds love. Elderberry wine, anyone?

And finally, at our back fenceline, Wild Iris bloom profusely in the meadow.

After a long winter, I've not only been planting, but outside enjoying Nature's free show.

See why I haven't been blogging?

A Writing Lull

2011-05-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll admit it. I've been in a writing lull.

Not exactly a Writing Hiatus, which I previously talked about.

Not Writer's Block, or the Writing Doldrums (oh, that sounds dreadful, doesn't it?)

But definitely a Writing Lull.

With three completed manuscripts (which could always use another round of edits) the concept of "write something new," is not appealing at the moment. With the state of the publishing industry in so much flux, and writers trying to decide whether to pursue traditional publishing (with or without an agent,) e-publishing (with or without a publishing company) or self-publishing (which some writers are calling "indie publishing" because it sounds well, so much cooler) there are so many directions it's often hard to find a direction.

Last weekend I was visiting my family, and a family member asked me how the writing was going.

"What writing?" I said, scraping my foot on the ground.

"Want to come over and see what I've been working on?" he asked, grinning broadly.

"Sure," I said.

And when I got there, he pulled out book after book (those black composition books, you know?) that he'd filled (by hand) with family memories, day-to-day observations, even pasting trivia and newspaper articles into the pages of these books.

He was a writing machine! Going at it at all hours, whenever thoughts came to him, he felt the urge to get them down, get them down, get the words down before the thoughts were gone from his brain.

I was impressed and amazed. He is a True Writer.

As for me? I felt inspired, and also a little ashamed. I am supposed to be the "writer" in the family, and all I've been doing is moping about the "lull" in my publishing career -

when WRITING means so much more than BEING PUBLISHED.

Yup.

I think I needed that little reminder.

So - Bring on the Black Books. Let's get this writing thing going again!

The heck with Publishing. I need to fall in love with WRITING again, and maybe then I'll get out of my Writer's Lull.

Has this ever happened to you? Ever grown tired of something you once loved?

Ever suffered burn-out from chasing after the brass ring so hard?

What made you fall in love with writing again??

Fred the Bad Kitten - the Ambush

2011-05-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

Fred the Bad Kitten is growing up. He's ten months old now - is that still a kitten?

He plays outside during the day, and catches voles and mice (good kitty.)

He hasn't learned how to catch birds yet (thank goodness) but he's trying.

His newest method - The Ambush (as demonstrated below):

If I sit here perfectly still, I know a birdie will fly by.

(They can't see me, can they?)

Waiting. Waiting . . .

Oh well. Bor-ing. Think I'll get down now . . .

except this is harder than it looks . . .

Maybe I'll just wait down here on the ground for the little birdies.

Here Birdie, Birdie . . .

The First Saturday in May

2011-05-06T11:47:00.001-07:00

The First Saturday in May is one of my favorite days of the entire year. Why? It's Kentucky Derby Day, and this year, it's tomorrow - May 7th!!

One of the oldest horse races in America, it began at Churchill Downs in 1875. Run over a distance of 1 1/4 miles, entrants are selected on graded stakes earnings to date, in a race showcasing the best 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.

With a field of twenty horses that leave the gate like a cavalry charge, it's often hard to pick a winner. This year is no different, with many of the favorites dropping out early, including the two-year-old champion Uncle Mo, scratched as of today. So this year's field will be only nineteen horses.

If you want to find a horse to root for, you might try a couple of the current favorites including Dialed In or Nehro. And there's a lot of longshots to holler home also, including Twice the Appeal, currently at 20-1, ridden by Calvin Borel, jockey of 3 of the last 4 winners.

If you care about women riders or trainers, you've got a lot to choose from this year. Rosie Napravnik, only 23 years old, is riding a horse called Pants on Fire (gotta love that name) and if they win, she'll be the first woman jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby. How cool is that?

And two trainers hope to capture the title of first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner. They are: Kathleen O'Donnell, saddling 50-1 longshot Watch Me Go, and Kathy Ritvo, who trains Mucho Macho Man.

Whatever happens, you'll definitely know you are watching the most exciting two minutes in sports!

Be sure and tune in tomorrow to watch the 137th Run for the Roses. It will be broadcast on NBC between 1:00 and 4:00 PM Pacific Time. Don't forget to adjust times for your area.

Do you watch the Kentucky Derby?

Have a favorite this year? (Okay, okay, for me - it's Nehro or Pants on Fire - Go Rosie!)

Ever actually been to the Derby? Yeah, I want to go someday, too. *grin* It's on my bucket list.

Kids and Books

2011-05-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

As a true book person - one who loves the smell of ink on paper, loves the feel of opening a new book and carefully unfolding the pages, and adores getting caught up in a story and being swept away - it saddens me that some people think that books are somehow becoming antiquated, or a concept whose time is limited and will go the way of the Hula Hoop - (once popular, and now only an oddity.)

I recently heard of a couple who bought their ten-year-old a Kindle, noting that she wouldn't need books from now on. Worse yet, they remarked that they didn't need to vote in favor of a new library, because libraries themselves will not be around for long. What? As someone whose love of reading developed from frequent trips to the library (Thanks, Mom!) and from the privilege of carrying home (for free) stacks of library books to peruse at my leisure (therefore solidifying my own taste in reading) I find this short-sighted and Just. Plain. Wrong.

I have no problem with e-readers, and if some people prefer them, that's great. But the fun of sorting through bookcases, carts, racks and stacks, of perusing and pulling out and opening all kinds of different books is a freedom we should not only allow, but encourage in every child today. Experiencing the variety of covers, sizes, shapes and smells of books can (and should be) one of the great joys of a child's existence.

Let's not take that away from them on the grounds of "being modern."

What about you? Do you read on an e-reader or do you favor actual books?

Do you think libraries filled with real, tangible books are important to kids today?

Must Love Cats

2011-04-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

We've been thinking for awhile of getting another dog. As I've blogged about before, we currently have the Best Dog Ever - a lab mix named Homer.

But the truth is, Homer is lonely. Oh, he won't say it in so many words. But as an outside dog, he spends his days looking in the window or waiting at the door for someone to come out and spend time with him. And although we do play with him every day, when I'm at the computer for hours writing, Homer spends a lot of time at the window. Waiting.

But it's hard to find another Good Dog. We don't want a puppy, and I'd never get a dog from a breeder, because there are too many wonderful dogs waiting at the animal shelter that need to be rescued. Still, we have a lot of qualifications for a new dog, and we're picky. Here's what we're looking for:

1) Must Love Cats. Have you read Kathi Appelt's wonderful book called The Underneath? One of the characters is a hound dog named Ranger, who adores and protects cats and kittens. Our dog Homer is like this (all of our four cats LOVE him) and we need a dog who has been around cats and won't chase them.

2) Short hair, low maintenance, must live outside (except for brutal weather conditions when we do bring our animals inside.) Size - medium to medium-large.

3) Must be good with livestock, and not inclined to chase donkeys or horses. (For obvious reasons.)

4) Must be all around good natured, with no biting, fighting, or excessive barking.

5) Must stay home. We don't allow our dogs to wander, and we much prefer a dog who just likes to lie on the porch and sleep. *grin* A bit on the lazy side is just fine.

Yes, that's what we're looking for, and hopefully it's a dog that Homer will like and get along with. If the dog is still young enough and not too set in its ways, maybe it can learn from Homer how to be another Best. Dog. Ever.

I'll let you know how the search goes.

So tell me - do you have a good dog?

How did it end up coming to live with you?

Reading like a Maniac

2011-04-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks, I've been reading like a maniac. Ever since I joined the Goodreads 2011 challenge, that is. If you remember from this post, I challenged myself to read 111 books in 2011. You can follow my progress on the chart at the bottom of my sidebar (on right) or by going to my Goodreads profile right here.

At the moment, I've read 53 books so far this year, and that will be 54 by this afternoon. Goodreads even leaves little comments on my chart. Right now it says: Awesome work, you're 20 books (17%) ahead of schedule!

Hey, who doesn't need little incentives to work harder? Besides, after our long dreary winter, it's been one of the coldest springs on record, so reading in front of a sunny picture window sounds better than braving the elements outside.

Plus, our wonderful library system lets me order books online, check them out and return them at our nifty drive-up window, and my stack of books to read usually stands at about 10-15.

Do you belong to Goodreads? (Feel free to friend me on there.)
Has the ability to track your reading progress made you read more?

GPS - Love or Hate?

2011-04-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

Do you get lost without a GPS? Or do you have an innate sense of direction, or map reading skills that help you find your way?

I recently got into an argument with my hubbie (we rarely argue) because he wouldn't quit listening to that English woman. You know the one - the demanding voice inside the GPS that says (in a revolting accent) "Turn Right. In point. two. miles. turn right. In one. point. seven, miles, keep left. Keep. Left."

And when you pull into a Burger King so someone *raiseshand* can use the restroom, the woman becomes confused, and the voice gets more strident. "Recalculating" she says, and then "Drive point. four. miles. and Turn Right. Then Turn Left!"

I get so upset at that woman I end up calling her names. "Turn it off," I begged my husband. "I have a map - I can get you there."

But Noooo . . . He is addicted to the British woman in his GPS. Actually I think he's addicted to technology, period, like most of us.

But I worry - not only do I think it's unsafe to take your eyes off the road to keep looking at the little, ever-changing map, but whatever happened to our innate navigation skills? I learned them horseback, riding over mountains and through deep canyons and fording streams and having to find the way home, or else. And I learned them by hiking, and looking ahead of me (and behind me) and learning my way around.

Is technology taking those skills away? Are we becoming incapable of finding our way out of a paper bag without a GPS navigator?

