tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9779948287660223402024-03-05T10:11:27.612-08:00Horse CrossingsLinda Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17948970237555890150noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-10861968065159897982017-10-02T00:00:00.000-07:002017-10-02T00:00:08.557-07:00A New Author Websiteby <a href="http://www.christinemeunierauthor.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a> <br />
<br />
Well it has been an awfully long time since we've posted here! I just wanted to share with you all that I have a new author website over at <a href="http://www.christinemeunierauthor.com/" target="_blank">http://www.christinemeunierauthor.com/</a><br />
<br />
Why not head along to take a look? :) I have combined my two book websites into one. Now you can find <i>all</i> of my horse related works in the one place! This includes:<br />
<ul>
<li>horse books for children</li>
<li>horse books for adults</li>
<li>non fiction horse books</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncf7YwdHPmwsGbhtIrQpNvp0o7HDL8986SaMeaTtJf4NIVB7zIJjuB6sf3GCV1OprKNivMZ0vmD7SWaRe-JGZG6EfBj4nAitv1gtV_ZOztbhb5r1sTqXdG0VMlsiGR7py6_5XLurZYP4/s1600/bookcoversCM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="1141" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhncf7YwdHPmwsGbhtIrQpNvp0o7HDL8986SaMeaTtJf4NIVB7zIJjuB6sf3GCV1OprKNivMZ0vmD7SWaRe-JGZG6EfBj4nAitv1gtV_ZOztbhb5r1sTqXdG0VMlsiGR7py6_5XLurZYP4/s640/bookcoversCM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
In writing news I am currently working on the <i>seventh</i> book in the Free Rein series for young readers. And I am planning to release the <i>sixth</i> book in the Thoroughbred Breeders series for adult readers this month! And if you're a horse book author - or aspiring to be - don't forget about the <a href="http://equineauthorsblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Equine Authors website</a> for hints and tips with regards to establishing your author presence online! :) Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-27339799375593683682016-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:002016-12-26T00:00:04.499-08:00An Excerpt from New Blood (Thoroughbred Breeders #1)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
by <a href="http://www.horsecountrybook.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi everyone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I thought I would provide you with a sneak peak into my latest horse
series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thoroughbred Breeders</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is some text from the first chapter of
book one, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Blood</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy!</div>
<h1 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></h1>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/c2.staticflickr.com/6/5480/31048392382_d54f1220f0_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i1.wp.com/c2.staticflickr.com/6/5480/31048392382_d54f1220f0_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>New <span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>Blood (Thor<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>oughb<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>red Breeders #1)<br />by Christine Meunier</u></span></u></span></u></span></u></span></td></tr>
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<h1 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1. Tuesdays</span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Savannah Reynier couldn’t decide
if she liked Tuesdays or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the one
hand, she was working with horses – like any other day – so how could she
not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other, Tuesdays were farrier
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each Tuesday on the stud she
worked on, the farrier was booked to do whatever horses needed a trim at that
time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Today it was the yearling fillies
that needed their feet looked at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Standing half the day holding horses for the farrier wasn’t high on Savannah’s list of
favourite horse chores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the class
of horses needing a trim was barely handled, this task fell a little lower down
the ladder.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She wondered which apprentice
would be along with Rick and Jay this time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hopefully not Flynn again.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He was a terrible flirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, her workmates had so much fun teasing
her afterward no matter what she did around him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’d tried being polite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she’d tried ignoring him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rudeness hadn’t discouraged him either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wondered if she could swing things so
that her co-worker Kathy ended up holding for him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If he comes</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It seemed that Rick and Jay had a
different apprentice each week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made
sense she supposed, that they would take on as many as they could.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As the cars pulled to a stop
outside the holding yards Savannah
made her way into the first yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
was able to catch one of the fillies by moving slowly and talking quietly to
the dark brown with a star on her head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Hey sweetie,” she said, rubbing
her gently on the neck, “the quieter you stand for the man, the quicker we get
this done.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Not to mention that the man
would really appreciate it, too,” an accented voice said from not too far
behind her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
South African, Savannah decided as she turned to face the
latest apprentice that had obviously been dumped on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She tried to school her features to an
indifferent glance as she felt her stomach do flip-flops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She nodded politely as she took in the
scruffy brown hair, small amount of stubble and curiously green eyes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wow</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“These girls have been handled on
a regular basis, but they are yearlings…” she found herself offering and then
felt her face warm as he grinned at her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He can probably tell that for himself</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“They do look young, but it’s
their feet that really interest me,” he offered, stepping closer to offer his
hand to the brown filly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She sniffed at him before looking
toward the other horses, disinterested in the man before her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exact opposite of Savannah’s sentiments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She grinned at the thought before quickly
schooling her features again as she realised she had an audience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He was looking at her with a brow
raised in question. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Savannah internally sighed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Awkward</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“So I’m Craig and you’ll have to
put up with my lack of social skills – but not farrier skills – for the next
couple of hours, I’m sorry,” he said by way of introduction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This immediately endeared him to Savannah.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A self deprecating farrier – who would have thought it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then again, false humility works well for
some…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With a start she realised he was
waiting for her to introduce herself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now who’s lacking in social skills?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Everyone calls me Anna,” she
responded quietly, thinking if Craig didn’t start trimming, she was in for a
ribbing from her workmates for sure.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Well, almost everyone,” she
muttered, more to herself as Craig ran his hand down the filly’s near fore to
pick up her hoof.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She couldn’t help but take in his
frame as he worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was easily taller
than her, but not too much so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
shoulders were broad and arms strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She stared at his back, refusing to continue her perusal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“So who doesn’t call you Anna?” a
voice interrupted her thoughts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It took a second for the question
to register – and then for her to realise that although the comment hadn’t
exactly been made for him, Craig expected an answer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Aah… my boss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nev
calls me Savvy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She could hear him clipping off
excess toe before he picked up his rasp and started around the edge of the
hoof.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Because of your knowledge and
ability with horses?” he asked with a grin as he put the filly’s hoof to the
ground and assessed how it sat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clever with words – check.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“I’m sure Nev
would agree with that statement because it makes him look particularly clever
when people discover my full name happens to be Savannah.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Craig’s eyebrow rose again and Savannah questioned what
he was thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That she was rude in
the way she talked about her boss?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That Savannah wasn’t a common
name?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Probably that he still has three feet left to trim</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As if sensing her thoughts, Craig
moved around to the other side of the filly, running his hand down her off
fore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following him, Savannah made sure she was standing on the
off-side of the horse before he continued his work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why didn’t he do her hind leg?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Of all the farriers that she had
seen trim feet, they went in the same order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Start with the near fore, move onto the near hind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following this, complete the off fore and
then finally the off hind leg.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Surely he’s not that new to trimming feet that he hasn’t been taught
that</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She assumed it was something they
got taught anyway, much like people getting taught to mount horses from the
left hand side.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not that the reason why is relevant to recreational riding.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Mustering up some semblance of
courage, Savannah
decided to ask.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“So I tend to like learning all I
can about horses…” she started, unsure how to ask without seeming stupid – or
like she was trying to make him look so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Mmmhmmm…” came the response from
under the horse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Is there a reason why you’re
doing both forefeet first?” she asked before she lost her nerve.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Craig finished rasping the hoof
before letting the filly stand on all fours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He gave Savannah
a grin before checking that the hoof was balanced on the ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dimple – check.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“You think I should have done
them in a different order?” he asked her, still smiling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She frowned, wondering if he was
teasing her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually she shrugged.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“I suppose you can do them in
whatever order you see fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve just
noticed a particular pattern that farriers seem to follow,” she responded as he
moved onto the off hind leg.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“When I’m doing most horses for
the first time, I do their front feet first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You never know how well handled they are going to be and I’ve had a
couple of incidences where I get one foot done, move to the back and all hell
breaks loose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For whatever reason, it’s
impossible to get the back foot done and by this stage the horse is so worked up,
they won’t let me touch their other front foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At least this way if there are issues with the hind feet, the horse is
balanced in front.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Savannah pondered this as Craig finished the
off hind before moving back to the filly’s left side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He made short work of her near hind before
declaring he was finished.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Thanks for telling me the
reason,” she responded lamely before going to get another horse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Craig had finished before the
other two men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Savannah wouldn’t have been surprised if he
paused for a cigarette like the majority of the other apprentices seemed
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was pleased to find that instead
he stepped up to the group of skittish fillies and kept them from breaking away
from the corner while she worked to get a head collar on one of them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Thanks,” she breathed as she led
the young horse toward the gate out of the yard to where there was more room
for him to work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Craig ducked through the rails
and then held the gate open for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Savannah decided in her
next glance that he was somewhere in his mid twenties.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Old for an apprentice</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Jay and Craig ended up with the
last two fillies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Savannah wasn’t surprised to find Rick
observing the apprentice as he worked away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
She knew she would have been
intimidated by such a gesture but decided Craig didn’t seem the least
perturbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead he continued working
whilst talking with his boss about the filly’s feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Savannah
listened keenly, eager to pick up any new bits of knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, she decided, Craig’s voice and accent
were extremely pleasant to listen to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gorgeous accent – check.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Savannah
concluded that once all the trims were complete and the two familiar vehicles
made their way back down the drive that Tuesdays had drastically improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, she would go so far as to say that
she liked Tuesdays.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*this is a shortened version of the first chapter of <i>New Blood</i>. You can <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N78T22U/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=equuseduca-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01N78T22U&linkId=99dcbbfdf5c25837a2da8a77404f543b" target="_blank">purchase the book at Amazon</a>. There are currently 2 in the series and the 3rd is on it's way!</div>
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<![endif]-->Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-59998590220626830122016-11-28T00:00:00.000-08:002016-11-30T20:49:56.047-08:00Thoroughbred Breeders Seriesby <a href="http://equus-blog.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a>. <br />
<br />
Hi everyone! I’m super excited to share with you about my new series! I have recently finished writing the sixth book in the <a href="http://www.freereinseries.com/" target="_blank">Free Rein series</a>, which is to be titled <i>Contagious</i>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/c2.staticflickr.com/6/5480/31048392382_d54f1220f0_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i1.wp.com/c2.staticflickr.com/6/5480/31048392382_d54f1220f0_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;">New Blood b<span style="color: #0000ee;">y Christine Meunier</span><u><br /></u></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Whilst working to finish this story, I was toying with the idea of writing a horse series for adults that focused on the thoroughbred breeding industry. After a couple of weeks, an idea for the first story came to me. Around this time I ended up resting in bed with a bout of laryngitis. It provided ample opportunity to think out ideas for stories! And so the first five books were plotted out after the few days of resting in bed.<br />
<br />
The first two books were completed shortly after and I tried my hand once again at designing covers. You can now purchase <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N78T22U/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=equuseduca-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01N78T22U&linkId=99dcbbfdf5c25837a2da8a77404f543b" target="_blank"><i>New Blood</i></a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N44IA5O/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=equuseduca-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01N44IA5O&linkId=4fdb8e7dea7265f9b50ac492eb5a298e" target="_blank"><i>No Hoof, No Horse</i></a> on Amazon for $2.99 USD.<br />
<br />
If the idea of a series aimed at adults, focusing on the horse breeding and farrier worlds interests you, why not check out <i>Thoroughbred Breeders</i>? You can <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33107236.New_Blood__Thoroughbred_Breeders__1_" target="_blank">add the books to your Goodreads</a> shelves, too!<br />
<br />
The books so far have been downloaded in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Canada! I’d love to see them gain exposure in other countries, too!
