E-Commerce Sales are Up over Last Year!

According to census.gov, E-commerce increased in the 3rd Quarter of 2009 by 2.1% compared to last year at the same time. That may not seem like a big increase. Yet, compare that to all other retail sales for the same period: a dismal -7.8, showing that consumers are more willing to make purchases online than in a brick 'n mortar store. See http://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/html/09Q3table1.html

I have to agree. This past week, I ordered all my Christmas presents online (except for children's books for the grandkids that I bought at events I attended), renewed our truck registration, ordered woodworking plans for Bob and plan to renew my yearly membership fees for my writing and equine clubs. Also, I do all my bill paying online. Yes, I love the convenience, but I also save on fuel, stamps and aggrevation (standing in line at motor vehicle administration is one place I definetly won't miss!)

Many businesses online are offering free shipping, saving the consumer even more money.

So, if you still have horse loving friends - young and young-at-heart - to shop for, please consider buying one or more of my Beloved Horses books, or mystery novels. This month I'm offering FREE SHIPPING!

All books are autographed to your special family member or friend and shipped upon receipt of a check or money order.

Credit card orders can be placed through my publisher's site: http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/resource.aspx?id=1783 but they won't be signed copies.

Or, check my Link Page on my site or my blog, http://findhorsebooks.blogspot.com, for a retail shop near you.

Visit my site http://sharonminer.com, my publisher's site above or Amazon.com to read about my books including excerpts.

Then just e-mail me your choice, who to sign them to and where to ship them. Or print out the Order Form from my site, disregarding the shipping fees. Checks and money orders should be sent to:
Sharon Miner
5004 E. Fowler Ave., Ste C150
Tampa, FL 33617

As soon as I receive your order, books will be shipped the next day with delivery confirmation. Any order with 3 or more books will be sent Priority Mail.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season, and keep it stress-free!

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!

Fun in NJ!

I was in a blissful state while in New Jersey - I rode my old school horse, Sonny! He's 30 yrs old now and looking good!! We just walked for about thirty minutes with a ten second jog around the ring. Then I took him on a mini "trail ride" to visit Farewell's memorial tree.

Sonny and Farewell have enjoyed their retirement at Apple Brook Farm in Cookstown, NJ since 2003. They were used for a few beginner lessons taught by the owner, Beth Collington. What a fabulous farm to spend their golden years!

At Toll Booth Tack Shop I met a young horse lover who takes lessons and dreams of owning a horse someday. Carley, above, is in the fifth grade and her mom bought Beloved School Horses and I autographed it for her. This store has a wonderful selection for kids, both riders and non-riders. Visit them in person on Rt. 206, Easthampton, NJ or online at http://www.tollboothsaddle.com/ or call 609-702-1404.

Travels in Delaware

The First State is always one of my favorite trips. Chick's Saddlery on Rt. 13 in Harrington has been a wonderful supporter of my books since the first Beloved School Horses was released in 2004. They have the largest inventory of tack and horse supplies that I've ever seen, and a fantastic staff! Check them online at http://www.chicksaddlery.com.
*
Linda Chick invited my dog, Woogie, inside for a photo shoot! They now carry Woogie's Travels as well as my horse and mystery books.
*
The Milford Library is another favorite stop of mine in central Delaware. They carry my books and invited me to conduct another writing workshop next year when their construction is finished.
*
A new library I stopped at was in Delaware City, and they bought Beloved School Horses for their young readers.
*
Thanks Delaware for your support!

Equestrian Book Tour - Days 1 - 3

Our first three days have been fun!

First stop was in Brunswick, GA to Hattie's Bookstore then drove to NW to Rock Hill, SC. We found an old favorite, Fatz Cafe, for dinner - we often visited it when it was one restaurant in Spartansburg, SC back when we shipped horses. Now there are more than forty! The food is fabulous so we were not surprised that they expanded.

Our waitress was Morgan - she's named after the horse because her mother owned and loved the breed! When I told her about our trip, the manager, Kiram, sat and chatted with us awhile. Such wonderful people there! If you ever travel through SC, look for a Fatz Cafe!

We stayed at a HoJo's Motel and it exceeded our expectations! Lovely room and very pet-friendly.

