Blog Posts

Vacation's Over

9/3/2013

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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I Love Burros

9/20/2012

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A burro’s ears look comical and cute and make me smile. However, those funny ears belie the burro’s smart, quick, and wily personality.
As a child I rode a burro and learned how clever they are. Our family had one horse that my sister and I took turns riding. If we went on a trail ride together, one of us had to ride a friend’s burro. It was stubborn but would follow the horses. As I recall, it had an appropriate name like Taco.
Our saddle didn't fit the burro, and neither of us liked riding him. With no saddle, no thick mane to clutch, and a flat ironing board back, riding Taco bareback faster than a walk was precarious. Of course, when we went trail riding, the kids who rode horses always wanted to gallop, and Taco would race after them. Most times, the unfortunate sister riding the burro managed to stay on the choppy gaited donkey’s back, that is, unless Taco bucked. He didn’t give much of a buck, just enough to throw us off balance. Then we’d hit the ground hard, while Taco merrily kept running after the horses.
My most remembered unanticipated burro dismount happened after a heavy rain that left giant puddles along the side of the trail. Cool weather made the horses frisky, and they took off at break neck speed, with Taco in hot pursuit. The race excited him and up went his heels, just once, but with enough force to throw me forward onto his neck, behind his huge ears. Then a strange
thing happened. He stopped, moseyed to a big, muddy puddle, and lowered his head. Over those big black-tipped ears I slid, and splash, landed in the puddle. Taco’s innocent brown eyes stared down at me all wet and muddy, and then satisfied, turned and raced after the horses.
Despite frequent falls, off horses as well as Taco, I kept climbing back on and never lost the joy of riding. For me, learning to ride
horseback was a trial and error, hands on experience. I eventually gained a glimmer into my horse’s mind and started anticipating her frequent misbehaviors. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed being taught by my many horse partners and feel blessed by every equine—for that matter all the pets—that have
shared my life.
My latest young adult novel, Remedy, the story of a boy and a wild burro, is now available at:
Whimsical Publications
Amazon.com
Smashwords.com

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Quilt and Book Drawing

7/12/2012

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This beautiful lap quilt, on display in the Nipomo Library, was created by The Old Towne Quilting Guild of Nipomo for the benefit of Friends of Nipomo Library. The quilt’s design was inspired by the cover of Spurs for José. Both quilt and book are included in the drawing that will be held at the OctoberFest in Nipomo Regional Park on October 13th.