My Writing Partner

Writing is a solitary endeavor. It's just you and the blank page waiting to be filled with something enticing to draw in readers and keep them there. But I do have a writing partner and he's pictured here. Tarzan is a 6 year old cat that likes to hang out in my inbox after a busy day of making his rounds of our horse farm. He earned his name because as a kitten he'd race up 40' trees and leap from branch to branch, much like squirrels (or Tarzan).

So, with my partner on my desk, I work at my self-imposed word commitment for the day. I am fortunate that the settings for my mystery series are horse farms. When I need to do some research, I can justify getting out for a ride on my horse.

What do you do to get away from it all?

Writer Takes the Plunge--You Can, Too!

Welcome Today's Guest Blogger, Roger Zotti of Putnam, CT.

On a portable Royal typewriter, in another life, time, and place, I began writing mostly non-fiction. Then three years ago I began lying big time that is, writing fiction because I realized how much fun it is creating several alter egos and having them do anything they want.

My first book, "Tracking Shots," is self-published and a mix of fiction and non-fiction. The second book, also self-published, is all fiction, and titled "Sparring with Mickey Rourke" and other Imaginings. Am I satisfied with them? No, not really. There is room for much improvement and "Glimpses of Archie," book three, is an improvement. A novella about the life of the great Archie Moore, itll be published in about three months. I think boxing historian Burt Sugar said that if Archie Moore didnt exist, he'd have to be invented. Of course, Archie did exist so I invented stories about him, and I think he'd like what Ive written.

I think of myself as a student of writing. Thinking that way keeps my feet on the ground.

Pictured here is Roger's book "Sparing With Mickey Rourke. Care to Share With Us How You Began Your Writing Life?

Invite a Horse into your Life

According to the American Horse Council, there are 13 million people over 18 in the US that consider themselves "horse people." As Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying, "There's something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of man."

A horse is a major physical and financial commitment. But the richness these +/-1,000 animals bring into our lives is immeasurable.

Horse people everywhere --- share with us why horses bring joy and contentment into your lives.

Season of Sleigh Rallies

Even though snow brings a multitude of problems, New Englanders have always found time to enjoy fun in the snow--after they finished shoveling. A good twist of turning lemons into lemonade!

One of these pastimes is Sleigh Rallies. Born in Connecticut, sleigh rallies are a low-keyed competition held in open snow-filled fields. No fancy, high-priced licensed judges, just some local official (or willing person) chooses the winners. A chorus of sleigh bells jingle joyfully through the day as single horses hooked to antique sleighs join farm horses pulling utility sleds. And usually pairs of huge draft horses join the fun. Often a spectator can hitch a ride in a sleigh.

Because sleighs don't turn as easily as wheeled carts, the class only goes one direction. (Does not reverse like typical horse show classes.) Officials running a sleigh rally looks around the field to see what kinds of horses and sleighs have shown up for the day, then taylor-makes the specs of the upcoming class to suit what he sees. Lots of outdoor fun. Does much to alieviate cabin fever.

Oh, I know, you have too much work piled on your desk to spend a few hours at a sleigh rally. Take a break. Get some fresh air and you'll come back to attack those deadlines with fresh vigor.

Never Give Up!

Horsemanship and Authorship are not for the faint-hearted. Having competed in the horse show ring for years taught me humility, patience and the willingness to do what it takes to sharpen my performance. In the early years there were shows where I left the ring without even an 8th place ribbon. The judge, in essence, telling me I just wasn't good enough. Even when I began to actually win a blue ribbon, there certainly were judges who sent me away with the message I simply wasn't a winner.

I believe my horse show life gave me the thick skin necessary to make it in the publishing world. A writer must perserve through dozens of rejection letters. My earlier training made it a little easier for me to go back to my computer and look at my work with a more critical eye. Eventually it paid off and publication is my blue ribbon.

This is a photo of my writing partner, "Tarzi." curled up here in manuscript boxes. One actually found a publisher! Probably with the help of my magic cat!

