Blog Posts

Spring Ponderings

3/7/2014

Spring has sprung. After the prayed-for rain, the grass is finally green and birds that carouse in my bird bath flash brighter colors. The only thing I hate about this time of year is the buckets of winter hair I brush off my horses. Since April is poetry month, inspired by my now shedding horses, with an apology to real poets, I will share a poem I wrote.

     Horses Change Coats

     Before winter clouds plump in the sky,
     before snowdrifts pile up too high,
     before the sun with its bold, bright light
     falls asleep longer each night,
     long fluffy hair appears
     on muzzles, fetlocks, and pointy ears.
     During the winter horses wear,
     a thick warm coat of shaggy hair.

     When the sky becomes bright and blue,
     when spring flowers begin to sprout,
     when birds build nests and fly about,
     horsy hides turn slick and sleek
     as the sun shines longer and hotter each week.
     Preparing for summer’s fiery glare,
     horses lose their winter hair.

     Horses must keep a watchful eye
     on the sun’s yearly travel across the sky
     as it changes places every day,
     climbing and dipping along the way,
     letting mares and stallions know
     it’s time for their winter coat to grow.
     Or perhaps to warn instead,
     it's time for their hairy coats to shed.

Now that our daylight hours lengthen, here in California time springs forward, so don't forget to set your clocks.
Happy Spring!

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On Dressage & Writing

10/7/2013

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When I recently cleaned out my filing cabinet, I found a few tests I used years ago when applying for my United States Dressage Federation’s
Bronze Medal Rider Award. To earn the award, I had to achieve a score of at least 60% at a USDF recognized show, on two different rides, judged by two
different judges, at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd levels.

Dressage tests are performed in a 20 x 60 meter (about 66 feet x 198 feet) arena, and require specific movements be executed at letters placed around the arena. Each movement is scored from 0 to 10 with a remark. When riding a test, my goal was to achieve a score of seven or above on each movement. To do this, my horse and I had to work as a team, precisely and well—no easy
task.
Though I rarely attained the score I wanted, I enjoyed training
my horse for dressage events, and learned a lot from those competitions. If I made a mistake during a test, I learned to keep my cool and ride each step, because the whole test was judged, not just that one error. I learned to accept criticism. The dressage judge not only pointed out my mistakes, but also gave positive comments for improvement. This gave me a goal and inspired me to work on my riding skills.
Improvement in dressage only comes through wet saddle blankets, the rider’s dedication to practice, and a don’t give-up-even-though-I’m-sweaty attitude, much like a writer needs to finish a writing project, or deal with the disappointments and difficulties encountered in getting published.
Years ago, I took an English class that edited a book to be
published by Hancock College. The students in the class also critiqued each other’s stories. The rules were to say something positive and give constructive comments. The experience of having my horse’s every stride scrutinized by a stern judge gave me an appreciation for the benefit of accepting someone else’s
opinion. Even so, scrutiny is never easy; for some reason, the pleasure of a multitude of positive remarks doesn’t seem to take the sting out of even a tiny negative one. It was the first time a group critiqued my writing. I was nervous. My voice quivered when I read my story to them. But the many times I had halted at X in the center of the arena at the end of a dressage test taught me you-can-do-it-if-you-stick-to-it.
Now, even after having a few books published, I still belong to
a critique group. By sharing my writing, I test my story for weak spots, and get ideas and remedies for my story’s glitches. Best of all, I get to hang out with a bunch of interesting people who love to write.

Luis in younger days

After I earned my Bronze Medal Award, my Morgan horse, Luis, and I retired from showing at dressage competitions. Over the years, he has been a
dependable friend who has taken me on many trails and roundups. He is now thirty-one-years old, and along with Mick, my younger horse, enjoys napping in the shade of the oaks on our back acre.

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Vacation's Over

9/3/2013

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The Porter Ranch’s fall roundup went well. The weaned calves
have been auctioned, and the cows are awaiting the birth of their new calves.

The hay has been mowed, baled, and stacked in the barn. Long
summer days wane. Soon the fields will again be disked and prepared for planting in anticipation of winter's life-giving rain.

Labor Day signals my vacation is over; it is time for me to go to
work on a new novel. For inspiration, I am reading Practical
Tips for Writing Popular Fiction by Robyn Carr. This enjoyable writing guide advises: read extensively, gain a working knowledge of written English, write what you love to read, write what you know and what fascinates you, and invest time in learning to write well.

All good advice.

Of course, there is no magic formula. No amount of reading how-to books will improve writing skills. That only happens by writing, by searching for the right words to describe a scene or reveal a character’s inner turmoil, by being open to critique, and revising. The challenge to write a good story with great characters takes work and is often frustrating. Yet that’s what hooked me on writing. No matter how many books I write, stretching my skills to create outstanding characters and interesting stories is what makes writing engrossing and fun.