(As for me, I'm going to fix hubbie. If I get my hands on that &*%#$ GPS of his, I'll change the voice to some Australian Bloke. heh heh heh)

What about you? Are you in love with your GPS? Or can you follow directions, or figure out where to go by your wits and skill?

A Mish Mash of Things

2011-04-12T12:11:00.000-07:00

Some Unrelated Items:

1) The Ocean

The water goes in,
the water goes out,
the water goes in and laps at your toes,
you chase it back out and play with the flow,
the sand squishes deep and relaxes your feet.
A day at the beach is the best thing I know.

2) I read two great books in the last week.

Both are adult fiction with YA crossover appeal.
Both have bright young main characters named Christopher.
Ah, but that's where the similarities end.

THE OUTSIDE BOY, by Jeanine Cummins, is about a Pavee Gypsy boy in Ireland, 1959, attempting to find his true identity. You can smell the woodsmoke with this one and it is now one of my favorite books of all time.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, by Mark Haddon. Hilarious, heartbreaking, and quite moving - this one is narrated by an autistic boy, who is trying to find out who killed his neighbor's dog, and he finds out quite a lot more. It's very well done - and I'm so glad I read it.

3) You have 3 more days to enter your name in the comments section to win Jen K. Blom's adorable new book called Possum Summer on this blog.

Here's the link if you haven't seen it: Meet Jen K. Blom.

Contest closes on April 15th, so Go Now and jump in while you still can!

(Would you raise a baby possum? What do baby possums eat, anyway?)

Good Luck. Hope you Win!

A Few Kind Words

2011-04-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Don't ever underestimate the power of an encouraging word.

Or the harm of a rude one.

Here's a little story: When I was in high school (back in the dark ages when we had to wear skirts to school - seriously) I fancied myself becoming a writer.

I was smart, creative, sensitive, and I'd ALWAYS wanted to be a writer. When a writing club formed at school and asked for submissions for a school literary rag, well of course I had something, because I wrote songs and poetry constantly. So - for my very first submission anywhere - I chose a poem about something dear to my heart - that feeling of empowerment while riding my horse.

I don't remember all the words now - and God how I wish I'd kept it. It was really good, I think - something about my horse's broad back, and burying my face in his mane as I float to a place of my own. Yeah, that was the name of the poem - A Place of My Own.

But oh - the agony, the defeat, the feeling of failure when my first. rejection. ever. came back (from a girl editor, a junior I think, who I'm sure had never even ridden a horse!) with a thick, red remark scribbled in the margin of the poem - "OVERBLOWN."

What?? What the heck did that mean?

But obviously, to a bright, sensitive, creative teenager, it meant that I could. not. write. And I didn't - for many, many years.

Fast forward many decades. I dropped out of college at twenty (ah, first love) started several businesses, decided at age 48 to finish college, which I did at age 52. And God, did I have to write to do that. Essays, essays, and more essays. Overblown, oververbaged, overworded, over anything, just words, words and more words to get it turned in and the assignment finished.

And somewhere in there, on one of my senior theses, a college professor scribbled another note in the margin. You know what it said?

"You are a good writer."

Me. Me? A Good Writer?

But I took those five little words to heart, and they gave me courage, and confidence, and when I finished college and started in on my new career as a writer for young people, they sat there in the back of my brain like a little mantra -

You are a good writer. You are a good writer. You are a good writer.

And you know what - I am.

So in your daily interactions with people - written or verbal or any other kind of communication -

Never Underestimate the Power of an Encouraging Word.

How about you guys? Ever have anyone make a difference in your life (good or bad) with the power of a few words?

Meet Jen K. Blom

2011-03-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Jen K. Blom, another animal lover, whose debut middle grade novel POSSUM SUMMER (Holiday House/Spring 2011) sounds adorable. And you can win a copy! Details for the giveaway below, but first, here's a little about Possum Summer:

Eleven-year-old P (short for Princess, a name she loathes) longs for a pet, but her father insists that all animals on their Oklahoma farm must earn their keep. While he's away on combat duty, P tries to turn his cattle dog into her pet—with disastrous results. Then P rescues an orphaned opossum that she names Ike. She hand-feeds the beguiling critter, smuggles him into school, and teaches him to follow her everywhere. But when her father is reported injured, P knows that before he is shipped home, she must betray Ike's trust and force him to survive in the wild.

"A heartwarming, vibrant story. It's a book that middle graders will want to read." --Bill Wallace, author of A Dog Called Kitty

Jen - tell us a little about how you got your start as a writer. What made you focus on middle grade fiction? What was the inspiration for Possum Summer?

Possum Summer's inspiration came from my own childhood, in a way. I got my pet possum the exact same way that P got hers, and the story stuck with me all these years. I tried writing YA, and I tried fantasy, but in the end I ended up being good at the main genre that I love most: middle grade. It's the best time to be a reader! Middle Grade books can change kid's lives - I know quite a few of them helped me through when I was that age!

I understand that you’ve lived lots of different places. Can you shed some light on that? Are you a traveler, or an adventurer? How does this inspire your writing?

I have lived in many different places! Let's see. Born in Oklahoma, went to Kentucky to work at the Kentucky Horse Park, out to California to professionally show dogs (and traveled up and down the western seaboard doing that - as high up as Washington and as low as Mexico!) and then moved to the east coast and showed my Azawakh everywhere there. Oh, and I lived in Darwin and Sydney, Australia (when I was about 20) and now I live in Berlin, Germany (since about ten years now! amazing!) I once read that a person couldn't be considered a writer until they'd lived a little, and I think I've lived enough now for a few lifetimes. So when I finally started Possum Summer, I knew this one was 'the one.' (And luckily, I was right!) All those experiences, all those emotions, everything at some point changes your writing. I am an adventurer, most definitely. My two favorite writers (excluding Wilson Rawls, who is AWESOME) are Ernest Hemingway and T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"). I'd like to think I follow in their adventurous footsteps.

What is your writing process? Do you outline first, or are you a pantser (writing by the seat of your pants?)

You know, I've always been a pantser, but with this latest manuscript (as well as an upcoming one) I plotted with an outline. I find that it helps and it hurts, the outlining method. Little things often come to me as I write, things that tie together only at the end when I read through it and I say "OH! That's why that happened!" (ha!) I mourn that aspect of writing to an outline, but I try to keep the outline as general as possible so those little darlings can work their way through.

Tell us a little about your writing journey. How long did it take you to complete POSSUM SUMMER? How long did it take before your book was accepted for publication?

My writing journey was angsty and emotional. But whose isn't, right? I've been writing since I was seven, but only seriously started when I moved to Germany. I was lonely and sad, and missing everything I knew how to do. (Can we say culture shock?) Thanks to my husband, who kindly but firmly said "No, dear, you cannot write Fantasy. Get over it." I started the idea for Possum Summer. It flew out inside two months, and I revised for quite some time. I landed an agent in three days (she is the BEST) and then we went on sub. All in all, I think it took about two years for the entire thing. I can say this: Revise and revise and revise. And if your gut tells you you are not being true to the story, listen to it. There's no rule that every story needs a happy ending. And also? Do Not Give Up. And find an agent that doesn't either.

I noticed on your website, Jen, that you have two hairless cats. I have heard of these, but never actually been around them. Is this a special breed, and other than no hair, are they different than regular cats? Do they still like to be petted? Don’t you miss the soft fur?

I do! I have two Sphynx cats, who are our comic relief (when paired against my 1 year old daughter) You'd be surprised - Sphynx are their own individual breed, and the mutation of hairlessness occurs naturally in the wild, so they have ancestors in Canada and Mexico. The main difference with these guys is their personality. You've never had another cat like these...they are in whatever you're doing, they read your emotions and they are just the sweetest fellows imaginable. Being a horselover, you've often petted a horse's nose, right? WELL, imagine an entire purring little body that feels like that (shaved) nose. And warm, like a bag of hot water. They are tremendous creatures.

I know that you also love horses, Jen, and like me, you follow horseracing closely. Tell us a little about this.

I love horses. I grew up on horse books, had an appy when I was younger (and was loaned out by my dad to farmers that couldn't handle their horses - a month or two of Jen Riding (tm) and they were as calm as lambs!) and went to the Kentucky Horse Park to get an equine management degree (before they offered it in university). Somehow or other I saw a polo game there, and was hooked. I finished university at the University of Oklahoma (SOONERS!) and played polo there as well as groomed for the most famous woman polo player in the sport, Sunny Hale, who is a-maz-ing and wonderful. I got into dressage, jumping, cross country and even a little bit of sales horses in Kentucky, so I'm an all-rounder. But I love me some racehorses, as I believe most all of them are perfect for something else other than racing when they're finished. There are a number of wonderful horse sanctuaries and adoption sites where you could save one of these guys. Let me know if you need links! (The moment we live in the US you can be assured I'll be getting us a couple!)

And finally, from one animal lover to another, what’s your favorite animal?

Oh. Pretty much the horse. Yep, the horse, hands down. Altho raccoons and Sphynx cats come in closely after. :-D

Jen – are you working on anything else? Any new projects or books coming out you’d like to share?

Well *actually*, Linda, I can break the news here!

Jen K Blom's THE SPOTTED PONY, about a girl from Virginia visiting her estranged father and his feedlot in Texas for the first time ever - learning just how fleeting real affection and friendship can be when she falls in love with the wrong horse sold to Julie Amper at Holiday House books by the Stringer Literary Agency.

Wow. Wow! Exciting! So your next book will be a Horse Book. (My favorite kind) *sigh* Congratulations!! Thank you so much for stopping by, Jen, and letting us get to know you. To learn more about Jen, visit her website http://www.jenkblom.com/

Want to read POSSUM SUMMER? We have one copy to GIVEAWAY.

