Barbara's Meanderings

Book Release Party for The Shadow of the Unicorn:The Legacy by Suzanne de Montigny

Monday, December 03, 2012

I always love parties and today we are having a party for a newly released book, The Shadow of the Unicorn:The Legacy by Suzanne de Montigny. This is very exciting and we will be partying until there is no virtual food left.

Of course, I have brought my famous chocolate chip cookies and I hope you will all bring something to this party. It would be fun if you would bring one of your characters. I think it's always fun for characters to meet each other. Also, who wouldn't love to meet a unicorn and one so brave!!!

Actually, let's meet Suzanne de Montigny, the author and find out more about her and her work.

Hi Suzanne. Welcome to my blog and let's get this party started with a little information about you.

Where were you born and raised?

I’m mighty proud to say I’m a Canadian girl born in Vancouver, B.C., and raised in a small town called Chilliwack a hundred km east of Vancouver where my father practiced medicine.

2. Tell us a little about your life before you started writing.

Believe it or not, I started out as a free-lance composer and pianist. I used to play piano around town and write music for everything from television, to plays, to industrial videos. But don’t tell anyone about the last one – it’s commonly known as elevator music. Then I got tired of living in poverty and taught elementary music for over twenty years. During that time, I discovered I was a pretty good storyteller. The kids would behave just so I’d make up a story on the spot at the end of class. Later, I took off a couple of years to take care of my two young boys. It was during this time, I started writing.

3. Why did you decide to start writing?

Here’s a bit of a spooky story for you. When my father died, I kept walking around his funeral saying, “I feel like writing a book.” I like to think he planted the idea in my head from the other side.

4. Did anyone influence you in your writing?

I always loved Lucie Maude Montgomery, Kurt Vonnegut, James Michener, Jack London, and Ray Bradbury. I also love Kit Pearce, one of our Canadian authors. So I suppose they all influenced me. In French, I love Arlette Cousture.

5. Would you share with us the story of how you got your first novel published?

When I was in grade six, I had a creative writing project due. I got carried away and wrote a six chapter book about a unicorn. I got an A+ and have always kept that little book in a safe place. Then about five years ago, I was cleaning out the basement and found an old box full of childhood memorabilia, and in that box, I found a partial rewrite of the first four chapters that I had done somewhere in my teens. I chuckled and threw it in the blue box. Then, a couple of days later, I thought, “I should at least see what I wrote.” So I dried the rain off and read it. I was just fascinated, and the following week, I began writing it. Later, I submitted it to two agents and was rejected because it wasn’t the kind of story they were looking for. But then, one day, I opened up the MuseItUp site, that had a big winged Pegasus for a banner. I thought, “That’s where my unicorns will live.” And I was right.

6. What was the inspiration for your latest book? Have you always been interested in fantasy?

My latest novel, entitled: A Town Bewitched came from our experience with a fiddling camp a few years ago. My two boys and I are avid fiddlers. We all play classical violin too, but our passion is definitely fiddling. When we attended the camp, we were absolutely lit on fire. It was like we were bewitched. And what was even better, was that one of the instructors moved to town so we could continue studying with her. Then one day, I thought, “What would happen if a whole town was lit on fire like us, only there was something really wrong with the fiddler?”

7. When you write which is more important for you to start with, the plot or the characters?

I have a beginning, a middle, and an end in mind and characters just walk in. One minute they’re not there, the next, they are. I always say that writing is like reading a really good book only you’re writing it. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. It just comes to me as I go.

8. Please describe a typical writing day for us.

I get up at five AM, answer e-mails, tweet, FB, blog, and then I write until the boys get up. After I drive them to school, I exercise or run errands. Then I write until they come home. After that, it’s all about them.

9. What have you planned to celebrate the release of Shadow of a Unicorn?

Well, my husband got up early on Friday when it was released, and bought me a bouquet of flowers. Then we went for Chinese food with friends that night, and ended up back home singing Christmas carols. Then, on the ninth, I’m having a live launching for friends and families where I’ll be collecting used eye glasses for the Third World Eye Care Society. And BTW, just so everyone knows, half of all my proceeds will be going to the Third World Eye Care Society, a group of eye specialists who travel to underdeveloped nations bringing thousands of pairs of glasses and performing eye surgery for free. I figure since I can’t do anything about my rotten eyesight, I can at least help someone else restore their vision.

That is such a great thing to do for these countries!!

10. Do you have any WIP’s on which you are working? Would you please share them with us?

I’m frantically writing the second of the Shadow of the Unicorn series. And I’ll only tell you that there’s a second natural disaster, but I won’t say what.

