Lately my daughter has taken a shine to three horses that pasture near our home. When we pass them on the way to daycare in the morning, she gets very upset if I don't 'pause' to say hi to them. (Then it's 'bye bye horsie' ... 'no cows' ... 'no peep' [that's 'sheep' for you non-parental types]...)
Got me thinking about the magical 'power' of horses, and not just in childrens' lives...
"Last Chance Rescue" touches on a matter of personal concern, which is the mistreatment of horses involved in the Premarin trade. In fact, Jessie's horse, Mistletoe, is a rescued 'PMU' mare (you won't want to miss the scene when she gives birth!).
For approximately six months from fall through spring, the pregnant mares live in 'pee barns,' forced to stand in stalls with urine collection devices strapped to them. The stalls are deliberately narrow to prevent pregnant mares from turning around and detaching the collection cups. In the last month of their eleven-month pregnancy, the mares are put out to pasture to have their foals. The mares are put in a herd with a stallion, so they quickly become pregnant again. In September, their foals are taken away from them to be sold, whether or not they are fully weaned. The next month, they're back in the barns and the cycle starts again.
Horses are magnificent creatures, and it breaks my heart to think of what they endure. You can read more about horses and Premarin here
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Last Chance Rescue Reviewed in "Wings of Gold"
"This is a story about a search and rescue team and its adventures in the Colorado Rockies. The author, like her protagonist Jessie, is a military veteran trained in rescue operations (five years as an Army National Guard paramedic -- earning her helicopter pilot license in 2001). Jessie is an independent type. She has lived alone and worked wtih a SAR team since returning from Iraq. When she meets up with Brad, an old high school buddy, at a reunion, her life takes a turn. There is romance mixed with true to life rescue scenes in the high country."
To read a free excerpt, visit www.LastChanceRescueBook.com.
To read a free excerpt, visit www.LastChanceRescueBook.com.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Book Trailer Stars Search-and-Rescue Team
Former Army paramedic and helicopter pilot Tracey Cramer-Kelly has just finished a book trailer for Last Chance Rescue. The 1-minute "movie" allows readers to get a sneak preview of Last Chance Rescue in a fun new way.
What is Last Chance Rescue about?
Jessie has lived alone and worked with the search-and-rescue team since returning home from a stint as a paramedic in Iraq. Her social life consists of her teammates and Madeline, the owner of the horse rescue ranch where Jessie keeps her beloved mare.
When she meets up with an old high school buddy at a reunion, she cautiously allows him into her life, but only as a friend. Brad is running from his past and in need of a dramatic change. Joining and training with Jessie's rescue crew is a radical departure from his superficial career in advertising.
The two are reluctant to fall in love, so they learn to navigate the terrain of trust and friendship even as they face life and death scenarios in their day-to-day lives. Not until they both risk facing their secrets do they allow their friendship to take a final plunge into love.
Last Chance Rescue has been lauded by readers and critics as much for its enduring romance as its intense, true-to-life search-and-rescue scenes.
Praise for Last Chance Rescue
"Cramer-Kelly traverses the peaks and valleys of one man's quest for personal fulfillment and the remarkable woman who helps him find it." -- Sheri Vangen-Ratcliffe, Author of Heir Apparent
"A storyline that rockets up and down like a wild helicopter ride and keeps you guessing until the very end." -- John Nemo, Author of Jumper, The King's Game and Miller's Miracle
"The author’s emergency medical background and outdoor experience shows through." -- Terri Watson, Air Idaho Rescue Helicopter Pilot & National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Senior Field Instructor
To View the Video
Visit www.LastChanceRescueBook.com to view the video and/or read a free except. (Last Chance Rescue is also available at amazon.com)
What is Last Chance Rescue about?
Jessie has lived alone and worked with the search-and-rescue team since returning home from a stint as a paramedic in Iraq. Her social life consists of her teammates and Madeline, the owner of the horse rescue ranch where Jessie keeps her beloved mare.
When she meets up with an old high school buddy at a reunion, she cautiously allows him into her life, but only as a friend. Brad is running from his past and in need of a dramatic change. Joining and training with Jessie's rescue crew is a radical departure from his superficial career in advertising.
The two are reluctant to fall in love, so they learn to navigate the terrain of trust and friendship even as they face life and death scenarios in their day-to-day lives. Not until they both risk facing their secrets do they allow their friendship to take a final plunge into love.
Last Chance Rescue has been lauded by readers and critics as much for its enduring romance as its intense, true-to-life search-and-rescue scenes.