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-52789816484531910642016-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:002016-10-31T00:00:05.058-07:00Scheduling Writing Time and Embracing Ideas<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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by <a href="http://equus-blog.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a> </div>
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It is an interesting balance, finding the time and
motivation to write horse stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
topic of horses is one I am ever passionate about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having the motivation to write a particular
story however can be difficult at times!</div>
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I schedule time each week to work on one novel or
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently I have finished and
published <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KLC09XY/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=equuseduca-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01KLC09XY&linkId=7002afb8aba2a202150bc6b1b290b296" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">B and B</i> </a> and I still
aim to bring out the sixth novel in the <a href="http://www.freereinseries.com/" target="_blank">Free Rein series</a> before year’s
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, book 6 is being
difficult!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have half of the novel
written and am struggling to continue with it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you Schedule Writing Time?</td></tr>
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In spite of this, I set myself a goal to write a chapter
each week, knowing that sometimes I just need to sit and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">write</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I do this, the
ideas come and I get caught up in the story once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing takes real commitment at times.</div>
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Alongside working on this story, I started to toss around
the idea of a series for young adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I mulled it over for a week or two, I sat down to write one day and
found the characters developing before my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, in a 3 day period, I had written half of the first two novels
in the series!</div>
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There are times when motivation strikes you and you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just need to write</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take advantage of the times when the words
flow quicker than you can write – or type! – them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alongside this, be diligent in setting aside
time to write each week so that your stories are progressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a writer, it is important that you
consistently invest time in your art, even when you don’t find motivation
knocking on your door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find a balance
between making use of ideas when they come to you and writing because you know
your story needs to be written.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’re a writer, what story have you most struggled
to complete?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did you get around
this?</span>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-6803745737335877492016-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:002016-10-05T14:58:45.920-07:00Pay it Forwardby <a href="http://www.freereinseries.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a><br />
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As an equine author, do you invest time in helping other authors? Or is your sole focus to get the word out about your books so that you can (hopefully) make sales?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8445/29198531694_bcd0b415ce_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="I have Loved Reading the Pony Jumpers books by Kate Lattey Recently!" border="0" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8445/29198531694_bcd0b415ce_n.jpg" title="I have Loved Reading the Pony Jumpers books by Kate Lattey Recently!" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pay it Forward: I have Loved Reading<br />the Pony Jumpers books by <a href="http://nzponywriter.com/" target="_blank">Kate Lattey</a> Recently!</td></tr>
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In whatever industry you’re in, it is beneficial to look out for the success of others. We should each make it a priority to promote others’ work that we have enjoyed or help to spread the word about a new release. It isn’t difficult to do and chances are, these authors will be so appreciative, they’ll return the favour.<br />
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Amongst your busy schedule, set aside some time to help promote other authors. Perhaps you can provide them with a review once you’ve finished a book that you really enjoyed. Or maybe you can help share a link of a new release. Or perhaps you can provide them with an encouraging comment on their personal blog.<br />
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For those who are so inclined, you could even create a section on your blog to help promote other equine authors. Whether you make up questions for an author interview or you post excerpts from new releases, this can be a great way to generate some extra content for your blog that doesn’t take you a lot of writing time.<br />
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It doesn’t take a lot of time to help someone else in their endeavours to be a successful equine author. As you do so, hopefully they’ll be inclined to return the favour. Either way, it is worth setting aside a little time each week or month to encourage others.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-31636887501114714972016-09-25T14:19:00.000-07:002016-09-25T14:19:23.519-07:00Preparations and ChangesEarly this morning when I was out feeding the horses, I heard squawking and calling from an unseen flock of birds just over the tree line. It was a familiar sound, but only in autumn. It was a sign that the time was indeed changing no matter how warm the weather felt. The birds knew and were gathering. My area in the Mid-Atlantic seems to be a fly-over state in the migratory path of many birds heading south. I enjoy hearing their passing calls to each other overhead and laugh at my terrier who maintains her air defense perimeter over the farm by running and barking at them. Other signs abound. The tips of some leaves are turning yellow, the corn stalks are dry and golden, the dark falls sooner and much faster, and the horses' coats have lost their sheen and are becoming fuzzy. Time speeds up for me each autumn. As if time is on a bobsled race downhill to December, I'm always a month or so behind. <br />
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This year, I'm preparing. I've decided that I will simplify my life as much as humanly possible in this era of plugged in/turned on and instead unplug. I'm avoiding Facebook (the monstrous time vampire that it is) and other social media robbers of time. I've already given up television, but now I'm going to take a hard look at all my activities and ask whether it feeds my spirit or helps others (or is necessary to sustain life...I'm not crazy). If not, it's going. I need more time for writing and in order to write well, I need more time for reflection. That means feeding creativity with reading good books, trying new things, learning, and all the while maintaining a wonder at the world and our surroundings. Change is hard. It is sometimes exciting, sometimes stressful. I'm taking it slow. I'm slowing that accelerating bullet train that rushes to the end of the year and instead taking a leisurely stroll, hoping to see something new along the way. Care to join me?<br />
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In the spirit of change, here's the new cover of <i>False Gods</i>. Hope you like it. I'm working on a sequel, taking up the story from a different character's point of view. Please visit my website at <a href="http://www.lrtrovillion.com/">www.lrtrovillion.com </a> and keep in touch.<br />
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<br />lrtrovillionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15513336016892778345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-75053051070781990412016-09-05T00:00:00.000-07:002016-09-05T00:00:00.167-07:00B and B, New Release by Christine Meunierby <a href="http://www.freereinseries.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a><br />
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Hi everyone! As authors, it is exciting for us when things finally culminate in the release of a new book. The writing, editing, seeking feedback, cover design and other odds and ends have all come together to create a finished product.<br />
<br />
And I have been blessed to experience that once again, quite recently. My latest release is a <a href="http://www.horsecountrybook.com/" target="_blank">novel for adult readers</a>. It is a horse based, Christian romance. Interested? Here’s the blurb for B and B:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KLC09XY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01KLC09XY&linkCode=as2&tag=equuseduca-20&linkId=bbfc8fd75f7886755166d6f3bf85fd9f" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B01KLC09XY&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=equuseduca-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=equuseduca-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01KLC09XY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<b>Things are changing…</b><br />
Ben likes his life at Happy Trails. As a trail guide on a property in Australia he doesn’t have to work hard to make friends. All he needs to do is make sure his clients are safe on their horses and have an enjoyable ride.<br />
Ben can manage that. He loves that he can work with horses all day, every day. The humans are an added annoyance but he only has to deal with them in short bouts.<br />
The new cook hired for the farm looks like she could be a complication. Ben is averse to change and he is certain her arrival means change.<br />
<br />
Brooke knows the trial position as cook at Happy Trails is a blessing. She needs a job to support herself and her daughter – the fact that she can cook for an income is an added bonus.<br />
If she can just avoid the interest of trail guide and jokester Jake, she’ll be fine. After all, she isn’t interested in a new male in her life. She just wants to focus on her daughter and make a future for them.<br />
<br />
B and B is available for purchase on Kindle at Amazon. You can check it out by clicking the picture in this post. Why not add it to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31551381-b-and-b" target="_blank">Goodreads, to be read list</a>?<br />
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What equine book release are you eagerly anticipating?Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-24950743480941486752016-08-28T16:56:00.002-07:002016-08-28T16:56:49.583-07:00Judging a Book's (Genre) By Its Coverby L. R. Trovillion<br />
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I have no idea why the old adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" has stuck around so long. Clearly, that's exactly what we all do initially. Okay, as a metaphor, you should not similarly judge a person by their outward appearance...but as for books, that is the first thing a potential reader will see and that reader will make any number of snap decisions based on the cover: is it intriguing, attractive, makes you want to know more... But the most important clue the cover imparts is this one: genre.<br />
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Let's agree that there are indeed certain types of covers that grace particular genres. Think for example of the romance novel. Whether historical romance, contemporary, or romantic suspense, they all share common elements. These may be a portrayal of hero/heroine in an embrace, in a pose of longing, or sometimes just in an outfit that suggests steaminess. Often there are lips or certain body parts featured. Enough on that. How about fantasy? I'm sure you are already conjuring up all sorts of starry images or hidden glens or fractured beams of light over a mysterious world. You get the point.<br />
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So what does an author do when she's told her cover (and her title) are not representative of Young Adult literature, her target demographic? That happened to me. I've been told the cover does not attract YA readers, it looks more like historical fiction, it is not clear what the story may be about...on and on. So, I decided to give a new cover for the ebook version a try. Now I have a new problem.<br />