On Sunday, our second day, we stopped in Charlotte, NC at Joseph-Beth Booksellers where I met Julie who has a TB - they just won a blue ribbon at a hunter show! I hope to include her horse, Layla, in my Beloved Horses in Second Careers.

We continued on to Virginia, stopping in Wytheville and Lexington posting "Horse Stories Wanted" flyers at saddle shops and book stores while marketing my books. At Blue Plate Books in Winchester, I had a nice visit with the owner. He invited me to do a book signing there next time we are in the area!

Monday, we continued on into PA - stopping in Chambersburg and Carlisle. In Mechanicsburg, Woogie loved Diller Feed - the owner's wife gave him a dog treat!

We traveled to Hamburg to stop at Cabela's - we love that place! Then Allentown and finally Philadelphia to stay with our son, Josh, and his fiance, Kate. They now have a beagle/chow dog named Shanny, and so far she and Woogie are getting along!

Horse Stories Wanted!

I'm searching for more horses to include in my fourth book of the BELOVED HORSES series. The theme will be horses in second careers and will feature both famous and backyard horses.

So many wonderful horses have lived two lives. Some start their younger years on the racetrack and later train as show horses. Or show horses become therapy mounts, Western cutting horses retire to trail riding and school horses end up as family pets. College equestrian programs and police mounted troops are always seeking and receiving horses who retired from a previous life. I’d love to share with horse lovers young and old stories about those special horses.

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 a variety of equine athletes including Belladonna ridden by Katie Prudent.

I'll be meeting horse owners while on my Equestrian Book Tour from September 19th through 27th starting from Tampa. I'll be stopping at independent book stores and tack shops along the way in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Connecticut. Follow my travels here where I'll be posting locations where I stop.

I'll conduct interviews in person and by e-mail beginning January 2010, but I'm building a list of contacts now. Submitters receive a complimentary copy upon publication. To learn more about the books, visit http://www.sharonminer.com/ and http://woogiestravels.blogspot.com/.

To submit a horse for consideration, e-mail me at sharonminer@yahoo.com with a brief description of the horse and its skills.

Happy Trails!

More Young Artists!

I had so much fun at Wilson's Books in St. Petersburg today! Met several animal lovers including the young artists above.

*

Mary Grace drew a Golden Retriever in the top photo. Jordan colored a couple horse sketches from Beloved School Horses. And Bella (with me) drew her two pets. They all received free gifts.

*

Thank you for sharing your coloring talents with me!

*

Many thanks to Jeff Morris, owner of this lovely independent bookstore. It was founded by his mother 39 years ago. There are separate sections for each genre and stocks an amazing amount of used book titles! Be sure to visit Wilson's Books on 2394 Dr. ML King St N when in St. Petersburg, FL. He takes books in trade too!

*

If you would like me to attend a book signing at your special event , e-mail me at sharonminer@yahoo.com with your request! I also speaks about the craft of writing at school visits - no charge!

Labor Day Saturday Book Signing & Art Show!

A call for Young Artists for the "Ponies & Puppies" Contest!

I'll be at Wilson's Books on Dr. M.L.King St in St. Petersburg, Florida on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009 from 11 am - Noon for a special Labor Day Saturday Event. Along with readings, face/hand paintings and book signings I'm once again asking young artists to draw a horse or dog for a prize!

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 Wilson’s Fine Books on 2394 Dr. Martin Luther King St. from now until noon on September 5th, when winners will be announced. Results will also be posted on this blog after the event.

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'm 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.

Infinity Writer's Conference

I'll be attending the Saturday workshop of the Infinity Publishing’s 10th Annual Express Yourself…™Gathering of Authors Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27, 2009Park Ridge Hotel and Conference Center, Valley Forge, PA

Infinity has been publishing my books since 2004, and this will be the third conference I've attended. They focus on marketing your book and have a wonderful panel of speakers.

