The Phantom Stallion

Phantom Stallion E-Newsletter June 2010

Dear Readers,

First the bad news. The lawsuit against BLM's capture of the Calico Mountains horses is over — for the moment and Judge Friedman did not side with BLM; but he did dismiss our case against them.

Dismissal is not the same thing as losing. It's much better for the horses and for those of us who have just begun to fight.

This may seem like nit-picking, but here's my view of what Judge Friedman said:

the part of our case which tried to stop the round-up was "moot" (has no legal significance) because the BLM did not take his suggestion to stop it and it was already over
the part of our case that said we the plaintiffs (acting for you and the horses) said we would be damaged by taking of the horses from the range, didn't SPECIFICALLY say we'd all be damaged by mustangs being moved to long-term holding.

To me, it was like saying if a thief had already burst through my front door despite my protests and dogs, he'd earned the right to rob me.

But I'm no attorney and the judge left us possibilities to sue BLM for illegal long-term holding of our horses, cruelty, etc.

Am I happy? NO.

Am I giving up? NO WAY and I hope you won't either, because here's

THE GOOD NEWS:

Along with other people who love wild horses, I've come up with an idea which will help YOU and the MUSTANGS and the WEST you've come to love in the PHANTOM STALLION books.

Remember, this is just a dream right now, but you can help make it happen!

First Lady Michelle Obama is partnering with the Interior Department (which runs BLM) to create "Let's Move Outside!" a program to help keep kids fit.

How wonderful would it be if the First Lady teamed up with BLM's Wild Horse and Burro program to celebrate children's ability to put their hands where their hearts ??? Such a program would put you where the wild things are, helping to preserve and protect them!

How could this happen?

"Let's Move Outside!" will use America's public lands to help keep kids fit. Many of our public lands (in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon...) are home to wild horses. Instead of staying home in front of the TV and computer, kids could be...

Hiking the range to observe mustangs in the wild

Camping in mustang territory to document wild horse behavior

Exploring wild lands and map water sources

Repairing human damage to high desert environment

I know from having done things like this myself that the strength, determination and memories last forever!

The Bureau of Land Management keeps thousands of wild horses in cramped pens. This is expensive and unnatural. Secretary of the Interior Salazar has proposed wild horse sanctuaries in the East, but if these sanctuaries were established in the West, the wild horses could remain on their lands and benefit the young people who love them.

What can you do?

RIGHT NOW, write an email to First Lady Michelle Obama.

Ask her if LET'S MOVE OUTSIDE! can partner with the BLM's wild horse program so that mustangs will still roam free when you are able to go see them.

YOU ARE WELCOME to use my words and ideas!

What's happening now:

Investigation into cruelty and neglect of captive horses is ongoing by the Churchill County District Attorney

Dead foal ignites passion among mustang activists

Creative plans are afoot to return the Calico horses to their home ranges

Wild horse sanctuary proposed north of Gerlach

BLM has already trucked 82 wild horses from the Calico mountains to Palomino Valley corrals, where they'll be held until there's an Internet adoption on July 14, 2010. Then, the horses will be put up for competitive bid. (see the notes & photos on Ghost Dancer and Shell Flower to see why this scares me!)

Let your voice be heard for the herd!

Write an email to First Lady Michelle Obama asking her to save wild horses so that they will still roam free when you are able to go see them.

YOU ARE WELCOME to use my words and ideas!

Later:

Read my blog and my Facebook page for the fastest updates. I'm also teaching myself to TWEET for the horses!

Ghost Dancer & Shell Flower

Photos by Mark Terrell, Wild Horses of Nevada, and Elyse Gardner.

In the lifeless sand of the Fallon feedlot, friendship blooms between two once-free mares. I hope they're soon BFF on the wild range, but for now they have human names honoring the Paiute lands on which they were captured.

Shell Flower is the English translation of the Paiute name Thocmetony. Her white name was Sarah Winnemucca. She loved and lived in both the white and Indian worlds and hers was a tragic story, Still, I want to write it, someday.

Both of these mares will be up for competitive bid, soon, and I hope they will be able to stay together and roam free side-by-side.

Both of these mares will be up for competitive bid, soon, and Return to Freedom sanctuary has promised to take them if they're not freed. I hope they will be able to stay together and run free again,Ê side-by-side.

FAQ's

What was your inspiration for the PHANTOM STALLION series?

