Monday, December 31, 2018

Be Free in Your Wildness



This year my writing brought me to the back country of  British Columbia-known at the Chilcotin Wilderness. The fact that the Tsylos Wilderness Lodge exists is testimony to the resilence and fortitude of the McLean family that have owned it for 61 years. This is a video of the top of the world ride a high point in my travel adventures.


 I needed to pull the plug on technology. To simple "be here now" for a while. To let my mind relax and my imagination to wander. Rocking along aboard my good buddy Apache for a week let me do exactly that. It was wonderful to tramp through untrameled wilderness with nary a sign of the human footprint.


 I decided to create a website spotlighting my travels and the books and travel articles. Please stop by www.LostAngelAdventures.com. There may be an adventure there that captures your fancy.
                                 www.LostAngelAdventures.com

This is the Lost Angel reminding you to be Free in Your Wildness!


Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of articles on her site along with information about her novels and articles at www.LindaBallouauthor.com


Subscribe to Linda’s blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.







Saturday, December 29, 2018

Taking Life at a Gallop

Aloha, My Love to You: The Story of One Who Was Born in ParadiseAloha, My Love to You: The Story of One Who Was Born in Paradise by Tempski Armine Von
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the sequel to Ms. Von Tempskie’s memoir Born in Paradise. She was an adventurous young woman born on a ranch on the flank of Haleakala Crater in 1892. This book was published two years after her passing in 1943. Her vivid descriptions of the magical isle of Maui before it became over run with tourists made me want to go back to this blissful time. She turned her family home into a guest ranch for dudes and took them on rides in up country Maui. While carrying this load she managed to write five books; two memoirs and three novels in between hosting fascinating guests from around the globe like Jack London and his wife Charmian. What an enchanting and inspiring life she shares in this book that filled my heart with warm aloha and a strong desire to return to the Islands and breathe deeply of the flower scented air.


View all my reviews

Monday, December 17, 2018

Be Free in Your Wildness

Wilderness, The Gateway To The Soul: Spiritual Enlightenment Through WildernessWilderness, The Gateway To The Soul: Spiritual Enlightenment Through Wilderness by Scott Stillman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scott Stillman is preaching to the choir in my corner or the world. One of my stories set in Sedona is titled Not Enough Said for Solitude. I have been encouraging people to toss the clicker out the window and breathe deeply of our beautiful world for some time. However, it is refreshing to find this younger voice share the many ways that nature can be our salvation. I believe people are too concerned about being connected and are so harried keeping up of with technology they have lost touch with themselves. I am not able to carry a backpack into remote regions solo, but I do enjoy horseback, riding, river rafting and hiking in our countries varied, majestic landscapes. I thank Scott for taking me into places I can’t go alone and for allowing me to imagine the peace, silence and magic of these wild places. This is a wonderful book that will help you be free in your wildness.
Linda Ballou-Author of Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales
www.lostangeladventures.com


View all my reviews

Friday, December 7, 2018

Warm Aloha for the Holidays




What better gift than a journey to ancient Hawai'i. If you purchase Wai-nani on my site I will provide gift wrapping and free shipping anywhere in the U.S., including Hawaii.

I will also include Wai-nani's Wayfinder, a map I created that takes you to sacred historical sites on the Big Island.  I visited almost all of them in my research for Wai-nani. Reading my book and having the map in hand will enhance any visit to the Islands.
Wai-nani's Wayfinder





Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  


 Subscribe to her blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.




Sunday, December 2, 2018

Welcome to my You Tube Channel



Come and visit me at my Youtube channel.

** I have a host of videos on The Lost Angel Walkabout  playlist taking you on my favorite adventures.

** On Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawaii playlist I have answers to the most common questions I get about the ancient culture of Hawai'i

** On The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon playlist there is a trailer and clips from the audio book, and articles about my riding adventures in North America and more.

Please take a moment to join me there and subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

My playlists



Monday, November 19, 2018

Gifts for Friends with a Wandering Eye


I love travel narratives.  These are a few of my favorite travel books sure to whet your wanderlust. These are not typical guidebooks, they represent well-written travel literature.