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What should that cover look like and can I find a graphic artist who gets horses? After carefully explaining to the cover designer that the main character is a jumper rider and her horse is dappled grey and sending her a few representative pictures of what I thought she looked like, the poor woman picked out a dressage rider (but was savvy enough to check with me first if it was right). I can only imagine how insane we horse people must sound to an outsider explaining that no, eventers and hunters and dressage riders don't all wear the same outfits and the same tack and yes it makes a huge different to people who read these books. So, she may punt and go for a more abstract concept type cover. I told her as long as it wasn't a horse shoe or a show ribbon, try it out. Getting a cover for a horse book is a very difficult task. Or maybe I'm just picky.<br />
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So, with my crazed rambling guidance and some picture ideas, this poor creative soul is out there trying to come up with a horse concept cover knowing nothing about horses, hoping that it will satisfy her fussy "no-that's a flea-bitten not dapple gray" client, me. I have to trust in her artistic sense. I'm not very good with yielding control. So, stay tuned for the big, new cover reveal of False Gods!<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2aBTxqu">http://amzn.to/2aBTxqu</a><br />
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lrtrovillionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15513336016892778345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-77463851398890325912016-08-24T09:19:00.000-07:002016-08-24T09:19:09.950-07:00The Farm Detective <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The everyday running of a horse farm is both exciting and
challenging. From the lawn tractor that won’t start (yet again) to the mare who
is mysteriously losing hair on her face, to the odd looking weed that has
suddenly sprouted in the center of the pasture, there is always at least one ongoing
mystery on the farm. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">From creative thought to research to problem-solving, writing
is much like farm management. First, a problem, conflict, or potential threat
has to be identified. On the farm it might be swarming bees, a lame horse, or a
leaky barn roof. In writing, it could be a murder, a romantic triangle, or even
the loss of a job.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The research phase involves the writer understanding the
problem enough to explain it to readers, and offering a plausible resolution. It
also involves the characters taking steps to manage the problem, or methodically
gather information toward resolving the conflict. In the barn, research might
take the form of different sprays to get rid of the bees, an internet
search or a call to a local county extension agent to identify the unusual
weed, or palpation of a horse’s leg to identify the source of the lameness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Finally, the character or the horse owner has enough
information to make a decision that will solve the problem. The decision might
involve some trial and error, but eventually a resolution is found. The weed
turns out to belong to an innocuous branch of the mint family, the lameness
stems from a sore hip, and the bees, well, spraying a mixture of vinegar and
water around the barn seems to deter them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Unlike mystery books, however, farm-based mysteries usually
do not involve a murder. But the thinking process that goes into each really is
very similar, and I have found that creative problem-solving on the farm also allows
me to then create some interesting plot lines. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>One recent challenge was how to secure the barrels for our new horse obstacle so they did not tip over. After much research about safety, and a few trial and error attempts, we ended up packing tires around the barrels to create a stable obstacle for our <a href="http://www.colbysarmy.org/">Colby's Army</a> horses and riders to navigate.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Farm challenges can be frustrating, but if you begin to
think of them as a way to develop a book idea or a story line, maybe some of the frustration
will turn into creativity. This week I have dealt with the non-starting mower, a
mare’s facial hair loss, unwanted bees, a leaning barn support beam, an
electric fence that does not want to turn off, and a few other odds and ends.
What have your farm or writing challenges been recently?</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span>Lisa Wysocky is a bestselling and award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction, including the <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Opium-Equation-Enright-Equestrian-Mystery-ebook/dp/B006ZQ83LG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467225873&sr=1-1&keywords=the+opium+equation#navbar">Cat Enright equestrian mystery series</a>,
now optioned for film and television. She is also a therapeutic riding
instructor who consults with PATH and other centers about their horse
herds. Find her at <a href="http://www.lisawysocky.com/">lisawysocky.com </a></span></span></span></div>
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Lisa Wysockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10012833103454969838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-59932228674671324172016-08-08T00:00:00.000-07:002016-08-08T00:00:00.399-07:00The End Decision is Yours<br />
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by <a href="http://www.freereinseries.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a> </div>
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In late June I finished writing the first draft of my soon
to be released novel for adults, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.horsecountrybook.com/" target="_blank">B and B</a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had an acquaintance
in Canada
read and edit it for me and have been thankful for his feedback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The majority of corrections and suggestions
he made, I took on.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It is so helpful to have another pair (or pairs!) of eyes go
over your work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can point out
inconsistencies, spelling errors or grammatical errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of this, they can let you know if your
story flows or in some spots, just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doesn’t
make sense</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This feedback can only help you to improve your story as you
make corrections and adjustments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
things you may decide to leave as they are, despite a suggestion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the author who self publishes, this is
completely your choice!</div>
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<br /></div>
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It was easy for me to take recommendations from this editor
– mainly because I agreed with where he was coming from.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When it came to the design of my cover, however, I found
myself struggling to take on others’ advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I designed one cover and just wasn’t happy with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After sitting on the design for a few days, I
had an idea on how to change the cover and make it more appealing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The end result was 5 different designs that I opted to put
onto my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HorseCountryBook" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> in an album and see what people thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so relieved when the majority liked the
1 that I thought would make my cover!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8765/28027540343_d1465c1a68_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8765/28027540343_d1465c1a68_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belladonna has a Cover I <i>Love</i>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As more people liked or commented, I was surprised to find
two close friends preferred the first cover I had designed and not been
happy with.<br />
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</div>
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On top of this, I received feedback from an author that none
of the covers worked for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An auntie
commented that she didn’t like them either and my husband, well, he’s always
brutally honest with me!</div>
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</div>
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So suddenly for a cover that I thought had been picked by
the majority as the best, perhaps it was just the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">least unappealing</i>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether
an eBook or a paperback, a book cover draws in readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read the blurb to see if I want to read a
story, but a good cover can really draw me in.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Although the decision is ultimately mine, I am now
faced with the daunting task of deciding on my book cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I go with the one that the majority chose,
or do I redesign to find something more fitting for those who didn’t like the
options at all?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Choices, choices…</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What book cover has most caught your attention? </span>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-81343122137450890842016-07-30T12:52:00.000-07:002016-07-30T12:52:49.612-07:00Run Your Own Race<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqfo1O32WS1NKM7fXhJc0qnZLAFKeP6rLDu99SgfRQSKVnMj1UnkZMVNuWxrakPYkjhvWob5oAZQdBoFv9pIEXks9RSIZomKaKLnJraeWLzpYppvCWTEZsS01xLp2QpuR2NbWEToc9Hs_/s1600/Sneakers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqfo1O32WS1NKM7fXhJc0qnZLAFKeP6rLDu99SgfRQSKVnMj1UnkZMVNuWxrakPYkjhvWob5oAZQdBoFv9pIEXks9RSIZomKaKLnJraeWLzpYppvCWTEZsS01xLp2QpuR2NbWEToc9Hs_/s320/Sneakers.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
by L. R. Trovillion<br />
Today was as humid as a greenhouse here in the Mid Atlantic, even in the morning when I decided to go for a run. Understand, I am not a long distance runner or rabid devotee--I just want to get fit. Towards the end of the session I was pleased to hear by Runkeeper tell me I ran much longer and farther than before, but before I could bask in the glow of my own accomplishments, a sinewy woman who probably weighed all of 95 pounds after a heavy meal, blew past me and motored up the steep hill ahead. I watched, aghast, as she tackled the climb as if she were riding an escalator. Meanwhile, I was chugging like a steam engine pulling twenty cars loaded with coal. I had to break to a walk. So, of course, I immediately got to comparing myself with her. Why can't I do that? I resented her and wanted to be her at the same time. And that's what's wrong with me and a whole lot of other people. We look around, compare, find ourself lacking, and launch into any number of negative responses: quitting, tearing others down, making excuses, criticizing oneself. While all that is going on, what we really need to do is center ourselves and run our own race. That woman on the hill may have been running all her life, whereas I just started. Ultimately, it doesn't matter, because I was there to do what I needed to do and accomplish the times and distances I had set out for myself. And then I needed to celebrate those accomplishments. That last step is important, too.<br />
<br />
The same thing happens in writing. How many of you out there have seen other writers zoom past you on the road to publishing, snagging an agent or signing a 3-book contract while you feel as if you're languishing on the by-roads. Have you felt jealousy, envy, resentment or even surprise to learn that another author is now wildly successful and his marketing campaign is raking in new readers by the thousands while your Amazon sales statistics are flatlined? Yeah, it's hard not to compare. That's what human beings do, but do it at your peril writer friends. We are all running our own, unique race and no two journeys are alike. So when you feel the breeze from that author running past you up the hill, do not despair. You don't know his journey, what he's done to get there, or how long he's been at it. Run your own race. Be the best runner, writer, rider--whatever-- you know how to be.lrtrovillionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15513336016892778345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-62415624087185274662016-07-27T17:21:00.000-07:002016-07-27T17:21:51.042-07:00What I Wish I'd Known When I was Eleven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I was young, all I could think about was horses. From
the time I stole a tiny, plastic horse from the farm set at my nursery school
(I was two), horses were my thing. After years of raking yards
and many summers of lemonade stands I finally saved up enough to buy a pony
when I was eleven. From there I moved up to an Appaloosa mare and began to
compete. Since then I have trained, instructed, and shown successfully on a
national level, although I sometimes feel my journey with horses is just
beginning.