All you have to do to enter is:

Leave a comment below about why you'd like to win POSSUM SUMMER. (I love animals, sounds like a great read, anything simple like that.)

Follow this blog for an extra chance to win (applies to current followers also.)

Repost or retweet this contest for an extra chance to win (and let me know.)

Contest runs through midnight Pacific Time, April 15th, 2011. Book shipped to US addresses only. Good Luck, Everyone!

A Crocus Tale

2011-03-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Spring comes late in the Pacific Northwest. The purple crocus wait patiently . . .

amidst hailstorms and gloom. You can almost imagine their conversations.

Is it time yet? Is it time?

I think so. The sun is out today, if only for a bit.

Yes. Yes! The sun is out!

Let's Bloom! In fact . . .

Let's have a Blooming Party!!!

Crocus make me smile. How about you?

Waiting on Swallows

2011-03-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

March 21st. Is it Spring yet? I'll know it's Spring when my swallows arrive.

The violet green swallows are the first to arrive, somewhere near the end of March. They spend the winter far to the south, in Central or South America, and it's truly a miracle of nature that they make the long journey north every year. And they come back to the same place!

How do I know this? My neighbor (who lives down the road a bit) and I keep track of "our" swallows. Her large family group is already here. They arrived a few days ago, swooping over her vast array of nesting boxes - checking out the real estate for swallow houses and places to raise their babies.

"My" swallows always come a few days later, where they nest under the eaves in our shop and in the swallow houses we tacked up for them. I believe it's the same family group, although they must lose members along the way, and add new ones with the babies that are born each year. How amazing is it that they teach the new ones where to go year after year?

I keep a journal of when they arrive each year. Last year they came on March 23rd.

A little later, the barn swallows, with their churring little trills and squeaks will arrive to build their mud nests in the eaves of our barn and raise their little ones.

But for now, I await the violet greens, with their lovely twirps and chirps and loop-de-loops in the air. Will it be today? Come on, Swallows!

Do you have swallows nesting where you live?

Do you know when they arrive?

Cone of Shame

2011-03-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

You met our wonderful dog, Homer, in a recent post right here. A big yellow lab with a heart of gold that we rescued from a shelter.

Recently, Homer had a huge benign tumor removed, which required lots of stitches and a two week recovery period. After the anesthesia wore off, he came home from the veterinarian wearing the dreaded Cone of Shame.

This is a plastic cone to keep him from bothering his fresh incision and possibly ripping out his stitches. You can see how thrilled he is about it:

I felt plenty sorry for him, but understood why he needed to wear it. Shortly thereafter, one of my friends posted on facebook (Thank you, Tammy) about a soft cone that did the same thing. Calling around to several pet stores, I found one!

Homer still wasn't too excited about wearing it, but at least it's a bit more comfortable.

Especially when he lays his little head down to sleep.

The brand that we found is called The Comfy Cone, and I think you can purchase them online, also. If your pet ever needs to go through an ordeal like this, I thought you might like to know about this option.

Homer got his stitches out two days ago, and he's feeling like a young pup again, thank you.

Has your pet ever worn the Cone of Shame?

Did you know about this softer option?

Not the Literary Type

2011-03-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

My husband is not the literary type. He doesn't read me poetry or offer feedback on my manuscripts. No, he's a typical "guy's guy," who'd rather be fixing a tractor than discussing literature.

But he does like to read, although we have very different reading tastes. For me, it's often a book about animals. For him, it's either a tractor repair manual or a book about World War II.

But I recently read an amazing, gut-punching novel by Patricia McCormick called SOLD.

Here is a short blurb from Goodreads:

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family’s crops, Lakshmi’s stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.

He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at “Happiness House” full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.

Written in spare and evocative vignettes, this powerful novel renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real, and a girl who not only survives but triumphs.

SOLD was a National Book Award Finalist in 2006, and when I noticed the author had a new book about the Iraq war, I ordered it from the library, thinking my husband might like to read it.

He did, and stayed up until midnight finishing PURPLE HEART.

When Private Matt Duffy wakes up in an army hospital in Iraq, he's honored with a Purple Heart. But he doesn't feel like a hero.

I was glad I found my husband something he enjoyed, but after I read the first few pages, I decided against it. Not for me, I thought. I don't like war books. "Keep reading," he told me, and I did. And 25 pages more into the book, I could not put it down. The soldier in this book is eighteen years old. A kid not far removed in age from the middle grade characters in the books that I write and normally read. But oh so far ahead in what he's living through.

Patricia McCormick is an amazing author - one that I admire immensely for her ability to pull you right into a story and make you care - even if it's about a subject you'd normally shy away from.

And this is the very first book that my husband and I have both read, talked about, and enjoyed. That right there, folks, is pretty amazing.

So tell me:

Have you read any of Patricia McCormick's books?

Do you have the same reading tastes as your friend/partner/significant other?

Meet Lois Szymanski

2011-03-06T16:45:00.001-08:00

Lois Szymanski is the author of 18 books for young readers including the Charming Ponies series with HarperCollins, the Gettysburg Ghost Gang, co-authored with Shelley Sykes, Out of the Sea, (a nonfiction book about Chincoteague Ponies) and The True Story of Sea Feather, recently released by Schiffer Books. Szymanski is inspired by the people and ponies she loves.

Lois – how did you get your start as a writer? What made you decide to write for children?

Books were everything to me when I was a child. They were my escape from the real world, my therapy. In college I took a creative writing class and was first published when my professor encouraged me to send a poem I’d written to a literary contest that published winners in an anthology. It would be many years before I believed in myself enough to attempt to publish again.

My husband loved the stories I made up for my kids and encouraged me to “Submit something somewhere, anywhere!” I first became published by magazines, including Highlights for Children, U*S*Kids, Turtle Magazine and many others before I had finally enough confidence to try writing a book. It took me some time to find my way, but now you can’t hold me back!

I know you are a fellow animal lover, and many of your books are about animals. Can you tell us about some of those? How has your background with animals influenced your writing?

I grew up reading horse books and pretending those ponies were my own. Marguerite Henry was my greatest influence. One year my husband surprised me with a trip to Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. The ponies were everything I’d ever imagined and more. When I started plotting my first book for children I knew two things. It would deal with real issues and it would be a Chincoteague pony book.

My nephew had just been murdered and I was having trouble dealing with the loss. It was so senseless. I used that emotion to create a character dealing with the death of his dad. When his mom sends him to Chincoteague to live with an aunt while she gets things in order, he witnesses the birth of a foal and eventually bonds with him. Following the colt on the island, nurturing a new friendship and creating a bait business are the factors that work together to become healing influences in his life.

Lois, you and I share a love for the books of Marguerite Henry, and especially Misty of Chincoteague. You’ve also had some experience with actual Chincoteague ponies. How has that affected your life and your work?

Marguerite Henry has been a huge influence over the years. My most prized possession is a letter she wrote to me after my first book was released. It hangs on my wall, my encouragement on the rough days! Our own Chincoteague pony, Sea Feather has been the character that keeps giving. Raising him with my daughters, training, riding him, laughing at his personality quirks and loving him are constant sources of inspiration.

I know you are involved with a charitable organization called The Feather Fund. Can you enlighten us a little?

After that initial trip to Chincoteague 28 years ago we continued to vacation there annually. Each year my children asked for a pony. Of course, we always said no! One year they saved $500. They had a new determination, but Chincoteague ponies at Pony Penning sell for much more than that.

The auction was almost over when we were approached by a woman. A fireman had told her they’d been outbid again and again. She wanted to help them buy a pony. My husband would not take money from a stranger and continued to decline her offer. Then she took her hat off. Her hair was just coming in. She said, “I’m going to tell you a story.”

The woman, Carollynn Suplee said she had survived a tricky surgery for a brain tumor. She said she was cancer free. “When you get a gift in life you should always give something back,” she said. “I came here to buy a pony for a child.” My husband continued to shake his head, but the woman continued.

“It is supposed to be your children,” she said. She told us how, when she was awaiting surgery she found feathers everywhere she went, even in odd places where one wouldn’t expect to find a feather. “I thought God was trying to tell me something,” she said. One day she stepped up to a bible on a pedestal at a tourist spot and it was open to Psalm 91:vs 4, which says “the Lord will cover you with feathers and protect you.” She said she knew then that she would be okay.

“When the fireman pointed your daughters out to me a sea gull feather drifted past his finger,” she said, “and now that we are over here look at your daughter’s shirt.” My daughter had worn an Indian shirt with feathers on it!

The crowd around us started to chant, “Let her buy it!” and so we did.

My children purchased a pony that we thought was a bay pony with white socks. The firemen selling him in the ring held the tiny foal around his neck. After we purchased him we saw he had one white pinto marking on his neck, in the shape of a feather! It had been covered by the firemen’s hands. It was surreal!

For eight years Carollynn survived the cancer and she returned to the island annually to purchase foals for children or foals to turn back on the island. When her cancer came back in 2003 her husband, Ed and I got together to start a 503c charity called The Feather Fund. Since 2004 we have helped 20 children purchase Chincoteague pony foals and each one has an amazing story about how that pony has made a difference in their lives. http://www.featherfund.org/

Wow, that is truly an amazing story. Tell us about your writing process, Lois. How long does it take you to finish a novel? When you get an idea, do you work from an outline, or just start writing and see where it takes you?

My first novel took a year to write. Most of my novels take between six months to a year, depending on how well I know my character. Sometimes it takes awhile to work out who my character is, but once I have a handle on that I can really roll with it.