Here's one of the best articles written on that topic and it was created via email interview with one of my readers. So, instead of answering it myself, right here, I hope you'll go read what an outstanding reader/writer wrote about it!

Have you always loved horses

Always! Or at least so far back that I remember a crib toy that was a horse named Icy.

Take a look at some photos my dad just sent of me as a little girl !

Q. I want to spend this summer writing. I always say I'm going to, and my teachers and parents think I'm good. So what should I do next?

A. Here my six top tips for writers of ALL ages!

Write about what you know. Does that sound boring? It's not. In northern Nevada, where I live, some people see cowgirls, soaring mountains, glossy red and white cattle and wild horses every day. My mail indicates those sights are not at all boring.
Use your senses. How does a sidewalk smell after a summer rain? Can you describe the sound of something that keeps you awake at night? What do you feel when you hug your grandmother good-bye? No experiences are wasted on writers, because we store each one in our brain cells!
Use plenty of conflict. Happily-ever-after isn't as much fun if your characters don't earn it. If your main character is rich, beautiful and lucky on page one and still rich, beautiful and lucky ten pages later, you might not have any readers left when you write THE END.
Enter contests which are limited to people your age or younger. That will cut your competition enormously. If you placed in a contest, you may be able to convince an editor that you are working on the craft of writing. Of course, you'll have to show her a darn good story, too.
Read. Read. Read.
Write. Write. Write

Q: I collect everything about wild horses and that means your books, too. Some of your titles are really hard to find. Suggestions?

A: Here are some great ways to get books without spending a lot.

Try the library. The price is right! FREE. If you have trouble exploring this possibility, let me know where you live and I'll contact the librarian and see what we can work out!
Independent bookstores with used sections. If PHANTOM STALLION and WILD HORSE ISLAND books are "keepers" for you, this is the way to go. Try going to Google Maps and type in a search for Bookstores Reno (or Portland, or Tampa or...wherever you live) and it will show you where to find the stores. Powell's in Portland, for instance, has 2 used copies of THE RENEGADE for $2.95 each. Of course you do have to pay shipping costs, and use your parents' credit card, but this might be something you want to explore. Independent bookstores sometimes have connections they can use to find you a used copy of a book for less than you can do it yourself.
PHANTOM STALLION book clubs are popping up all over the place. Readers are chipping in on books (new and used) and keeping a library of their own. Instead of quarreling over who gets to keep a book after everyone in the club has read it, I suggest giving the book a THIRD LIFE by donating it to a library or to a teacher's in-class collection.

Q: I hate Linc Slocum, but I still want to know, how is Slocum pronounced?

A: Slo-com

Q: What's up with Sam & Jake?

A: Sam & Jake's friendship definitely changed over the course of 24 books & if you read through the WILD HORSE ISLAND series, you know it changed even more! The friendly-enemy sparring started when they were kids, and when Sam returned to River Bend and saw Jake pitched off that little mare, they just got right back to what was normal -- for them. I think they are headed toward being boyfriend/girlfriend, or shy Jake would never have held Sam's hand! Maybe after they've been to college and had lots of adventures together & apart, they (and we!) will know if it's true love or friendship or a wonderful, 50/50 mix of both!

This just in . . .

Buy any 3 TERRI FARLEY books and receive $1 off with this coupon.

This coupon MAY be copied for use by your friends !
Valid at the Western States Horse Expo June 11 - 13, 2010
Find Terri Farley at the Young Rider Park or Book Corral

Sam's blog

Gram was kneading bread and staring out the kitchen window and I had a fork full of maple syrup-soaked waffle half way to my mouth when Gram said, "The pink rains are back!"

Her voice was dreamy and I had no idea what she meant until jumped up to look.

Where is Terri Farley?

June 3 and 4, 2010
Writing the West workshops
Southwood and Clarcona Elementary Schools
Orlando Fla

SCBWI Florida Mid-Year Workshop
DATE: June 4, 2010 - June 5, 2010
CONTACT: Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
CHAPTER: SCBWI Florida
LOCATION/TIME: Coronado Springs Hotel at Disney World

Series Track
Terri Farley with Editor Stephanie Luria

June 10, 2010
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
SCBWI workshop & available for limited school visits

Terri will be at the WESTERN STATES HORSE EXPO in Sacramento, California
June 11- 12, 2010
Check it out here: http://horsexpo.com/

March 3-5, 2011
Young Writers Conference
Boise, Idaho!

Buy Phantom Stallion

Terri's books are available for KINDLE!

