BLUE Sue ~ riding and writing, and writing about riding: Busy or boring or both?

Shop.HollyLisle.com ~

Holly's non-fiction including her fantastic writer's workshop series, and fiction by her and other select authors.

Holly now offers "How to Think Sideways," (it's not a book, it's an entire course) an intense, hands on, six month writer's course that includes weekly course work and supportive groups and forums. I'm going through it now and loving every minute of it. It's not just about how to write, there are a million courses that teach that. Her's is different in that it helps you learn to think like a writer and be a writer instead of just dreaming about it.

If this is what you want to do, she offers you the skills to help you to really live your dream.

"*Click HERE to register now*,"

For want of a what?

Regardless of genre, from contemporary to historical to western to fantasy, if you're going to write a horse, you need to get it right. For an author that hasn't spent much time in the barn it can be problematic, not because information is hard to find, but because there is so much available, it can be hard to sift through. Google is good for fact-finding, but sometimes it's hard to figure out the range of problems, potentials and what-ifs that you need to help or hinder your hero. And googling only tends to emphasize the common misconceptions that drive riders nuts when they read.

I hope these posts are enjoyable, but more than that, I hope they give writers ideas and perspective they can put to use in their writing.

I'm available to speak on writing horses at conferences or club meetings, and hands-on workshops can be scheduled for local groups. If you have specific questions or just want to talk horses, please email me at BLUESue22 at gmail dot com.

My Reading ~ more of a jumble than a stack ~ old favorites as well as current reads and re-reads

Blood Magic - Matthew Cook
Dragon's Wild - Robert Asprin
The Rose Sea - Holly Lisle
Lilith's Brood
Mind Fuck
Last Girl Dancing
Fire in the Mist
When Demons Walk
High Seas Cthulhu
Every Inch a King
The Sense of Honor
John Carter of Mars
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Silmarillion
Arafel's Saga
Sails and Sorcery
Logan's Redemption
Love, Texas Style
Wind Follower
Worms in my Tea
Ruins
The Cat Who Walks through Walls
There Will be Dragons
A Pilgrimage to Nejd
Call of the Wild
Kildar
Worlds of Wonder
The Medieval Warhorse
Bull from the Sea
Vazkor, Son of Vazkor
Tarzan of the Apes
Dragon Bones
The Hobbit
How Fiction Works
The Writer's Journey
The Black Tents of Arabia
Cloaked in Shadow
Warrior Women
Iron Kissed
The Faded Sun - Trilogy
For Edgar
Blood Bound
The Treason of Isengard
The Odyssey
Tales of Fantasy and Horror - Modern Magic
We Few
Hypoglycemia for Dummies
The Hob's Bargain
When Demons Walk
Dead Aim
Talyn - Holly Lisle
The War of the Jewels
Drinkers of the Wind
Women Warriors
The Children of Hurin
The Lord of the Rings

It seems that life has been contradictory full of inanities and tragedies lately.

The tragic loss of a colt, Yoda, at 16 months old to a 'twist'. Treatment was timely and extensive, but he simply couldn't be saved.

Yoda's loss pales in comparison to that of a young father of four, a close family friend, who was laid to rest today.

I didn't mean to talk about those things... but they're still strong on my mind, and I think they go along well enough with the flower I photo'd. That life is both beautiful and painful.

I had never seen these thistles before we moved out here, but I love them. I love the contrast of the delicate beauty of the flower on that strong, thick, prickly stalk - and it strikes me that thistle epitomizes how I aim to write my heroines. I do want her to have some beauty, but I want her to be so much more than that. I want her to be strong enough to survive harsh conditions, the sun and rock, and to take care of herself as well as sheltering others.