Before I begin I always know the main conflict, the climactic scene and the end. Occasionally I use an outline. I used an outline for my nonfiction book on the Chincoteague ponies. I recently wrote a YA murder mystery. About five chapters into it I knew I needed to do an outline. There were too many intricate twists with aspects I had to allude to early on. So, I guess whether or not I outline depends on what I am writing.

Lois, you have published with both large publishers and small. Can you explain some of the differences in working with each?

Large publishers definitely offer larger advances and they sell more copies. They are a great source of immediate money. But I find that larger presses usually put a book out of print after X amount of years.

Small presses give small advances and sometimes no advance, but they keep the book in print forever. Their royalty rates are usually the same as a large publisher. I consider those books my retirement fund. After I am old and gray I will still be getting checks every six months for the sales of those books. The more books I sell to them the bigger the retirement fund!

I should mention that I find you can trust most large publishing houses, but not all small presses. If you go with a small press make sure they have years of success behind them. Find out if they work with known distributors and talk to other authors who are with them. One small press I’ve sold books to is one of the biggest regrets of my life. I won’t name names but almost every author with them will tell you how (unbelievably) small their checks are and how unreliable they are with keeping books in stock and living up to what they promise. So the key to choosing a small press is to learn as much as possible about them before signing on that dotted line.

You have some other unusual hobbies and interests, too, Lois. Care to talk about those?

I am on a paranormal investigation team and I enjoy that very much. My interest in the paranormal began when my husband and I moved into an old farmhouse years ago. We did not know that it had a history of tenants leaving because of odd events. A ghost definitely resided there! The paranormal team did not come until years later. I met some of the people I work with on the team when researching for the Gettysburg Ghost Gang series. There is nothing more exciting than spending an evening in a place purported to be haunted, deciding there’s nothing there, and then downloading pictures and tapes and finding odd figures in the photos or hearing EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) on tape!

Letterboxing is fun, too. It’s my exercise plan, since it usually involves a hike. Letterboxing started in the 1800s in England. Back then, there was a secret book of clues passed around. Now, you can go to http://www.atlasquest.com/ or http://www.letterboxing.org/ and find clues to boxes in your own neighborhood. Letterboxes are hidden all over the world. Inside, there is always a stamp and a journal. You carry a personal stamp and your own journal. When you find the box you stamp your journal with the box stamp and record your find and then use your personal stamp to stamp the journal in the box, adding your trail name, hometown and date so the letterbox planter has a record of who has visited.

I hear you have a brand new book out. Tell us about that one.

The True Story of Sea Feather is the story of how we got our pony, the first pony purchased by cancer survivor, Carollynn Suplee. The book has color photos of the real pony. Even though it is written in the format of a middle grade novel, I think Carollynn’s story would inspire anyone! But then, I am biased!

Are you working on any new books or projects we should know about?

I’m currently working on two books, a middle grade paranormal mystery and a coffee table type book about the herds of Chincoteague. This one is unique in that it will identify by name many of the herd favorites and share some of their stories, like the time firemen were rounding up ponies and penning them on Assateague as they always do days before the annual swim. One of the horses - the stallion Miracle Man - saw the saltwater cowboys on the island and he knew what was going on. It’s an annual event and he is a smart boy with a good memory. He decided to skip the pen on Assateague where all the other stallions would attempt to steal his mares. He looked at the cowboys and headed for the bay, swimming his herd across to Chincoteague and parading them down Main Street to the pens on the carnival grounds- four days early! A researcher and a photographer are doing this book with me. I also have a rhyming picture book called Wild Colt under contract and forthcoming.

Okay, final question, from one animal lover to another – what’s your favorite animal?

Do you really need to ask?! LOL! Chincoteague Ponies first, and then all horses top my list. But, dogs run a very close second. My Shetland Sheepdog Ryley is my constant companion and my best friend. Incidentally, his real name is Solomon’s Rylant. The Solomon part comes from his background, but the Rylant part comes from one of my favorite children’s authors, Cynthia Rylant.

Wow! Thanks so much for stopping by, Lois!

For a chance to win a copy of The True Story of Sea Feather:

We have a winner!

2011-03-01T10:51:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Book Maven, the winner of Bobbie Pyron's excellent story A DOG'S WAY HOME. This book will now go in a reading library for 4th/5th graders - so lots of kids will get to read it. How cool is that?

And a big Thank You to everyone who entered! (Book Maven, if you'll send your address to linda (at) lindabenson (dot) net I'll get the book out to you straight away.)

But stay tuned right here.

We have another giveaway coming up - and an interview with Lois Szymanski, author of eighteen books for young readers, who will tell us about her involvement with Chincoteague Ponies, with a chance to win her brand new book called THE TRUE STORY OF SEA FEATHER.

Soon! Soon! Soon!

Homer - Best Dog Ever

2011-02-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

This is our dog Homer. I talk about donkeys, and horses, and cats on this blog, so I thought I'd show you a picture of Homer. As you can see, he likes snow.

In fact, he likes to do anything we like to do. If you say the word walk, you have to spell it W-A-L-K or else you'll have one hundred pounds of wagging monster dog knocking you over in excitement.

I got Homer from the animal shelter about six years ago. I saw his picture on their website at 3:30 PM on a Saturday. They closed at 4:00 PM. I jumped in my car and got there in 15 minutes, fell in love in 10 minutes, did paper work for another 5, and at 4:00 PM drove him home.

Rescuing a dog from an animal shelter is like taking a stranger into your home and hoping you get along. In Homer's case, I knew little about his history. He was a young full grown dog (lab mixed with golden retriever?) that had been found running loose for some time with another dog. The day after I brought him home, we cleared brush all day and hauled it into burn piles. Homer walked back and forth with us, back and forth, staying close to our side. By the end of the day we knew he wasn't going to leave. He was quite happy to find a home and people to love him.

Homer is not only loyal, he adores children and cats. Well, I should say that cats love Homer. They all rub against him (even the neighbor's cat) and our barn cat Lucy even sleeps with him at night.

Homer is starting to look a little older in this picture I snapped two days ago. He is probably around seven years old this year, and I'm reminded to spend time with my faithful friend while I still can.

And I'm reminding you, as a dog lover, that you can still enter the contest (until Feb 28, 2011) to win Bobbie Pyron's brand new dog book called A DOG'S WAY HOME. This is hands-down one of the best dog books I have ever read, and you will Love It!

How do you enter? Just go to my interview with author Bobbie Pyron below, or click here to get there, scroll to bottom and leave a comment about your favorite kind of dog, and you are entered to win. Simple. But hurry!

Oh, and my favorite breed of dog? Anything with a good personality, but I have to say that I Really. Love. Labs.

Sharing a Link

2011-02-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to talk about the difference between a link to a blog and a permanent link to an exact post on a blog. For some of you this will be old hat (ooh, I love that expression, don't you? I'll have to google it and find where it came from.) But, I digress. If you're reading along and all this is old hat to you, don't continue.

But if you are like me - just a self-taught blogger/internet fool who picks things up as you go along, you might learn something.

Say you find an interesting post on the internet that you'd like to either
a) share with your friends on facebook/twitter/wherever or
b) save for yourself to read later by bookmarking it or saving under favorites on your computer.
For instance, the post previous to this one, which is an interview with Bobbie Pyron and a giveaway of her fabulous book A DOG'S WAY HOME.

If you just share the address for this blog: http://www.lindabenson.blogspot.com then when someone clicks on it, they get my most recent post, which at the moment is this one. Then they'll have to search around to find the interview with Bobbie.

So the best thing to do (to share a link) is to click on the title at the top of the post (in the case of the interview it is Meet Bobbie Pyron) and the actual address of the link comes up which is: http://lindabenson.blogspot.com/2011/02/meet-bobbie-pyron.html )

Notice the difference in the two links? Go ahead, click on them both, and see what you come up with.

Now what if you've clicked through to a cool link to a blog, you like what you see and want to come back and read this blog some more? Well, my previous method, before I became a little more savvy about this (and trust me, I only know a smidgen about all this internet nonsense) was to save the link to the exact post, under favorites or bookmarks, on my computer. But what if I wanted to go to (for instance) Linda Benson's blog again, how would I get to her more recent posts? Well, two ways.

1) If you are getting the hang of the way labels for posts work, you can go to the URL (which is the address up top) and backspace/delete all the stuff on the right until it just reads http://www.lindabenson.blogspot.com (or whatever blog you're trying to read.)Then hit ENTER, and it should take you to the home page for the blog, with all their recent posts. Save that under favorites. If this sounds too confusing, try this.

2) Most blogs have a sidebar, which lists their posts by month. If you click on the current month, you will get all the most recent posts. Some blogs even have tabs on them, and if you look you might find one that says Home. That's what you want. Then if you save that link, you'll always get the most recent posts.

Of course, when you get good at this, you can subscribe to a blog, which means you can get all the recent posts in your email, or you can set up a Google reader to read all your favorite blogs. And then there's shortening a link, to make it fit on Twitter. But that's moving ahead.

So for now, remember this: To share a post or a link, click on the title of that post to get the exact address for the link.

To find the actual address for the blog itself, look for the simplified name (usually ending in .com) without all that other stuff on the right hand side of the URL.

Anyone else have comments or knowledge to share about Sharing Links or Saving Blogs? What has worked for you?

Meet Bobbie Pyron

2011-02-16T10:39:00.001-08:00

Bobbie Pyron is the author of the teen novel, THE RING (Oct. 2009, WestSide Books) and her new book A DOG’S WAY HOME (Katherine Tegen Books, March 1, 2011). She has also worked as a librarian for over 25 years. She lives high in the mountains of Utah with her husband, three dogs, and two cats.