Sara travels in a way that I would love to do, but just don’t have the stamina.
From soggy sleeping bags, to elaborate dinners at elegant haciendas she shares the highs and lows of Chili—a country of extremes. Home to some of the highest volcanoes in the world, vast expanse of desert and tropical forests and of course, the glaciers  of Patagonia, it takes a savvy traveler to navigate it’s wonders.  Ms. Wheeler provides a well-informed look into the culture, history and politics of a place. Her writing is exceptional with lyrical descriptions and amusing observations. If you contemplating a trip to this thin country put this books on the top of your list. Right there next to Bruce Chatwin’s Patagonia
What a wonderful find. Alexandra Fuller captures the seduction of the African sun burnt landscape. The vast spaces that set the mind sailing seduced her parents and made them stay against great adversity. They lived in Kenya when British Colonists spent their days in royal comfort, but those days ended with a revolution and war in the 60’s.  Ms. Fuller masterfully weaves the very personal history of her dramatic childhood and the life of her stiff upper lip parents against the backdrop of a tumultuous time. Her parents chose to remain in Africa after their lands were seized and to set up housekeeping in remote Zambia where they found peace under the” Tree of Forgetfullness.” I have ordered the third book in the trilogy of Ms. Fuller’s stunning memoir.

 Adams delivers a healthy portion of dry information made palatable by interjecting doses of self-deprecating humor that are often laugh-out-loud funny. The pasty-white New York journalist trudges behind a leathery Australian obsessed with the ruins of the Incas, up daunting mountains and then back down into the soggy Amazonian rain forest.  We follow in the footsteps of Hiram Brigham III, who dedicated about half of his life to finding the Lost City of the Incas but had to settle for being credited with the discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911. Adams focuses mainly on Brigham, geography and history, but never tells us much about the Incas themselves. I enjoyed the book, found it very informative and entertaining which is what good travel writing should be, but I felt disappointed that I didn’t learn more about the culture of the people who built Machu Picchu.


 Don George’s very personal travel memoir is about connections with other humans and a few very large creatures. At Notre Dame he feels connected to the past and all those that have walked through that portal to Christianity. In Cambodia, he spends three nights in the home of a family and is moved to tears by the simplicity of the way they share life’s chores and joys in modesty. In the Sea of Cortez he communes with a whale. His writing is poetic broaching lyrical and is very moving. He raises the bar for travel writers. We are not to simply take our readers to a place through their senses in good writing we are supposed to deliver the meaning of life in subtext. I believe the dance is all there is, so I am determined to get to the Cook Islands where Don connected with the shimmying hips of natives in the balmy, palmy breezes.  In fact, I have been so stirred by his descriptions of his experience there that I must go soon! It is no longer some musing in a distant future. Don’s writing has made me want to be there, to know the tranquil beauty of the horseshoe shaped lagoon and the laughing eyes of the Island people. In short to be more connected with the rhythms of life. 

The Tao of Travel- Paul Theroux

When I learned that Paul Theroux, one of my favorite travel writers, had written the Tao of Travel I rushed to get a copy. At first I was disappointed that Theroux would waste his considerable talent on a compilation of other travel writers of note. But, as I got into his very personal critiques and reflections on the greats like Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry David Thoreau, Sir Richard Burton and Joseph Conrad I looked forward to eaves dropping on the “long conversation” about travel writers. Theroux talks about the little known realities of some of the greats. Edgar Rice Burroughs who created the Tarzan character had never been to Africa. Steinbeck did travel with his dog Charlie for three months, but he who also indulged in conjugal visits from his wife along the way. The book reads like a tabloid reality check on “who’s who” in the travel writing genre. Theroux also talks about the paradoxes of travel, the wisdom of travel and its perverse pleasures. As usual, Theroux pulls no punches in his discussion of his peers or precursors. I confess in the end I enjoyed what felt like ”Happy Hour with Paul” even though he slandered my home town, Los Angeles, lumping it in with Bombay and Tokyo “which are known for their ugly buildings and bad air.”


Baboons for Lunch James Michael Dorsey

I love a man with a sense of humor. It’s hard to imagine the distinguished gentleman I know as James Dorsey to be slinging dun balls at monkeys, or bouncing unceremoniously across the desert on a camel, but he does. In his effort to connect with cultures that are rapidly disappearing he finds himself in some precarious situations. He always handles them with respect for his hosts and delivers insights to his readers. This is a wonderful well-written collection of tales from silly to soul searching.  Obviously influenced by Tim Cahill, my travel writing hero, James shares his exploits with self-deprecating humor while delivering a deeper message.


May I add my own contribution to travel literature- LostAngel Walkabout – One Traveler’s Tales reviewed by James Michael Dorsey?

Lost Angel Walkabout by Linda Ballou takes the reader out of their armchair and into the vast world as few travel writers can. Her eye for detail combined with intimate knowledge of her surroundings sets Ms. Ballou heads above most of the travel writing pack. In this age when everyone with a back pack proclaims him or herself a travel writer it takes a book like this one to re-define the genre. The stories are personal and inviting, giving the reader not only a feeling of participation but leaving them with a memory of where they have just visited. This is just plain great travel writing.



Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of articles on her site along with information about her novels and articles at www.LindaBallouauthor.com

Subscribe to Linda’s blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.






Sweetheart Deal for Hawai'i Lovers


                      Sweetheart Deal for Hawai'i Lovers

Gift of Wai-nani's Wayfinder with Purchase on my site www.LindaBallouAuthor.com



In need of a great  gift for your friends who love books and Hawaii? I love Linda Ballou's novel Wai-nani. A beautifully written story about a strong woman in ancient Hawaii who leaves her family to follow her heart. It's got everything: romance, action, adventure, Hawaiian history and culture. It really brings ancient Hawaii to life in a can't-put-down drama. 

Linda, it warms my heart that you have taken the time to learn so much about the Hawaiian history and culture I love. Thank you for transferring that knowledge into such a beautifully written novel. Jennifer Crites- Former Editor of Aloha Magazine and Long time resident of Honolulu


Wai-nani's Wayfinder is my gift to you with the purchase of Wai-nani:  A Voice from Old Hawai'i on my site Linda Ballou Author.com

Gift wrapped with free shipping if you  purchase on my site.


                                             

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Attitude of Gratitude

It is that time of year to count your blessings and share them with others!
Wishing all happy holidays! Linda

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Tiip #4 for Travel Writer Wannabe's




Get lots more tips in my handbook How to Make Travel Writing Work for You in the kindle store


Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Taking time to get it right





Here is my next tip for Travel Writer Wannabe's. If you want more tips buy my How to Make Travel Writing Work for You https://amzn.to/2IptZvI 

Travel articles on my site www.LindaBallouAuthor.com Enjoy my travel essays in Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, http://amzn.to/2k2OI1J

Subscribe to my YouTube Playlist and receive my Tips as they come out.
Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Going through the back door




Here is my next tip for Travel Writer Wannabe's. If you want more tips buy my How to Make Travel Writing Work for You https://amzn.to/2IptZvI 

Subscribe to my YouTube Playlist and receive my Tips as they come out.



Enjoy my travel essays in Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales , http://amzn.to/2k2OI1J or my host of travel articles on my site www.LindaBallouAuthor.com

Monday, October 8, 2018

Tips for Wannbe Travel Writers

I am sharing tips for peeps who would like to indulge their wanderlust and become travel writers. I created a playlist on You Tube to supplement my kindle book How To Make Travel Writing Work for You. Subscribe to my playlist and get tips as they are posted.


In order to be a travel writer you must learn to write. Samples of the different types of travel writing can be found in my book and on my website.

My book Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler's Tales is a collection of travel essays that convey how a given trip affected me personally.

On my website www.LindaBallouAuthor.com have a host of articles that capture a sense of place and are designed to give the traveler the nuts and bolts they need for a given trip

Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.


 Subscribe to my blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Smooth Sailing in Santa Barbara


 Arroyo Burro Beach a wide strip of powdery sand, locals call Hendry’s, is my favorite stop in Santa Barbara. The trailhead at the southern tip of the parking lot leads to More Mesa a bluff walk with stunning views of the coast.  Para-sailors glide overhead beneath flashy canopies, pelican’s patrol the bluffs in v-shaped formations while far below the aquamarine Pacific purls into billows of foaming white. Irish spring-green grass dotted with wildflowers carpets the mesa shaded by giant sycamores in the spring. You will likely have this walk to yourself save the occasional local walking dogs off leash. Continue out of the park on to Medcliff Road to Mesa Lane and turn right to Mesa steps. Take the public stairwell down to the sea shore. Enjoy a contemplative stroll on this stretch of hard packed sand backed by craggy cliffs back to the Arroyo Burro parking lot and facilities. Be sure you are not walking this stretch at high tide before embarking.


