By Leigh Ballard
As part of her ten-day book tour, Sharon Miner stopped at Judy’s Tack Shop in Germantown, TN on September 5, and the following day at Judy’s in Franklin, TN, to read and discuss her horse books and the inspirations and life experiences behind them. Before appearing at Judy’s, Sharon and her husband Bill visited St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis to read to patients and help them decorate horseshoes with “bling.” After her stop in Germantown, Sharon traveled on to a horseshow in Nashville, before winding her way south through more stops in Georgia on her way home to Florida.
Sharon knew at a very young age that she loved horses. She was the middle child of 11 children, and her family did not have the means to support a horse hobby. They were amazed at the love of horses she had; they didn’t know where it came from! She read every horse book she could get her hands on, but owning her own horse was out of the question. Undeterred, at the tender age of 11, Sharon wrote her goals on a piece of paper that she still has today. She even brought it with her on tour to show children that if they have dreams, they should write them down as goals and not just simply dream about them.
Every one of Sharon’s dreams/goals came true. She eventually had plenty of horses, her own riding stable, a farm, and more. She has lived where she imagined she wanted to live, and she bred and raised the types of horses she has wanted from age 11.
After the untimely death of a beloved horse, Sharon decided to fulfill another goal, to share her passions of both books and horses. She used the horses from her riding stable as the basis of her first book in her Beloved Horses Series, Beloved School Horses. There are now five books in the Beloved series, the most recent being Beloved Horses From Around the World. All of the stories in the Beloved Series are true stories, either told to Sharon by loving owners or experienced firsthand by Sharon.
The new book is full of accounts of unique bonds between people and their horses. Many of the stories are about saving horses. Others are about horses saving people. There is a special story of a terrified and dangerous off-track Thoroughbred named Rosey who helped a severely injured Iraq War veteran in her post-war healing. There is another touching story of Bud, a horse who lost both eyes to uveitis, but overcame blindness to win a top AQHA award. And there is a sweet story of Major, a retired police horse, who helped retrieve a little girl from a downward emotional spiral.
Not all of the stories are about rescues, though! There is a very interesting tale of all the air flights and trailer trips and quarantines involved in travelling around the world with a special horse. And there is an account of a man who fell in love with mules and zebras and now is a renowned breeder and trainer of both these, as well as zonkeys, a donkey/horse hybrid .
Miner has also written three preteen fiction books of drama and adventure. Two other books about Sharon’s loveable and energetic dog, Woogie, are for beginner readers.
For more information about Sharon and her books, visit www.SharonMiner.com
Photo cutline: Victoria Hickerson, Mimi Hickerson, Clara Hickerson listen to author Sharon Miner reading a horse story at Judy's Tack Shop in Germantown, TN.
As part of her ten-day book tour, Sharon Miner stopped at Judy’s Tack Shop in Germantown, TN on September 5, and the following day at Judy’s in Franklin, TN, to read and discuss her horse books and the inspirations and life experiences behind them. Before appearing at Judy’s, Sharon and her husband Bill visited St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis to read to patients and help them decorate horseshoes with “bling.” After her stop in Germantown, Sharon traveled on to a horseshow in Nashville, before winding her way south through more stops in Georgia on her way home to Florida.
Sharon knew at a very young age that she loved horses. She was the middle child of 11 children, and her family did not have the means to support a horse hobby. They were amazed at the love of horses she had; they didn’t know where it came from! She read every horse book she could get her hands on, but owning her own horse was out of the question. Undeterred, at the tender age of 11, Sharon wrote her goals on a piece of paper that she still has today. She even brought it with her on tour to show children that if they have dreams, they should write them down as goals and not just simply dream about them.
Every one of Sharon’s dreams/goals came true. She eventually had plenty of horses, her own riding stable, a farm, and more. She has lived where she imagined she wanted to live, and she bred and raised the types of horses she has wanted from age 11.
After the untimely death of a beloved horse, Sharon decided to fulfill another goal, to share her passions of both books and horses. She used the horses from her riding stable as the basis of her first book in her Beloved Horses Series, Beloved School Horses. There are now five books in the Beloved series, the most recent being Beloved Horses From Around the World. All of the stories in the Beloved Series are true stories, either told to Sharon by loving owners or experienced firsthand by Sharon.
The new book is full of accounts of unique bonds between people and their horses. Many of the stories are about saving horses. Others are about horses saving people. There is a special story of a terrified and dangerous off-track Thoroughbred named Rosey who helped a severely injured Iraq War veteran in her post-war healing. There is another touching story of Bud, a horse who lost both eyes to uveitis, but overcame blindness to win a top AQHA award. And there is a sweet story of Major, a retired police horse, who helped retrieve a little girl from a downward emotional spiral.
Not all of the stories are about rescues, though! There is a very interesting tale of all the air flights and trailer trips and quarantines involved in travelling around the world with a special horse. And there is an account of a man who fell in love with mules and zebras and now is a renowned breeder and trainer of both these, as well as zonkeys, a donkey/horse hybrid .
Miner has also written three preteen fiction books of drama and adventure. Two other books about Sharon’s loveable and energetic dog, Woogie, are for beginner readers.
For more information about Sharon and her books, visit www.SharonMiner.com
Photo cutline: Victoria Hickerson, Mimi Hickerson, Clara Hickerson listen to author Sharon Miner reading a horse story at Judy's Tack Shop in Germantown, TN.