Praise for Last Chance Rescue
"Cramer-Kelly traverses the peaks and valleys of one man's quest for personal fulfillment and the remarkable woman who helps him find it." -- Sheri Vangen-Ratcliffe, Author of Heir Apparent
"A storyline that rockets up and down like a wild helicopter ride and keeps you guessing until the very end." -- John Nemo, Author of Jumper, The King's Game and Miller's Miracle
"The author’s emergency medical background and outdoor experience shows through." -- Terri Watson, Air Idaho Rescue Helicopter Pilot & National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Senior Field Instructor
To View the Video
Visit www.LastChanceRescueBook.com to view the video and/or read a free except. (Last Chance Rescue is also available at amazon.com)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Not Necessarily New York Times Bestseller -- YET
I just wanted to say thanks to Carrie at Words to Mouth for spotlighting "Last Chance Rescue" in Across Carrie's Desk. Words to Mouth is a blog and companion Internet talk show introducing new book releases and their authors to a community interested in excellent writing that may not necessarily top the New York Times Bestseller List -- Yet! Readers can even WIN free books, so check it out!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
First Ride of the Season...Minus One License Plate
Given that my husband and I own a motorcycle accessories business www.LeaderMotorcycle.com -- not to mention I'm such an avid motorcyclist that the photo on my book flap is of me on a motorcycle -- I get asked so often: "Is there a motorcycle in your book?" that I will HAVE to include one in my next novel!
YES, I know exactly where that will fit in!
So went my thoughts as I was basking in the after-glow of my first motorcycle ride of the season. It was a 35-minute jaunt on the county roads around my home in semi-rural St. Francis, MN with my son as passenger.
Let me be decidedly un-literary for a moment: GOD, IT FELT GOOD!
The only tiny (and I mean near inconsequential!) mar was that it was technically illegal. (Or maybe that just made it more exciting?!)
I don't have a license plate.
So here's the story: I lent my motorcycle to the shop that does all our sewing (Desert Dawgs Rain Guards) so they could develope a seat for it. When it left here in November, it had a license plate. When I got it back on Thursday...no plate. So I rushed to the bureau on Saturday only to find out they were closed for a 'belated' Good Friday holiday. Frustrating! (But, as you can see, it didn't stop me!)
Do you think an officer would let me off the hook with that story?? (It's true.) Luckily I didn't have to find out...
YES, I know exactly where that will fit in!
So went my thoughts as I was basking in the after-glow of my first motorcycle ride of the season. It was a 35-minute jaunt on the county roads around my home in semi-rural St. Francis, MN with my son as passenger.
Let me be decidedly un-literary for a moment: GOD, IT FELT GOOD!
The only tiny (and I mean near inconsequential!) mar was that it was technically illegal. (Or maybe that just made it more exciting?!)
I don't have a license plate.
So here's the story: I lent my motorcycle to the shop that does all our sewing (Desert Dawgs Rain Guards) so they could develope a seat for it. When it left here in November, it had a license plate. When I got it back on Thursday...no plate. So I rushed to the bureau on Saturday only to find out they were closed for a 'belated' Good Friday holiday. Frustrating! (But, as you can see, it didn't stop me!)
Do you think an officer would let me off the hook with that story?? (It's true.) Luckily I didn't have to find out...
Saturday, April 11, 2009
On the Subject of Singing
Last year I recorded backup vocals for a friend's CD project (see Mark Cameron "Life of Illusion" at http://cdbaby.com/cd/cameronmark). One of the songs ("Since I Met You") even garnered radio play in France! This week I found myself back in 'rehearsal' -- for both potential live gigs (I've already missed two) AND a new CD project.
Producing a music project is akin to writing a book, I've decided: they're both highly creative and highly PERSONAL endeavors (not to mention a hell of a lot of time and work, and not always appreciated the way us 'artists' would like). And yet the music project is highly collaborative -- much more so than writing a novel. (The closest I come is when I'm picking the brain of a SME -- Subject Matter Expert -- like the Physical Therapist I befriended while writing "Last Chance Rescue"). And there's something about the band members' comeraderie and shared energy (and working together toward a shared goal) that I enjoy.
And, of course, I enjoy the singing. I wanted to keep practicing "Difficult Kind" (Sheryl Crow) all night! All the way home (50-minute drive) I kept thinking: I should have put that "Girl Band" together back when I was younger!
Producing a music project is akin to writing a book, I've decided: they're both highly creative and highly PERSONAL endeavors (not to mention a hell of a lot of time and work, and not always appreciated the way us 'artists' would like). And yet the music project is highly collaborative -- much more so than writing a novel. (The closest I come is when I'm picking the brain of a SME -- Subject Matter Expert -- like the Physical Therapist I befriended while writing "Last Chance Rescue"). And there's something about the band members' comeraderie and shared energy (and working together toward a shared goal) that I enjoy.
And, of course, I enjoy the singing. I wanted to keep practicing "Difficult Kind" (Sheryl Crow) all night! All the way home (50-minute drive) I kept thinking: I should have put that "Girl Band" together back when I was younger!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Romance or um ... Relationship?
I am sometimes asked if "Last Chance Rescue" is a romance novel.
