New authors added

Hi all, a run-down of some of the authors added in the last few weeks. I am not adding as many at the moment due to updating the existing author pages. However if you feel I have missed out one of your favs please let me know and I will add them asap:

JAQUELYN BERRILL
MARY GRAHAM BONNER
MIES BOUHUYS
ALEA BUSHHARDT
MARGARET CHITTENDEN
MARION CROOK
CHRISTINE FORSYTHE
LAURA HESSE
PETER McPHEE
EDNA SMITH MAKERNEY
LORD MOTTISTONE
MAGDALEN NABB
ALISON PRINCE
JOCELYN REEKIE
HOLLY WEBB
JANET M WHYTE
TAMARA L WILLIAMS

Check out these and all other authors here

New authors added

Latest new authors added to the site include:

MARY ADRIAN
MATT ARMSTRONG
LYNN AVERY
JOYCE BARKHOUSE
RORY BARNES
LEILA BERG
WALLACE BLUE
ANNE BROOKSBANK
JOANNE HOPPE
JUDITH O'NEILL
STELLA SAMMON
MONA SANDLER
E. F. STUCLEY
SHEENA WILKINSON

For more information please visit the book and author info page on the website

New authors added

Just a handful added lately, due to being busy with my sales website:

BORDEN DEAL

HEINRICH MARIA DENNEBORG

STEVEN FARLEY

ESTELLE GREY

ALAN C. JENKINS

LILIAN MOORE

SALLY FARRELL ODGERS

POPPY SHIRE

FRANCES WILBUR

More info about all of these on the book info page

New Squirrel Books sales website plus 10% off books!

After a longish period of ill health, I have finally got my book-selling business up and running again. I have updated the sales website and given it a facelift. The pony books that I have been previously selling on the ponymadbooklovers website are now available on my sales website www.squirrelbooks.co.uk along with other children's non-pony books such as Enid Blyton, animal stories, ballet stories and adventures.

As a welcome back bonus I am giving a 10% discount to all readers of the blog. To take advantage of the offer please add the code NEW831 in the promotional code box on the on-line order form. The offer ends on 31st August 2011 and includes any item for sale on the website.

To visit the website and browse or buy books please go to Squirrel Books

Latest authors added to website

A rundown of the latest authors added to the website:

NED ACKERMAN
ANDY ADAMS
JANET ASHTON
JENNIFER AUSTIN
CARIN GREENBERG BAKER
BIANCA BRADBURY
MEBANE BURGWYN
SOPHY BURNHAM
KATHARINE BURT
MARY CALHOUN
BARBARA CAMPBELL
JULIE CAMPBELL
RUSSELL GORDON CARTER
MARGARET CLARK
ANN NOLAN CLARK
STEPHEN COSGROVE
HELEN DICKSON
COLEEN HUBBARD
EUGENE LUMBERS
JAHNNA N. MALCOLM
ANN M. MARTIN
FRANK GEE PATCHIN
SUSAN SAUNDERS
COLIN THIELE
MARK TWAIN

Info on all these can be found on the author and book info page

I have also added a new pony library to the relevant section - The Treasured Horses Collection - this is a fairly modern USA pony library published in the 1990s.

Latest authors added

Authors added to the website in the last few weeks include:

NAN HAYDEN AGLE
REECE FELL ALSOP
JUDY ANDREKSON
NED ANDREWS
ELIZABETH BAKER
HANS BAUMANN
JACK BECHDOLT
KAREN BENDICK
HOFFMAN BIRNEY
STEPHEN & JANET BLY
EULALIA BOURNE
IRENE BRADY
MARY GRANT BRUCE
URSULA BRUNS
ELEANOR CLYMER
MARY COLVILLE
JANET DAILEY
ELIZABETH DALE
VIVIAN DUBROVIN
EMILY EDWARDS
ETHELIND FEARON
LOGAN FORSTER
BRUCE GRANT
ANNE BOSWORTH GREENE
DIANA HALLAM
CAPTAIN J. E. HANCE
ELIZABETH HARROVER JOHNSON
ROBERT HARTMAN
FLORENCE HAYES
VIOLET HEATHCOTE
ELEANOR HOFFMANN
DEBORAH KENT
MARIANNE MACDONALD
ALAN MARSHALL
JEANNE MELLIN
BARLOW MEYERS
EUGENIA MILLER
RUTH NULTON MOORE
LINDA NEWBERY
OLIVE NORTON
VIRGINIA ORMSBY
PATRICIA MILES MARTIN
HELGA SANDBURG
JOHN SMYTH
SIEGFRIED STANDER

You can check these out on the author information pages

I have also added pages for the Breyer Stablemates and the Perfect Tales for Pony Lovers series

Jane Ayres - Author Interview

Many thanks to author Jane Ayres who has kindly agreed to do an interview for the ponymadbooklovers blog. Jane is the author of a number of pony books including The Great Horse Rescue, Gallery of Horses and the Mattie series.

