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.
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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.
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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.
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A new library I stopped at was in Delaware City, and they bought Beloved School Horses for their young readers.
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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.

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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.

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Thank you for sharing your coloring talents with me!

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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!

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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!