My answer is: If you are a romance book reviewer, or a die-hard romance novel fan, then YES.
I'm joking a bit, but here's the truth: It's so much more!
The overarching theme of "Last Chance Rescue" is not a romance, but rather, is about how Brad is transformed over the course of the story. Yes, there IS a relationship (and that's the key word) that turns into something more than friendship as the story progresses. And yes, Brad's changes are 'facilitated' by a remarkable woman...
Brad and Jessie start out as mere acquaintances, but by working on a search-and-rescue team, they are forced to learn to trust each other in ways that us 'ordinary folk' don't have to -- and they become fast friends. So you might say it's about how guys and girls can operate as friends, but it also brings into play the theme of being friends before lovers.
I have nothing against the 'typical' romance novel. But in "Last Chance Rescue," the characters grapple with so much more. They are multi-faceted, multi-challenged personalities. And isn't that more like your life too? It's a rare time in our lives when the 'only' thing we have to deal with is a 'blossoming' romance!
My answer is: If you are a romance book reviewer, or a die-hard romance novel fan, then YES.
I'm joking a bit, but here's the truth: It's so much more!
The overarching theme of "Last Chance Rescue" is not a romance, but rather, is about how Brad is transformed over the course of the story. Yes, there IS a relationship (and that's the key word) that turns into something more than friendship as the story progresses. And yes, Brad's changes are 'facilitated' by a remarkable woman...
Brad and Jessie start out as mere acquaintances, but by working on a search-and-rescue team, they are forced to learn to trust each other in ways that us 'ordinary folk' don't have to -- and they become fast friends. So you might say it's about how guys and girls can operate as friends, but it also brings into play the theme of being friends before lovers.
I have nothing against the 'typical' romance novel. But in "Last Chance Rescue," the characters grapple with so much more. They are multi-faceted, multi-challenged personalities. And isn't that more like your life too? It's a rare time in our lives when the 'only' thing we have to deal with is a 'blossoming' romance!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tibia Update
Thank you to those who have written to ask how my six-year-old son is doing. He fractured his tibia in mid-February (downhill skiing) and was in a full-leg cast until last week. He is now in what he calls a "Robocop Boot" (a walking boot). We still use the wheelchair for school, but he is (finally!) ambulatory (to everyone's great relief). We are ALL quite restless (especially as the weather improves here in Minnesota) and ready for him to be healed! We hope that when we return to the doctor (in two weeks), the "Robocop Boot" will be necessary only for physical activities...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
TIME: Obstacle AND Gift
Today I had a very enjoyable interview with Ms. Tammy Sapp of Womens Outdoor Wire (http://www.womensoutdoorwire.com). One of the things I mentioned during the conversation stayed with me afterward, and it's about TIME.
The greatest obstacle I have in my writing life is TIME. Writing takes a lot of TIME! And when you have a business to run (http://www.LeaderMotorcycle.com) and young children to rear, along with the commitments we adults tend to accumulate, it doesn't leave much TIME for writing.
My writing time is usually between 9 and 11 pm -- after my children are in bed and all is quiet, and IF (that's a big "if" sometimes) I have any brain power left. It took me two years to complete "Last Chance Rescue"!
BUT -- and this is the key -- TIME has also been my biggest gift. What I mean by that is: I am given another day...EVERY DAY! A fresh slate every morning...to make what I will of it.
And therein lies my point: It's important to me that I spend my time on the things that MATTER. Not by someone else's definition, but my OWN. Every person is different, but to me, WRITING MATTERS. It is part of what fulfills ME (amongst many things, of course, but this IS an author blog, after all...)
It's difficult to do sometimes -- we are all busy and feel pulled in ten directions at once -- but I make a conscious effort to evaluate how I'm spending my time. And every now and then, I even have to say "NO"!
The greatest obstacle I have in my writing life is TIME. Writing takes a lot of TIME! And when you have a business to run (http://www.LeaderMotorcycle.com) and young children to rear, along with the commitments we adults tend to accumulate, it doesn't leave much TIME for writing.
My writing time is usually between 9 and 11 pm -- after my children are in bed and all is quiet, and IF (that's a big "if" sometimes) I have any brain power left. It took me two years to complete "Last Chance Rescue"!
BUT -- and this is the key -- TIME has also been my biggest gift. What I mean by that is: I am given another day...EVERY DAY! A fresh slate every morning...to make what I will of it.
And therein lies my point: It's important to me that I spend my time on the things that MATTER. Not by someone else's definition, but my OWN. Every person is different, but to me, WRITING MATTERS. It is part of what fulfills ME (amongst many things, of course, but this IS an author blog, after all...)
It's difficult to do sometimes -- we are all busy and feel pulled in ten directions at once -- but I make a conscious effort to evaluate how I'm spending my time. And every now and then, I even have to say "NO"!
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