Pump Up Chats with ‘The Bone Trail’ Author Nell Walton

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Nell Nell Walton is an avid horsewoman and also owns two wild horses, both of which came from a herd near Elko, NV. She is also the founder and managing editor of the online equestrian news magazine, The AllHorses Post. She has degrees in journalism and biology from the University of Arkansas, spent many years as a professional journalist and worked as an intern for former President Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas. She lives in East Tennessee on a small horse farm with her husband, four horses, one donkey, two cats and two dogs. The Bone Trail is her first novel.

Weblinks:

*http://www.allpetspost.org/TheBoneTrail/
*http://www.allpetspost.org/AllHorsespost/
*http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?act=287583265#!/pages/The-Bone-Trail/177304412309524
*Twitter:nellwal
*thebonetril@allpetspost.org

Thank you for this interview, Nell. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?

A: I think my first published piece was either a short story or a poem I wrote in Junior High. To tell you the truth I don’t remember much about it.

What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?

A: The endless round of rejections and criticism, very often unnecessarily harsh criticism, I believe. It is tougher today than ever before to get fiction published. What has been most rewarding to me is the publish on demand option that is so readily available these days. I loved working with the graphic artist for the cover, making sure all the layout was correct, and I am starting to even enjoy doing the promotion for the book.

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?

A: I am married and live on a small horse farm. My husband is totally supportive of my writing.

Bone Trail What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?

A: I ride horses. We have four horses and a donkey, and I try to ride at least three or four times a week. I haven’t been on vacation in a while (I usually stay-cation on the farm) but I have been to riding schools in Portugal several times. I speak Portuguese and love the country immensely.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?

A: Right now I would probably want to be on a beach in Puerto Rico! I am pretty sick of winter.

Who is your biggest fan?

A: I think my husband is.

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

A: I like to sit in front of the TV with my husband. I find that tuning out the television is conducive to writing (I’m rarely interested in what he is watching).

Do you have any pets?

A: More than I like to think about. Two cats, two dogs, four horses and a donkey, nearly all of them are rescue animals.

Tell us a secret no one else knows.

A: I sincerely love Marx Brothers movies as well as the 3 Stooges, although my husband does know these secrets!! He likes them too.

What’s on your to do list today?

A: Trimming horse feet, going to the grocery store and Farmer’s co-op and getting some work done on book marketing as well as doing research for my new mystery series. Typical Saturday for us on the farm.

Now I’ve got a couple of fun questions for you. If Tom Hanks, in the movie Cast Away, unearthed a copy of your book, how would that help him find a way off the island?

A: I hope that the heroine’s stubbornness would inspire him to BUILD THAT RAFT!!

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Book Idol, with judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara Dioguardi and the newest addition, Ellen DeGeneres, to determine whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a big screenplay where you’d make millions of dollars. What would impress them more – your book cover, an excerpt or your author photo – and why?

A: An excerpt, no question. The Bone Trail rocks, even if I do say so myself. I will say there is already talk about film rights for The Bone Trail. Just talk so far, but it is very exciting.

You just got word that your book has received the 2010 NY Times Bestselling Book Award and you have to attend the ceremony to give an acceptance speech. Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom. What would you say and who would you thank?

A: I would ask everyone to become more knowledgeable and involved in the government’s mismanagement of our rangeland out west, especially our wild mustang herds. I would also ask everyone to start paying more attention to the abuses that still occur in Indian Country, especially in regards to Tribal lands being exploited for their natural resources in opposition to Tribal belief systems.

I would thank the wild horse advocates who work tirelessly to keep our wild horses and burros in their natural habitat, and thank my brothers and sisters in Indian Country for all the good work they try to do to preserve the Earth. And I would thank my friends and my husband for all the support they gave me while I was writing The Bone Trail.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in (put month you are touring here) via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?

A: I really needed someone to guide me through the process, as I had no clue as to what to do, other than blog, be active on Twitter and Facebook. So far it’s been a great experience.

Thank you for this interview, Nell. Good luck on your virtual book tour!

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The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts

Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach