Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Alison Hart: A Horse-Lovin' Author (and a Giveaway!)



I am always excited to do book reviews when asked because I love books and writing! Especially growing up, reading was such an integral part of my childhood. It's a great way to get to know authors I'm not familiar with, as well.


This week I am happy to introduce Alison Hart. Alison is a Virginia author of over thirty books for young readers. Upcoming books include the re-release of Shadow Horse an Edgar-nominated mystery from Random House, along with the new title Whirlwind, its much anticipated sequel (May 2010.) Emma's River (Peachtree) a historical fiction chapter book about a plucky girl and her pony and their adventures on the Missouri River is coming out in April 2010. Her latest early chapter book Bell's Star (Random House) is the second in the Horse Diaries series. Gabriel's Horses (Peachtree), middle grade historical suspense, has been nominated for nine state awards. Find out more about Ms. Hart and her exciting books at www.alisonhartbooks.com.



Here is Alison's story in her own words....


I’ll admit it: I have been horse crazy since my first Steiff pony and first Billy and Blaze picture book by C.W. Anderson. Decades later, I still ride and read horse books, and now I have added writing about horses to my passions.


Writing about horses came naturally. My first story about a lost pony, published in Highlights magazine in 1984, was based on true events. Since then, I’ve written over fifty novels about horses. Many are contemporary including Shadow Horse, an Edgar nominated mystery, and its sequel Whirlwind (Random House, May 2010).


I have also combined horses with history to create suspense-filled historical fiction. The two meld perfectly because human and horses have been intertwined as early as 3500 BC when horses were raised for milk and meat in Kazakhstan. (see the fascinating March 2009 article in National Geographic http://new.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090305-first-horse-domestication.html)



My historical novel for young readers, Anna’s Blizzard, is about a heroic pony during the real Blizzard of 1888 in Nebraska. Gabriel’s Horses, Gabriel’s Triumph and Gabriel’s Journey (the Racing to Freedom trilogy) took over two years to research. The three books follow Gabriel, a slave on a Kentucky horse farm who earns his freedom as a jockey, from the Saratoga Race Course in New York to the battlefield of Saltville, Virginia, where he fights with an African American cavalry unit (all based on real history.)


I am partial to my books, of course, but they aren’t the only exciting reads. Try Chosen by a Horse a memoir by Susan Richardson and Riding for my Life by Julie Krone. If you like mysteries, author Dick Francis is intense and Carolyn Banks (A Horse to Die For) more light-hearted. Revisit Black Beauty and The Horse Whisperer to shed a few tears, and for a great tale of rescue read Horses of the Storm: the Incredible Rescue of Katrina’s Horses by Ky Evan Mortensen. If your library doesn’t have these on its shelves, you can get them through inter-library loan. This chilly winter, when riding gets harder, enjoy a good horse book. Then, please, share them with others!



Thank you Alison, for letting me be part of your blog tour!


Goodness, lucky author Alison Hart sure has her dream job, doesn't she? Reading, researching and writing about horses every day! I love the "Billy and Blaze" picture book myself. In fact, I recently saw an old copy in the library and had to read it, touching and smelling it's weathered yellow pages!


I just started reading Shadow Horse and I am really enjoying the story, which combines themes of family, horses, and mystery! I am hosting a giveaway to introduce you to one of Alison's other great books, Anna's Blizzard. And because I SO love to put together giveaways, I will throw in some other trinkets along with the book. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment, telling us your favorite horse-related fiction book(s)! The giveaway closes at midnight on Sunday December 13th.

Good luck and happy reading!

44 comments:

  1. Mt favorites were the Black Stallion books — anything by Walter Farley.

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  2. My favorites were the Saddle Club series of books. I liked the Black Stallion and the Thoroughbred series also, but I read my Saddle Club books until the pages were falling out.

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  3. My favorite horse books are without a doubt the Marguerite Henry Misty of the Chincoteague ones. I remember checking them out of the library on constant rotation and reading and re-reading them.

    There was a two part horse "mystery" book series I read back in the early 80's that has plagued me for years because I can not remember the names of the books. It was about a girl who worked on a horse farm and all I remember was the horse's name was Cache and there was a dog, and a neighbor with a crazy sister. Argh, now it is going to bug me again.

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  4. Thanks for the book reviews. Now I have some new titles to check out

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  5. Well I was going to say that I loved some books called "Misty" and "Stormy, Misty's Foal". So I googled it and realised I was talking about the very same book that Michelle (above commenter) had noted!! Strange... but wonderful.

    :-)
    BB

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  6. Like Michelle.. Marguerseries were mine. How I wanted one of those ponies!

    This author sounds wonderful!

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  7. oops, I some how deleted part of my comment..the Misty of the Chincoteague series.. is what I meant to say! by Marguerite Henry.

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  8. Oh, the Black Stallion series, for sure! They are still at my mom's!

    KarenTX

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  9. Oh man I have so many books I loved. First of all black beauty. I can't count the times I have read that book the copy I have has seen better days. National velvet, I always loved the jumping and racing. Chapter books are alright but they are not what dominates my bookshelf. I have a ton of scientific horse books. As soon as I was able to understand them I started to collect them. Everything form genetics and breeding to physiology and anatomy.

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  10. Try "Virginia Gentleman" by Mary Mitchell Barnes...it's so wonderful!..bring a box of tissues though!!

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  11. The "Billy and Blaise" picture books are wonderful, of course - I so wanted to be Billy! And there is a Misty book or two around the house as well. My girls and I read "Black Beauty" out loud as we traveled on trains during summer vacation a couple of years ago - a very fun thing to do (both the vacation and the book!).

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  12. I would have to say my absolute favorite was My Friend Flicka. The relationship between that boy and that little filly was amazing.

    The Saddle Club series is a close second in my book!

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  13. OH, I always loved the Saddle Club books!! They were the best!! Oh the riding and showing!! It was always my dream to show horses.

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  14. When I was younger I absolutely devoured the Saddle Club books. They were my fave! Loved the Black Stallion books too. Pretty much anything with a horse on the cover was promptly checked out at the library or begged for at the store!

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  15. I loved the Black Stallion books as I was growing up.

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  16. I love horse stories , they often make me cry , but I read them anyway . BTW what are those glorious looking cookies in your header picture?

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  17. I was a horse crazy teenager who grew up into a horse crazy adult. I've read and re-read most of the books mentioned, plus any other horse stories I could get my hands on. I just wrote my own book, A Story of the West that I am really excited about. I'm giving away five of them in a drawing. Just contact me by December 20th, and I'll sign you up.

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  18. My favorite was King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry about the Goldolphin Arabian.

    Does anyone else remember the short story, the Red Pony by Steinbeck? I cried and cried like I did for most of Steinbeck's novels but it was good writing.

    Another thing too, although they weren't books about horses necessarily, was the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien. It was populated with a number of well loved horse characters. I loved the idea of the mearas a race of magical horses who could understand the speech of men. And the Riders of Rohan were such a powerful image in my mind as a child... Good stuff.

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  20. The Phantom Stallion series are awesome! I also really like Billy and Blaze and The Saddle Club(I should go and read them again)

    I can't wait to see who wins, even though I have a very low chance of winning I would really like to see what else comes in the box with the book.

    Thanks so much Pony Girl!

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  21. I have to say that Black Beauty will always hold a special place in my heart... it was the first "big" book that I ready all by myself!
    The Black Stallion books, Steinbeck's The Red Pony, oh shoot can't remember the author but a book called Danza, they were all great.

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  22. I agree about the Red Pony..one of my favorites too..I also cried.
    I loved the Misty and Black Stallion books--if it was a horse or a dog book, I read it!

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  23. oops that should say "that I read all by myself" NOT "ready" lol

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  24. The Phantom Rider Series (Ghost Horse, Haunted Trail, Ghost Vision) were my favorite books!

    I still have all of my horse fiction books and also used to cling to one called That Horse Whiskey.

    I of course read Pony Pals, Pone Tails, eventually Saddle Club as well..but I always enjoyed the smaller sets of series or the individual books. The big series kept me interested because there were so many of them, but the smaller series had..I felt..more complete stories.

    And of the series..I really liked Pony Pals the most. Even after "graduating" to Saddle Club books, I kept the little trading cards from the Pony Pal books and would occasionally pick up a few of my favorite ones to read.

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  25. HI PG,

    I am finally catching up on my blog reading and am happy to have some new titles to read. My favorite is still Smoky the Cow Horse by Will James

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  26. I've read most of the books mentioned by all the people who commented. My favorite book was the one I was reading at the time.

    Now though I have "graduated" to Dick Francis racing books and Rita Mae Brown fox hunting books.

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  27. Why aren't there more horse books for ADULTS?? I still read a lot of teen books, especially anything with a horse on the cover. Here's a newer one that even most horse-crazy folks never saw:

    Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby

    I don't know why this book didn't get much attention, the horse parts were actually ACCURATE! And it's set sort of locally (to me--Vancouver Island is just a hop over a puddle from here) and deals with a guy who wants to ride dressage even though his dad wants him to be a cowboy. Nice story, totally predictable, but nice.

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  28. Well since we just had a blizzard blow through here, this give-a-way seems very appropriate for me. lol!

    One of my favorite horse books is Chosen by a Horse a memoir by Susan Richardson. I've even given it as gifts to several friends, too.

    It really touched my heart.

    ~Lisa

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  29. Oh!! And I wanted to also add a new favorite horse book that I just finished reading: Horseplay by Judy Reene Singer.

