Equine Corral Artists!

We had a great turn out of entries for the "Puppies & Ponies" art contest held at Equine Corral today in Lithia, FL! Thanks to all the young artists and I also met a couple of young writers! Some are pictured above.

I had fun drawing face/hand paintings of a dog and a horse. Some kids drew pictures today!

Many thanks to owner, Terry Hunt, and her daughter, Ashley, for hosting the event. For those who missed it, they will display the artwork through the holiday season. They have a few copies of my books on hand - they make wonderful gifts!

Equine Corral also has a wide selection of clothing - for those who show or just love horses. Gifts for the horses can also be found there! Check out their site at http://www.equinecorral.com

For more photos, visit Woogie's blog at http://woogiestravels.blogspot.com/

Another Ponies & Puppies Art Contest for Kids!

I've been invited to the Equine Corral Tack Shop in Lithia, Florida for a book signing on Saturday, November 28th from 1 - 3 pm. So I'm holding another Young Artists Contest!

I'm offering a Ponies & Puppies Contest for young artists to submit drawings of a horse or a dog with the winners receiving autographed copies of my books.

The winner of the horse category will win one of the BELOVED HORSES series and the dog category will receive WOOGIE’S TRAVELS – LOOKING FOR A FRIEND. Children through age 16 years old may submit their entry at Equine Corral on 10419 County Road 39 south in Lithia from now until 3pm on November 28th, when winners will be announced. Results will also be posted at here.

I'll will be signing my seven books on Saturday, November 28th from 1pm until 3pm, and also offer several free activities:

· Face or Hand Painting of horses and dogs

· Coloring Pages from my books

· Readings from BELOVED HORSES books and WOOGIE’S TRAVELS – LOOKING FOR A FRIEND, a beginner Reader Picture Book

· Advice for writers, young and old, who want to become published

My horse books are illustrated collections of true short stories describing the unique bonds between horses and their riders. The anecdotes are amazing, amusing and inspirational. The third book of the series, BELOVED SPORT HORSES released in 2007, features several equines from Florida.

I am looking for more horse owners to interview for the fourth book in the series to be released in 2010. Submitters receive a complimentary copy upon publication. To learn more about my books, visit http://www.SharonMiner.com and http://woogiestravels.blogspot.com.

5th Anniversary of Beloved School Horses!

This month, I'm celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Beloved School Horses! Remembering Dennis who made an autistic boy smile, Sandy Mae who taught campers to canter, Sonny the vaulting horse and of course Farewell, the dressage pro! See http://www.sharonminer.com

To read a sample chapter, go to my publisher's site - http://www.bbotw.com - and search by title. Or go to Amazon.com and click on "Search Inside" for any of my books.

E-mail me for a signed copy with free shipping!

The fourth book of the series will feature horses in second careers. Contact me at sharonminer@yahoo.com if you would like your special horse to be included, and you'll receive a free copy upon its release. Interviews via e-mail will be conducted this winter.

Final 2 days on Equestrian Book Tour

On Friday, September 25th, I traveled with my husband, Bob, and son, Josh, to the suburbs of Philadelphia. Josh has lived in downtown Philly for 11 years and knows the whole region well.

Our first stop was at Horsatack - a new , HUGE, tack shop on the corner of Germantown Pike and Dekalb in Northtowne Plaza, East Norriton Township, PA. With a wonderful selection of books (they should be stocking mine soon) as well as riding apparel and equipent, it's the perfect "go to" place for a day trip for any horse lover! Visit them online at http://horsatack.com to learn more about their inventory. Or call the manager, Sam Fletcher, at 610-278-7590. I met Sam and found him very friendly and helpful!

On Saturday, September 26th, I attended the Infinity Publishing Writing Conference - Express Yourself Gathering of Authors held at the Valley Forge Convention Center, now the Clarion Hotel. It was wonderful to see old friends (this was my third Infinity conference) and learn insightful marketing techniques and other helpful tips. During the dinner, authors Brian Jud (right) and LinDee Rochelle interviewed John Harnish, Infinity Conference Director. He was accompanied by his Chow mix, Aurora (sorry if misspelled!) John reminisced and shared the history of the conference - this was its 10th anniversary.

Infinity was the first Print On Demand publisher, a natural growth from their printing company especially when they updated their machines to digital and local authors began asking them for their services. Visit their site at http://www.infinitypublishing.com and their online book catalog at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com

I met other authors and made new friends, and had a fantastic time!