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Memorial Day

5/23/2013

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Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day honors men and women who died while serving in the United States military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it likely began when townspeople gathered in different states to honor their Civil War dead in the 1860's. Yet Memorial Day didn't become an official federal holiday until1971.
Recently, I've been reading letters my father-in-law wrote while serving in the Pacific during WWII. He writes of homesickness and hardship. The years he spent in the Pacific were a huge sacrifice, but luckily he came home when the war ended. Many of our warriors did not.
Our freedom has been bought by the many soldiers who paid the ultimate price. Memorial Day gives us the opportunity to salute those men and women who never made it home. When we fly our beautiful American flag, we honor those who gave their lives for our country. The white reminds us of the purity of truth, the blue of our country’s resolve and justice, and the red of the courage and sacrifice of our warriors.
On Memorial Day, please remember to say a prayer for the soldiers who died serving our country, and for the men and women now serving, that they may come home safely.

My father-in-law, Asa Porter, while fighting in the Pacific islands during WWII. His letters relflect the difficulty the troops had getting film for their cameras. This is the only photo he sent home.

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April Fools

4/1/2013

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On April 1st, many countries celebrate April Fools' Day. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, it is
not a national holiday but a widely recognized day when
people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. It’s
believed that April Fool’s Day began with the reform of the calendar.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered the advancement of the calendar by 10 days and introduced a new corrective device to curb further error: century years such as 1700 or 1800 would no longer be counted as leap years, unless they were (like 1600 or 2000) divisible by 400.
Since their inception, calendars have been used to reckon time in advance, and to fix the occurrence of events like harvests or religious festivals. When the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, the first day of the year came in a new month. So now, instead of on April 1st, New Year's Day was celebrated on January 1st.
Communication traveled slowly in those days, and some people did not learn of the change until several years later. And some were rebellious, refused to acknowledge the change, and
continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st. These people were labeled "fools” and were subject to ridicule, sent on "fool errands," or sent invitations to nonexistent parties, and had other practical jokes played upon them. This harassment evolved over time and a custom of prank-playing on April 1st has continued.

In April, the birds sing and nest, and wild flowers bloom. Foolish or not, it is the time of year to celebrate new life.
Have Happy Spring.

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March is Women's History Month

3/1/2013

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In 1978, a school district in Sonoma, California celebrated women’s contributions to culture, history and society. Hundreds of students from dozens of schools participated in a “Real Woman” essay contest, and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa. A few years later, the idea had caught on, and in 1980 President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women's History Week. The next year, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution and established it as a week long national celebration. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned United States Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March as Women’s History Month.

The Captain Henry Sweetser Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has invited me to speak at their meeting on March 16th. In honor of Women’s History Month, the women in my husband’s family will be the topic of my talk.

Rosa Sparks Porter was a fascinating woman with a strong sense of self. She inherited part of a Mexican land grant rancho from her father, Isaac Sparks, and because of her management most of the Porter Ranch is still in the family today.

Her lineage can be traced back to Tahiti and the Bounty mutiny. Barbara Juarez Wilson published a book, From Mission to Majesty, with tons of information about the women in Rosa's ancestry. The London Missionary Society kept an account of their time on Tahiti, and the Catholic Church has documents and baptismal records.The Bounty mutiny was famous, and ship logs were kept. To my amazement, The Mutiny on Board the H.M.S. Bounty by William Bligh, and The Mutiny of the Bounty by Sir John Barrow, first published in the late 1700s and early 1800s, are still sold on Amazon.

For 2013, the National Women’s History Project selected the theme, "Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics."
For the list of their 2013 Honorees & Nominee go to:http://www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees2012.php

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Bell Mare- A Book for the New Year

1/1/2013

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This cast iron bell, a replica of a bell mare, was a Christmas
gift, and now prominently hangs by our front door. It reminds me of a story in the book The Blond Ranchero of how a
Rancho Nipomo bell mare played an important role in retrieving horses Fremont’s battalion had mistakenly taken from the rancho on their march down California during the Mexican-American War.
The Blond Ranchero was written by Rocky Dana, the great-grandson of Captain Dana. A bible of historical information about happenings on the old California rancho, it is primary resource reading for Dana Adobe docents. If you enjoy history, it’s available at:
Dana Adobe
South County Historical Society
History Center of San Luis Obispo County
or
Amazon.com.

Happy Reading in 2013!

