Sunday, July 31, 2011

Use Your Lovely Hula Head!


Dear Readers,
I'm working on my next newsletter & wanted to give you a heads-up on the August contest.
I'll be sharing Hawaiian research photos and asking you which fictional event they helped me to describe! Of course this will be a book from my WILD HORSE ISLAND series. You don't have to supply the book's title or number, because if you're correct about the event & character, I'll send you a free, autographed copy of the book.
Start thinking hula thoughts!
Aloha,
Terri

Labels: August 2011 newsletter, Hawaii, wild horse island

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

All is Well on the Big Mountain

Dahana Ranch, heaven for horses

Dear Readers,
My Hawaiian friends are all right. You asked & I'll tell you more in a minute.

Backstory: At the Vacaville library and in this blog, I talked about destructive tsunamis and earthquakes in Japan. I talked about learning lots about these natural forces as I researched SEA SHADOW and other WILD HORSE ISLAND stories.
I discovered I wasn't the only fascinated (and fearful) one. Six copies of SEA SHADOW went with me to the library & I came home with none.
So, here's what's up in the Islands...Kylie on Oahu, was inland at college and safe, but her family (with all of their pets) were evacuated from the coast and headed up to see her at the dorm...Linda, my friend & Maui librarian said they were fine, but I must check on Seabury, her school. My visit there is a wonderful memory...Kuuipo', at college in Wyoming, was worried about her family on the Big Island. Their Dahana Ranch is inland, but they've had so many earthquakes. I heard from her step-mom Kiyo, " that though the nearby cities of Kona and Hilo had some damage, "all is well over on the big mountain."

Thanks for caring,
Terri

Labels: earthquake, Hawaii, Sea Shadow, tsunami, wild horse island

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Tsunamis & Wild Horses under the Supermoon



Dear Readers,
Japan's terrible earthquake and tsunami have made kids and adults aware of how little we know about the WHY of natural forces.
For instance, there's lots of talk about March 19's Super Moon triggering earthquakes.
I grew up in California, and those of you who've read GIFT HORSE, probably figured out I'm no fan of earthquakes.
Hawaii has earthquakes and more. While researching my WILD HORSE ISLAND series I learned about the earthquake-tsunami-disease cycle. It's part of the islands' history and the reason, most believe, that wild horses live in Waipi'o Valley, model for my fictional Crimson Vale.
If you want to read a fictional account of what happens, take a look at SEA SHADOW. I did my best to show how a tsunami impacts the natural world of wild horses and the people who care about them. It's not pretty, but experts helped me make it pretty accurate.

For the before, you can read FIRE MAIDEN (book #5, exploring volcanic earthquake). It's a tough book to find, but your librarian should be able to help you!
To see one possible tsunami aftermath, read WATER LILY, book #8, which follows a domestic horse sickened by contamination of wild waters.

Wishing you loads of Aloha,
Terri

Labels: disease, earthquake, Hawaii, Japan, Super Moon, tsunami, wild horses

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Monday, July 12, 2010

MARCO PANIOLO !


Dear Readers,
Want to go on a quick Hawaiian vacation?
I watched the video in the story PANIOLO* POLO
and it returned me to the only polo match I've ever watched.



My strongest memories:
... cordial people who were only too glad to explained the sport to me
...the mingled scents of beach, flowers, smashed grass and horses!
...realizing one of the internationally famed polo ponies (had his own stall on a jet which takes him to Argentina, Europe, etc. to compete!) was a Quarter Horse bred on Dahana Ranch where I do my WILD HORSE ISLAND research
...a big Tongan exercise girl -- over six feet tall -- with a thundercloud of black hair, who was an Amazon** queen in the saddle. The horses LOVED her!

Enjoy,
Terri

* Paniolos = Hawaiian cowgirls/ cowboys. They pre-dated mainland cowboys by about 50 years

** before Amazon became synonymous with online sales, AMAZONS were known in Greek mythology as a tribe of warrior women and Hippolyta was their queen. Her name means "freer of horses" !

Labels: Amazonian, Hawaii, Hippolyta, paniolo, polo

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