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have learned a few things over the years, however, so I
thought this might be a good time to share what I wish I’d known when I was
eleven. And, in reviewing this list, I found that it applies to books and writing, just as much as it does to a journey with horses.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. It’s okay to ask questions. In fact, never miss an
opportunity to ask. It is the very best way to learn something that is
important to you. Ask more than one person, then compare answers to develop
your own opinion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. Set a goal, one that is doable. Your goal should not be
winning a class or writing a best seller, but more along the lines of improving your performance. You might not reach your goal,
but you will have learned something along the way. When you do reach a goal,
celebrate!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. Prepare, then prepare some more. Think of every possible
scenario regarding your goal and walk yourself through all of
them, as best you can. Then do it again, and again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. As much as you can, read. Then read again, and discuss the ooks with others. There is
always something to learn.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. Watch your horse and the people around you as he or she interacts with others. That is probably how the horse or human will try to interact with you. Then
adjust your demeanor accordingly. Some horses and people respond best to a soft voice,
others need firm, business-like directives. Make sure your horse and your friends are a good
match for you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6. Always wear a helmet when you ride. Always. I have seen far too many
accidents, many at the walk and trot, to feel it is safe for anyone to ride
without one. (Okay, not much in common with books here, but it is important.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">7. Follow basic safety guidelines in all that you do. Most injuries happen out of carelessness. Keep your lead
rope from dragging on the ground, check your girth or cinch often, make sure
your equipment is in good condition. Constantly think the equine mantra: is
this safe?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">8. Have fun, and try new things, such as a Dressage or barrel racing lesson, or reading a SciFi novel or a biography. It is important to expand your horizons in all that you do.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">9. Make friends and encourage others. Then, your new friends
will encourage you, too. Remember that you do not compete against others, but
against your own best self.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">10. It’s okay have a bad day. If you’re smart you will learn
something important, so smile and take time to digest what went wrong so you
can come back better and stronger the next day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just like you, I have learned so much more during my journey
with horses and books than just this. But I really, <i>really</i>
wish I’d known all of these things when I was eleven. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">––</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lisa Wysocky is a bestselling and award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction, including the <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Opium-Equation-Enright-Equestrian-Mystery-ebook/dp/B006ZQ83LG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467225873&sr=1-1&keywords=the+opium+equation#navbar">Cat Enright equestrian mystery series</a>,
now optioned for film and television. She is also a therapeutic riding
instructor who consults with PATH and other centers about their horse
herds. Find her at <a href="http://lisawysocky.com/">lisawysocky.com</a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
Lisa Wysockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10012833103454969838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-48940188120187189162016-07-25T01:00:00.000-07:002016-07-25T01:00:02.292-07:00A Final Letter to my Old Man, TCI’m not sure when the story started – early on in these 8 years we’ve shared perhaps – that in your final moments, a blissful peace would sweep over you as you lay down in the sunshine, and in the next moment, you are running as fast as your hooves can carry you across the rainbow bridge. I would find you in the pasture, looking relaxed and asleep, the wear and tear of this world left behind. Your soul at peace. This is what we all wished for you.<br />
<br />
You’ve always been healthy, even for a gelding of your age and history. Sure, you choked on grain that one time, and you aspirated it on that other occasion, but between the vet’s knowledge and drugs, my checkbook and your strong will, we beat them all. Even when you gas colicked this past winter. It was a rough one, but you pulled through.<br />
<br />
This Spring seemed like business as usual. I was quite amused as you gingerly trotted through the pasture, picking up a jaunty canter when you felt sure-footed. I kept thinking about how lucky I was to have found the magical combination of feed and exercise that kept you healthy and your eyes sparkling. You were voraciously hungry, you were drinking more than ever and you were even a tad round.<br />
<br />
And then this crazy Upstate New York Summer weather happened. 90’s and humid during the day. 50’s and 60’s at night. You were sweating more than you had in the past three years. Fourth of July weekend you stopped eating grain altogether. You acted uncomfortable for days, despite vet visits and medications. Suddenly, after 35 years of riding, driving, showing, and trails, you had developed laminitis. I was beside myself. That Sunday morning I haltered you and took you out to the lawn, hoping you would eat something. In those cool, quiet early morning hours, I found a place to release my frustration. I could not make you eat. I could not fix your feet. I felt like I was in the middle of a perfect storm for your downfall. I leaned over your now bony sway back and sobbed as you slowly wandered around the yard before deciding that you wanted to be in your pasture more than you wanted sweet yard grass.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaPrlHuG4xExw40E9Rf0LLO42urLRAtO2vcxnFfAu4mqhSOrHSgTgwrkyq2PGFjehpWm8pjIN6x57FxyDLFzCfwxG-MM_3HVroNAQpT4mLN1qcBaYYW_UsEn-QEktsxfvBOcFtwAHiCM/s1600/IMG_20150710_222411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaPrlHuG4xExw40E9Rf0LLO42urLRAtO2vcxnFfAu4mqhSOrHSgTgwrkyq2PGFjehpWm8pjIN6x57FxyDLFzCfwxG-MM_3HVroNAQpT4mLN1qcBaYYW_UsEn-QEktsxfvBOcFtwAHiCM/s200/IMG_20150710_222411.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
And yet you continued on. I changed your meds a bit, added ulcer guard. Mixing your meals was four star service and yet it was a crap shoot as to whether or not you’d actually eat it.<br />
<br />
I lay in bed that night, thinking. I tried my best to meet each new issue as it came along and I was not deterred as they began to pile up. I chatted with our vet one night, making sure we were doing everything we could to help you, to keep you comfortable. I started to analyze other food choices and ponder where I could get samples – perhaps you were bored with yours. If I could just stem to tide of old age –<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpQD8NOqaqklaZhkBnyb7JuXQkQDLuKfbCdGjsiXeiGw80ZBvnraQf6Q9uPUIx1HZQzAzbX-G5xYmA4AtHe0HDzSjBdERVGf97qkvOG6W68qmc4UsuKT_rU4LnYKW-XSFkEz_jbCuZik/s1600/IMG_20150920_082556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpQD8NOqaqklaZhkBnyb7JuXQkQDLuKfbCdGjsiXeiGw80ZBvnraQf6Q9uPUIx1HZQzAzbX-G5xYmA4AtHe0HDzSjBdERVGf97qkvOG6W68qmc4UsuKT_rU4LnYKW-XSFkEz_jbCuZik/s320/IMG_20150920_082556.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As I lay there, all of your laundry list of meds running through my head - your routine of easy boots on all day, off while I was doing chores and monitoring you, back on at night as you loved to roam under the light of the moon, five o’clock sponge baths, snacks in the yard – I started to pray to God to keep you healthy. And that’s when it hit me.<br />
<br />
What if I was asking for the wrong thing? The last thing I ever want to do is to go against nature. I would never want to be seen as warring with the Creator. I also realized that if you colicked again, I would call the vet and fight to fix you. I would continue to fight to heal your laminitis. I would find something for you to eat that gave you the energy to fight for yourself.<br />
<br />
In that moment I realized I would never be able to let you go unless it was the result of something I couldn’t fix. That’s when I knew what to pray for. The prayer eased my mind. I had found my greatest fear when it came to you, as well as my way to find peace.<br />
<br />
Ten days later, I found you down in your stall. Slick with sweat, eyes dull from exhaustion. I knew I couldn’t get you to your feet. I called my neighbors and they came to the rescue. It took six of us, but we got you to a standing position. I was encouraged. Even though your shoulders trembled, even though your heart raced – you were standing. This felt like winning.<br />
<br />
And then I ran my hand over the soft rim of your nostrils. It was 86 degrees that day, and your nostrils were ice cold. The corners of your lips were the same. Ten minutes after the vet arrived, your gums were turning blue even as you ferociously grabbed a hay bale, ripping it off the ground.<br />
<br />
I knew it was time. That’s when I remembered the fairy tale ending I had wished for you for so long, realizing in hindsight that I had gone against my word and fought to get you up anyway. And that’s when I heard my prayer softly echo through my soul.<br />
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<br />
“Please, when you take him home, please let it be because of something I cannot fix. Because if there’s the possibility that I can fix it, then I will try. I cannot help myself. This is just the way that You made me.”<br />
<br />
Old Man, when you first came to my farm, I used to say, “if you’re here for five months or five years, you will be safe and you will be loved.” And you were.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02630390664086565808noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-73514546493831104712016-07-11T00:00:00.000-07:002016-07-11T00:00:01.102-07:00Co Authoring Horse Stories<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
by <a href="http://www.horsecountrybook.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps it’s your desire to break into the world of writing
horses, but you’re not sure where to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or you’d like to do something different to further your writing career