Phantom Stallion books are available at your local bookstore and online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.org


	Newsletter \| Newsletter Archive
	Phantom Stallion E-Newsletter June 2010 Dear Readers, First the bad news. The lawsuit against BLM's capture of the Calico Mountains horses is over — for the moment and Judge Friedman did not side with BLM; but he did dismiss our case against them. Dismissal is not the same thing as losing. It's much better for the horses and for those of us who have just begun to fight. This may seem like nit-picking, but here's my view of what Judge Friedman said: the part of our case which tried to stop the round-up was "moot" (has no legal significance) because the BLM did not take his suggestion to stop it and it was already over the part of our case that said we the plaintiffs (acting for you and the horses) said we would be damaged by taking of the horses from the range, didn't SPECIFICALLY say we'd all be damaged by mustangs being moved to long-term holding. To me, it was like saying if a thief had already burst through my front door despite my protests and dogs, he'd earned the right to rob me. But I'm no attorney and the judge left us possibilities to sue BLM for illegal long-term holding of our horses, cruelty, etc. Am I happy? NO. Am I giving up? NO WAY and I hope you won't either, because here's THE GOOD NEWS: Along with other people who love wild horses, I've come up with an idea which will help YOU and the MUSTANGS and the WEST you've come to love in the PHANTOM STALLION books. Remember, this is just a dream right now, but you can help make it happen! First Lady Michelle Obama is partnering with the Interior Department (which runs BLM) to create "Let's Move Outside!" a program to help keep kids fit. How wonderful would it be if the First Lady teamed up with BLM's Wild Horse and Burro program to celebrate children's ability to put their hands where their hearts ??? Such a program would put you where the wild things are, helping to preserve and protect them! How could this happen? "Let's Move Outside!" will use America's public lands to help keep kids fit. Many of our public lands (in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon...) are home to wild horses. Instead of staying home in front of the TV and computer, kids could be... Hiking the range to observe mustangs in the wild Camping in mustang territory to document wild horse behavior Exploring wild lands and map water sources Repairing human damage to high desert environment I know from having done things like this myself that the strength, determination and memories last forever! The Bureau of Land Management keeps thousands of wild horses in cramped pens. This is expensive and unnatural. Secretary of the Interior Salazar has proposed wild horse sanctuaries in the East, but if these sanctuaries were established in the West, the wild horses could remain on their lands and benefit the young people who love them. What can you do? RIGHT NOW, write an email to First Lady Michelle Obama. Ask her if LET'S MOVE OUTSIDE! can partner with the BLM's wild horse program so that mustangs will still roam free when you are able to go see them. YOU ARE WELCOME to use my words and ideas! What's happening now: Investigation into cruelty and neglect of captive horses is ongoing by the Churchill County District Attorney Dead foal ignites passion among mustang activists Creative plans are afoot to return the Calico horses to their home ranges Wild horse sanctuary proposed north of Gerlach BLM has already trucked 82 wild horses from the Calico mountains to Palomino Valley corrals, where they'll be held until there's an Internet adoption on July 14, 2010. Then, the horses will be put up for competitive bid. (see the notes & photos on Ghost Dancer and Shell Flower to see why this scares me!) Let your voice be heard for the herd! Write an email to First Lady Michelle Obama asking her to save wild horses so that they will still roam free when you are able to go see them. YOU ARE WELCOME to use my words and ideas! Later: Read my blog and my Facebook page for the fastest updates. I'm also teaching myself to TWEET for the horses! Ghost Dancer & Shell Flower Photos by Mark Terrell, Wild Horses of Nevada, and Elyse Gardner. In the lifeless sand of the Fallon feedlot, friendship blooms between two once-free mares. I hope they're soon BFF on the wild range, but for now they have human names honoring the Paiute lands on which they were captured. Shell Flower is the English translation of the Paiute name Thocmetony. Her white name was Sarah Winnemucca. She loved and lived in both the white and Indian worlds and hers was a tragic story, Still, I want to write it, someday. Both of these mares will be up for competitive bid, soon, and I hope they will be able to stay together and roam free side-by-side. Both of these mares will be up for competitive bid, soon, and Return to Freedom sanctuary has promised to take them if they're not freed. I hope they will be able to stay together and run free again,Ê side-by-side. FAQ's What was your inspiration for the PHANTOM STALLION series? Here's one of the best