From their site:

Infinity’s 10th annual “Express Yourself…” event is now transformed into an enticing Gathering of Authors. This will be same high-caliber and quality event we have earned a reputation for in the publishing community as well as the acclaim of authors. But, instead of the conference format of panels and seminars in meeting rooms arranged in classroom style, our Gathering of Authors attendees will participate in dynamic discussion circles facilitating dialogue on timely publishing topics. Indeed a more fluid alignment for brainstorming specific book promotion challenges and talking about how to benefit the most from exposure opportunities. At the beginning of each session an expert or two on the topic will make opening remarks suitable for expanding upon by the group. This interactive arrangement increases the flow of beneficial information – more takeaway ideas for promoting your book.

Visit http://www.authorsconference.com/ to learn more and register.

Wonderful Young Artists!

It was a joy to see such lovely artwork by youngsters while at my booksigning at Hooked On Books in Islamorada this past weekend! Artists included Josh (middle photo with his sister, Tiffanie), Spira (bottom), Ella (who drew her Web kin horse) and Rhys who painted both a dog and a horse! Thanks to everyone who participated! They all received a free copy of Woogie's Travels - Looking For a Friend (visit http://woogiestravels.blogspot.com/).

Thanks to Cathy at Hooked On Books for hosting this event! Visit her wonderful book store when you are in the area or at http://www.hookedonbooksfloridakeys.com/

4th of July Event in Florida Keys!

While traveling to southern Florida, I'll be signing my books at Hooked on Books located on the Overseas Highway in Islamorada Florida, about halfway down the Florida Keys. I'll be there from 11 am until noon on Saturday, July 4th.

For directions, visit: http://www.hookedonbooksfloridakeys.com/ or call the store at 305-517-2602.

All seven of my books will be available, including the three in the Beloved Horses series. Also, I'll be offering free face/hand painting (horses my specialty!) and coloring pages from my books.

A local young rider and her equine friend are featured in my Beloved Sport Horses. Alexa Dixon and Cashmere have been a unique pair since 2003, competing in Wellington among other show grounds. As she says, the greatest memories are not always in the show ring.

If you would like me to be a guest at your shop (Book, Gift or Tack Shop) or speak at your writing event, e-mail me at sharonminer@yahoo.com.

Florida Writing Conference

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a wonderful organization for children's writers. They have chapters in each state and the regional events are wonderful ways to improve your craft of writing, network with others in the industry and market your books.

I'll be attending the SCBWI FLORIDA ILLUSTRATOR'S INTENSIVES 2-DAY NOVEL REVISION INTENSIVE AND MID-YEAR WORKSHOP on June 19 and 20, 2009 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Walt Disney World.

I'll be there for the Saturday's workshop, so don't hesitate to say hello if you go!

Visit: http://www.scbwiflorida.com/jun09.html

Fun at the Equine Affaire in Ohio!

What a great time I had with Carole Fletcher and her friend Sue at the Columbus Equine Affaire last week. I assisted Carole at the demo rings where she had her two trick horses performed for the large audiences.

Magnifico is a Peruvian Paso stallion and besides tricks demonstrated in-hand, Carole also gave a mounted performance with the bow, laying down and Spanish walk among other tricks. In the small ring, he pivoted on his forehand both on the ground and on the pedestal with one front leg extended out. Another trick was the pivot with his front legs crossed. He certainly loved the applause!

Carole's Miniature Horse, Hercules, is also a stallion and he delighted the crowds with his tiny sneakers and ball cap. He smiled, answered yes and no and sat on a beanbag. Carole had him bow and lay down, and he also made slam dunks with his basketball! Several kids were invited one at a time in the ring by Carole to cue Hercules for his tricks, and the delighted children were thrilled to be "trick horse trainers" for a few moments!

Her booth was very busy as people came by to ask Carole questions and buy her Trickonometry books and DVDs. Visit: http://www.trickhorse.com/ Carole and her husband, Gary, reside at Singing Saddles Ranch in Reddick, Florida, near Ocala.

I met many wonderful people who shared stories about their special horses; I hope they e-mail me so I can include them in my next book, BELOVED HORSES IN SECOND CAREERS!

HORSE exhibit at Carnegie Mueum of Natural History

I had a fantastic time in Pittsburgh and the HORSE exhibit was outstanding! I signed copies of my horse books, did face and hand paintings of horses and dogs from my books and Girl Scouts earned a Horse Fan badge by hearing stories from my books.

