Praise for Wai-nani-High Chiefess of Hawai'i

Lovely review of Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii by Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz posted in the Writer's Journey.


http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-of-wai-nani-high-chiefessof.html

Praise for Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler's Tales

Book Review by Bonnie Neely, Editor at Real Travel Adventures

Lost Angel Walkabout by Linda Ballou is one of the most beautifully written travel books I have ever read. Linda tells her personal experiences of her many travels in different continents and environs. She is well-known as a top adventure travel writer, and her tales of her intrepid soul's search for beauty in the wilds and her ability to rouse physically to any demands of the setting will thrill the reader. She increased my desire to become more physically fit so that I could do some of the things she is daring and fit enough to do. She grew up in Alaska and has always loved horses. Her travel tales about returning to that wonderful environ and her experiences in many different places which involved riding horses are so beautifully inspiring. Linda also leads walkabouts in Los Angeles. I highly recommend her book as a treasure you will want to read, and then to re-read aloud to anyone who might want to listen. Her use of words is very commanding and her descriptions so vivid you will feel you have traveled alongside her and seen all the beauty of the surroundings which she so deeply appreciates. This is a MUST READ

Review by Bonnie Neely, Editor at Real Travel Adventures

Purchase copies of this book at Linda Ballou

View the Media Page for this book Lost Angel Walkabout

Authors Story "Irish Mist" included in anthology of Why We Ride!

I am proud that my short story "Irish Mist" is included in this anthology of Why We Ride with a forward by Jane Smiley. Why We Ride is available at Amazon

About the Book:

Women and their horses—a symbiotic relationship based on trust, camaraderie, friendship, and love. Why we Ride presents the stories of 27 women who ride, sharing their emotions about and accounts of the most important animals in their lives-horses!

About Linda Ballou:

Linda is travel writer and the author of Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii, Her Epic Journey and Lost Angel Walkabout. You can find Linda and order her books here

Hot Tip from the Spirit Well

If you want to lose the crowds on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon try the
unmarked trail to Shoshone Point. An easy one-mile march through a cooling pine forest takes you to steps that lead to a pinnicle that juts out over the canyon.
Here you can watch cloud play admire Vishnu with the sound of nothing but wind voices and the rush of birds in flight.

Happy Earth Day Mom

Photo by Steve Agrella
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
John Muir



On this earth day let us give thanks to our over-burdened mother. Let us breathe deeply of the perfume of her blossoms and allow our eyes to be bathed in her unending beauty. Let us refresh and restore our spirits by soaking in the splendor of vast panoramas and marveling at the infinite variety of her creations. Let our muscles warmed by the sun be cooled with a scintillating breeze after the exertion of a walk on her shores, or a climb to her mountain tops. Let our gaze go the velvet skies sparkling with pricks of light ruled by a glowing orb. Let us give thanks for the abundance rained down upon us by our good, generous and restorative mother. Let us think today about how we might ease her cares, protect her from industrial scars and gashes and gluttonous appetites for more. And let us say a prayer of thanks to our mother and think of ways that we might lift the heavy load we have placed upon her shoulders bending beneath the weight of our demands.

In the name of the Great Mother Earth
www.lindaballouauthor.com

#2 of my list of things you must do before you can't!

Hike up Soldiers Pass Trail at sunrise or sunset to the top of Brim’s Mesa. Once aloft you will see what Sedona, Arizona is all about. Sandstone hoodoos, buttes, mesas and cathedral like buttresses float on a purple horizon. Stay here long enough and you might find yourself thanking the Great Spirit for these wonderfully imaginative creations.
Heading for the spirit well to drink deeply again next week!

Pound of Prevention

Gutsy Women: Travel Tips and Wisdom for the Road by Marybeth Bond


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an indispensable handbook full of information that can save you time, trouble and maybe even your life. Women make up the largest segment of the traveling population and many of them are choosing to travel alone. When I was a student for a summer session in England I walked the streets of London cloaked in a red riding hood cape that covered me from head to toe. This might seem a bit over the top, but I truly did not want to be raped, mugged or noticed by would be Romeos. Marybeth Bond doesn’t suggest you go to these lengths but does give practical nuts and bolts tips on how to protect yourself on the road. Not just from predators, but from you own carelessness that can land you into a very uncomfortable place. She says this book is about more than travel. “It is about risk-taking, living, feeling, and learning, and loving.” In the “Travelers Tales” tradition, this little book is well worth the price of admission.
www.lindaballouauthor.com
Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales


View all my reviews >>

Dare to care about our planet

Review: The Clouded Leopard-A Book of Travels by Wade Davis

It is rare that a scientific-minded individual can write with the engaging fluidity of creative non-fiction author, but Wade Davis strides both worlds effortlessly. It never occurred to me that an ethnobotany could be so riveting. Wade Davis takes you to his homeland Canada, to the heights of Peru and the depths of the Amazon basin, to Haiti and Tibet in pursuit of the secrets of plants and how mankind has used them over the centuries. The accounts in this book of travels reveal mysterious practices of the shamans in Amazon, the horrid outcome of human intervention in nature’s plan, and the importance of our connection to the land. You will learn, you will smile and you will wonder why this author has not received more popular acclaim. The message is clear. We are living in an ecological disaster. It is our responsibility to understand and reclaim the natural order of things, but the medium is one of pure entertainment. A must read if you dare to care about our planet.
www.lindaballouauthor.com
Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales

Wonderful Review of Wai-nani from Good Reads

I have read quite a few historical fiction novels that take place in Hawaii, but none quite like this. It's not about leprosy or American colonization or even sugar cane plantations, but the natives of Hawaii and their lives, customs, superstitions, and rules before the white man's arrival. It follows a young woman, Wai-nani, the daughter and wife of chiefs. She is a woman of the sea and swims with dolphins and even "converses" with them. Let me be clear about that. She doesn't converse with them like a child would her favorite dog, but has the ability to make the dolphin sounds and clicks to convey her point.

Wai-nani leaves home after breaking a tabu. She literally swims into the arms of Makahu, who becomes her husband. She must now be accepted by his people, tolerate another wife, deal with barreness, and watch her husband deal with the inner turmoil and struggles that often afflict a fighting warrior. The arrival of Captain Cook does not improve matters on the island either. All thru these tribulations, Wai-nani has her own inner turmoils being a strong minded woman in a time when women were not even allowed to eat with the men.

Whenever Wai-nani's life story comes to a "lull" or she is is not swimming with her dolphin family to attain her inner peace, the author manages to interweave stories of the Hawaiian gods and godesses into the primary tale. From Lono's missing wife to waterfalls in love, these "myths" add a nice touch. Not to mention the descriptions... I really felt as tho I was in Hawaii and felt the water around me.

In the author's preface, she asks readers to be the judge. Was Ka'ahumanu (Wai-nani) a forerunner to the modern woman and a daring liberator, or was she a traitor to her times? Having completed this, I have come to my own conclusion. You must come to yours.
Top reviewer at Good Read- Tara's books »

For My Equestrian Friends

The first article I published called the "Art of Falling" was featured in Horse Illustrated. At the time, I was jumping and doing cross-country courses. My trainer told me a spill was inevitable, but did not tell me how to prepare for this event. In response to this dilemma, I interviewed a vaulting champion, a gymnast, and an orthopedic surgeon. In the process of writing this article I created an equestrian fall. In it I let you know how to mentally prepare yourself and what actions to take when you find yourself parting company from your mount. One gentleman who read the piece told me it saved his life! If you would like a copy just email meat lballou6@sbcglobal.net and I will send you a pdf. I don’t have a live link for this one.
Cheers
Linda