Tell us a little about yourself, Bobbie. How did you get your start as a writer? What made you decide to write for children?

I loved two things passionately as a child: dogs and books. So it only seemed natural that I’d want to be a writer when I grew up—probably more “natural” than wanting to be a frog or a mermaid! But I didn’t start writing seriously until about six years ago. I started out writing picture books and wrote some perfectly good ones! But then one day, this snarky teenage-girl voice started talking to me about all the trouble she was getting in to and how miserable she felt. The only way I could get her to shut up was to start writing about her. That eventually turned into my first book, THE RING.

Your first book is called THE RING, and it’s about boxing and a teenage girl who gets involved in that sport. Tell us how you came to write about that subject?

At about the time the snarky teenaged-girl voice started talking to me, my stepdaughter was going through a rather challenging time. One day, she read an article in our local newspaper about a boxing gym that offered classes just for girls. She wanted to sign up right away! Her dad and I took turns taking her to her classes. Like any good writer, I eavesdropped on the girls’ conversations. I was really struck by the camaraderie between them and how safe they felt in the ring. I was really curious to explore this world of what seems like such an aggressive sport and how it helped these girls cope better with their day-to-day lives. I was also rather dismayed by the popularity of books for that age group that were so focused on a girl’s self-worth and self-image depending on a guy (dead or not so dead). I wanted to write a book that showed the strength of girl friendships. Girl power!

Bobbie – you have a brand new book due out in March called A DOG’S WAY HOME. I’ve been hearing wonderful things about this book – and as a sucker for animal stories, I’m so anxious to read it. Can you tell us what your inspiration was for this book?

I read all the of classic animals stories growing up, particularly dog stories like LASSIE COME-HOME and THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. I must have read those books a million times! So I like to say my book is my own personal love letter to those two great classic books and to the relationship between dogs and their people. I don’t think there’s anything like it! I was also inspired by my relationship with my Shetland Sheepdog, Teddy. Shelties are a very special breed—loyal and devoted don’t even begin to describe how they bond with their person. So when I wrote a story about an eleven year old girl and her relationship with her dog, that dog had to be a sheltie.

How big of a role do animals play in your life? Will you write more about animals?

Oh, my animals are my best friends! I’ve often said I don’t know if I should ever quit my day job (as a librarian) because then I would truly become The Crazy Dog Lady! I am with my “pack” every day. I love nothing better than to be out in the woods or on the trails with them hiking or skiing or show shoeing. I love watching them interact with each other and with the world. I think any book I write, even if it’s not specifically about dogs or other animals will have animals in it. For instance, in THE RING, the family has two dogs (one is a sheltie) and although they have minor roles in the book, they have very distinct personalities and provide unconditional love to the main character, Mardie, when everyone else things she’s hopeless—including herself. I think that is the rare gift of dogs.

How long does it take you to write a novel, Bobbie? Do you work from an outline, or fly by the seat of your pants and let your characters take you away?

It can take me anywhere from six to ten months to write a first draft, depending on how much editing I do as I go along and how much research I need to do. It seems like my process is evolving all the time. I am not an outliner. I definitely am more of the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type writer. I love to see how the characters evolve and who shows up! That said, I do sometimes go back and outline each chapter after I write the first draft. This allows me to see the arc of the story, and to catch any places that lack authority or a reason to be there. I call these “dead zones.” This is something my agent taught me to do and it’s really helpful.

What does your life as a writer look like? What is your schedule and do you work at writing full time?

I still work as a librarian, although just part time now. My library work schedule pretty much dictates my writing schedule. That and my dogs! They really need to get out for exercise and so do I. But, ideally, I write at least a couple of hours a day. If I’m really hot and heavy into a new manuscript, I may write a bit at night and on the weekends. But I try to limit that so I can spend time with my most patient husband. I guess I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle it all!

I noticed that you just joined Twitter, Bobbie. How important do you think social media is to authors trying to market their books? A lot, a little, not at all? Thoughts?

That’s a good question and one I’m wrestling with. I’m such a Luddite when it comes to technology, yet now I find myself on Face Book, Twitter and I have a blog. I think FB and Twitter are good ways to network with people in the writing and publishing community. After all, I would never have met you otherwise! So in that way, it helps get the word out about me and my books. But I’m not real comfortable “blowing my own horn”—as a matter of fact, I’m almost phobic about it. So in that way, some of the social media can seem (to me) a bit self-serving. I guess that’s why I’m more comfortable talking about my work or my good news in context with other writers I know. Or if it also helps spread the word about how amazing dogs are. I’m also finding it a bit of a challenge to be involved in all this online stuff and still have time to write! A lot of my writer friends have the same struggle.I think in terms of connecting with readers (who are, after all, why I write) maintaining a website that has lots of information on it is what they want. Of course, mostly what they want and what I can do best for them, is write another book!

What are you working on now? Any new projects or books you can share with us?

I have a book my agent will be sending out soon that’s based on a true and very unusual survival story in Russia. Dogs do figure in it rather prominently, although it’s not a”dog story” in the same way A DOG’S WAY HOME is. I’m also working on a book—a rather fun book—set in the panhandle of Florida where I grew up that explores what it means to be “lucky”. So keep your eye on me!

And finally, from one animal lover to another – what is your favorite animal?

Oh dogs, paws down! I love horses and I do live with two cats, but dogs are my heart and soul. They truly are God spelled backwards!

Bobbie - Thank you so much for stopping by! If you'd like to know more about Bobbie Pyron and her books, visit her website at http://www.bobbiepyron.com/

And if you'd like to win a signed copy of A DOG'S WAY HOME and be one of the first to read this great dog story, here's how to enter:

Leave a comment below telling us your favorite kind of dog.
New and old followers of this blog get an extra entry.
Retweet, or repost this contest for another entry (and let me know.)

Contest will run until midnight, February 28, 2011 Pacific Time when a random winner will be chosen. Make sure I have a way to contact you! Book will be shipped to U.S or Canada addresses only.

Good Luck, Everyone!

My Boys

2011-02-10T10:34:00.001-08:00

A quick update on the new kids at our place - Mr. Chocolate and Mr. Big:

When they first arrived they were wet, muddy, and gross. A few sunny days have dried them into lovable fuzzballs and they are much more huggable now ;)

They've been wormed, vaccinated, and got their feet trimmed (which they navigated splendidly) but we still had one major hurdle -

although Mr. Big was a donkey gelding - Mr. Chocolate was still a jack.

Mr. Chocolate one half hour after his operation, looking no worse for the wear.

Short course in Donkey Terminology - a female donkey is called a jenny, and a male donkey is called a jack. (Funny, huh?)

Well, after a visit from the veterinarian yesterday, Mr. Chocolate is now also a donkey gelding. (Which means, folks, that he is now neutered and won't be distracted by hormones or thinking about the birds and the bees.)

As Spring approaches, I'm looking forward to fun adventures with my two new boys. In fact, I've written more about them recently over on Equestrian Ink, in a post called Top Ten Reasons for Owning a Donkey, if you'd like to pop over and take a peek.

So for now, Mr. Chocolate and Mr. Big give you all a big Hee Haw! which in donkey language usually means:

So glad to see you!

There are wild coyotes out back, Mom, do something!

I'm hungry, I need more hay!

or
Do you know what time it is? Time to rise and shine, day is breaking, get up, get up, Get Up!!

Booklover's Paradise

2011-02-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

I spent the afternoon at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon this week. What a book lover's paradise: an entire city block of over one million new and used books, all color-coded and organized by readers' interest.

I sold several books that I'd already read, and brought some home that I'd been looking for.

Powell's uses the very cool concept of displaying new books right alongside their used counterparts, so you can pick and choose which edition you want.

So with all of these books to look at, a book worm like myself could get lost for hours (and I did.) But what sections really held my interest? Well, I browsed the entire Young Adult and Children's sections, spent some time amongst the books on Animals, went upstairs to the Literature section looking for certain authors, and of course perused the section of Writing books.

After I checked out all of the Newbery award winners (and they have an entire section devoted to these) where I found a few Marguerite Henry books, I asked where the rest of her books were kept. After a bit of snooping (and everything is organized and easily found on computer search monitors) I found an entire section devoted to - wait for it - Children's Books about Animals.

I was in seventh heaven. I promptly parked myself and gazed longingly at all the titles, many which I've already read. From vintage editions of Albert Payson Terhune's dog stories to brand new books like Ginny Rorby's The Outside of a Horse, I fingered the books gingerly and lovingly. Yes, this was my section, and my world - Kids and Animals.

In the end, I came home with three new books:

A book on writing: THE COURAGE TO WRITE, by Ralph Keyes

An adult novel: THE BLESSINGS OF THE ANIMALS, by Katrina Kittle

A 1971 children's book about a boy and dog: THE SUMMER OF RILEY, by Eve Bunting

Have you been to Powell's Books? Do you have a favorite bookstore where you could hang out for hours?

The Tao of FreeCell

2011-01-30T13:44:00.001-08:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm addicted to FreeCell - that dumb game that comes preloaded on almost all new computers. I play it when I'm bored, I play it when I'm nervous, I play it 'cause I want to, I play it to up my score. (Which currently stands at 73% after I will not admit how many games.)

This game actually took me two tries (starting over) to win.

I rationalize my waste of time by telling myself I am warding off Alzheimer's by keeping my brain cells working. But actually, I've decided that my obsession with FreeCell has helped me in other areas of life - including writing.

Oh this is getting good now. Tell me more.