 After this two- mile loop you will be ready for lunch at the Boat House resting on the sand   Zesty sea food pasta was my choice, but shrimp Louis salad and Lobster rolls are also on the menu among many more taste treats.  Diners enjoy the patio shielded from the wind by glass barriers, or dine inside in casual elegance. Happy Hour offers tasty treats at bargain prices. There is a hamburger stand next to the main restaurant for folks in a hurry. A snooze on the sand after a sumptuous repast is in order.
overlooking the beach.

The ocean is relatively calm here and safe to swim. You can walk for miles up the long strand of sand beneath the cliffs. Locals with blankets and lawn chairs gather here to watch to sun slip into the Pacific in a fiery crescendo to a perfect Santa Barbara Day



Arroyo Burro Beach County Park is located 5 miles west of Santa Barbara's city center on Cliff Drive near Hope Ranch. From Highway 101 take Las Positas Road south to Cliff Drive. Turn right and travel 1/2 mile to the park entrance.

This day will be included in my next book Lost Angel at Home in Paradise
Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of articles on her site along with information about her novels and articles at www.LindaBallouauthor.com


Subscribe to Linda’s blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.






Sunday, September 9, 2018

Behind the Scenes with Eric Trules


Thrilled to be a guest on Eric Trules of E-travels fame. He is an avid traveler who enjoys spotlighting others who suffer from the same addiction. Please take a moment to listen to my interview with Eric.

Come behind the scenes with me   Just click  here
Today I’ll be talking with Linda Ballou, an accomplished travel and adventure writer who challenges her readers to self-actualize and make their own dreams come true.  
Linda is a rugged individualist who knows that she needs tall mountains and shady glens to stay in balance. She enjoys reading travel narratives and historical archives about a place before visiting it… because she doesn’t want to go to a destination until she has a sense of what’s going on behind the gorgeous scenery… which she tries to see with wonder and a sense of humor. She aims to get to as many beautiful places in the world that she can – before they are no more.
Like her travel writing hero, Tim Cahill, she tries not to take herself too seriously. Her historical novel, “Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawaii”, lets us see the traditional island society as it existed when Captain James Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Linda spent 20 years researching and writing the book, immersing herself in historical Hawaiian culture, but shortly before she published it, she was told by protective locals that she would have 200 years bad luck if she did so. Linda bravely persevered and fortunately, that wasn’t the case!
So much more revealed in this candid converstion with Eric Trules. Behind the Scenes with Linda
Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.


Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Call of the Wilds in British Columbia

Linda on Apache at top of the world ride in the Chilcotin Wilderness 

In July I answered the Call of the Wild by taking a horse pack trip hosted by the McLean family at their Tyslos Park Lodge in supernatural British Columbia. A heart-thumping flight from Vancouver over the vast snow-packed expanses of the Coast Mountain Range delivered me to their door.
Pink Creek at Goat Camp



 This region is a cross between arid Colorado and the soggy, temperate rain forests of coastal British Columbia. Lying in the shadow of the Coast Range, it receives less rain than the coast and experiences severe winter temps as low as 55 below. The result is snow-capped granite spires gouged by glaciers and streaked with rivulets and slopes of loose scree that only mountain goats can call home.

This is one of the last great rides in North America. This truly is a pristine, roadless wilderness. Unplug here and let the busy world go by. 


My article Riding in the Wilds of B.C. will appear in the September issue of the California Riding Magazine. Stay tuned for details of this grand adventure.

Meanwhile, it is not too late to sign up at www.Tsylos.com. Their season runs May through October. In the fall grizzlies come here to gorge themselves on sockeye salmon on their annual spawning run up Chilko Rover.

Linda Ballou is the author of The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon with many travel articles on her site at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Ride of a life time!



Just in from the heart of British Columbia back country.  A roadless wilderness best seen on the back of a good horse. So much more to come Working on articles and will have much more to come. But, if you can't wait go to Tyslos Lodge (pronounced Sigh-los) for a sneak peek of this adventure.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Going off the grid-Bye Bye Busy World




 I am answering the "Call of the Wild" by taking a horsepack trip in the back country of  British Columbia with Tyslos outfitters. I am looking forward to pulling the plug on technology and  getting a soul-cleansing experience. Eight days rocking along on horseback in gorgeous country is my RX for "urbanitis." Yes, there may be a few mosquitoes and Chilko Lake is where Grizzlies
congregate in the fall to gorge on Salmon runs. But, driving on the freeways in L.A. is probably more dangerous and nerve racking than  any of the dangers large or small on the journey.