and attract a different group of readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Have you considered collaborating with another author?</div>
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<br /></div>
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I have recently finished reading <a href="http://christianbooksexplored.siterubix.com/city-of-angels-by-tracie-peterson-and-james-scott-bell" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">City of Angels</i></a>, which was a free download on Kindle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was appealing because of one author Tracie Peterson – I really enjoy
her works!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not unfamiliar with
James Scott Bell, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two
Christian authors have worked together to bring this story to life and I really
enjoyed the read!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From having finished
this novel, I would be tempted to look into other works by James Scott Bell, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because</i> of my interest in novels by
Tracie Peterson.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Co Authoring Horse Stories: What do you think?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If two horse authors have a readership base, chances are
some of these fans may overlap, but many won’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Particularly if you write about different aspects of horses – children’s
books, teen stories, adult novels, equestrian, racing – whatever it is, you may
find that co authoring a novel is a way for you to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">each</i> compliment the other author's writing and grow your readership base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food for thought!</div>
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<br /></div>
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With access to many people over the internet, working
together on a story wouldn’t necessarily need to be done in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long as communication lines are kept open,
authors may find that they can develop ideas for a plot, themes and characters
via email or chat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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An added bonus could be that two creative minds can develop
a strong story that is entertaining and informative with a unique twist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when it comes to marketing the story,
there will be two lots of ideas about what works for gaining interest!</div>
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What novel have you read and enjoyed that was co authored?</div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-85081000476817301232016-07-03T12:43:00.001-07:002016-07-03T12:43:32.039-07:00Trimming the Deadwood and Other Painful ExperiencesLast week a tornado hit our small town, which was quite a shock for this area of the Mid Atlantic. As roads again became passable, telephone poles replaced, electricity restored, neighbors gathered at grocery stores, churches, schools and work comparing the damage and sharing their experiences. Everyone pretty much agreed that they felt lucky it wasn't worse than it was. The damage to our farm consists of broken trees, some hanging precariously over fence lines. The man hired to remove the deadwood gave me the unfortunate news that many of my trees could not be saved. When a tree sustains so much damage and the interior is exposed, it is open to disease, infestation, and rot. My beautiful shade tree in a small paddock has to be completely removed, lest on some future date it dies and falls on the fence. This hard news made me think of writing, of course! How often do we look at our work in progress and procrastinate over making the necessary cuts...cuts that will be for the good of the whole story. The first draft of my last book, <i>False Gods</i>, eventually got a deadwood trimming of nearly 30,000 in order to tighten the plot, keep the pace moving, and eliminate fluff. Oh, but how we fall in love with our own fluff! At first, I snipped a few leaves and branches here and there. Then a few bare limbs. Eventually, I saw that whole chapters had to go. Clear the deadwood. Make way for new growth. Rev up that chainsaw and do what's necessary, no matter how hard it is to say good-bye to that lovely shade tree.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PS68lj3bSle0sYyVqugy7KS0Qrho0-L5phXftCC3ZlWt4PI3eVD2k9KkmfK9sQ6Ck_zfkdDuIz7Pc72jBkz4FezHRruJhQ5OQhJNKEOW-u_w97PpMG4AUgXZu-uadLVejpL9BBz5kb-P/s1600/BrokenTree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PS68lj3bSle0sYyVqugy7KS0Qrho0-L5phXftCC3ZlWt4PI3eVD2k9KkmfK9sQ6Ck_zfkdDuIz7Pc72jBkz4FezHRruJhQ5OQhJNKEOW-u_w97PpMG4AUgXZu-uadLVejpL9BBz5kb-P/s320/BrokenTree.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://amzn.to/1TVvENR">http://amzn.to/1TVvENR</a>lrtrovillionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15513336016892778345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-59146171531707022222016-07-02T14:17:00.002-07:002016-07-02T14:17:11.125-07:00My New RideI'd been toying with the idea of adding a second horse for some time. A horse that could walk trot and canter, a horse that would be sound. A horse I could actually take up the levels in dressage. As much as I love my Paint mare, she has her limitations and while she's had good years, they always seem to end in another injury. Another setback. But horses are expensive and time-consuming, and I wasn't sure that I wanted that much responsibility. I wasn't sure I could be the kind of horse owner I strive to be with two horses. So I kept going with my one horse, my clunker, my best friend horse, through a winter of no riding and a lot of massaging and hand-walking in the hopes of making a difference in her comfort.<br />
<br />
Then one day in the spring, I saw a notice on the board that one of the boarders was selling her horse. He was a horse I knew well enough to know he was at least worth a test ride. I was still in denial about it, but I had enough presence of mind to invite my mom and my boyfriend out to watch our trial ride.<br />
<br />
He was well schooled in dressage but had been putzing around trails with beginners on board for the last two years, and sat for much of the winter on top of that. I wasn't expecting much, but he quickly responded to me, and we worked out a few issues and saw improvement within one ride. I couldn't deny his potential, and I knew what he had been, so I bought him. It was the easiest transaction ever. He lived at my barn already, so no trailering, no muss, no fuss. The seller gave me his bridle, halter and blanket. My saddle fit him. And I was freaking out (especially when I handed over the cash...waving goodbye to that much money physically hurts).<br />
<br />
At first I was somewhat indifferent to him. I am deeply bonded to my mare, and I wasn't sure if there was room to form a bond with another horse. I was also anticipating a long road ahead of earning trust, since that was my experience with Sofie. But Riley has been fortunate to always have good owners, and his personality shone right away. He is very friendly and expressive, and I soon realized he has a heart of gold under saddle. In our early rides he sometimes struggled to do what I asked, as we were both out of shape, out of practice, and I hadn't yet learned how to ride him. But no matter how poorly I rode, he never said "no". He tries his hardest all the time, even when I take things too far and turn a so-so session into a complete disaster. With the help of my wonderful trainer, we have come so far in a few short months, and I have the biggest smile on my face when I ride.<br />
<br />
Sometimes things do happen for a reason. It is terrible that my horse hurt herself (she is now doing much better, but I still won't ride her for another six months or so), but her struggles opened me up to the possibility of adding another horse, and Riley came up for sale at just the right time. Financially, I was able to take on the responsibility (which I would have struggled to do when he was for sale two years ago), and I am in a place in my life where I can balance it all. I am so glad I did the scary thing and bought him. I knew he was a very nice horse, but I never expected to love him as much as I do after such a short time. He is truly a gift.<br />
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<br />Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-78113629747613656532016-06-29T11:51:00.000-07:002016-06-29T11:56:55.575-07:00Excellence in Editing and Formatting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;">I confess that I have a number of pet peeves when it comes to the editing and formatting of books. As someone who edits for several small presses as well as independent authors, I understand the positive impact the good brain and eye of an experienced editor can have on the finished product. Wearing an author hat, we all read or see what we expect to see on the page, rather than what is actually there. If we expect to see, "The horse ran across the road," what might really be there is "The horse tan across the roas." We don't see what is obvious to another, because our author brain knows what is supposed to be there.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFSO1AKAAFrX8cKHA-4oubdEI1Poe0JtCYPNR0EuSyAVZIqs6PShpewAN9QZZ3iGz8iWkJeTcNY5JmoNecPmctwYieR-Ko7bs-yrbSHeRENDKyRO9z05cT2234bHnufyfVZUlAikQ2RKV/s1600/TherapyHorseSelectionCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFSO1AKAAFrX8cKHA-4oubdEI1Poe0JtCYPNR0EuSyAVZIqs6PShpewAN9QZZ3iGz8iWkJeTcNY5JmoNecPmctwYieR-Ko7bs-yrbSHeRENDKyRO9z05cT2234bHnufyfVZUlAikQ2RKV/s320/TherapyHorseSelectionCover.jpg" width="205" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Therapy-Horse-Selection-Partner-Book/dp/189022409X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467225920&sr=1-1&keywords=therapy+horse+selection">A recent labor of love</a>.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;">As an editor, I want to see . . . rather than the annoying ............... I like to see long dashes––rather than - this. A lack of consistent spelling of names and products drives me nuts, as do spaces between paragraphs. The <i>Chicago Manual of Style </i>is my writing and editorial bible. I also do book the occasional book design, so paragraphs that have indents of more than a third of an inch bother me, as does ragged left text in a printed book. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;">The proliferation of self-published authors who do not have the funds or take the time to hire an independent editor to catch these and other mistakes adds to the problem. When I as a reader am distracted enough by
poor formatting, typos, and plot inconsistencies. I put down the book.