articles written on that topic and it was created via email interview with one of my readers. So, instead of answering it myself, right here, I hope you'll go read what an outstanding reader/writer wrote about it! Have you always loved horses Always! Or at least so far back that I remember a crib toy that was a horse named Icy. Take a look at some photos my dad just sent of me as a little girl ! Q. I want to spend this summer writing. I always say I'm going to, and my teachers and parents think I'm good. So what should I do next? A. Here my six top tips for writers of ALL ages! Write about what you know. Does that sound boring? It's not. In northern Nevada, where I live, some people see cowgirls, soaring mountains, glossy red and white cattle and wild horses every day. My mail indicates those sights are not at all boring. Use your senses. How does a sidewalk smell after a summer rain? Can you describe the sound of something that keeps you awake at night? What do you feel when you hug your grandmother good-bye? No experiences are wasted on writers, because we store each one in our brain cells! Use plenty of conflict. Happily-ever-after isn't as much fun if your characters don't earn it. If your main character is rich, beautiful and lucky on page one and still rich, beautiful and lucky ten pages later, you might not have any readers left when you write THE END. Enter contests which are limited to people your age or younger. That will cut your competition enormously. If you placed in a contest, you may be able to convince an editor that you are working on the craft of writing. Of course, you'll have to show her a darn good story, too. Read. Read. Read. Write. Write. Write Q: I collect everything about wild horses and that means your books, too. Some of your titles are really hard to find. Suggestions? A: Here are some great ways to get books without spending a lot. Try the library. The price is right! FREE. If you have trouble exploring this possibility, let me know where you live and I'll contact the librarian and see what we can work out! Independent bookstores with used sections. If PHANTOM STALLION and WILD HORSE ISLAND books are "keepers" for you, this is the way to go. Try going to Google Maps and type in a search for Bookstores Reno (or Portland, or Tampa or...wherever you live) and it will show you where to find the stores. Powell's in Portland, for instance, has 2 used copies of THE RENEGADE for $2.95 each. Of course you do have to pay shipping costs, and use your parents' credit card, but this might be something you want to explore. Independent bookstores sometimes have connections they can use to find you a used copy of a book for less than you can do it yourself. PHANTOM STALLION book clubs are popping up all over the place. Readers are chipping in on books (new and used) and keeping a library of their own. Instead of quarreling over who gets to keep a book after everyone in the club has read it, I suggest giving the book a THIRD LIFE by donating it to a library or to a teacher's in-class collection. Q: I hate Linc Slocum, but I still want to know, how is Slocum pronounced? A: Slo-com Q: What's up with Sam & Jake? A: Sam & Jake's friendship definitely changed over the course of 24 books & if you read through the WILD HORSE ISLAND series, you know it changed even more! The friendly-enemy sparring started when they were kids, and when Sam returned to River Bend and saw Jake pitched off that little mare, they just got right back to what was normal -- for them. I think they are headed toward being boyfriend/girlfriend, or shy Jake would never have held Sam's hand! Maybe after they've been to college and had lots of adventures together & apart, they (and we!) will know if it's true love or friendship or a wonderful, 50/50 mix of both! This just in . . . Buy any 3 TERRI FARLEY books and receive $1 off with this coupon. This coupon MAY be copied for use by your friends ! Valid at the Western States Horse Expo June 11 - 13, 2010 Find Terri Farley at the Young Rider Park or Book Corral Sam's blog Gram was kneading bread and staring out the kitchen window and I had a fork full of maple syrup-soaked waffle half way to my mouth when Gram said, "The pink rains are back!" Her voice was dreamy and I had no idea what she meant until jumped up to look. read more Where is Terri Farley? June 3 and 4, 2010 Writing the West workshops Southwood and Clarcona Elementary Schools Orlando Fla SCBWI Florida Mid-Year Workshop DATE: June 4, 2010 - June 5, 2010 CONTACT: Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld CHAPTER: SCBWI Florida LOCATION/TIME: Coronado Springs Hotel at Disney World Series Track Terri Farley with Editor Stephanie Luria June 10, 2010 ORLANDO, FLORIDA SCBWI workshop & available for limited school visits Terri will be at the WESTERN STATES HORSE EXPO in Sacramento, California June 11- 12, 2010 Check it out here: http://horsexpo.com/ March 3-5, 2011 Young Writers Conference Boise, Idaho! Buy Phantom Stallion Terri's books are available for KINDLE! Phantom Stallion books are available at your local bookstore and online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.org