So, if you've been tossed off your horse, or the publisher dumped your manuscript in the trash, let's hear what has propeled you to back in the saddle -- or re-vamp your manuscript.

Twitter is Official, Horse Mystery Murders with Best-selling Author Patti Brooks

Twitter is Official, Horse Mystery Murders with Best-selling Author Patti Brooks

It's official! Author Patti Brooks is now technically savvy. LOL. I have a twitter account. That's another way to utilize social networking to find more people that are interested in our genre of horse mystery murders.


Stop by my Tweeter account and send me Twitt - tell Patti what you think?


https://twitter.com/HorseMystery


Tell Patti Brooks what you Think?

Finding Mystery Writers Blogs, Do You Know of Any Great Ones on Murder Mystery & Horses, Tell Patti

Finding Mystery Writers Blogs, Do You Know of Any Great Ones on Murder Mystery & Horses, Tell Patti

I have spent quite a bit of time going over other mystery writers' blogs as I learn tonavigate and understand the ins and outs of blogging. What amazing technology the blogosphere offers. If you know of any great mystery writers Blogs post your comments and let me know about them as I just might link them to mine...

What do you like to see when reading blogs? Tell Patti...

Murder Mystery Novels on Twitter Account Coming Soon by Patti Brooks

Murder Mystery Novels on Twitter Account Coming Soon by Patti Brooks

Great murder mystery novels with Patti Brooks will be coming soon on Twitter.

http://www.pattibrooksbooks.com/

Tell Patti What You Think?

Blizzard Makes it Hard on Rescue Horses

Blizzard Makes it Hard on Rescue Horses

Although horses get along better in cold than in high temps, this weekend's New England storm brought up to 2 feet of snow and frozen water to hundreds of horses without competent care givers. Does anyone have questions about about the rescue process?




http://www.pattibrooksbooks.com/

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Editorial Reviews & Book Description for Fame & Deceit A Tangle of Sex, Murder and Blue-blooded Horses

Editorial Reviews
Product Description for Fame & Deceit

It's all about the power of a dream. Driven by his Olympian goal of achieving world class recognition, Ike Cherny blocks out the world. Except for an occasional pretty woman or two, he tries to turn a blind eye to the evil swirling around him. Ike is a full-fledged horse-profiler whose innate talent to "read a horse" has never been proven. In spite of the lack of a track record, in spite of the absence of a mentor to turn to for advice, Ike believes in his ability to pluck a wild filly from the back woods of Maine and bring Aristooke Annie along so she has the polish to become the next World Champion. Someone is secretly dumping toxic waste. Has Ike's boss, Agosto Benalli cooked up a scheme to profit by burying toxic waste at Crowne Stable with Ike's girl friend, Eugenia Jordan, (CT's Commissioner of the Dept. of Environmental Protection) as Benalli's cohort? Someone is secretly killing Connecticut clergymen. Who is terrorizing Connecticut's clergymen? Is Eugenia is carrying out a sick vendetta because she believes her sister was raped and murdered at the hands of their minister? Or what about Harriet Stilton with an embedded hatred of clergymen for what one did to her son? Ike's Stable of Conniving Women Ike moves from the arms of cuddly Lisa Danzig after she is caught poisoning Ike's horses, to sexually abused Eugenia Jordan, but backs away from the relationship when she confesses to bribery. Ike discovers Eugenia's body, two month's pregnant floating in the river. Did Ike's boss order her death because of the hazardous waste scheme? Or was Eugenia overly distraught because he dumped her and decided to take her own life? Ike's attraction to Veronica Rouseau ends when he discovers she brokered the sale of Aristooke Annie. Set in New England's horse world, Fame & Deceit is is a tangle of sex, murder and blue blooded horses.

"You don’t need a degree to figure out Fame & Deceit could and will be on Oprah’s book of the month club.”
--Dennis Schleicher
Best Selling Author and Support Group Counselor

Share your thoughts and reviews by posting your comments with Patti. She’ll get with you fast and you could win book from Patti Brooks.