Face palms, FREE books, fun pictures, and …I can’t think of an f word for this…meet ups.
Have you ever put off something important because other things seemed more urgent? True confessions, I have a habit of putting my bookkeeping off until taxes are due. Then I scramble and spend 2-3 days doing it all at once.
Therefore, I didn't think much about putting it off this year. After all, this strategy has worked well enough for the last 16 years in my Mary Kay business! *cue head shake* In 2023 I started teaching horse riding lessons, am training a horse, and have been investing and working really hard to get Finding Gideon completed and out to the world. And I'm still a Mary Kay girl! It was a lot, and I'm way behind on all my April goals and to-dos. *face palm*
My new motto is, now that I'm 40 I need to act like it. Money Mondays commenced this morning!
Here are some fun pics from Equine Affaire this month!
I finally got to hang out with my equine author besties Susan Friedland (Marguerite, Misty, & Me) and Sarah Welk Baynum (The Impelled Series) again! We live in different states, so it was a blast to get to see them at the Ohio Equine Affair. On my first day, while I was setting up, a girl wondered up and said, “Finding Gideon! I’m reading that right now!” I had to scrape my jaw off the floor and then asked for a photo together <3
This Saturday, April 28, is Independent Bookstore Day! Bookstores across the country will be having special events. I was invited to sign at 2 local stores! But alas, I can only be in one place at a time. I treated it like a prom date and said yes to the first one who asked. You can come see me at Birch Tree Books in Leesburg, VA from 12-3pm <3 (This is 2024 for future readers).
Ok, one more really fun announcement. I’m the PRESIDENT of the Reston Letter Book Club!!! The Reston Letter is an adorable little paper in my town, and we are doing a book club where local readers get to read & meet local authors! If you’re in or around Reston and interested in our book club, fill out this form so you get all the info. Our first book is Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews.
Before we get to the free books, I had to include our monthly horse pic. This month I’m featuring Beau, a very seasoned Morgan I’ve been teaching lessons on for about a year now. He lives in Great Falls and loves having a job. I’m grateful for horses like him who take such good care of young riders.
Ok are you ready for those FREEBIES??!!! I joined a promotion of authors giving away books, novellas, and short stories. The theme is Sweet & Clean romance and WOW am I excited to download a TON of these myself!!! Click here or on the image to be taken to the page with ALL THE FREE EBOOKS. (This ends April 30, 2024)
Now that taxes are done, I’m working on a few things. Plaidhorse Magazine has a writing contest going, so I’ve been brainstorming story ideas. I’ve been letting the manuscript rest for my next book, and am chomping at the bit to get back at it! This next book is a romcom called All the Things That Come Between Us about a married couple who has drifted apart, falling back in love.
And last, I’m working on an article to sell to a magazine. Last week while on a trail ride with my daughter and riding student, there was a lot of complaining happening. General kid stuff – why can’t we go faster? Why can’t we ride longer? I tried to tell the kids how lucky they were to even get to pet a pony, much less ride one. As we came down the hill toward the road, a white van stopped and rolled down the window. The driver had the biggest smile and waved at us. Next thing I know, the van door opens and it’s packed with a young family, all leaning over to see the horses.
It was such an incredible moment for the kids to get to see firsthand what I was talking about. We smiled and told them the names of our mounts, and I prayed Danny would continue to behave. It was clear that family felt so blessed to see a horse. They didn’t ask to get out or pet them. They just wanted to wave and chat.
Sometimes we take our lives for granted. How often have we wanted more when so many people would be over the moon for what we already have?
God is so good, but it’s hard to recognize it sometimes when we’re constantly wishing for more, better, faster, etc.
Soli Deo gloria,
Sarah Hickner
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