Hello Jane and thanks for talking to us!

Can you remember what made you fall in love with horses?

No, but I have always loved horses. I do think they are especially beautiful and inspiring creatures.

What were your favourite pony books and authors as a child? Do you have an all time favourite pony story?

I loved them all and luckily we were spoilt for choice in the 70s! I enjoyed the Pullein Thompson sisters stories and still have most of my pony books in a huge box under the bed! I really liked Jago by Hazel M Peel.

Do you still read pony books?

Yes, when I get the time. The most recent books I read were from the Heartlands series.

What is the best book you have read recently (horse-related or otherwise)?

The last (non-horsey) novel I read was Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce, a fabulous book which appeals to children and adults.

Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes.

How did you become an author and what was your first published work?

I had my first short story published when I was 14. It was called Dream Pony and was about a psycho show pony that attacks another pony at a show! It was published in Pony World magazine (no longer exists) and I was paid £10! That was the start. I kept writing pony stories and then serials, and when I was in my twenties I was lucky enough to be taken on by my wonderful agent, The Luithlen Agency after which I produced a collection of short stories called Horses in the Gallery for Collins Armada. And I’ve just kept going ever since.

Do you write any books other than pony stories. If so what?

I’ve written poems, articles and short stories on a range of topics. I also wrote a book for Stabenfeldt called Coming Home which was about 2 Norwegian Forest cats.

Are any of the horses and ponies in your books based on real life horses you have known?

Yes, lots, ranging from Binky, the little dapple grey I rode as a child who would bolt and then stop dead, shooting you over his head, to enormous bay Soames, my favourite riding school horse, who taught me how to do smoother transitions.

Do you have a favourite amongst your books, and/or a favourite character?

Transitions is probably the book I am most happy with. But I also enjoyed writing the character of Matty in the Matty series as she is fun to be.

Do you have any other books due to be published in the near future? Or are you working on one?

Last Chance Horse comes out in March (Stabenfeldt) and includes the US (not UK though). I’m now thinking about ideas for the next book.

How do you feel about the fact that most of your pony books are published outside of the UK?

I do wish that the books were published in the UK too.

Do you think that British publishers are ‘anti-pony book’ and if so do you have any explanations for this?

I don’t think they are anti, but it is a shame that there isn’t the huge pony book market here that existed when I was a teenager over 30 years ago.

Do you agree that pony books provide good role models for children, in particular girls, and if so why do you think this is?

I think they can do but it depends on the book.

You have written both traditional pony stories and some with fantasy elements.

Do you think that fantasy is somewhat taking over pony books, and indeed children’s books in general?

I couldn’t really say as I have not read enough, but fantasy is certainly very popular right now, especially vampire stories. I don’t think that’s bad though.

Do you have a favourite past-time (other than books and animals!)?

I love hula hooping! I go to a weekly class and have 2 hoops and know a few tricks.

Do you have any horses or other pets of your own?

Not at present. I used to have an amazing silver tabby called Biffa who we sadly lost when he was only 6 months old. I also owned a Welsh cob mare called Mellyn for a brief period.

Although I am unable to have a pet at present I am a keen supporter of the Brooke Hospital for Animals http://www.thebrooke.org/ and would urge all animal lovers to look at the work they do.

Many thanks for your questions!



Jane Ayres Bibliography:

GALLERY OF HORSES
THE GREAT HORSE RESCUE
MATTIE AND THE MOONLIGHT HORSE
MATTIE AND THE PROBLEM PONY
THE HORSE ON THE BALCONY
DARK HORSES
THE RUNAWAY HORSE
TRANSITIONS
ZEPHYR OF WILD HORSE ISLAND

I have reviewed some of these in my last blog post. You can also find out more by visiting the Jane Ayres page on the website.