I was also able to reconnect with friends from the Pennsylvania Equine Council who had an Education Booth there. Local stable owner, Beverly Patrick from Upsom Downs Stable, provided three horses for the booth and for a blacksmithing demo. That's me with her horse, Sir Portly, who is featured in my second Beloved Horses book. It was exciting to finally meet him!

The first photo is Roger explaining how to drive a horse, the second photo is girls from a Pony Club visiting my booth, the third is the PEC booth with Rosie enjoying all the pettings while Mike Kraft answers questions, and several Girl Scout troops earned their badge while listening to my stories.

Many thanks to Kerry from the museum for inviting me, to Bev and her husband for their gracious hospitality and to the helpful volunteers Iris, Collen and Mastov (sorry if spelled wrong!) at my booth.

Spring Events I'll be Attending - See you there!

I'm so excited about the spring equine events I'll be attending! I'm staying in Tampa area for at least a year to be close to the Miner family (lots of celebrations - son, Garret, in remission from cancer; grandaughter, Erin, & Jay's wedding; new greatgrandchildren etc) but will be flying north for these upcoming events:

Equustravaganza

Saturday, March 21, 2009 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

In honor of the temporary exhibit The Horse, CMNH will feature a free festival of all things horse! Equustravaganza will spotlight an array of equine activities, including shoeing, grooming, tack, conformation, video presentations, and more! There will be a farrier shoeing horses, an Equine Education Station from the PA Equine Council that will include a horse, and possibly another horse in the parking lot. Visitors can see video, talk to competitors, try on equipment, learn about tack, breeds, horse care and famous horses.

I'll be doing face & hand painting (including cartoon horse & dogs!), readings and book signings. Also handing out free bookmarks, coloring pages and taking names of horse owners to interview for my next book in the Beloved Horses series.

Some of the other groups expected to participate include:

Western Reserve Carriage Club
Beaver and Allegheny County 4–H
Tri-State Region Pony Club
Horse and Soul
Morgan Horse Association
PA-Ohio Youth Rodeo
Darwin 2009
Ft. Ligonier Museum
PA Equine Council
Western Pennsylvania Dressage Association
In-Stride with Therapeutic Riding
Arab Horse Association
Lipizanner
Kurt Heinsburg
Rolling Rock Hunt Pony Club
Darby Downs Equestrian Center
Dr. Ann Swinker Associate Professor of Equine Sciences, Penn State University
Jason Adam Bannister of Mechanimal
American Saddlebreds
Darlington Polo Club
American Quarter Horse Association

Web site: http://www.carnegiemnh.org/doe/programs/horse.html

EQUINE AFFAIRE®
The Nation's Premiere Equine Exposition & Equestrian Gathering
April 2-5, 2009

Columbus, OH

The 16th annual Equine Affaire in the Midwest will draw tens of thousands of horsepeople to enjoy a world-class educational program and extensive trade show, as well as an entertaining and informative competition.

I'll be with Carole Fletcher (http://www.trickhorse.com/) the renowned trainer, author and clinician. Her story is one of my collection in Beloved Horses from Around the Country. I'll travel with her, Denise Hopkins (another trick horse trainer) and Carole's stallion and Mini. Find me at the event at Carole's booth. I'll be handing out my catalogs and info for interviewing for my next book.

Visit their Web site to learn more and see the schedule of clinics, exhibitions etc.

http://www.equineaffaire.com/ohio/index.html

Please stop by if you attend and say HI! Receive a 50% discount on any one of my books if you mention my Blog!!

Woogie's First Signing!

Woogie made lots of friends at Baroni's Twice Read Tales bookstore in Ocala, Florida on Valentine's Day! It was Florida Kids Heart Authors Day and the youngsters enjoyed giving Woogie doggy treats and getting free hand paintings & Valentine candy. The kids also had fun while I read them WOOGIE'S TRAVELS - LOOKING FOR A FRIEND.

Many thanks to Bobbie at Baroni's for hosting the event and to the two other authors who joined me. Neal Tiifany (left) is the author of BACHELOR FATHER PIONEER, a memoir, and Henry Grady is the author of the mystery/suspense novel, THE COIN. All our books are available at Baroni's and they are all autographed. Check out the store's online catalog at:

http://woogiestravels.blogspot.com/

Florida Kids Heart Authors is Expanding!