Okay. When I was a beginner, I only played the easy games. The ones with aces down low, so you can put them away easily. The ones without many high face cards on the bottom - yuck. And if you can't win a game, you just hit the button for New Game, right? That way it only counts as one loss in you statistics.

But the heck with statistics. I wanted to get better at the game (and it's not like anybody really cares about your score, right?) So now, if I come to a stuck place where there are no more moves, I start the game over and play again. (On really difficult games I may have to do this several times!) This plays havoc with your stats, but I'm stubborn, and each time I unlock the puzzle, it teaches me to be a better player.

So transpose that to writing. If you can't make your plot come out, or your characters behave, or if you get stuck somewhere in your manuscript, sometimes you have to do a Game Over, put it away, and restart it. Turn it around. Try a different track. Keep going until Something Works.

The same with publishing. Sometimes you just have to pick up and go down a different path.

The same with life, really. If something doesn't work, turn it around, try something else, until finally you find your way.

Boy, I'm really good at rationalization, huh? The Tao of FreeCell: How I learned everything about life from playing a card game on my computer.

So there you have it. Are you a FreeCell addict? Any other games you play instead?

Downloading the Beatles

2011-01-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last night I downloaded songs to my iPod using an iTunes gift card I received recently. Guess what? You can now download The Beatles!! Yay!

Regular readers of this blog might remember my earlier post about The Beatles, and the fact that I grew up listening to their music. So scrolling through all their songs and trying to decide which ones I wanted really brought back a lot of memories. Let It Be? Hey, Jude? In the end, I chose (for now) my four favorite songs. Want to know what they are?

Here Comes the Sun (Not only is this the number one requested song, it's also a much needed anthem of cheer for life in the soggy Northwest.)
Yesterday - The classic song - covered by so many people, but the original is by far the best.
Norwegian Wood - This haunting song features the sitar, which gives it such a distinctive flavor.
If I Fell - I've always loved this song, and I'll probably sing along and try to pick out all the intricate harmony parts.

And to round out my list of downloads, which is a collection of mostly country, bluegrass, and vintage rock, I choose:

Te Voy a Perder - by fantastic Latin singer (and heartthrob) Alejandro Fernandez. Don't know him? Look him up.

Are you a Beatles Fan? If you had to pick your Very. Favorite. Beatles tune ever - what would it be??

2011 Reading Challenge

2011-01-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

I made a goal for myself this year to read 111 books. Why? Oh, it seemed like a doable number, since I often read 1-2 novels a week, and if I get super busy I can always fill in with picture books (which I love and often don't take time to read.)

But mostly, as a writer, I hope that by reading lots of good books, good writing will seep into my brain and my pores by osmosis and come right out my fingertips onto the page.

Reading lots of good books makes me a better writer.

Don't believe that can happen? Then make your own reading challenge. Even if you're not a writer, but just someone who loves reading.

I made my challenge on Goodreads, and you can do it there also or just keep your own records.

You can follow along to see how I'm doing by watching the graph at the bottom of my sidebar on the right, or click on the link there to see what I've actually read. As of today, since the new year started, I've read nine books: four novels and five picture books.

Are you a reader? Want to set up a challenge for yourself?

It can be five books or five hundred - it makes no difference.

Join me!

New Friends

2011-01-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

So our barn was sad and empty, right? Not anymore.

Now there are two new occupants.

Yes, they might need some grooming tips, but then it IS winter.

Meet Mr. Chocolate -

And Mr. Big.

My New Friends.

(Excuse their mudball look. They've been rolling, and aren't quite prepared for company:-))

Aren't they handsome??

The Empty Barn

2011-01-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

An empty barn is a sad, sad thing.

And we've had an empty barn at our house for some months now.

I've always thought it would be freeing - not having outside animals to feed or worry over, especially in the dreadful cold winter months. I could just stay in the warm house in my jammies - and write.

But I've found it's quite the opposite. Even though it can be a pain to pull on jeans, turtleneck, warm fleece, warm socks, old boots, scarf, warm beanie, and heavy barn jacket just to go feed in the morning (and in the evening) I've also been missing my most peaceful and relaxing part of the day - time spent in the barn with my animals.

So today - with luck, and weather holding - that should change. Hopefully I'll be able to post a picture soon of some new friends in the barn.

Keep watching this space . . .

The Room Divider

2011-01-06T13:33:00.001-08:00

A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction. ~ Virginia Woolf

We won't talk about the money situation (but no, I'm not independently wealthy.)

But for my entire writing career I've been dreaming about a room of my own.

"In our next house," I constantly say, "I'm getting my Own. Office." *Sigh*

The reality is that my writing desk and computer have always been in a corner of our living room. A very nice corner, mind you, with a window and a lovely view, but subject to the noises, conversations and distractions of anyone else who happens to be home and wandering through the living room.

So this year, to start the new year off right, I had a brilliant idea. Why didn't I think of it sooner??? I went to a local used office supply store and purchased -

ta da - The Room Divider.

Tucked behind that lovely grey wall is my little private writing cubby, in all its messy glory. I have peace (sort of.) I have privacy! I have my own writing nook!!

Yes, I know this side of the room divider looks a little bare. I'm contemplating ways to spruce it up - perhaps a pretty piece of fabric draped across it? What do you think - any suggestion?

But for now - I don't care. Because I have my Very. Own. Writing. Space.

Shh! Quiet - I'm working ;-)

How many of you have your own writing space or office, or your own spot to do other projects?? Have you found that it helps?

Something New

2011-01-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011, Everyone! I like the sound of that - don't you? Twenty Eleven. Kind of rolls off your tongue like poetry.

I know I promised you Something New. And here it is:

A New Look for the Blog.

It's bright. It's beautiful. It's Blue!

Remember my old look - green, woodsy, and traditional? Yeah, I got tired of that one.

So I'm bursting out of my shell, so to speak, and will probably tweak this some more as I go.

And what are my New Year's resolutions - you might ask? Eat better, exercise more, write more often?

Nah, those are tired old resolutions.

This year - I've decided to find JOY in my life Every. Single. Day.

Even if I'm having a terrible horrible no-good bad, bad day, I hereby resolve to find something JOYFUL Every Single Day.

And, at the risk of sounding like an old Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston song - that's what I wish for you, too - Joy! Hope you all have a great year!

Something Old

2010-12-30T12:06:00.001-08:00

So in honor of the year 2010 winding down to a close, I'd like to leave you with Something Old. Here is the recipe for my Mom's Jello Salad that I've carried with me for 20 years (note the date on the bottom.) My mother made it for years before that, for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any special occasion.

Growing up, while my mother was inside cooking elegant meals, I was (alas) usually spending the day avoiding the kitchen by roaming the hills on my horse. But all wild young cowgirls eventually grow up, pick up the telephone and call their moms for that favorite recipe.

Now before you go making redneck jokes about jello salad, let me assure you that this is an elegant salad, with a somewhat tart and tropical taste that cleanses your palate while ingesting that heavy turkey, ham, or whatever else your holiday meal calls for. And in a pretty bowl, it looks lovely on the table. See?

So in case you can't read the recipe from the picture (and my scribbly handwriting) above - here it is again.

Mom's Jello Salad

Dissolve:

One large package orange jello

One large package strawberry (or strawberry-banana) jello in

Two cups boiling water.

Add one large can frozen orange juice - stir until completely dissolved.

Add one 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, with juice.

Add 2 small cans mandarin oranges, with juices.

Takes 4 hours to set-up.

Easy - peasy, huh? Enjoy this old recipe, and in a few days, we will celebrate the New Year of 2011 with something Bright. Shiny. and New on the blog! *jumps up and down in excitement*

Until then - Happy New Year, everyone!

The Perfect Gift

2010-12-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Books make the perfect gift, don't you think? Easy to wrap, easy to ship, and they last - day after day, year after year, right there on the bookshelf to enjoy again and again. Or pass on to someone else.

Here are some of the books I gave for Christmas this year:

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, by Jandy Nelson

Dial/ 2010

THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
Putnam/ 2009

THE HEART IS NOT A SIZE, by Beth Kephart

Harper Teen/ 2010

THE DISTANT HOURS, by Kate Morton

Atria/ 2010

THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE, by Ginny Rorby
Dial/ 2010

MINI MYSTERIES, by Rick Walton
American Girl/ 2004

INTROVERT POWER, By Laurie Helgoe

Sourcebooks/ 2008

BINK & GOLLIE, by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
Candlewick Press/ 2010

A DOG'S PURPOSE, by W. Bruce Cameron

Forge Books/ 2010

I have read and loved most of the books above. All but two of them. Anyone care to guess which two I haven't read yet?

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!!

A Friend to Animals

2010-12-21T15:41:00.001-08:00

I was going to write a post about our adorable kitten Fred, sometimes known as Fred the Bad Kitten, or Fred the Sweet Kitten, or Fred Get Out of the Sack of Ribbons, or Fred Get Away from the Christmas Tree Before You Knock it Over, and other such nick-names. We got our wonderful kitten Fred from the animal shelter about three months ago - and he has filled our home with love and laughter (mostly.)

But on the way home from town, with my last minute shopping accomplished, I thought of all the other animals up the shelter, and I swung into the grocery story one last time and bought a sack of cat food. I drove by the animal shelter to drop it off, and while I was there, I stroked the fur of a few lonely cats starved for attention.

Then I put a leash on a black lab, took it outside for a walk in the grey December chill, let it run free in the outside pen for a bit, gave it lots of love, and afterwards shut it away inside its concrete kennel.

I wanted to do so much more. I really don't want to spoil your Christmas by announcing the percentage of these animals who will never make it out of the shelters. But it's high.

