Mark Saha's Blog, page 6
August 24, 2016
Lady Joe Kindle sale
Lady Joe is 99 cents on Kindle through August 30, 2016.
This is for a Booksends promotion but anybody so inclined can download from Amazon for that price.
This is for a Booksends promotion but anybody so inclined can download from Amazon for that price.
August 1, 2016
Goodreads Giveaways Mailed 8/1/16
Sincere thanks to the 1,446 readers who entered my Goodreads giveaway of 15 signed copies of Lady Joe. Sure wish I could send a copy to every one of you.
For the curious, six winners were in the U.S. -- Fullerton CA , Los Angeles CA, Medford MA, Brookville IN, New Oxford PA, and St. Paul, MIN.
The nine international winners were from: Algeria, Australia, Austria (2), Belgium, Canada, U.K. (3)
Signed copies went out to the winners by first class mail this morning.
For the curious, six winners were in the U.S. -- Fullerton CA , Los Angeles CA, Medford MA, Brookville IN, New Oxford PA, and St. Paul, MIN.
The nine international winners were from: Algeria, Australia, Austria (2), Belgium, Canada, U.K. (3)
Signed copies went out to the winners by first class mail this morning.
July 26, 2016
23 Short Classic Novels
23 Amazing Classic Books That Are So Short You Have No Excuse Not To Read Them
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12...?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12...?
June 5, 2016
My New Ad --
WHY WEST COAST CUTTERS ARE DIFFERENT
You always knew they were but could never quite put a finger on it. Now Mark’s Saha’s novel reveals what you always suspected, that life west of the San Andreas is not quite the same. It is a fun lesson quickly learned from this brisk and immensely entertaining little book.
http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Joe-Mark-S...
You always knew they were but could never quite put a finger on it. Now Mark’s Saha’s novel reveals what you always suspected, that life west of the San Andreas is not quite the same. It is a fun lesson quickly learned from this brisk and immensely entertaining little book.
http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Joe-Mark-S...
May 28, 2016
Nobody Asked But ...
I would like to answer a question nobody has asked. No, I am not a cutter. Obviously I can ride and know a little about horses, but have never worked a cow in an arena. Cutting is for me strictly a spectator sport. I prefer small local cuttings where you can get up close and personal to the action when horse and cow lock eyes and take each others' measure. The rest of the world goes away for me when that happens, as I'm sure it does for the rider. Everything is now in the moment. What happens next is as unpredictable as a roll of the dice. Abilities of horse and rider count for a lot in the long run but are no guarantee in any given moment.
Cutting is for me a perfect sport because it places no animal in harm's way and the camaraderie between competitors is an inspiration. I am always astonished at how many people, even horse people, have never heard of it. My hope is that more young people will learn of cutting and give it a try, because I feel it is a thrilling, rewarding, and character building experience.
Cutting is for me a perfect sport because it places no animal in harm's way and the camaraderie between competitors is an inspiration. I am always astonished at how many people, even horse people, have never heard of it. My hope is that more young people will learn of cutting and give it a try, because I feel it is a thrilling, rewarding, and character building experience.
A Young Cutter Faces His First Cow
Watch this young man describe his journey from discovering the sport of cutting to facing his first cow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ0Rn...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ0Rn...
May 6, 2016
I Hate to Brag but ...
Okay, shoot me for bragging, but I’m starting to feel a little bit pleased with myself for having introduced so many people – even horse people – to the sport of cutting. :)
LADY JOE AMAZON REVIEWS –
> … not only a fun literary ride, but an eye opening journey into the art of cutting.
> Never mind that I now know more about cutting horses than I ever did, I was mightily entertained …
> I'm not a horse person, so Mr. Saha's book has both entertained and enlightened me about cutting competitions that pay homage to working men and horses of the past.
> Although I am in the dark about Cutter horses Mark made them come alive for me.
> a wild plot about a little known subject that becomes fascinating as it unfolds.
> If you don’t know what a cutting horse is, well, few do. But if you value friendship, loyalty, whimsy and clever plotting, Mark Saha’s “Lady Joe” provides it all in this gem of a story.
> I don't know much about cutting horses, but I do know Cowboys! I can't wait for the sequel to see what mischief they get into next.
> I loved the Mid-Coast California setting for the story and found myself watching YouTube videos of cow cutting to see exactly what Jim and Lee were up to.[…] Watching the videos made Lady Joe’s story really come alive for me. I could visualize the competitions and empathize with the two unlikely champions as they travel the circuit.
> Wish there was more stories about cutting and western events.
GOODREADS REVIEWS –
> Among the perks for me was an introduction to the cutting-horse world, which I've only seen occasionally on television. The development of connections between riders and horses and the ballet of the cutting itself are described with an understated lyricism that grants full credit to these horses…
> I had never heard of cutting so I enjoyed learning something new about horses and cutting. I'm buying a copy for my father as he is an avid horse lover.
> Horse cutting is something I had only heard about before. Growing up in Nebraska, I was privileged enough to have grown up near the biggest quarter horse ranch in the world and so not only have I had a bit of experience on horses, but the characters seemed straight out of my hometown, so I could absolutely relate to them and their relationships with their horses. Saha does a great job in educating the reader on what horse cutting is, and then integrating it into his story.
> The lead characters were surprisingly engaging … Best of all, it introduced me to the heretofore unknown and quintessentially American culture of the cutting horse community.
