Okay, so Angelea at HorseGirlTV was cool enough to hook me up with a supercute HGTV t-shirt. Want to win it? Leave a comment here by Monday at midnight to enter. I’ll draw a winner on Tuesday morning.
If you blog about or mention the contest somewhere else, leave the link in your comment and you’ll get an extra entry. 🙂
After getting nails done with BFF, I ran over to B&N and saw…Triple Fault! Yaaaay! I signed all of the books and they have the cool green stickers that say “autographed copy.” Love. Those.
I just stood there for a second and stared. Four books look kinda pretty. 🙂
I’ve got the weekend planned in a very crazy list-like way. Okay, more like an obsessive way, but moving on…My list looks something like this:
(Hee! Funny, right?! Although, I’m totally not into Jasper, but it’s cute.)
* Barnes & Noble run. I’m going out of town soon and need a sparkly plane book. I’ll take the book and will leave it in my suitcase until the trip. No reading of book until the trip.
At B&N, maybe they’ll have copies of Triple Fault to sign. If not, perhaps copies of the other books that I signed have sold and there are new ones. If not? Devastation, LOL. Imagine if every single copy I signed a while ago is still there. Hmmm…maybe I don’t want to know! 🙂
* Write a *massive* chunk of Rival Revenge. Like, a supercrazy word count goal that will have a reward at the end if I hit it. Reward? Undecided. Suggestions are welcome.
* Finish Crank. My first Ellen Hopkins book and I’m in love with her writing. Plus, if you follow her on Twitter, she’s the NICEST person ever. Seriously.
* Walk around the park. Haven’t done that in a while. Kinda thinking walking to the subway or friends’ apartment doesn’t count as exercise. Sad. But I’m already making excuses as to why I won’t do this because I’m, you know, on a deadline and have to work. That makes it okay.
* Start and finish final edits on Little White Lies.
* Hardcore apartment cleaning.
* Judge more entries for Girls’ Horse Club fiction contest.
* Reply to reader email.
And that’s some of the list. What about you guys?
A quick note to say THANK YOU to Katelyn for sending me the first fan e-mail about TRIPLE FAULT. Katelyn, that was so, so sweet and Editor Kate and I loved it. 🙂 You rock! Team Canterwood!
To everyone who has been asking–TF is available in some stores now (like Barnes & Noble), at Amazon and will be showing up everywhere else very soon. Thanks so much for already looking for it! 🙂
The Website for the 2009 Decatur Book Festival is up and fully functional!
Specifically, check out my presentation on Saturday. I’m also loving the gorilla on my page. Hee hee. Kinda awesome.
I’m excited to be presenting on the Children’s Stage from 2:30-3pm.
Thanks so much to everyone at the DBF for having me. 🙂
Today, I’m going to be 
. Substitute that for a pink laptop.
I’ve got a writing date with Robyn and we’re determined to consume lots of 
I have to get my newest 
RIVAL REVENGE written.
Or else EK will send her posse after me. 
No. For reals.
Happy writing!
When I got an e-mail from Angelea Walkup, I was sooo excited! Angelea is the host of HorseGirlTV and it’s one of the coolest, most innovative programs for people who love horses.
To explain about HorseGirlTV, I’m borrowing this directly from Angelea’s Website:
var s0 = new SWFObject(“http://www.horsegirltv.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/flash-video-player/mediaplayer/player.swf”,”n0″,”640″,”364″,”7″); s0.addParam(“allowfullscreen”,”true”); s0.addParam(“allowscriptaccess”,”always”); s0.addParam(“wmode”,”opaque”); s0.addVariable(“id”,”n0″); s0.addVariable(“controlbar”,”bottom”); s0.addVariable(“height”,”364″); s0.addVariable(“playlist”,”none”); s0.addVariable(“skin”,”http://www.horsegirltv.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/flash-video-player/skins/simple/simple.swf”); s0.addVariable(“width”,”640″); s0.addVariable(“autostart”,”false”); s0.addVariable(“bufferlength”,”1″); s0.addVariable(“displayclick”,”play”); s0.addVariable(“icons”,”true”); s0.addVariable(“linktarget”,”_blank”); s0.addVariable(“mute”,”false”); s0.addVariable(“quality”,”true”); s0.addVariable(“repeat”,”none”); s0.addVariable(“resizing”,”true”); s0.addVariable(“shuffle”,”false”); s0.addVariable(“stretching”,”exactfit”); s0.addVariable(“volume”,”90″); s0.addVariable(“file”,”http://horsegirltv.com/episodes/ep48.flv”); s0.write(“video0”HorseGirlTV® is a forward thinking online series focusing on the positive aspects of the equine industry.
Mission
The mission at HorseGirlTV® is to educate the equine community while simultaneous entertaining and educating kids, families and mainstream audiences exposing the wonderful world of horses to the world thus enriching and expanding our industry. HorseGirlTV’s goal with is to continually create unique, quality equine entertainment for the wired generation! Tune in. Tack up.®
About Our Host
As a life long equestrian, Angelea (HorseGirlTV’s CEO or Chief Equine Officer!) has not only ridden and trained but she has successfully competed in Dressage through Grand Prix earning both her USDF Silver and Gold Medals. Angelea’s post university career found her behind an illuminated computer screen working in Internet technologies with online communities. She turned in her full-time keyboard with her companies successful acquisition by a major Internet brand and is now focusing her energies on maximizing the emerging world of new media for horse lovers.
