November 2010
30-degrees and loving it!
November 16, 2010
FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- What do you get when you combine two gregarious geldings and a cute, rare draft pony? An awesome time at Jax Ranch and Home Authors Day! In spite of snow showers and frigid gray skies, 50 authors and mobs of enthusiastic shoppers turned out Saturday for the festivities, helping support the public library through book sales.
We were there with Winning Bet, my novel about a girl who must save her horse from the slaughterhouse, and we shared a table with Jenifer Morrisey, author of A Humbling Experience, her inside story about raising and living with rare Fell Ponies.
Once again, it amazed me that the horses connected instantly with the humans, and brought smiles to so many faces. Dell and Billy, both Morgans, loved the stream of treats that went their way, and Lily the Fell Pony performed tricks and gently accepted baby carrots from even the littlest of admirers! Thank you, Jax! (Click on the photos to enlarge them for a better view.)
(An ad-free version of this blog is available for e-readers in the Amazon Kindle store. Just search for "Hoofprints" on your device.)
'Winning Bet' signing at Jax Authors Day
November 01, 2010
NEWS FLASH! Winning Bet's real-life horse characters visiting for Jax Authors Day! 10% of the proceeds go to the public library - come visit us!
NEWS FLASH! Winning Bet now available in the United Kingdom! Click here to visit Amazon's new UK site.
Coloradoan: Winning Bet 'delightful', 'highly recommended'
Amazon: 'What a great story!'
Teachers/students: Click here to take the free Winning Bet quiz and earn a certificate!
*** 'This mare isn't good for anything, except maybe the slaughterhouse.' -- Ray Duncan, Emma's father
*** 'You believed. You took a risk.' -- Enrique Olvera, Emma's friend
*** 'God, Emma, why don't you just squeeze her guts out?' -- Aubrey, best friend
Readers: I don't usually post e-mails, but I have the "OK" on this one, and well, I'm blushing! Debbie Dehn is a prominent horse 4-H leader who has improved many youngsters' horseback riding experience and touched many lives in her teaching career. Thank you, Debbie!
Dear Karin,
Just wanted you to know how much I thoroughly enjoyed your book. What a great story. It brought back many fond memories of my children's 4-H days. I have recommended it to my current 4-Hers and am purchasing copies for my daughter and sisters, all of whom are teachers, for their schools.
I saw on your website that there may be a chance for Accelerated Reader tests. I'm going to talk to one of my sisters who is a school librarian (media specialist) in NJ. She uses that program.
-- Debbie Dehn, 4-H leader, former teacher
Readers: You can help put Winning Bet on the Accelerated Reader list. If enough of you request it, Renaissance Learning will write an AR test for Winning Bet that any AR school can use, and anybody -- not just librarians -- can request! Just go to http://www.renlearn.com/ar/customercare/titlesuggestions.asp to make the request. Information you’ll need:
Title: Winning Bet
ISBN: 0-615-32165-8
Publisher: Ingram
Interest Level: Middle Grades Plus
Year Published: 2009
Happy Reading!
School book fair cashes in on Winning Bet
(Karin Livingston is a career 4-H horse leader. Winning Bet is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, IndieBound.org stores, on the Kindle/iPad (use the Kindle store), and to librarians and retailers through the Ingram Book Group.)