I’ve just heard today that my new publisher, i5, has sent THE ORIGINAL HORSE BIBLE to the printer. It will be available in June. Until then, enjoy the book trailer produced by the amazing Striking Media.
Latest News about The Original Horse Bible
29 Apr 2013 7 Comments
in The Original Horse Bible, Uncategorized
The Original Horse Bible Update
05 Apr 2013 Leave a Comment
in The Original Horse Bible Tags: books, BowTie Inc., i5 Publishing, The Original Horse Bible
Several people have contacted me regarding the out of stock issue with The Original Horse Bible. BowTie Inc, the publisher of the book and many magazines I write for, such as Horse Illustrated and Hobby Farms, was recently purchased by i5 Publishing. They bought the rights to the Horse Bible but it’s taking a little while to get it back in print. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear. In the meantime, I do have a few copies I can sell. Let me know if you’re interested. Contact me at sharonkbiggs at aol.com
My First Interview about A Mad, Wicked Folly
07 Mar 2013 Leave a Comment
in Novel writing, Wicked Folly Tags: PRB, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, suffragettes
Yesterday my good friend Jen Doktorski posted an interview she did about my debut novel, A MAD, WICKED FOLLY. Check it out!
http://www.jendoktorski.com/?page_id=143
Also, if you’re interested in what a Pre-Raphaelite painting looks like, as mentioned in the interview, here is a very famous one called Ophelia, which was done by John Everett Millais, one of the founders of the PRB.
My morning farm commute
01 Mar 2013 4 Comments
in Chickens, Garden Veg, Goats, Horses
Most people commute to work, but since I work at home, my commute is short, to say the least. I thought I’d share the usual sights I see along the way. Here’s a few pics from this morning.
Time to let the chickens out, feed, water, and gather eggs. I hope everyone looks healthy and happy. Last week I found our second rooster, Brutus, dead under the perch. : (
The reason why you should count your chickens before they hatch. I didn’t realize I had three non-industrial Leghorns. One is a rose-comb (the one in back). They are too fast to count them, so I thought I just had one. That Araucana looks weird leaning down like that. Is she okay? Luckily, she jumps off her perch when Russell Crowe, the rooster does. Wow, that’s a lot of chicken manure to shovel out come spring. Sigh. The cinder block usually holds their Flock Block (it’s this compressed seed and shell block they peck). I need to order another one. I think the Leghorns are wondering where it is.
Three Non-industrial Leghorns.
Betty Draper, our silver-laced Wyandotte, is fluffed up against the cold.
Mabel says good morning.
Mabel, our Americauna hen, found a great place to lay an egg. In a bag of wood shavings.
I leave the chickens and go over to the barn, passing the veg/fruit garden on the way. I wondered what my husband was up to yesterday. Turns out he was squaring the compost/manure pile. Nice. The heat off this pile is epic. I used my trusty laser thermometer on it last week and one section was over 100 degrees in 10 degree weather. Way to go microbes!
The trellis fence is looking good. Almost (sort of) done. Everything on a farm is almost (sort of) done ALL the time.
Artistically rendered manure pile
Good morning, horses! Tully and Drifter greet me with a friendly nicker.
Tully and Drifter say good morning.
Valentine says good morning, too. She lives with Tully. They are besties.
Tully’s stablemate, Valentine, says good morning!
I open the goat door to find this tableau. Not sure why Barley is standing in a bucket. Not sure why Clover is standing by the wall like he’s at a pub waiting to be served. Goats are nothing if not hilarious.
Clover, Barley, and Dulcinea.
Looks like we have plenty of hay to last for a while…
Hay stores
Which is good because the pastures are covered in snow.
Pastures of snow
Everyone is fed and it’s time to go back to the house. But first, a look at the blueberry patch. Can’t wait for fresh blueberries in July! (The little house in the back is my summer writing studio)
Blueberry bushes
Breakfast time for the farmer! Thanks for the fresh egg, girls!
Farmer’s breakfast
Romance and Courtship in the Edwardian Era: It wasn't much fun.
14 Feb 2013 Leave a Comment
One of the fascinating things about writing historical novels is researching the various rituals of romance in your chosen period. Edwardian-era England is my favorite time, namely because it was a time of great societal change. Love and courtship, however, remained steeped in tradition. How and whom you married depended hugely on one factor: class.
For those “upstairs,” marriage was more about keeping blood within the aristocracy pure; for the newly wealthy industrialist, a good match gave social climbing parvenus standing within Society.
My musings on romance! Happy Valentine's Day!
Let’s Hear it for the (Bad) Girls!
07 Feb 2013 Leave a Comment
When I thought about historical bad girls, the subject of this week's blog, my mind immediately jumped to the rebel girl who dared to step outside society’s boundaries and ask “why not?” To me, these girls are the pathfinders, the heroines, the founding sisters/mothers who blazed a path for us. I would not have the luxury of living a life of my own making were it not for the likes of such “bad girls” who risked everything to change the status quo.
From our blog Corsets, Cutlasses, & Candlesticks! Enjoy.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
15 Dec 2012 Leave a Comment
The correct way to recycle a gingerbread house (barn, in this case). My hens enjoyed this one last year. Well, they did once they understood that it was food. I love the look on Fern’s face (she’s the dark Brahma in the right hand corner). It took a day before this gingerbread was pecked to pieces.