11. Are you doing any contests with this release?

Being a newby, I’m completely in the dark about contests. I’m hoping I’ll find out soon. It would be cool to add under my belt.

Suzanne de Montigny Bio:

Suzanne de Montigny wrote her first unicorn novel when she was twelve. Several years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, and thus began her love affair with unicorns. A teacher in Vancouver, B.C., she learned she could spin a good tale that kept kids and teachers begging for more. She has written four novels. THE SHADOW OF THE UNICORN: THE LEGACY is her first. Living in Burnaby, she resides with her husband and two boys.

Book Trailer

Let's find out about your book:

A loud, hissing sound filled the air. The unicorns looked up, their eyes filled with horror.

Azaria, a unicorn colt, is intrigued when the young, clairvoyant dinosaur, Darius, foresees a terrifying change to their world. When a giant fireball smashes into the earth, the unicorns struggle to survive the hurricanes and starvation that follow. But nothing compares to the danger when the creatures-that-walk-on-two-legs settle in the valley, and their leader discovers the healing power in the unicorns’ horns. Greedy and ruthless, Ishmael will stop at nothing in his pursuit of wealth – even the complete extinction of the herd. Azaria must find a way to outsmart Ishmael before it’s too late.

Wow, Suzanne!!! This sounds a lot like what is happening to the rhino population!!

I want everyone to know that Suzanne is giving away a free ebook to the lucky commenter who wins the drawing. Meanwhile let's get this party started!!!

Here are my virtual chocolate chip cookies. Help yourself and I hope everyone gets to read this book! I have it on my TBR list and I will be posting a review very soon!!!

Here is where you can find more about Suzanne de Montigny:

www.suzannedemontigny.com

https://www.facebook.com/unicorngirl52?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/sfierymountain

You can find the book here:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=466&category_id=10&keyword=the+Shadow+of+the+unicorns&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Don't forget to leave a comment!! Come join the party!!!

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Girls Succeed Blog Tour Begins Here!!

Monday, November 05, 2012

It's always exciting to be introducing a new book and being the first stop on this super special blog tour is also very exciting!!!

Before I introduce you to J Q Rose and her fabulous book, I would like to talk a little bit about the past week and how it has impacted so many lives. As you know if you are a regular reader of this blog, I live by the water, so my entire apartment complex was evacuated on Sunday of last week. We were forced to find a place far from the water and west of where the storm was going to be the worst. So we wound up in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This is a town with which my family and I are pretty familiar, since we have come up there for a few days each summer. So with no notice at all we found a place to stay and the second day we were there they had a power outage, but it only lasted for an hour and a half. We were very lucky, because the only inconvenience we had was that we had to switch rooms. Since the elevators weren't running just in case there was another outage, we moved to the first floor. So during the entire storm we were warm and dry.

Many other people weren't so lucky and as I witnessed the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy I was overwhelmed with sadness that these people's lives had been uprooted. I imagined their horror and the turmoil inside them when they realized that maybe they would never be able to go back to their homes. I saw homes that were literally blown apart and all that was left were scattered pieces of people's lives. I saw public places completely ruined and the lower east side of New York City completely flooded. I saw subways that were filled with water instead of people and people left without power for days. It was the worst storm I had ever seen in my lifetime.

And I saw the grit and determination of people who though they had lost so much refused to give up and wanted to rebuild. I knew their horror, because just a few years ago my family had our lives changed completely by a fire. I know how all of these people feel, because I went through it all. All I can offer is my extreme sympathy and reassurance that their lives will return to normal soon. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost their home or worse, to anyone who has lost a loved one due to the storm. When we were on our way home from Massachusetts I worried that we would find damage, but our place was spared and we did not have any loss of power. Some in my family felt guilty that we had not suffered because of the storm, because we saw so many without power and all the destruction caused by trees falling into homes or power lines. I also had to wonder how we were so lucky. Then someone told me that maybe we had had our fill of horror and that is why we were spared. For whatever reason I am thankful!!! Lastly, I want to thank all of you who sent their good wishes to us. As I have said before, sometimes the internet is one big hug!!!

Now, I am happy to introduce you all to J Q Rose, who has been a guest on this blog before. She is back to begin her new blog tour and I am delighted she has chosen my blog for the kick-off!!

Thank you, Barbara, for hosting me on the kick-off of my virtual book tour for my non-fiction children’s book, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.

You're welcome, J Q. I am always happy to see a book that is geared toward showing girls good role models. These women seem exceptional and what a great idea to write a book with all of them included.