But what if we all cared a little more? Made a donation to the Animal Shelter? Bought a sack of pet food and dropped it off at the nearest shelter, either before or after Christmas. Took one half hour of your day occasionally to walk a dog or pet a cooped-up cat. Spread the word to your friend or neighbor about the importance of getting their dog or their cat spayed/neutered.

Or maybe go down to that shelter and see if there isn't one of those animals that wants to come home with you this Christmas? Or for the New Year?

Be a Friend to Animals!

Fred, and his friends still left at the shelter, say

"Thank You Very Much!"

The Piggybank of Dreams

2010-12-17T15:08:00.001-08:00

Sometimes we get an unexpected surprise which turns our whole mood around. Like yesterday, when the UPS man showed up at my door with a thick envelope from a publisher. What's this? I puzzled.

Just so you know, I've been in a bah-humbug, blue funk lately. Attributing it to the short winter days of December and the fact that my publishing career seems to have hit kind of a standstill (come on, big best-seller, fancy publishing contract - where are you?) Truth-be-told, I had just written in my journal that I was having a hard time finding JOY in my writing. So imagine my surprise when I opened the envelope, and found six copies of my 2009 novel THE HORSE JAR . . . .

published in Spanish!!

I had no idea my publisher was working on a translation of THE HORSE JAR, but I am thrilled to pieces. The Spanish name for this version is:

LA ALCANCIA DE LOS SUENOS - The Piggybank of Dreams.

which pretty much says it all, don't you think? Here is the back cover, and I'll have to work on my Espanol to read it.

I wrote an earlier post (click here to read it) about the long road to publication for THE HORSE JAR. In fact, both of my first two novels, FINDING CHANCE and THE HORSE JAR are published with Mondo Publishing, an educational publisher. Not the biggest or the flashiest publisher, they sell directly to schools (although you can now buy each book on Amazon, right here.)

But with this new version in Spanish, I am extremely happy to think that a whole new bunch of kids (maybe some that just came to this country, and who aren't fluent in English yet) will read Annie's story and her words: "whenever things looked really bad, there was always something around the corner, sometimes surprising things, that made everything better."

So - I open The Piggybank of Dreams - and once again find - JOY.

Writing Christmas Cards

2010-12-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

It's one of those chores I end up putting off until I tell myself I better do it, or they're not going to get there in time for Christmas. But in this era of electronic communications, social media, facebook, twitter, blogging, texting, and everyone staying constantly connected (not to mention 44 cents every time you slap a stamp on one) why do we even bother with Christmas cards anymore?

So I thought of the reasons I still send cards. And here's what I came up with:

1) I have some friends and family members who are older, and don't use computers/facebook/social media and with whom I like to stay in touch.

2) It's really nice to get something in the mail these days besides a catalogue, or junk mail, or a bill. An actual greeting, with maybe a scribbled note and a signature (especially if it says "love") is pretty darned nice to find in your mailbox.

3) I do like to pick out a special card for each person. Cat cards for my cat-loving friends, horse cards for my equine loving friends, and so on. Eventually, though, I just want to get through my list, and without being too particular, will grab a card, scribble a message, and send it. But that little note you write, even if it's just "hope you have a great holiday" is still much more personal than a facebook status, or a 140 character tweet, don't you think?

4) Sending and receiving Christmas cards is a tradition. Something I've done all my life, ever since I was old enough to write an address to someone far away. And just like playing Christmas carols on the piano every year, and opening up the same old box of ornaments and hanging them on the tree, I love traditions.

I might not send as many cards as I once did. And I hope you get one from me this year. If you don't - please know I wish you a Merry Christmas anyway!

So tell me - Do you still write Christmas Cards? Why or Why Not?

Meet Cynthia Willis

2010-12-08T08:20:00.001-08:00

Cynthia Chapman Willis is the author of two books for young readers: DOG GONE and BUCK FEVER. I first became aware of her work when I stumbled upon her novel DOG GONE. As an animal lover, the title intrigued me, and since I’m always finding myself in the middle of returning lost dogs, I knew I had to read it. Please read her wonderful interview here, and at the bottom, learn how you can win your choice of one of her books!

Cynthia - tell us a little about how you came to write DOG GONE, and its path to publication.

DOG GONE is based on a sweet and adorable homeless and stray dog that my family adopted when I was about fifteen years old. While playing around with story ideas one day, I started thinking about how this beloved pup joined a pack of neighborhood dogs that began terrorizing local farm animals. My dog and this pack situation ended up becoming the premise for DOG GONE.

The path to publication began when I heard an agent speak at a conference. I liked what he had to say and, so, submitted my dog story to him. Soon after, he offered to represent me. That was thrilling, of course. But one of the greatest days ever came later, when he sold this novel to the amazing Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan.

Was DOG GONE the original title, or did you come up with that after acceptance by the publisher?

DOG GONE is not the original title. I am beyond awful with titles. The original title for DOG GONE was GOOD DOG, BAD DOG. Luckily for me, though, the amazing and talented folks at Feiwel and Friends suggested DOG GONE.

How did you get your start as a children’s writer, Cynthia? Is it something you always wanted to do?

I fell in love with creative writing in the second grade and have always loved children’s books. However, I didn’t have the self-confidence to give writing as a profession serious consideration until a college professor nudged me toward it. After college, I became an editor of elementary textbooks where I had the opportunity to read lots of great children’s books as well as write books and materials for the textbook programs. This helped me to develop my own writing.

I just finished reading your second novel, Cynthia, called BUCK FEVER, and I love the premise. Tell us a little about that book. The details about hunting seem pretty real. Have you ever hunted, or do you come from a hunting family? How did you come up with the idea for this story?

I am not a hunter and I don’t come from a hunting family, believe it or not. However, I live in an area where there are lots of deer and where deer hunting is very popular. There are many different opinions about this, pro and con. These different points of view fascinated me and inspired BUCK FEVER. Since I am not a hunter, I did lots of research while writing, including interviews and learning how to shoot a rifle. The more research I did, the more interested I became in the subject matter and all the opinions surrounding it.

How long does it generally take you to write a novel, and what is your method.? Do you write from an outline, or by the seat of your pants?

I always start a new story with a blank book in which I write plot ideas, character sketches, setting descriptions, details that pop into my head, potential opportunities for humor, and all sorts of random thoughts. I also draw maps and sketch floor plans in the notebook. Once I have a skeleton of an idea, I develop an outline. I build upon this until it is quite meaty. Then, I try to write the first draft full speed ahead without stopping to revise or fuss, using my outline and my notes to keep me focused. After the first draft is finished, I revise and revise and revise, which is my favorite part of the process. The time it takes for me to write and revise a novel varies depending on the subject matter and how the process goes, but each book gobbles up at least a year.

How do you get your ideas, Cynthia?

Ideas pop into my head at any time and at any place--which can be really inconvenient. This is why I always keep a pen and paper with me. When a line from something I am reading, a song, a recollection, or a piece of a conversation deposits the seed of a story into my head, I am, at least, ready scribble down something about it. If an idea really appeals to me, I start asking questions that include What if? or What then? This kind of questioning helps me to figure out if my idea has the potential to grow into a full-fledged story.

Can you tell us about any new projects your working on? Any new books?

I recently finished the first draft of a new story. Phew! I am a wee bit superstitious about sharing what I am writing about, but I will say that this latest novel includes a dog that needs to be saved. The idea and the inspiration for this plot came from a news item that bothered me a lot. I could not stop thinking about it and started researching the subject at the heart of the news item. This led to the story idea and the first draft.

Any advice for aspiring authors, Cynthia? What’s it take to get published in today’s market?

Perseverance. My advice is always Do not give up on your dreams. This was the best advice I received and I like to share it whenever possible. I believe that persistence, meaning a devotion to improving one’s writing and stories, is the key to getting published. In my pursuit of improvement, I read as much as possible, fiction as well as books on craft. And, of course, I write whenever and however I can.

One last question, Cynthia. What’s your favorite animal? And why?

Oh, that’s a tough question to answer. However, I think the horse remains my favorite animal. There is a unique bond between a rider and her horse that, for me, surpasses even the connection between a person and a dog or a person and a cat. I’ve been lucky enough to share my home with lots and lots of critters, including a pet rat, but my horse and I had the greatest connection of all. Horses are unique and very special.

Cynthia - thanks you so much for stopping by! To learn more about Cynthia and her books, please visit her website: http://cynthiawillis.com

And just before Christmas, we have time for One More Book Giveaway.

Win Your Choice of either DOG GONE or BUCK FEVER. But you have to act fast!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below, on why you'd like to win one of Cynthia's books. (Make sure I know how to contact you, too.)

Contest open until midnight, Pacific Time, December 15th, 2010, when I will randomly draw the name of the winner.

Books will be shipped to U.S. addresses only.

Good luck, everyone!

Grow Where You're Planted

2010-12-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

Ah - the beauteous Northwest. Stunning vistas, mountains and trees as far as the eye can see. And rain. Lots of rain (fourteen plus inches already, since October 1st) and winter hasn't officially started yet.

So with moss beginning to form between my toes, this is the time of year I start wondering how a beach girl like me ended up here. And dream of running away to a cottage by the sea. *sigh*

Then, lo and behold, on a walk with my dog, I spy a most unusual thing in the middle of a forest of Douglas fir and cedar. Yes, I recognized it immediately. A broadleaf evergreen - still decked in its shiny green leaves when every other deciduous tree has long since dropped theirs. But how could it be? There are no trees like these within 30 or 40 miles, with their primary range starting 150 miles to the south.

I walked closer to be sure, and yes . . .

There was the telltale red peeling bark on its trunk. I know these trees - they grow all over Northern California and Southern Oregon, in climates a bit warmer and sunnier than here.