WOW! With only a few weeks to get the word out and prepare for this exciting and unique Valentine's Day event, I'm receiving e-mails about more authors joining the FLORIDA KIDS HEART AUTHORS DAY! (see below for schedule)

Publicity has been printed in Children's Publisher's Weekly, American Horse Publications and local newspapers plus online sites like Book Tour: http://booktour.com/author/sharon_miner

The purpose is to promote reading, children's books and independent bookstores. All the authors will be signing from 10 am until noon on February 14, 2009. There will be readings & signings, free face painting and bookmarks, and dramatic presentations in Florida!

There will be 3 authors now in Ocala at Baroni's Twice Read Tales and one in Jacksonville. May hear from a few more soon, so keep checking this site!

SCHEDULE 10 am - noon:

In Ocala at Baroni's - Readings & Signings by:

Sharon Miner, Beloved Horses series, mystery novels for middle grade & YA and Woogie's Travels dog book for Beginner Readers. Will give out bookmarks and horse stickers, and do horsey face painting!

Neal Tiffany, Bachelor Father Pioneer (memoir of raising an adopted boy), Will give out Valentine Candy!

Henry Grady, The Coin (suspense novel set in Florida)

In Jacksonville, Location TBA:

Nancy H. Murray, Gullah, The Nawleans Cat Meets Katrina, children's book. Visit: http://www.gullahmeetskatrina.com/, Will give a reading, with dramatic presentation of book.

You can learn more about their books on Amazon.com!

Visit a bookstore on Valentine's Day! Updated 1/22

Mark your calendars: Febraury 14, 2009 is Kids Heart Authors Day! Children's authors from New England to Florida are banding together to promote reading, children's books and independent bookstores. Visit the New England Blog at http://www.kidsheartauthors.com/

Florida Kids Heart Authors has joined the campaign. I'll be at the Baroni's Twice Read Tales Bookstore in Ocala (Six Gun Plaza on Rt. 40) from 10 am until noon. I'll be doing free face painting, readings from my BELOVED HORSES SERIES and signings. Read about the books & Search Inside at Amazon.com. Visit the book store site at http://www.twicereadtales.com/webic2/

UPDATE!! Local author, Neal Tiffany, will be joining me as well! His book, BACHELOR FATHER PIONEER, is about his journey to adopt a boy and Neal was one of the first bachelor fathers to do so. It's a great story and shares how a family can be non-traditional in form. Visit http://www.authorsden.com/nealtiffany

Another Florida children' s author, Nancy H. Murray, of Jacksonville, Florida, will also be participating. learn more about her book, GULLAH, THE NAWLEANS CAT MEETS KATRINA, at http://www.gullahmeetskatrina.com/, She'll offer a reading, with a dramatic presentation of the book. Store TBA. Nancy won First Place in the Roya Palms Literary Award for unpublished novel: The Night the Elephants Cried - A Story of the Tsunami. Contact her for more info at author@gullahmeetskatrina.com

I'll be adding more authors as they contact me! Keep checking back!

Florida Kids "Heart" Authors on Valentine's Day!

New England children's authors I know through Society of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators are holding a great marketing event on Valentine's Day. They are teaming with independent bookstores to hold signings at the same time all over the region. Visit: http://www.kidsheartauthors.com/

I'd love to set up a similar event in Florida. I even have the New England group's permission to follow their idea & have friendly links to each other.

Please e-mail me at sharonminer@yahoo.com to sign up & I'll start a Blog on it. I couldn't believe how quickly the northern stores signed up for it - from less than ten when I first learned to 23 shops today! They were even written up in the children's edition of Publisher's Weekly!

Let's promote literacy, encourage kids to read, support the “Indies” and sell some of our books!

All I need is your name, hometown, a book or series title, your URL & contact info, which bookstore will host you & their contact info (you need to set that up, maybe at your local shop or a favorite one) and if you will offer anything else besides a book signing. Such as: face painting, arts & craft project, reading, refreshments, brief talk etc.

Get those creative juices flowing and let’s inspire the youngsters!

Happy New Year!