Hello Readers. I am excited to visit with you today. Please leave comments to enter a random drawing for prizes after the tour is completed. More information about that later.

I am thrilled to be here to introduce you to this interactive e-book packed full of stories of passion, determination, and dreams. Fifteen successful career women in a variety of occupations share their stories in these pages.

Tagline: Inspiring and empowering girls to achieve success in their dream careers.

Firsts by J.Q. Rose

Thank you for joining me on the first visit for my first book tour for this interactive e-book. Speaking of firsts…There are ladies in the book who have accomplished firsts in their careers.

Olympics gold medalist Angela Ruggiero is the first female to play in a professional men’s ice hockey game and through the years she and her Team USA won first places in national, international cup, and Olympics games.

Horse woman Pati Pierucci received first place in dressage competitions at the Gran Prix level, the elite level of competition.

Cycle racer Mackenzie Woodring won first place in road racing competitions. This year she garnered a gold medal for the 2012 Women’s Pro State Champion at USA Cycling’s Road Race in Michigan. She also won gold medals as the pilot for her blind partner, Karissa Whitsell, in the 2008 Paralympics games in Beijing, China, riding a high tech bicycle for two. They are currently the world record holders for the Paralympics three kilometer pursuit race. This year she is the 2012 Women’s Team USA Paralympics Gold Medal Winner with partner Kara Vatthauer.

Professional clown Brenda Marshall’s career includes firsts. She was the first woman president of the Clowns of America International and the leader of the first People to People International Clown Delegation to China.

Educator Barbara “Chili” Chiles was the first Athletic Director for both boys and girls in Illinois.

I could go on and on with all the things each woman has accomplished in her career, but I believe the path they took to finding success is the most compelling reading. I’ll be sharing some of their stories during the tour. These remarkable women were girls just like the ones who will be reading the book. I hope the girls will be inspired by the stories and empowered to work toward making their dreams come true.

I have included an excerpt from the first chapter about Pati Pierucci, horse trainer, teacher, and dressage competitor. This story had to be the first one for this first post for the book tour. It’s also a wink and a nod to the first novel I wrote in seventh grade about a horse. My grandmother took all those hand-written pages and typed them up for me. When I saw the manuscript in that form, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Well, it’s taken a few years, but I’m living my dream now.

EXCERPT

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you have imagined.”

--Henry David Thoreau

CHAPTER 1

PATI PIERUCCI

HORSE TRAINER AND COMPETITIVE RIDER

Photo Courtesy of Judy Woodruff

True Love

For Pati Pierucci, it’s all about the horses. She says, “They make me smile inside and out. I love spending time alone with them.”

Pati loves the horses today just as deeply as she did at seven years old. They are not just a job. They are her pets and friends. They are her passion.

When the big pearl white stallion, Idilio, gently neighs when Pati walks by his stall, she drops everything to spend time with him. Idilio is a powerful Pure Spanish Horse. In Spanish the breed is called Pure Raza Espanol or PRE. Pati and Idilio have introduced this breed successfully into competition in the United States.

Growing up on horse farms in Kentucky and New Jersey, Pati was around horses all the time. At the age of fifteen Pati was caring for and feeding other people’s horses. Later, at Barclay Farms in New Jersey, Pati galloped their race horses every morning. As head instructor, she gave riding lessons at the farm. Her interest in horses and farm operations led her to major in Equine Studies in Overall Farm Administration and Breeding at Harcum Junior College in New Jersey. Pati successfully worked at farms in New Jersey and in Virginia.

She became serious about “dressage” when she rode and trained her mother-in-law’s quarter horse, Sage’s Spy Song. Dressage is a French word that means training. The rider guides the horse through a series of intricate moves by using the rider's hands, legs, and weight. The horse and rider seem to become one moving from one task to another flawlessly. There is beauty and grace in the dressage movements performed by the horse and rider. Many people compare the competition to watching figure skating, ballet, or gymnastics. Teaching Sage the movements was a challenge because the horse had one leg shorter than the other!

Pati learned the levels of movement in dressage from talented teachers. She practiced and worked hard to advance her skills for competitions.

She remembers her first performance at the Gran Prix level, one of the highest levels of competition. She was excited and nervous about the first presentation with her horse. They would be performing under the lights in front of a crowd of 17,000 people. She wanted to be sure to warm up just enough so that Idilio would be ready, but not tired. However, there was a delay. She tried to stay calm. She didn’t want to get too anxious because her horse would pick up on her nervousness and make the stallion uneasy. Finally after a twenty minute delay, the pair began the dance.

