Today we welcome Award Winning Blogger and children’s book, Author Gina McKnight.
This lady is a woman of many interests and accomplishments, and I am happy to have her as my guest today!
Welcome Gina!
I have many questions, but our readers need to know a little about you first. Give us a snapshot of where you live, how you grew up, and what you do.
Hi Patty! Thanks for connecting. I was raised on a Hereford cattle farm in Ohio. My family still lives on the farm. We enjoy our rural heritage and our small community of good friends and neighbors. I am an author, freelance writer, poet—writing about horses, fitness, outdoors, and more horses.
When did you fall in love with poetry?
The classic poets have always had a place in our home. My mother was always reading the classic children’s poems to me and my siblings; usually while we were taking a bath or right before bed. That’s when I fell in love with poetry. I never really considered myself a poet, until a few years ago when words just seemed to come together. My first volume of poetry, To the Heart” has garnered rave reviews. I appreciate the support of fellow poets and readers of poetry. My second volume is in the works and will be released later this year.
Tell us about your background with horses.
Living on a working cattle farm, my dad always said horses were a luxury. My brother and I rode as kids throughout the woodlands where we live. A new children’s literature “Trail Ride to Snake Hollow” captures a day on the trail. Currently, I stable one Quarter Horse paint mare, Zubedia. Last January, I lost my prized Curly-Quarter Horse cross gelding, Cherokee, to complications of Cushing’s disease, kind of like diabetes in humans. Zubedia and I miss Cherokee daily.
I see you are a freelance writer, book reviewer and do author blogs. Tell us a bit about those and where do you find the time?
Writing is what I like to do, and it seems I am always thinking of writing. I write for three equestrian magazines; Florida Equine Athlete, Arabian Finish Line, and trueCOWBOY Magazine. Writing book reviews and helping other authors promote their books is a great sideline and keeps me busy with my blog Riding & Writing. I find that connecting with other authors provides opportunity to increase my own territory while showcasing someone else’s talent. My motto is “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”
Your new book The Blackberry Patch looks so interesting! Explain how this book came about.
Inspiration for The Blackberry Patch comes from my own life experience. As a child, I was assigned daily chores, which included foraging for seasonal fruits and nuts. Picking berries with my siblings, grandfather and parents, brings back fond memories of grand adventure. We always knew where the best berries grew near Snow Fork, along the railroad tracks. Today we still gather fruits and nuts from the wooded areas where we live.
Tell us what other interests you pursue.
With so many projects in the works, I seldom have time for much else. When I am not writing, I am at the barn, spending time with my horse. I have an office in our upper barn, right across from Zubedia’s stall. It’s heaven. I love the aesthetics of being at the barn. But, I digress, you asked what other interests I pursue. With a family and career, there isn’t much time for anything else; however, I do like to travel and explore places I have never been.
Do you have any other interests you are keeping secret from us? Anything new in the works?
No secrets; being a writer, life seems transparent enough. As far as writing, I have several other projects in place. One is a biography about a local veterinarian, currently being reviewed by a local publisher. This biography has taken over five years to complete; a lot of my heart and soul is written within the pages – writing a biography is much different than any other type of writing.
I am also writing another children’s series “Nawaab: Marwari Stallion of India” collaborating with a horseman from India as well as a fine artist from Serbia. The story takes place in India in the year 1839. The first book in the series is in final stages. Banyan Publishing, India, will be releasing the eBook soon with visions of a hardcover on the horizon.
My second volume of poetry “Poetry from the Field” is still in process. Tamara Rymer, a fine artist from Texas, is currently working on the cover. I am excited about this collection and anxious to get it released this year.
Besides my own projects, I help others with publishing their books; a poet from Egypt, a poet from Maryland, and a writer from Kentucky, to name a few. Currently, I have several collaborations of this type in process, and I enjoy helping others fulfill their dream of seeing their writing in print.Gina
Do you have an excerpt from any of your books you’d like to share?
A poem from To the Heart
Monday
Her dress is
Tied, a cross-grain
Ribbon
Moist hair is
Tied, a tight
Chignon
He wanders in
Like Monday
Morning
no words he says
no words needed
no words spoken
He unlaces his boots
His smile, a
Token
Ribbon slides south
Hair, doesn’t
Matter
All to the wayside
Hearts pitter-patter
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Many thanks to Gina McKnight for this wonderful interview!
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