And that's a shame, because most times, the story is worth reading. Lest you think I am too hard on authors, I include myself as one who has made the mistake of self-publishing a book that was not independently edited, a book that was not ready for publication. Lesson learned.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;">The fact remains that an author who publishes with a small independent press, or who self-publishes, has to deliver a product that is equally as well-edited and well-formatted as a book that has landed on a major bestseller list. That is hard to do, but the extra effort will be worth it. I also believe that this attention to detail in writing and producing books carries through to other areas of our lives. It translates to a spotless tack room,
diligence in developing a good canter departure, and delivering a
well-turned out horse. It's taking time to do the best you can and in taking pride in going the extra mile to make your product that much better.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small;">Even with as many as seven edits, each of my books that were published by a major publisher has a typo or two. Those are seemingly inevitable. But I use well-edited books, expert grooming of horses, and beautiful riders to motivate myself to reach deeper, father, and higher in all that I do. What motivates you to do better?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";">-</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lisa Wysocky is a bestselling and award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction, including the <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Opium-Equation-Enright-Equestrian-Mystery-ebook/dp/B006ZQ83LG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467225873&sr=1-1&keywords=the+opium+equation#navbar">Cat Enright equestrian mystery series</a>, now optioned for film and television. She is also a therapeutic riding instructor who consults with PATH and other centers about their horse herds. Find her at <a href="http://lisawysocky.com/">lisawysocky.com</a></span> </span></div>
Lisa Wysockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10012833103454969838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-35865117193701282042016-06-13T00:00:00.000-07:002016-06-13T00:00:00.307-07:00Creating an Author Mailing List<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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by <a href="http://equus-blog.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a>. </div>
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A great way to be able to build up followers of your books
is to generate a mailing list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans of
your book/s can sign up and receive updates as you develop as an author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be particularly beneficial if you
plan to write more than one novel, or establish a series.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My <a href="http://www.horsecountrybook.com/" target="_blank">debut novel</a> was a standalone novel aimed at young
adults wanting to get into the horse industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shortly after the release of Horse Country, an idea formed for a series
for the younger reader.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because I have an author mailing list, those keen to know
about the latest releases for the <a href="http://www.freereinseries.com/" target="_blank">Free Rein series</a> can provide their email
address and subscribe to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christine
Meunier Author News</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s then up to
me to keep them informed!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1619/25395079445_d9e7e56cbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1619/25395079445_d9e7e56cbc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Encourage Readers to Sign Up to Your Mailing List</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you’ve created a mailing list, you can choose how often
to contact your readers: </div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>monthly</li>
<li>seasonally</li>
<li>whenever you have news</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The choice is yours but it’s a great way to
keep fans informed and let them know the latest news first – before you release
things on your website, before you update your Facebook page and before a book
is available for sale. It’s up to you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i>
you utilise your mailing list, but this can be a great way to keep a collection
of contact details for people who are interested in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">buying your books</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you
provide them with the option (and link) to preorder your latest release or to give
a review in exchange for an advanced copy of your planned release or to
received an autographed copy of your novel/s, mailing lists can be a great way
to attract fans to your readership.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best bit is you can establish such lists for free or at
a minimal cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make use of <a href="http://www.mailchimp.com/" target="_blank">MailChimp</a>
and have read many references to AWeber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do your research but be proactive – set up a mailing list, design a
campaign and be sure to let your fans know that you want to keep them informed,
if only they’ll sign up!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can easily provide a link where people can go to sign up
and direct them to this from your Twitter account, Facebook page, personal
website or any other social media means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Alternatively, you can create a pop up that encourages visitors to your
site to enter their email address and sign up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Once the mailing list is created, you receive
notifications any time there is a new sign up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can even provide an automated response that thanks them via email
for their sign up – and this email can provide them with a personal message
from you, a link to where they can download a book for free or something else
of your choosing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show your fans you
appreciate them providing their contact details!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Have you signed up to your favourite author's mailing list? </span>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-4271197272056307182016-06-05T13:06:00.001-07:002016-06-05T13:06:53.724-07:00Marketing Yourself, Your Major Product<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcmISKc8-3FBfpSmfxGXv0muTC658lHnnpBxnnaGW-vnN3Sd5-QXAV5Vxc9R2jF47t82IvJe1EdFeg2uE8AJCaWaJyHAKWMR-65Fhb2AOLYR9lG3mbswdH_WVdt1jahFaq7bi14wLp_ZQ/s1600/AngelHead.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcmISKc8-3FBfpSmfxGXv0muTC658lHnnpBxnnaGW-vnN3Sd5-QXAV5Vxc9R2jF47t82IvJe1EdFeg2uE8AJCaWaJyHAKWMR-65Fhb2AOLYR9lG3mbswdH_WVdt1jahFaq7bi14wLp_ZQ/s1600/AngelHead.jpeg" /></a></div>
This past month I started looking around for a new horse partner. I always think it will be fun and it always turns out to be disappointing, frustrating, and so often a waste of time. I do my homework by researching the prospective horses first, examine video, and ask all the right questions. Still, things often turn out to be not what they seem or what they have been represented to be. Has this ever happened to you?<br />
<br />
It makes me think, on a smaller scale, of looking for my next, great read. A search for a story that will take me away, suck me into the characters, make me feel something. So often I am drawn in by the cover, convinced by the book jacket blurb, and anxious to find fulfillment in the pages. Only to be disappointed. These days, I give a story a couple chapters before quitting. Then, the book sits cast aside until I can return it to the library or donate it to the local media sale.<br />
<br />
What is it that makes a person pick a horse or choose a book? It is different for everyone, of course, depending on what they are looking for, but overall there are some basic marketing strategies. As writers, we are always encouraged to create our brand and develop a writer platform. You may be thinking of slick advertising costing lots of money, the hiring of a publicist, the oodles of dollars for eye-popping graphics and swag... Yes, that's great if you can do it, but I'm talking about something on a more basic level: professionalism. Taking yourself seriously as a writer.<br />
<br />
Back to my horse shopping example: what do I think when I pull into a well-maintained barn with safe fences, thickly bedded stalls, and swept aisle way? I think this is someone who cares about their horses. I'm set up to have a good opinion of the horse, surmising that they will be well conditioned and trained. When I arrive at the farm, I expect the representative to have the horse ready to view--to be in and clean. They should then ask what I want to see and patiently answer my questions. In other words, the seller should be proud of the horse for sale and deal with prospect buyers in a professional manner. I'm dismayed to say that I've arrived for an appointment to find the seller absent or late and the horse out in a field covered with dirt. Some sellers have acted as if they did not have the time of day for me and were busy doing any number of other things instead of attending to the sale transaction. How does that subconsciously affect my opinion of the horse? I hope to see through everything to the truth, but we as human beings can be easily influenced.<br />
<br />
What impression does that convey, even if the horse is fantastic? What impression do you convey as a writer, even if your story is fantastic, if you don't put out the best product you can (if self-published) or otherwise don't behave in a professional manner as a writer? <i>You</i> are really the product, after all. Your writing, your ideas, your imagination, your style--your brand.<br />
<br />
I'm very interested in hearing other opinions on these thoughts and ideas.lrtrovillionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15513336016892778345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-80992347258231323172016-06-01T14:49:00.000-07:002016-06-01T14:49:19.950-07:00Summertime<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Summer seems to be here in full swing in the South. It was
as if the weather went last week from a nice, cool, wet Spring to muggy, miserable,
energy-draining, 90-degree humidity in the blink of an eye. As a Minnesota native, I struggled
in the heat for many years until I finally figured out a while back that it was
okay to slow down on hot summer afternoons. Rather than ride in the afternoon,
I could write. Rather than muck stalls at noon, I could do that in the evening.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll even admit to the occasional summer
afternoon nap.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Acknowledging and respecting the heat should be obvious to many, especially people who
grew up in warmer climates, but to a hard-working upper mid-westerner, that
lesson only came after years of letting the heat beat me up day after day. Of course,
when I finally decided to work with the heat, rather than against it, a horse
