Wanda Snow Porter's Blog, page 4

Beverly Interviewed Me Too

My friend and fellow YA author, Beverly Stowe McClure,kindly included me in her wonderful blog.
Check it outat:http://www.beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/2012/06/interview-with-wanda-snow-porter.html

Interview with author Beverly Stowe McClure

Beverly Stowe McClure, thank you for your visit. I was first introduced to your booksthroughan interview yougave on Blog Talk Radio. Since then, I’ve read and enjoyed almost all ofyour booksand learned we have much in common. We both live in the country and are both horse lovers. Do you have a favorite horse, and if you do, why?

The country is a great place to live. Ducks float on our pond. Armadillos dig for bugs. The birds sing and the deer stop by for a snack. The snakes I’m not so crazy ab...

Being Published~Unexpected Things

I'm often asked what it feels like to have a book published. For me, it has been fun but hard work, full of unexpected things. In 2002, when I finished writing, illustrating, and designing my first picture book, Sister Sara,for Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos, I was surprisedwhen DANA’s editor, Barbara Watson, wanted me to include my bio and photo in the books,and expected me to do a book signing. After all, photos, bios, and book signings were for celebrities, not me. Besides, when I was a kid, tea...

Story Inspiration~Island of the Blue Dolphins

I recently finished reading the Island of the Blue Dolphins. The book was based on a true story about a woman accidently left on a remote island off the California coast. Strange, although I’m a California native, I had never read it. But when I learned my husband’s great-great-grandfather, Isaac J. Sparks, chartered and was aboard the ship that left the Lone Woman on San Nicolas Island, I had to.

While doing research for Spurs for José, I found this excerpt about the true story that inspired...

Story Inspiration

I recently finished reading the Island of the Blue Dolphins. The book was based on a true story about a woman accidently left on a remote island off the California coast. Strange, although I'm a California native, I had never read it. But when I learned my husband's great-great-grandfather, Isaac J. Sparks, chartered and was aboard the ship that left the Lone Woman on San Nicolas Island, I had to.

While doing research for Spurs for José, I found this excerpt about the true story that inspired Scott O'Dell's famous book:
 
In 1880, Dr. Absalom Stuart, a physician in Santa Barbara, wrote an article about the historic events that unfolded in the lives of Captain Nidever and a mysterious, effervescent little woman who lived on San Nicolas Island. The article, printed in "The Sanitarian" magazine, is entitled A Female Crusoe:
 
Captain Nidever is on the scene in Santa Barbara; he is a hard-working family man with a beautiful home. He is hunting otter. It is here that our tale begins in earnest....

Mr Nidever said in substance: "My occupation has been that of otter hunting. When I came here in 1835, I found two other Americans, Isaac J Sparks and Lewis T Burton, engaged in the same business .

"They chartered a schooner of twenty tons, burden-built at Monterey, called Peor es Nada (Better than Nothing), for a trip to the coast of Lower California on another expedition, leaving Santa Barbara about the first of May 1835. I did not accompany them.

"Not being as successful as those in charge expected, three months later the Peor es Nada put into San Pedro, the port or landing of Los Angeles, on her return trip. From San Pedro, she went to the Island of San Nicolas, about seventy miles southwest from San Pedro, and a little further southeast from Santa Barbara, for the purpose of removing the Indians then on the island to the mainland and returned with eighteen men women and children, as told me by Isaac J Sparks.

Unfortunately, due to bad weather the ship had to depart, leaving one woman behind on San Nicolas Island where she lived alone for eighteen years before being rescued and taken to Santa Barbara, where sadly, after a few weeks she died from unknown
causes. It was this tragic story that inspired O'Dell's story.

For me, being married to a California pioneer, and knowing descendants of the rancheros, made O'Dell's story more interesting. The rancheros came west as ship captains, otter hunters, or jumped ship in a strange land, not the play-it-safe kind of men. It is interesting to note that true events connected to my husband's great-great grandfathers, Isaac J. Sparks and Captain William G. Dana, were the inspiration for both Island of the Blue Dolphins and Spurs for José. 

I will be reading from Spurs for José and answering questions at 3 p.m. March 10 in the IOOF Hall, 128 Bridge St., in the Village of Arroyo Grande.  Please stop by and say "hello."
  
    
  

Golden Opportunity???

This e-mail got through my spam filter, and I accidently opened it:

Dear Friend,
Greeting's to you and your family! I am (Majid Asadi), the head of file department of  one Bank here. In my department we discover an abandoned sum of ($10,500,000.00, Ten Million, Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars
  ) in an account that belong to one of our foreign customer who died along with his family in plane crash. It is therefore upon this discovery that i now 
decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for the safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it. I agree that 45% of this money will be for you, and  55% would be for me. Then after the money is been transferred into your account, i will visit your country for an investment under your kind  control.

Wow, I'm rich! This isn't the first time I've received this crazy e-mail. Of course, they asked for my banking info in order to transfer these funds to me. Do people actually fall for this scam and send their personal information? If it doesn't fool people then why do they keeping sending this ridiculious
e-mail?
I'll never know, but this e-mail got me  thinking. What if instead of falling for this scam a person went undercover for the CIA, answered the e-mail, traveled to a third world country to meet with evil bankers in a dark alley. Wouldn't that make a great scenario for a novel?

P&E Reader's Poll

The P&E Reader's Poll offical results are in, and I'm thrilled that among a huge list of young adult books, Spurs for José  finished in the Top Ten. "Spurs" was the only historical adventure among mostly fanasty, Sci Fi, and romance novels. Thanks to all of you readers who love cowboys, horses, and history that voted for Spurs for José. 

Vote for Spurs for Jose

Please vote for Spurs for Jose in the P&E readers poll for young adultbooks. There's only two days left to put Spurs at the top of the list. The siteis a bit difficult to navigate, but I would appreciate your vote.
Here is the link:
http://critters.org/predpoll/novelyoungadult.shtml

P & E Reader's Poll

Please vote my novel, Spurs for Jose, that's entered in the P&E readers poll for young adult books. There's only a few days left to put Spurs at the top of the list.

Here is the link:
http://critters.org/predpoll/novelyou...

The site's a bit difficult to navigate, but keep scrolling down until you find Spurs for Jose.

Thanks for your vote.

Flying Free

These fabulous photos taken by my friend, Edna Arlt Breese, of a red-tail hawk in flight, make me feel like I'm flying free, soaring in the wind with this elegant bird, and inspire me as a writer to let go, allow my imagination to kindle words onto paper like the hawk's wings allow him to take to the air.  
I wish everyone a happy, healthy new year, and no matter how lofty they seem,
may you achieve your
dreams in 2012.