The Chilcotin region is a vast roadless wilderness area with the 50-mile Chilko Lake as the centerpiece. Resting on the east side of the Coast Range it is dryer than the coastal regions of B.C. This means the  footing will be better for the horses and I hope the rain will be minimal.


So, goodbye busy world. I'm off duty until August 1. I'm sure you will manage without me.

Yeehaw

Adventure travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of articles on her site along with information about her novels and articles at www.LindaBallouauthor.com

Subscribe to Linda’s blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.





Thursday, July 12, 2018

Hop on board Cowgirl Blog Tour Giveway


Hop on board the the Blog tour from July 12-18th for The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon.  Winner at the Equus Film Fest, Cowgirl receives 5-star reviews on Audible and Amazon.  Sign up at any of the hosts below to win a free audio book and/or Amazon cash gift card.
Founder's Choice Equus Film Fest
Gemcie and her Irish Hunter, Marshal, are about to capture the World Cup when a nasty fall dashes their chances. While she is mending, her arch rival seizes this opportunity to catch a ride on Marshal, and to seduce her young husband. Confused and dazed by her new circumstances, Gemcie heads for the high Sierras hoping the majestic spires that captured the heart of the father she never met will provide the answers she seeks.

She finds strength and solace riding solo on the John Muir Trail, but a bear attack ends her time of introspection and places her in the care of a solitary cowboy manning a fire lookout. Brady shows her love and gives her the courage to get back in the saddle. Haunted by images of Marshal being abused by his owners, Gemcie returns to rescue him and fly high with him once more.

Ballou's prose gallops ahead at breakneck speed as she takes you along on this wild ride.
Jul. 13th:
Jul. 14th:
Jul. 15th:
Jul. 16th:
Jul. 17th:
Jul. 18th:

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Let Your Spirit Free in B.C.


While searching for images to spotlight The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon that takes the reader into the backcountry of the High Sierras, I ran into the Tyslos Lodge in British Columbia.  The Lodge sits on the dazzling blue Chilko Lake in the heart of a pristine wilderness. For 60 years the McClean family has hosted guests from around the globe on horseback adventures in this remarkable setting.

The more I saw and read about what might be one of LAST GREAT RIDES, I knew I had to go. My character, Gemcie, rides solo in the John Muir Wilderness. Writing her story made me want to pull the plug on the internet, the congestion of the city and to get back in the saddle.

I fly to Vancouver in July where I will connect with a charter flight over the Coastal Range to the back country of British Columbia to meet my mount for the week at the TyslosLodge. It promises to be a once in a lifetime escape that makes your heart beat a little faster, takes the rust off your soul and fills your mind with beauty.
A glass of wine at the end of an adventure filled riding day is my RX for” urbanitis.”  What’s yours?






Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.

 Subscribe to my blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.



Monday, July 2, 2018

Ojai-Rising from the Ashes





Ojai, about an hour north of L.A. has long been one of my favorite getaways.  I was saddened to see the flames of the Thomas Fire, said to be the largest fire in California history, scorching the mountains surrounding the idyllic valley. I was delighted to see that the ring of fire threatening to swallow the town just snarled at the edges of the village.  Artists of all stripes who have hideaways tucked in the hills and shady glens gathered refuse from the fire and created mobiles and other objects de art that are on display in the galleries that line Ojai Avenue.

Sadly, heading north on Hwy 33 did not fare so well. The Wheeler Gorge was singed and a rock slide has generated road work that will last for at least a year.  The Cozy Dell Trail which was my favorite was badly damaged. What was a shady, flower infested walk is now lined with the spiky blackened limbs of dead trees.
Cozy Dell Trail Before Thomas Fire
Cozy Dell Trail June 2018

I decided to explore the Oso Trail that takes you into the through sage-littered meadows lining the rocky river bottom. I was delighted to discover an inviting swimming hole I had no idea existed. If only I had brought my baby suit, I could have taken a swim with the local family enjoying a picnic there.
Ventura River Preserve
Swimming Hole Ventura River Preserve

The scenic drive from Carpentaria to Ojai on Hwy 150 was spared. The curvaceous road past avocado farms through lush green tree tunnels remains the same. However, when you crest the summit overlooking Castaic Lake you see the mountains framing the valley for miles around are nude. Splotches of orange witches dodder are all that decorate the barren scene.
View from Second Floor Oakridge Inn


Ojai is still a joyous place known for its meditative and restful qualities. The Oakridge Inn is a comfortable, clean economical place to stay. If you get a room on the second floor you will enjoy a view of the mountains a sweet breeze wafting up canyon. It is conveniently located walking distance to the Bocalli’s Italian satellite cafe, famous for farm to table fresh produce.

Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.


 Subscribe to my blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.



Sunday, June 24, 2018

How to Make Travel Writing Work for You




If you missed my mini-travel writing workshop at the Mystic Journey Bookstore can still get my handbook HOW TO MAKE TRAVEL WRITING WORK FOR YOU for just .99 on kindle





I teach you the renegade way to get great trips around the globe. I have enjoyed adventures from Africa to Alaska using this approach!

Happy travels,
Adventure-travel writer Linda Ballou’s ultimate destination piece, Wai-nani, a New Voice from old Hawai’i, takes you to the wild heart of Old Hawai’i. Her travel memoir Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales is an armchair traveler’s delight filled with adventure to whet your wander lust. Her latest release The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon shares the thrill of the show jumping arena and the tender beauty of the John Muir Wilderness. All of her books are available at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com  and major online distribution sites in print and kindle format.




Monday, June 18, 2018

Kudos for Cowgirl at the L.A. Equus Film Fest




I couldn’t make it to New York in November for the 2017 Equus Film Fest, so I was thrilled to learn that the show is making the rounds and landed here in Los Angeles in June 2018. It was quite a treat to meet all the horse loving authors and film makers. They each had a different spin on why the horse world is important to them.

The event founder, Lisa Diersen, selected my novel The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon as her favorite literary entrant. I shared a table with Robin Hutton who has had tremendous success with her story Sgt.Reckless about a mare who became famous for her courage in the Korean War. 
 Naomi, the L.A. organizer, presented a heartwarming film about how her horse gave her the courage to become an authentic person. She quit a lucrative job that was killing her soul and began supporting a riding program for inner city kids.
It was a fun, inspiring event that opened up some doors for me I hadn’t thought about. I sold some books and made some new friends. All good.


Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer with a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales; historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i; as well as her latest novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.

 Subscribe to my blogwww.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com to receive updates on books, and travel destinations and events.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Riding Lessons Review




Riding Lessons (Riding Lessons, #1)Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying I basically enjoyed this book even though it hit a raw nerve for me. I know conflict is what keeps a story alive, but it seemed that many of the plot twists were contrived for this purpose. The protagonist’s clever and witty interior monologue often made me smile, but her actions were often frustrating. I am not being a spoiler by letting you know the character’s father was suffering form ALS. This is revealed in the first three chapters that set up the rest of the story. My own father endured this dreadful condition. The way this character responded to that circumstance felt cowardly to me. Still, there are many life lessons to be learned in what is essentially a very fine effort my Sara Gruen



View all my reviews

Author  The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon. Winner at the Equus Film Fest 2017


Friday, June 1, 2018

Cowgirl Brings Collateral Goodness

My BFF Daphne- Don't know what happened to my arm

Publishing   The CowgirlJumped over the Moon has brought me many things I had not considered. .  It has re-connected me to the horse world I love in many different ways. Thanks to Alice Champlin, the editor of EquineAddiction.net, I have a new best friend named Daphne.  She is a sweet mare who still has a spring in her step that makes her a perfect ride for me.
Alice and Hadley








Reviewing the books of other authors who love the horse world has broaden my appreciation for the animals that serve us in so many ways.  Horses have a healing power that transcends anything modern medicine can supply. It is a spiritual gift that so many have experienced, I believe it must be true. I know it was true for me that when I was recovering from an injury that grooming my mare took my mind off my pain. I could feel my molecules settling into place and the anxiety I was feeling slip away.

The Cowgirl story is one of self-discovery for my protagonist Gemcie, but her journey has also brought personal growth for me as well.  Writing it served as closure on so many emotional levels and allowed me to move forward in my own life. My story Irish Mist appears in the anthology Why We Ride. This collection of essays shares all the different ways we humans connect with a 1,000 pound animal that stays with us all our lives. I am so happy to be back in that world strolling along singing a song.

Nothing pleases adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, more than seeing gorgeous country from the back of a good horse.  Her articles have appeared in Equus, Horse Illustrated, California Riding Magazine and numerous travel publications.  Learn more about her novel The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com