Author: valerieormond

  • Was Winnie the Pooh Written to Explain PTSD to a Boy?

    Was Winnie the Pooh Written to Explain PTSD to a Boy?

    Some may be aware of this, but I had no idea about A.A. Milne’s wartime service and the connection to these beloved stories. Was Winnie the Pooh Written to Explain PTSD to a Boy? | Nicholas C. Rossis (nicholasrossis.me)

  • Profiles In Success

    I was honored to be a guest on Gordon Bernhardt’s Profiles In Success podcast. Gordon has been interviewing leaders since 2010, highlighting their individual journeys and stories. Here is a short video answering his question about advice for other small business owners.

    It was a pleasure to meet with such a seasoned professional and answer questions that made me think hard. We spoke about entrepreneurship, the Navy, horses, books, mentors, and life. I loved the title he chose after the interview: “Where Roads Less Traveled May Lead You.” Here are the links to the full podcast, and thanks to Gordon once again.

  • Believing In Horses Out West Released!

    I released my third novel, Believing In Horses Out West, on Friday, and it’s been a whirlwind couple of days! This book takes young Sadie Navarro on an adventure to a Montana ranch to check on a horse she rescued. While there, she makes new friends, learns about ranch life, and encounters a mystery.

    New York Times Bestselling Author of Sgt. Reckless: America’s War Horse, Robin Hutton, described the book as “A thrilling coming-of-age story filled with love, lessons, and finding one’s purpose in life…”

    On book launch day, the book achieved an Amazon #1 New Release ranking!

    The next day, the book debuted at Freedom Hill Horse Rescue’s Spirits & Steeds festival for a book signing where I had the chance to meet readers, volunteers, and tons of wonderful people who stopped by to talk about all three of my books.

    Books are available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the Believing In Horses website, and retailers worldwide wherever you buy books. I greatly appreciate my readers and those who have encouraged me to keep on writing through the years; thank you for helping me reach this milestone!

  • Coming Soon – Believing In Horses Out West!

    Cover of Believing In Horses Out West book

    I’m excited to announce that Believing In Horses Out West will be published in October! This standalone novel in the Believing In Horses series takes our heroine on an adventure like she has never seen before. Want to know more?

    Sadie Navarro rescued a mare from an auction accomplishing what she thought was the most important mission of her young life.

    Now, that mare is headed to a ranch in Montana and a home Sadie knows nothing about.

    She wants to make sure the horse is in good hands, but Montana is far away and a different world from Maryland.

    Will fourteen-year-old Sadie need to stand up to rugged cowboys to protect her special rescue horse?

    Details to follow, but the book will be available in paperback and eBook formats and distributed worldwide. I thank all my readers for their wonderful support of my first two books and hope you will enjoy the latest ride!

  • Actively Learn with “Believing In Horses, Too”

    Educators from Actively Learn discovered Believing In Horses after the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test featured an excerpt of the book in its 2015 annual test. Following discussions, Actively Learn decided to feature two excerpts from Believing In Horses, Too in their creative curriculum. Actively Lean uses a new approach to learning by providing free English Language Arts (ELA) and other content embedded with standards-aligned assignments to help students learn.

    Tessa Polizzi, Actively Learn’s Senior Manager of Product & Content, identified the following assignment from Believing In Horses, Too, which thrilled me because it was one of my favorite chapters. She said:

    “I started reading Believing in Horses, Too thinking that I’d look for an excerpt connected to Sadie and her dad, but then I came across the chapter “New Kid on the Block.” I love this one. It stands alone as a story pretty well on its own, connects to an experience that kids are familiar with (making a new friend), and touches on some of the hard situations that kids face in their lives.”

    See the “New Kid on the Block” assignment to engage your learners!

    Tessa also asked if she could develop a curriculum based on an excerpt for the “Bullies Don’t Rule” chapter, another one of my favorites. I think they did a great job on this lesson, too!

    I hope these might be additional help to those homeschooling or to introduce young readers to a new and fun way of learning. And thank you to Actively Learning and Tessa for bringing these stories to more readers.