A Madrone Tree.

But what was it doing there - all by its lonesome? I've trekked through these woods on foot and horseback and never seen another. Perhaps a bird dropped its seed here? Or a madrone seed fell from the track or tire of a piece of equipment working in the woods? Never mind. There - in a sunny clearing where it shouldn't be at all - grew a small, but apparently sturdy and hardy little madrone tree, about 15-20 feet tall.

It made my heart glad to spot such a familiar face, and maybe there is a message for me here, too. Perhaps I should quit whining and complaining about my whereabouts - and dreaming about places far away - and do like the little madrone.

Thrive and grow where I am planted.

Trust me. I am working on it.

Taking the Reins

2010-11-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, remember I promised you more Giveaways? Here, just in time for Christmas giving, is Alison Hart's adorable new book, TAKING THE REINS, perfect for that young horse lover on your list. And you can win it!!

Here's the description straight from the horse's mouth - actually direct from Alison's website:

Alison Hart’s latest book is Taking the Reins, an interactive story from American Girls where readers can select their own endings and imagine themselves as the main character, who rides horses at the Innerstar University™ stable. When she's invited to ride a spirited Quarter Horse in the next event, she has some tough choices to make. Will she find her confidence and climb on? With more than 20 different endings, readers can enjoy this book again and again, making different decisions to change the story. Plus, each book comes with a secret access code to unlock additional endings online!

American Girl: 120 pages
Ages 8 and up

Sounds pretty cool, huh? All you have to do be entered for a chance to win is:

Leave a comment below.

Followers of this blog (new and existing) get a second chance to win.

And repost or retweet this contest and get one more chance to win! (Let us know.)

Contest is open until December 12th, 2010 and book will be sent to U.S. addresses only to winner selected in random drawing.

And don't forget! Giveaway of Ginny Rorby's book HURT GO HAPPY, is still open until December 5th. Click here for details.

Good luck, everyone!

A White Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

Nature gave us a little holiday present yesterday, when an early snowstorm blew through and coated everything with white. Schools closed, roads and highways became an icy mess, and holiday travel was disrupted.

Our power went out, and instead of watching the finale of Dancing with the Stars, I finished reading a book with a cool LED headlamp my husband dug out.

This morning, with the storm over, the trees look decorated for the holidays, don't they?

Tonight it's supposed to be 11 degrees. All of the animals are inside, including our semi-wild cat and our very shy barn cat. We are tucked in front of the fireplace, waiting for . . . Thanksgiving.

Happy Turkey Day, Everyone!

Remember, Christmas is just around the bend. And for all you book lovers, our giveaway of two Ginny Rorby books (scroll down to previous post) lasts until December 5th. And more book giveaways will follow soon. Books by Alison Hart, Cynthia Chapman Willis, and well, just keep tuning in here to find out, and win books for Christmas giving, or for just plain reading and enjoying.

Gobble, Gobble.

Meet Ginny Rorby

2010-11-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Ginny writes novels for young people about the relationship between humans and animals. I have read two of her books, THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE and HURT GO HAPPY, each of which moved me to tears.

Tell us a little about yourself, Ginny. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get your start?

Becoming a writer had never so much as crossed my mind. English was my worst subject in high school. How I became one is a testimony to how a small act of kindness can change a person’s life.

In 1981, I wrote a letter to the owners of a dog a friend of mine found. The young dog was skin and bones, with maggot-filled sores on her sides, diseased eyes, and the only fur left on her body a single long patch down the back of her neck. I wrote her owners a letter describing how the poor dog ended her life. Of course, I had no one to send it to, so the letter stayed folded in a pocket of my purse a year.

In early August 1982, I was in the offices of the Miami News and, while waiting for the editor, I began cleaning out my purse and found the letter I’d written about the dog. I scrawled, We Found Your Dog, at the top of the page and gave it to the woman who came to review the pictures I’d brought to show her.

The next day, John Hopkins, a copy editor with the News, called my home and left a message with my husband—a single sentence. “Tell her,” he said, “if she can write like that, we’ll publish anything she writes.”

Because of that phone call, on a whim, I signed up for a creative writing class at the University of Miami. Eventually, with the encouragement of Evelyn Wilde Mayerson and Lester Goran, and a pat or two on the head by Isaac Bashevis Singer and James Michener I was, by 1985, committed to becoming a writer and began working on the novel that would eventually become my first book - DOLPHIN SKY.

What made you decide to write for children and young adults?

The first 6 rejects. My agent sent DOLPHIN SKY—per my request—to editors of adult fiction, all of whom sent it back with the same snappy little comment, “This is not adult fiction.” DS is the story of a young girl’s friendship with a pair of dolphins that were kept in a freshwater pond as part of roadside tourist attraction in the Everglades. I rewrote it, taking out the sex scene between her father and a visiting research biologist, and my agent started submitting it to editors of children’s fiction. Eight rejections later it finally sold.

I first became aware of your work through your new book THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE.” I adored this book and blogged about it earlier here and over on Equestrian Ink. Tell us a little about what led you to write it.

In 2007, I’d known for nearly 30 years that people in other countries ate horses. I even knew that during World War II, we ate them in this country, but it wasn’t until I saw a Katie Couric segment on the CBS News on June 8th about the slaughter of racehorses, that it occurred to me to write about horses. The statistics were appalling. In 2006, 100,800 horses were slaughtered to satisfy the appetite for horsemeat, primarily in the countries of France, Japan and Belgium. At the time this program aired, the last U.S. slaughterhouse had just been ordered closed in DeKalb, Illinois, by the now infamous Governor Rod Blagojevich.

I wrote the statistics down, but I still didn’t have an idea of where to go with the information. Then on July 4th, I was still idealess when Couric did a story about the horses that pull the caissons at Arlington National Cemetery. When they are not transporting the caskets of our Iraq and Afghanistan war dead, they are used for physical therapy for soldiers who have lost limbs in the wars. After that program, I had all I needed for the plot of THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE, which is about an Iraq war vet who comes home missing a leg, and his daughter’s fight to bring him back from the abyss through their shared love of horses.

One of the themes that struck me in THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE was the healing power of a human/animal relationship. This has fascinated me for some time. Do your other novels have this same theme? Expand on this a little.

That is my shtick—so far. My new book, LOST IN THE RIVER OF GRASS (Lerner, March ’11) is a departure of sorts in that there isn’t an animal main character. Two kids go for a joyride in an airboat, sink it, and have to walk out of the Everglades. The Everglades is a main character in the book, which is about the healing power of the natural world. I have never understood the requirement of a roof over one’s head to praise one’s god. Talk about imprisoning the mind and the spirit.

Tell us a little about your background with animals, Ginny, and how that influences your writing.

I always loved animals, and was fascinated by them. As a little kid, I had a collection of animals in jars--dead lizards, snakes and birds found covered with ants that I’d rinse off in the lake, and then put in alcohol. I used to pick the bones out of owl pellets, then paste the reconstructed skeleton to the cardboard inserts that came in my dad’s Arrow shirts.

The mistreatment of animals pushes all my buttons, and I firmly believe that animal abuse and child abuse are linked. If you can mistreat one you can potentially harm the other. My books draw a parallel between these issues.

I recently read HURT GO HAPPY, your second novel, about the relationship between a deaf girl and a chimp who learns sign language. I was quite moved by this story. Did a great deal of research go into this novel?

At least a decade’s worth. I knew nothing about being deaf and less about chimpanzees. From idea to publication took 18 years. Note: Ginny is interviewed here explaining her research for HURT GO HAPPY.

Tell us a little about your writing process. Do you work from an outline, or set your characters on the page and just see what happens?

I really need the whole plot in my head before I start the research, then I let the research, and the stories I pick up in the process inform the story. In THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE, every story in it is either true or based in fact. I just pieced them together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Ginny, you mentioned a new book coming out from Lerner called LOST IN THE RIVER OF GRASS, and I know you're working on a rewrite of DOLPHIN SKY. Sounds like you are one busy lady. Any other projects you can tell us about?

I’ve just finished a first draft of a book about a kid with Asperger’s syndrome, a ghost and a whale. I have another one written based on the book The Secret Life of Plants, and am working on one about an orphan and a dog. Oh, and there is the fictionalized memoir from my dead-animals-in-jars days.

Okay, final question, from one animal lover to another – what’s your favorite animal?

All of them. For the last six years, I’ve had a bat living in my upstairs bathroom for whom I leave the door ajar so he can come and go. It would be easier to answer which animals I don’t like: Cockroaches and Jerusalem crickets.

Ginny - thank you so much for stopping by! To learn more about Ginny and her books, please visit her website at www.ginnyrorby.com

Book Giveaway!!

Ginny is giving away two copies of her award-winning book HURT GO HAPPY! Read about the book here. To enter:

* Leave a comment on this blog.

* Follow this blog for another entry (includes current followers)

*Repost or retweet this contest for another chance to win

Contest open through December 5th, 2010, when 2 (two!) winners will be chosen at random, and books will be shipped to U.S. addresses only.

Good luck, everyone!

Getting in the Holiday Mood

2010-11-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Around our neck of the woods. What? Too early for Christmas you say?

Here's a scene I passed on my way into town today.

Christmas trees. Cut and Baled and being loaded into a truck.

The day before, they were lifted out of the field and onto a staging area by helicopter, in a scene similar to the one below.

The Pacific Northwest is prime growing area for Christmas trees, and most of them are shipped out of the area.

Perhaps your tree is in the stack below. You never know. . .

Merry Christmas, Everyone! (a little early)

Time to get in the Holiday Mood!