> Although not involved in the sport of cutting, as a horse person, I appreciated the accurate portrayal of horses and life with horses. My only complaint about Lady Joe ... too short!
> A short, fast-paced, and light adventure that reads quite quickly and is enjoyable, particularly to someone who loves horses like me but is unfamiliar to details of activities like cutting.
VIVA CARLOS EQUESTRIAN BLOG –
There is romance, there are horses, there are people will too much money and not enough sense. … All the places of note (that are explicitly mentioned and detailed in the writing) are places in Central Coast country California. I found this endearing and it helped draw me in because T is from Santa Barbara and we hang out there some time, so driving through places like SLO, Paso, Los Olivos, Goleta, I totally can imagine these places. The cutting scenes are pretty exciting and I know nothing about cutting except yeah it involves cows and quarter horses!
DANDYISM EQUESTRIAN BLOG --
My knowledge of the cutting world is basically this: really good cow horses try to keep a calf from going back to the herd. I don’t know the nuances or how the competitions work but you get the feeling from reading this book that Saha does. Or at least he did his research. I thought the competition where they ran Mary Jane under the name of Spooks pretending she’s Lady Joe was particularly well done. Saha managed to explain how a cutting competition worked without just dumping exposition on the reader. The story continued to move and, for those uninitiated in the cutting world, managed to educate the reader.
LADY JOE AMAZON REVIEWS –
> … not only a fun literary ride, but an eye opening journey into the art of cutting.
> Never mind that I now know more about cutting horses than I ever did, I was mightily entertained …
> I'm not a horse person, so Mr. Saha's book has both entertained and enlightened me about cutting competitions that pay homage to working men and horses of the past.
> Although I am in the dark about Cutter horses Mark made them come alive for me.
> a wild plot about a little known subject that becomes fascinating as it unfolds.
> If you don’t know what a cutting horse is, well, few do. But if you value friendship, loyalty, whimsy and clever plotting, Mark Saha’s “Lady Joe” provides it all in this gem of a story.
> I don't know much about cutting horses, but I do know Cowboys! I can't wait for the sequel to see what mischief they get into next.
> I loved the Mid-Coast California setting for the story and found myself watching YouTube videos of cow cutting to see exactly what Jim and Lee were up to.[…] Watching the videos made Lady Joe’s story really come alive for me. I could visualize the competitions and empathize with the two unlikely champions as they travel the circuit.
> Wish there was more stories about cutting and western events.
GOODREADS REVIEWS –
> Among the perks for me was an introduction to the cutting-horse world, which I've only seen occasionally on television. The development of connections between riders and horses and the ballet of the cutting itself are described with an understated lyricism that grants full credit to these horses…
> I had never heard of cutting so I enjoyed learning something new about horses and cutting. I'm buying a copy for my father as he is an avid horse lover.
> Horse cutting is something I had only heard about before. Growing up in Nebraska, I was privileged enough to have grown up near the biggest quarter horse ranch in the world and so not only have I had a bit of experience on horses, but the characters seemed straight out of my hometown, so I could absolutely relate to them and their relationships with their horses. Saha does a great job in educating the reader on what horse cutting is, and then integrating it into his story.
> The lead characters were surprisingly engaging … Best of all, it introduced me to the heretofore unknown and quintessentially American culture of the cutting horse community.
> Although not involved in the sport of cutting, as a horse person, I appreciated the accurate portrayal of horses and life with horses. My only complaint about Lady Joe ... too short!
> A short, fast-paced, and light adventure that reads quite quickly and is enjoyable, particularly to someone who loves horses like me but is unfamiliar to details of activities like cutting.
VIVA CARLOS EQUESTRIAN BLOG –
There is romance, there are horses, there are people will too much money and not enough sense. … All the places of note (that are explicitly mentioned and detailed in the writing) are places in Central Coast country California. I found this endearing and it helped draw me in because T is from Santa Barbara and we hang out there some time, so driving through places like SLO, Paso, Los Olivos, Goleta, I totally can imagine these places. The cutting scenes are pretty exciting and I know nothing about cutting except yeah it involves cows and quarter horses!
DANDYISM EQUESTRIAN BLOG --
My knowledge of the cutting world is basically this: really good cow horses try to keep a calf from going back to the herd. I don’t know the nuances or how the competitions work but you get the feeling from reading this book that Saha does. Or at least he did his research. I thought the competition where they ran Mary Jane under the name of Spooks pretending she’s Lady Joe was particularly well done. Saha managed to explain how a cutting competition worked without just dumping exposition on the reader. The story continued to move and, for those uninitiated in the cutting world, managed to educate the reader.
March 7, 2016
Lady Joe Update
Book People in Austin, Texas --
Lady Joe will be in the window for two weeks, coincidentally during the South by Southwest Music Festival which should bring a few people into town.
Lady Joe will be in the window for two weeks, coincidentally during the South by Southwest Music Festival which should bring a few people into town.
January 28, 2016
November 21, 2015
Amanda Knox on the Murders in Paris
“I grieve for those who are so afraid of their own lives that they commit themselves to murderous ideology and action.
“I am grateful for those who, no matter our human fear of death and the unknown, open their hearts to their own life and to the lives of others.”
11/21/15
http://www.westseattleherald.com/2015...
“I am grateful for those who, no matter our human fear of death and the unknown, open their hearts to their own life and to the lives of others.”
11/21/15
http://www.westseattleherald.com/2015...