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Christmas Isn't Always Merry

11/29/2012

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The central coast of California's yearly
rainfall averages about 20 inches, and Christmas day is usually warm and sunny.
So it is hard to imagine on Christmas Eve in 1846 a rainstorm heavy enough to kill horses almost devastated Fremont’s battalion as they marched over the Santa Ynez Mountains during the Mexican- American War.
                            José spent that unhappy night sheltered
                            from this terrible storm in a cold, dark cave.
                                                           ****

After his parents separated, Christmas for Tim McGrew was not happy either.
                             ****
Geema pulled a fluttery-winged angel out of the box and held it up to the light. It looked like a huge, silver firefly. “This wishing angel belongs on the top. Every Christmas, Pop always topped the tree with it to wish on. Tim-Tom, you’re the man in the family now, so it’s your job.”
     A baseball-sized lump felt stuck in my throat. Me? I’m just a kid. I wasn’t supposed to be the man in the family? Not me. Dad should be here.
     Geema’s hair was twisted in a crazy topknot and decorated with a blue Christmas bow. She smiled at me, but her eyes looked kind of sad. She must miss Pop. My chest ached where my heart was supposed to be, and I took a deep breath, swallowed the glob of anger, and went to get a stepladder.
     As I climbed up, Geema steadied the ladder and handed me the angel. “Make sure it’s straight,” Betz said. With four women bossing me, I fastened the angel on the twiggy top.
     I clambered down and then took the stepladder back to the hall closet where Pop’s old jacket was hanging. The smell of his pipe tobacco still clung to the sleeve. If Pop were here, he’d know what to do about Dad.
     What was up with Dad anyway? Didn’t he miss us? He was away on the road a lot, but our family was always together on Christmas. He’d drive us around the neighborhood with my sisters “oohing” and “ahhing” over the bright Christmas lights, the rearing reindeer, and the Santas and elves.
     In the living room, the string of lights was plugged in, and the tree shimmered red, blue and green. On top, the angel’s silvery wings glowed. I squeezed my eyes shut and wished that Dad and Mom would get back together, and we’d be a family again.
Find my books on Amazon
Or Whimsical Publicaitons

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Remedy Book Signing

11/3/2012

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I had a wonderful time at the Nipomo Library visiting with family and friends who helped me celebrate the release of my latest young adult novel, Remedy.

author Tony Piazza

critique partner, Kathy Yamada

author Sue McGinty

my sisters, Patsy and Vona, and great-grand son, Easton

Jo Ann, Clara, and Jessie

Wish I had photos of everyone, but thank you all for making the day so very special.

best friend and husband, Charles

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The Next Big Thing

10/10/2012

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Thank you, Beverly Stowe McClure, for tagging me to participate in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. The hop rules require me to answer 10 predetermined questions, and then at the bottom of my post, I’ve listed authors who will answer the same ten questions on their blogs next Wednesday.

What is the title of your latest book?
My young adult novel Remedy was just released in September.

Where did the idea come from for Remedy?
I once wrote and illustrated a story for one of my riding students who owned a miniature burro. That story led me to write and illustrate the DANA Burro Picture Book Series.
Then I went to see the wild burros when the Bureau of Land Management brought them to a nearby town to be adopted. They were charming and inspired me to write Remedy.

What genre does your book fall under?
Remedy is a YA family/animal story told from two points of view, boy and burro.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Thirteen-year-old Tim and feisty Laney should be played by new, unknown actors. Glenn Close or maybe Cher would be perfect for the role of the whacky, psychic grandma.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of Remedy?
Tim McGrew thought things couldn’t get worse--until his family moves to his grandparent’s remote ranch on Nowhere Mountain.

Who published your book?
Both my young adult novels are published by Whimsical
Publications.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
At least a year. I write slowly, and my characters evolve as I write. My stories are set aside for a few months, revised many times, and shared with my critique group before I submit them to my publisher.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The dog in Because of Winn-Dixie filled a void in India Opal’s life like the burro did in Tim’s. And the offbeat grandmother in A
Year Down Yonder made me laugh. Tim’s grandmother is a hoot too.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Animals play big roles in all my stories. I’m inspired by the horses and all the wonderful pets I’ve known. Over the years, they have brought me joy, and comforted me if I felt lonely or sad. When I was about seven-years-old, I was attacked by a vicious dog, and our family’s loyal dog Puppy saved me from being torn to shreds. So it's easy to understand why animals hold a special place in my heart.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Remedy’s cover is so charming. The wise-eyed burro, cute dog, and sulky-faced boy invite the reader to pick up the book.

Next Wednesday check out these author's blogs to find out about their Next Big Thing.
Diane Craver
Marilyn Meredith
Regina Puckett

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Wanda Snow Porter

Spring Ponderings

On Dressage & Writing

Vacation's Over

Memorial Day

April Fools

March is Women's History Month

Bell Mare- A Book for the New Year

Christmas Isn't Always Merry

Remedy Book Signing

The Next Big Thing

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