    Oh man.....what a great author. She had me in stitches through most of the book with her humor and her and creative mystery carried me through lots of twists and turns. Crazy fun book!

    ~Lisa

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  30. As a kid I read TONS of horse books. Any that I could get my hands on! I remember reading Pamela and the Blue Mare by Alice O'Connell (I still have this very old book packed away some where). I LOVED Sam Savitt's books because his illustrations were so real and I was always after horse drawings, like Wild Horse Running, and Sam Savitt's True Horse Stories. I loved all Marguerite Henry's horse books, especially Brighty, of the Grand Canyon, King of the Wind, and Justin Morgan Had a Horse. And I can't forget Summer Pony and Winter Pony by Jean Slaughter Doty. I also loved the Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear series, especially the Valley of Horses.

    As an adult, I've really enjoyed Laura Crum's horse mystery series about a horse veterinarian, and I can always read books written by Mark Rashid - I like his stories about when he worked on the old man's farm.

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  31. Wow, so I'm not the only 'closet' reader of child's horse stories way into my adult years, under the guise of being an elementary teacher.I remember the Black Stallion series as my favorite. I devoured everything I could get my hands on. Now I've come full circle as I'm writing horse books myself.

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  32. I remember the Highlights book, I think Boo has a copy! I've never read any of her other books. I might have to borrow some of them. As to my favorite book, I don't think I've read any specifically about horses. Sad huh.

    Are you staying warm if this big freeze?! I don't even want to go outside these days!

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  33. {AarenX}~ Thanks for the adult book recommendation, that sounds fabulous!

    {Kara}~ Jean Slaughter Doty's Summer Pony and Winter Pony are two of my favorites- I still have my childhood Scholastic copies!!!

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  34. Oh wow, there were so many! Lets see: My Friend Flicka, The Red Pony, Beauty (I cried like a baby), The Black Stallion. I've probably read Anna Sewell's Black Beauty a hundred thousand times! Anything that had a horse on the front, I checked out from the school library. Thanks for posting these reads-I need something else to get my mind off the Twilight Series LOL!

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  35. I read a lot while growing up (nearsighted -- couldn't play sport-type games very good), but have not read as much since I got married. I will have to check out some of these books, since I have never really read any horse books....

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  36. Oh, my list of favorite horse books could go on forever! Have to say "Justin Morgan Had a Horse" is up at the top, as well as the entire Chincoteague ponies series. Also, gotta add the Black Stallion series and forever a classic "Black Beauty". I was quite a reader when I was younger too. I would even walk around the grocery store with my mom, with my nose stuck in a book!

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  37. Her covers are beautiful on her books. I loved National Velvet, and Black Beauty. I would love to read some more. Hugs

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  38. Thank you for these great reminders. I just got a young girl here as a Holiday present (pre-teen stepdaughter moved in with us!) And she is sweet as can be - and loves our big babysitter sorrel gelding.

    Never been on a horse- but she is so relaxed on him after just a few weeks riding that I have to keep reminding her to pay attention. And she has a great natural seat. Since the third ride I haven't caught her with her heels up yet. I have her on a NaturalRide Saddle with no stirrups to start out.

    Anyway- a whole box of these books would be a GREAT present for her. I grew up on these books (except I hated the Steinbeck book-wayy too depressing).
    THANKS!

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  39. I was a big big BIG fan of the Thoroughbred series growing up. I'll bet even though I'm an adult now I would still enjoy these books! I'll check out this author! Thanks Pony Girl!
    Em

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  40. I loved the Golden Sovereign book by Dorothy Lyons published in 1946 as a young child. I have never forgotten it and I looked it up on Amazon and they have some copies there for sale just as I remembered the jacket to be! I read it in about 1959 after checking it out of the small library in my hometown.

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  41. My absolute favorite was Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty". Even now, I still occasionally flip through my copy's crinkled and worn pages. I also loved Walter Farley's "The Black Stallion" series.

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  42. Your blog is so great with all these writers that you know! How do you meet them? It must be so cool to be the horse person's answer to Terry Gross on NPR!!!! I love books for young readers. This must be why I am such a big fan of Nancy Drew. But Nancy never went on any horse-riding mysteries! I am going to check out these books by Alison Hart. For one thing, they look totally riveting.The cover of "Anna's Blizzard" looks very compelling indeed!! I did not read horse books as a kid--I guess I better make up for it now!!!!!!!!

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  43. I have a 12 year old horse crazy girl and am so happy to now have a few new books to put in her stocking! Thanks for the review!

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  44. Oh, my list of favorite horse books could go on forever! Have to say "Justin Morgan Had a Horse" is up at the top, as well as the entire Chincoteague ponies series. Also, gotta add the Black Stallion series and forever a classic "Black Beauty". I was quite a reader when I was younger too. I would even walk around the grocery store with my mom, with my nose stuck in a book!

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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