I’ve been a fan of the show for a while and am thrilled that Angelea has asked me to come on and talk about my journey from rider to writer. I’m going to her farm in North Carolina in August to shoot and I’ll be vlogging from there. 🙂 We’ll probably *both* be vlogging, LOL, since Angelea is as into technology as I am.
When the show airs, it’ll be available online and as an iPod download, which is super cool. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when we get an airdate.
Thanks in advance to Angelea and yay for HorseGirlTV! 🙂
(7/5 note–this is a pre-scheduled post for today and I just wanted to add that I hope everyone had an amazing 4th of July. I’ll share details from my sparkly weekend (with pics!) this week. But my first 4th in NYC? Total win.) 🙂
Hey guys!
So, I found out about this super cool equestrian program on a neighborhood message board and wanted to share it with everyone.
Read this first:
~*~
Hi! We are offering an EAP/Therapeutic Horseback Riding group in conjunction with GALLOPnyc (www.gallopnyc.org) for 7-10 year olds from August 24th through August 28th, 9:30-12 PM. This is an innovative (and FUN!) form of therapy for kids and can benefit many, including those who are simply shy, or anxious, depressed, struggling with divorce, ADHD, issues with peers, or could could otherwise benefit from learning horseback riding and socializing with peers in a therapeutic, non competitive environment. This group will be 1/3 riding, 1/3 grooming, and 1/3 group activities.
The group will take place in Kensington Stables, adjacent to Prospect Park.
For more information, questions, and to sign up for the group, please feel free to contact Susie Gersten, L.M.S.W. at EAP.BKLYN@gmail.com.
~*~
All right, so if you live in NYC or close by, they need volunteers to lead horses, help with the kids, etc. You do NOT need experience with horses to help. If you don’t want to work with horses, then there will be plenty to do with the participants. I’m going to be volunteering at least one day to lead, groom, tack up and work with the horses and I’m so, so excited.I just sent an email for more details about volunteering, so I’m waiting to hear back to find out what I’ll be doing. If you want to come and volunteer with me that would be GREAT! Shoot me an e-mail and we’ll coordinate a day. If you’ve never been around a horse, I can teach you my skillz. 😉
If you don’t live nearby but want to support the program, they’re also accepting donations since some kids need sponsors. Contact Susie about that.
Happy almost 4th of July, everyone! I’m out for a blog break as of today, but will be back next week. 🙂 Unless, you know, something crazy happens that I HAVE to blog about. I’m so excited that it’s my first 4th in NYC. Last year, I was sitting on the trunk of my car with my brother watching neighborhood fireworks. This year? Who knows!
Tonight, I’m hitting Stir with friends and I’m beyond excited.
Have a fab holiday weekend!!
What a weekend!
First, I made a goal I was sure I’d keep on Friday–4000 new words before midnight. Author Paula Yoo joined me and dubbed it “Friday 4k.”
Well, I gave up around 1300 words. Epic fail. The chance to go out came up and I took it. And for once, I didn’t feel bad about it! Usually, I’d beat myself up over not making my word count goal. But instead, I ended up going out with BFF and doing exactly what was needed for a ridic week.
I worked a little on Saturday and focused on the end incentive–a night out in my neighborhood with awesome friends. It was sooo nice to be in my neighborhood and not have to get on the train after a night out. There are lots of interesting places yet to be explored…
Today, I pulled the plug on the Internet and got serious. For real. I wasn’t messing around, LOL. I got 4049 words down today, so I feel good about it. Better than yesterday’s measly total!
Tomorrow, I’m going out with the Melissa Walker and Sarah MacLean. Fun!
Also, I’ve been getting blurb requests lately and I’m flattered, thank you! Please feel free to send me an e-mail and I can give you an address where to send your book. My rule, though, just FYI–I won’t blurb a book unless I love it. I think that’s what you’re supposed to do…right?
AND! I found out through a neighborhood message board that…get ready…there is a stable near my park! Kensington Stables. OMG! I about died. I’m going to email them to see if I can come observe a few lessons, talk to the riders, maybe groom a lesson horse–anything! I’m insanely excited and would love to go and spend even a little time in the horsey environment. The killer? They offer trail rides in the park.
The park I adore.
That’s where it’s complicated. I had a spinal fusion for super severe scoliosis. So, if I rode a horse and fell, I could break or snap my rods and have to go through a spinal fusion *again* or become paralyzed. High stakes, right? But there are moments, every so often, where I want to risk it, get on a horse and RIDE! This is one of those moments.
People have argued to me that I could ride a “bomb proof” horse and would have nothing to worry about. But IMO, there’s no such thing. Accidents happen and no horse is bomb proof. I don’t believe it and I’ve met/ridden dozens of horses and have yet to find a BP horse.
*sighs* Tough decision.
And I also got a super quick rejection today. Sent the query and got a nice note back within hours. It’s a mag I’ve been trying to crack for years and they had just assigned the topic I pitched to someone else. Getting close I think…it’s just about timing! But that’s a better rejection than “Um, hello. Have you read our mag before? Why are you pitching us something off topic?!” I haven’t gotten one of those–I’m just saying that if you have to get a rejection, I got a nice one today.
And now to tackle e-mails from my reader girlies. 🙂 Hope everyone had a fab weekend!
Jessica Burkhart 