Pati concentrated on the dressage movements allowing Idilio to perform flawlessly. A few minutes into the presentation, she realized she was so nervous that she couldn’t swallow. Saliva kept building up in her mouth, but she could not swallow! Pati rode her horse through all of the paces, yet she could not swallow. She began to think that at the end of the performance she would be drooling.

After performing for six minutes, she heard the crowd start clapping. The performance was over. Finally she could swallow. Happily her nerves did not upset Idilio. He performed so well they made it to the next round. She never forgot that bit of panic at her first Gran Prix event. Now she experiences nerves before a routine, but she calls them good nerves because they keep her sharp and ready to perform.

Pati and her husband, Peter, work together in their own business, Pierucci Dressage, located on a farm in Virginia. Pati focuses on teaching lessons in dressage, coaching and training horses. She is enjoying enormous success showing for client horses as well as with students in dressage competition. She supervises a staff of highly qualified people who help care for the horses.

Pati’s occupation allows her to spend her days with her beloved horses and to have family with her even at work. She can be with their children, Phoebe, Hannah, and Ramey at the farm and include their four dogs and pet mouse, Georgina, in all the activities.

The day begins early on the farm to turn the horses out of the barn and prepare stalls. Pati spends the entire morning riding each horse for forty-five minutes teaching the horses the movements required to perform in a dressage competition.

As the horse masters each movement Pati teaches another maneuver which becomes more complex than the one before. The rider and horse spend years working together in order to place well in the competitions. Pati and Idilio performed at The Gran Prix and International Levels where only the top horses and riders appear.

The afternoon on the farm is spent on grooming, treatments, and teaching until the horses are fed and tucked back into their stalls at 9:00 pm. This routine is practiced six days a week by this dedicated horse woman and her staff.

Because Pati worked hard and took on increasing responsibilities for the horses, she is respected within the horse trainers and performance circles. She embraced her passion for the handsome animals and allowed it to take her to new heights in her business. The life long fascination with horses continues for Pati as she develops her business and looks forward to even more fun and enjoyment with the horses.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HER CAREER

Attended Harcum Junior College, New Jersey, degree in Farm Administration and Breeding

Head instructor, Barclay Farms, New Jersey

Competed in Dressage Competition at Gran Prix Level for over fifteen years

Head trainer and instructor at Hampton Greens Farm, Michigan and Florida

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Young Rider Website http://www.youngrider.com/

The Foundation for the Pure Spanish Horse http://www.prehorse.org/

A Website for Horse Lovers http://www.horsechannel.com/hihc_portal.aspx

BowtiePress.com for books on horses http://www.bowtiepress.com/bowtie/

Dressage terms and information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dressage

Mary King- Imperial Cavalier – Dressage competition London 2012 Olympics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0te-vc_O04k&feature=related

Pierucci Dressage http://www.pieruccidressage.com/

Girls and Their Horses: True Tales from American Girls (American Girl Library)

by Staff of Pleasant Company Publications

Dressage for the Young Rider by Pegotty Henriques

Young Rider Magazine

Horse Illustrated Magazine

More about Dressage

The three basic gaits are walk, trot, and canter.

Lateral means to move sideways.

Halfpass is a dressage movement that is a highly trained lateral (meaning going sideways) movement.

Tempi Changes is when the horse is cantering and changes his lead leg.

J Q Rose Bio:

After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her first published novella, Sunshine Boulevard, released by Muse It Up Publishing in 2011. With Girls Succeed she returns to her first love, writing about real people. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

Girls Succeed blog http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/

J.Q. Rose blog http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/

Author website http://jqrose.webs.com/

BOOK LINKS: If you would like to download a sample which includes the Table of Contents listing all the careers in the book, please go to

Amazon Link http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009NY6ZAS

Smashwords Link http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/241825

Contest Information Janet will be drawing winners from visitors who leave comments during the tour. The prizes are a $10 Amazon gift certificate, a copy of the e-book in your choice of format, a “Succeed” beaded bracelet kit, and inspirational note pads. (See the Girls Succeed and J Q Rose blogs for photos). Winners announced on her blogs on Sunday, November 18 at 9 pm EST. Good luck!

Don't forget to leave a comment here so you will be in the contest. Then go over to the next blog to leave a comment there. The more comments you leave the better your chances for winning!! The next stop will be here:

November 7

Pat McDermott

http://pat-mcdermott.blogspot.com/

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Barbara's Meanderings

Book Release Party for The Shadow of the Unicorn:The Legacy by Suzanne de Montigny

Girls Succeed Blog Tour Begins Here!!

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