was involved.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmO2pjeE8aTdngag_NbvI-vY9yI3lSAGpnv-avD0pEx9-dGGgQPwpsvLr4WRMwiA3wpU4UtoI39g0RX0rldUbUp85cUywL7gb_2Yu1YRBJL2cwJ7wWiogJcvgCn7P1LCbDD5_7NQKXtjs/s320/IMG_1222.JPG" width="239" /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have long been an advocate of humans studying the horse to
learn about him- or herself. It’s what I teach in my clinics and it is a theme
that runs through many of my books. Horses study people all the time. It is
part of their safety system, and over time, horses have developed an innate
ability to tell if a human is mad, sad, tired, sick, angry, or joyful––all from
a hundred or more feet away. Why, then, could I not understand that if my horse
was hot, then I might be, too? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then one hot Tennessee day a draft mare that I was caring
for became overheated while standing in her paddock under the shade of a
lovely, old tree, and something inside me clicked. Just maybe, it was too hot
for me, too. I brought the mare in, hosed her off and dried her, then put
her in a stall under a fan. Then I did the first smart thing I’d done in a
while and went inside.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXvSSp5RmXT5ETz9RJQhTuBkdkrWznAHEmssNguDyxURORLnRZlr9tM_S59-b-cknQMYEw5tQo5pSqm74_fex3_EChyphenhyphenYCN4DI8rwv_uEJC0rnYx-uR089argXLzLZduooBfbfCwhyphenhyphenyJC9/s1600/TOE+FINAL+COVER-SM-LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXvSSp5RmXT5ETz9RJQhTuBkdkrWznAHEmssNguDyxURORLnRZlr9tM_S59-b-cknQMYEw5tQo5pSqm74_fex3_EChyphenhyphenYCN4DI8rwv_uEJC0rnYx-uR089argXLzLZduooBfbfCwhyphenhyphenyJC9/s1600/TOE+FINAL+COVER-SM-LR.jpg" title="" /></a>Many people love the heat. Not me, but I have learned to use
it to my advantage. I write all year long, but I am far more productive in the
summer, when high temperatures force me inside. The afternoon heat removes all
temptation for me to perform yard work, mow the pasture, clean stalls, ride, fix
the fence, haul hay, and all the other outdoor activities people with horses regularly
do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead, I get to write. I get to put down words that help
someone forge a better relationship with his or her horse, and words that hopefully
engage people as they help Cat Enright, my protagonist, solve a horse-based
who-dun-it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Summer heat? It will never be my favorite thing, but I’ve
learned to make it work for me. How about you? Heat or cold. Which do you prefer?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
––</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lisa Wysocky is an award-winning, bestselling author and
clinician. She is also a registered PATH instructor. Find her online at <a href="http://lisawysocky.com/">LisaWysocky.com</a>,
or on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thepowerofawhisper">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lisawysocky">Twitter</a>.</div>
</div>
Lisa Wysockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10012833103454969838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-69278664415244278602016-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:002016-05-16T00:00:10.208-07:00Don’t Rush the Publish Date<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
by <a href="http://www.freereinseries.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the age of electronic publishing, it can be too tempting
to rush the publishing process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
read many kindle copies of books that were poorly edited with shocking grammar
and spelling issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is distracting
and will greatly affect a rating I provide to a book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Does it bother you?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an author, it can be tempting to go ahead and make a book
live for purchase because we feel it is finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consider asking yourself first: </div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span>Have I had it edited?</li>
<li>Have I read it through in the format it is available
for sale?</li>
<li>Have I tested how the pages / images view in the
available format?</li>
<li>Can I have another set of eyes read it prior to making
it public?</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7492/15756405739_9fe05ab9e7_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7492/15756405739_9fe05ab9e7_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have you designed a book cover, written a blurb?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A poorly prepared novel can fail with sales, in spite of
being a great story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t let
impatience trick you into releasing a book before it’s had the final finishing
touches applied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Practice <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">patience</i>!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you find that you have announced a release date and the
book isn’t ready for this date, don’t publish it anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make the necessary apologies to eager readers
/ fans and work to make the book available as soon as possible, in a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">finished</i> state.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you're creating a story, are you considering all that you will need to do to provide it in a finished state?</div>
<ul>
<li> a completed story</li>
<li>book cover design</li>
<li>ASIN or ISBN generation</li>
<li>a blurb</li>
<li>copyright page</li>
<li>author page</li>
<li>foreword</li>
</ul>
There are many things that need to be included with a novel, don't overlook them! :) <br />
<ul>
</ul>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04272652733364892001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-63589807288994570752016-05-13T19:53:00.006-07:002016-05-13T19:53:56.222-07:007 Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">I had an anniversary recently. I've owned my mare Sofie aka Sofa for 7 years now. When my mom and dad bought her for me, I was told "This horse is your college," and indeed, I owe a lot of my success to her. In those 7 years I became stronger, more fearless, more self sufficient. I enjoyed many solitary trail rides and became motivated to learn to drive and get my license, something I put off due to fear for a long time. I now have a good paying job, and while I have put a lot of money into my horse, I have no debt, no student loans to pay off. She did her job well.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFLGqg3Ps4nORf4m5erG-WLqHgIauJ7ydJSrqA42kd5Igb9Fr-OdMkZ4WtnkxV2xSX-cnxYdynY6ebGlOfxOn726W89OHFQfnsoD2dpEc_gdrnOdQBPjzcE4GjW4Q_pACYyMtM7F2J18/s1600/fall+show+2161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFLGqg3Ps4nORf4m5erG-WLqHgIauJ7ydJSrqA42kd5Igb9Fr-OdMkZ4WtnkxV2xSX-cnxYdynY6ebGlOfxOn726W89OHFQfnsoD2dpEc_gdrnOdQBPjzcE4GjW4Q_pACYyMtM7F2J18/s320/fall+show+2161.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Like most relationships, we had our problems. We had the same mind, the same personality traits. Stubborn and anxious, unable to know when to quit, but hardworking and kind. We both have an attitude. She put up with my limitations, and I put up with hers. She had many, many soundness problems and I helped her through the inevitable ups and downs. She fused both hocks, and then developed ringbone. Then a muscle pull and subsequent atrophy laid her up for six months. We did whatever we could do under saddle during these flare-ups, and then I'd hand walk her when she could not longer bare weight. Then we'd pick up again where we left off.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJnlT8zec3KXYpY7BAEinzMEvYPp5KpKBTP2uaQNFPTo5-e3rtB7GFivRxWoA0C_HtBhSdAkiXRidC0dWMvPzelNLlxUHaK9pw-I4b9ZdHBZqgZ2D9i540adsBlyoMh93s753e3HC78s/s1600/11791700_10153238065213509_339613554_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJnlT8zec3KXYpY7BAEinzMEvYPp5KpKBTP2uaQNFPTo5-e3rtB7GFivRxWoA0C_HtBhSdAkiXRidC0dWMvPzelNLlxUHaK9pw-I4b9ZdHBZqgZ2D9i540adsBlyoMh93s753e3HC78s/s320/11791700_10153238065213509_339613554_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Last summer was our best ever. Dressage lessons with a good, classically minded trainer were therapeutic for her and got her using her back end again. We were fortunate enough to find some riding buddies, and we hauled out to many trails and events. She was strong and fit, the best she'd ever been. We took lessons, trail rode, chased cows and went to a dressage show. I will always be thankful for that summer.<br />
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In mid-November, I went out to ride and found her almost three-legged lame. A veterinary exam was inconclusive. I suspect a possible pelvic injury, but without expensive diagnostics I won't ever know as it is difficult to get radiographs of that area. I gave her NSAIDs when necessary and hand-walked her all winter, massaging her hindquarter with liniment. The winter was hard on her and she is still not 100 percent now that spring is here, although she is doing better. She can bear weight and go for trail rides, but she still cannot sustain a trot under saddle. I had hoped her soundness problems would stay in the past, as we have already conquered so much, but I realize that she may have too many old injuries and arthritic issues to stay sound as she ages. She is a willing, hard worker with a great mind, and she is the safest trail horse I have ever been on. She is not going anywhere and will be a pet or a light duty trail horse if need be, as long as she can be kept comfortable. So far I'm cautiously optimistic, albeit troubled that I don't know the exact cause of her lameness. Time will tell, and I will have to listen to and watch her to see what she is comfortable with.</div>
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Our time together was never going to be trouble-free, and we knew it going in. I knew I was buying a horse who would probably be unsound, and I did it anyway, because we needed each other. A lot has changed in 7 years, and I have many things taking up my time, but I still need her in my life, and I will watch over her and take care of her to the best of my ability for as long as she lives. She is my soul mate.</div>
Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01295839865379604318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-2753000672152092742016-05-08T14:48:00.000-07:002016-05-08T14:48:28.890-07:00There'd Be Days Like This, My Momma Said...Happy Mother's Day to mothers of children, both the two- and four-footed kind. On Mother's Day I'm reminded of the kind of things mothers always said. Such wisdom for the ages as: "Wear clean underwear, what if you're in an accident?" "Why? Because I told you so!" And one of my favorites, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Well, that's all well and good for polite company, but it doesn't do much good for book reviews...which brings me to the point of all this. Recently I received the dreaded <i>horrible</i> review. Yes, all authors know it is coming some day, but when you actually sit down and read the venemous words another human being is saying about your creation, your story, it stings. A lot. Every book is not every reader's cup of tea. I think we all realize this, but when you sit down to write a review, even an unfavorable one, say something helpful. Like when your mother criticized your clothes, your hair, your eating habits, she did it out of love and in an effort to IMPROVE you, not tear you down. That's my beef. This review did not say anything I could act on to improve my story and writing. The reviewer told me she cheered at the end of the novel not because of the events that unfolded but because she would not have to engage with my main character any longer. Ouch. But she did not say why she disliked the main character. Was she two-dimensional? Did she fail to grow with the story? Was she boring? That type of criticism doesn't help a bit. She also wrote that my writing was difficult to read. Huh? Okay, enough licking old wounds, you get the point. When I write a review, I first take into account the experience of the author. Is the author a big name with all the support a large publisher can bring to the table, such as a first rate developmental editing staff, copy editor, and glitzy graphic designers? Or is the author putting out a debut novel, maybe even self-published? I adjust my expectations accordingly. Also, if I have something unfavorable to say, I back it up with why I feel that way and often gives examples from the writing. Writers need reviews for marketing and for improving their craft. We don't need trolls sitting out there in cyber land waiting to take pot shots at us. If the bad reviewer scares us into a hole where we become afraid to publish our work, they've won. They've become akin to literary terrorists. So, dear writer friends, stay brave and put your stories out there. Make your mothers proud!<br />
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<br />lrtrovillionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15513336016892778345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-20178981665648722662016-05-04T17:15:00.001-07:002016-05-04T17:15:15.131-07:00Reading, Writing, and Resting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I just came off of a seven-week run on the road, seven weeks
of horse fairs and expos, clinics and book signings. I met people everywhere from
Montgomery, Alabama to Fargo, North Dakota, and it seems like most of the
62,000 people who attended the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wisconsin. Whew!</div>
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Of course I came home with pneumonia, first in the right
lung, and several weeks later in the left. That will teach me to do too much. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:-) </span></span>Between bouts of
pneumonia, I was able to take part in a really fun video for Colby’s Army, a nonprofit
that provides therapeutic riding and other equine assisted activities and
therapies in Ashland City, Tennessee. I hope you’ll take time to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNV-PPEZIM8">watch the video</a>, as it was a ton of fun to make.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_deaeZ3oG5FueJ5hosBO-XdNPBiUQAffxO3PtKmZtv5ecQV2WEjCdigu9dDX8NhcQKPVIA7ssnAbZM-bukkuhyphenhyphen92c05aNcTJYnhBStfRXUV2bwQA_WTQhNDxuiKn_nGYNtsh0rEnwUMe4/s1600/TFE+FRONT+COVER-LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_deaeZ3oG5FueJ5hosBO-XdNPBiUQAffxO3PtKmZtv5ecQV2WEjCdigu9dDX8NhcQKPVIA7ssnAbZM-bukkuhyphenhyphen92c05aNcTJYnhBStfRXUV2bwQA_WTQhNDxuiKn_nGYNtsh0rEnwUMe4/s200/TFE+FRONT+COVER-LR.jpg" width="129" /></a>With strict instructions from my doctor to rest, I have been
planning the fourth book in the Cat Enright equestrian mystery series. Her
voice is becoming more insistent in my head as I think of possibilities. All I
can say at this point is that it will involve a racetrack, and that a number of
Cat’s relationships will evolve to new levels. We are looking at a Fall 2017 pub
date, so Cat and I need to get writing! After six awards and a film/tv option,
the pressure is definitely on to deliver an amazing story. I have no doubt that
Cat will come through with flying colors.</div>
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I’m off to another nap. Read and ride well. Until next
month.</div>
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Lisa</div>
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––Lisa Wysocky is an award-winning author and clinician who
teaches people about the horse. Find her online at <a href="http://lisawysocky.com/">lisawysocky.com</a></div>
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Lisa Wysockyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10012833103454969838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-977994828766022340.post-17405055470223295542016-05-02T01:00:00.000-07:002016-05-02T01:00:25.554-07:00Happy 35th Birthday, Top Cat!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZnuOG9VkJZUeordskGauiemu4GYfBBQlRRy_DXXkmDCkqcsohqLNsy-yovJc-p-AVbeIftIV4bey4ogI8j88oicsveUQTbRvu6n5Le-MZxDD0XK19HltSoJ66MntGc6XZjUXmSEno1g/s1600/TC+before+his+bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZnuOG9VkJZUeordskGauiemu4GYfBBQlRRy_DXXkmDCkqcsohqLNsy-yovJc-p-AVbeIftIV4bey4ogI8j88oicsveUQTbRvu6n5Le-MZxDD0XK19HltSoJ66MntGc6XZjUXmSEno1g/s320/TC+before+his+bday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E B Top Cat, TC for short, enjoying a beautiful Upstate NY day.</td></tr>
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April in Upstate New York is a crapshoot, weather-wise. You
never know if you’ll be sliding into snow pants or tossing that tuke in favor
of a beloved ball cap until you roll out of bed and take a step or two outside.
The beginning days of April looked promising – I was cleaning stalls in a long
sleeve shirt, my beat up ball cap emblazoned with just the number 13, and
lightweight rubber boots. I was hopeful. I’d planned a 35<sup>th</sup> birthday
party for E B Top Cat on Saturday April 9<sup>th</sup>, invited friends and
family alike, and spent a week obsessively cleaning my 55 year old barn. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Mother Nature has been fickle this year to say the least.
Usually, I don’t mind. I was thankful for the light snowfall we experienced
this winter. I feel like dancing every spring day that I don’t need a jacket. The
bottom line is that the last three seasons have been mostly stress free for my
older residents and for that I’m always thankful. So, when I awoke on April 9th
and it was predicted that the day wouldn’t heat up past 30 degrees, I took a
deep breath while sliding into my snow pants and was thankful for the people
(my cousin, Sandy, my best friend, Jen and my little brother, Brian) who were
willing to slide into their snow pants as well and throw a birthday party for a
horse.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEa-ZxCqOC_F3SM9u400sFWx756mcmQUgiFEF_pUF28Xs4qu5If1JlZ9FtFWEWkESXjBoXlp4YCvJ7RjWoQu9GWmsZThvo3yjs1z1sYlRXKB1a-3EGzOXOgfW5RrJVwlU2J3I6BjaxLI/s1600/TC+enjoying+his+bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEa-ZxCqOC_F3SM9u400sFWx756mcmQUgiFEF_pUF28Xs4qu5If1JlZ9FtFWEWkESXjBoXlp4YCvJ7RjWoQu9GWmsZThvo3yjs1z1sYlRXKB1a-3EGzOXOgfW5RrJVwlU2J3I6BjaxLI/s320/TC+enjoying+his+bday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TC and his life mate, Breeze.</td></tr>
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The closer we got to party time, the more regrets poured in
on Facebook. In the end, we had about 35 people that braved the cold and
embraced the silly magic of wishing a graying, elderly gelding a happy birthday. Some
guests brought cards filled with wishes of many happy years to come. Others
brought presents. My dear neighbor, Cindy brought Top Cat a new fly mask, a
very thoughtful gift for a serious pasture weight! My friend, Joanne, brought
Top Cat a can of Budweiser, as the old man loves his grain soaked in a can of
beer. My caring trainer, Ginny, brought a feed store gift certificate, knowing
that older horses have greater nutrition needs than their younger counterparts.
She told me that he looked amazing and that she was very proud of my management
of him. Every time I think of her saying that, I smile and my heart swells. It’s
the best compliment I’ve received in a long time. Other guests brought carrots
and bananas, handing them out as they leisurely floated from one stall to the
next, each horse sticking a nose over their gate to investigate and be social. The
wind was brutal that day, but the sunshine prevailed and our guest’s laughter
and good will helped to make the day as bright as it could be.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw21_jyPehn2GEF-7Jr34e0lOTafbG5kvUrKokpaXWGz-b2YpeycgnFb60wp42WKdwUbSqegbpQ0ki-OyEh3lx0fHhiYL0igmwMHd1bK35ps-6gcHXugg9p0G0RlS8jnAUCXICdAz6CQI/s1600/party+goers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw21_jyPehn2GEF-7Jr34e0lOTafbG5kvUrKokpaXWGz-b2YpeycgnFb60wp42WKdwUbSqegbpQ0ki-OyEh3lx0fHhiYL0igmwMHd1bK35ps-6gcHXugg9p0G0RlS8jnAUCXICdAz6CQI/s320/party+goers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party guests at TC's 35th birthday!</td></tr>
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There were beautiful blue cupcakes for the humans, and a birthday
cake specifically for the horses – Sandy whipped a delightful combination of
carrots, apples, no sugar apple sauce, flax seed, rolled oats and a hint of
molasses into something that resembled a large protein bar. She cut it into 10
pieces and each horse enjoyed a piece. Top Cat couldn’t have been happier. He was
surrounded by people petting him and feeding him treats. I’d rigorously brushed
him that morning but decided against shaving him in a show horse fashion,
instead choosing to leave him “in the rough”. Even with whiskers and a slightly
grown out bridle path, he’s still stunning. Sure, he has a sway back that’s cartoonish in nature. Of course he’s going gray – his cheeks are almost
white now and it’s travelling down his neck into his legs like diluted bleach. But
there is a sparkle in his eyes that grows each year instead of diminishing. His
coat shines bright and glossy in the summer sun. His feet are so hard they’ll
break a farrier’s knife. And lately, he’s been cantering in the pasture when I call
him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREauc6XRANtQ6u0zVYljOSGg-nXQdkFnB9yq9H3eeE4XC7FNbAcR_8FtP1KDk2DtIVlI31kMO4c1ZoIC84jbiKyFSpW9nfsiQkQCIsfGCfNSgy1yKn6RIrvQahBcx7-5ZQ1pQWjMwpuA/s1600/heart+shaped+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREauc6XRANtQ6u0zVYljOSGg-nXQdkFnB9yq9H3eeE4XC7FNbAcR_8FtP1KDk2DtIVlI31kMO4c1ZoIC84jbiKyFSpW9nfsiQkQCIsfGCfNSgy1yKn6RIrvQahBcx7-5ZQ1pQWjMwpuA/s320/heart+shaped+rock.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love rocks :) </td></tr>
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I know the day will come when I will be the last thing he
sees before cantering into the lush, green pastures of Heaven. It will be years
before I stop expecting to see his happy face when I walk into the barn or hear
his raspy nicker, but that’s a small price to pay for what he’s taught me. Not
only have I had to learn about geriatric horse nutrition to keep him healthy
and spry, but he’s taught me that no matter what comes your way, a positive,
never-say-die attitude is your vehicle to survive it. And when you find it
difficult to stay positive through the pain, be sure to surround yourself with
friends that see the positive in <i>you</i>
when you can’t. How do you find friends like this? See the positive in them.
Hold a mirror up to them periodically, show them the magic within. Then, maybe
if you’re lucky, you’ll be blessed with a group of amazing people who will pull
on snow pants to help you prepare for a birthday party where the guest of honor
is an aged equine. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02630390664086565808noreply@blogger.com1