On Horse-Sense, Human Nonsense & Herd Leader Responsibilities with P. D. "Dave" Basconi

Episode 27: On Horse-Sense, Human Nonsense & Herd Leader Responsibilities with P. D. "Dave" Basconi (Equestrian Author Spotlight Podcast)

4/8/2020

Dave Basconi Nonsense to Horse-Sense Author Podcast Interview with Carly Kade

Episode 27: Welcome to the Equestrian Author Spotlight podcast! In each episode, you’ll hear inspirational stories from horse book authors including writing advice and marketing tips to help you write your own horse book. If you are an author, aspire to be an author writing about horses, or simply love horse books then you are in the right place!

In this week's episode, you'll meet Nonsense to Horse-Sense author P.D. "Dave" Basconi. You'll learn ...

About his thoughts on harmony and how adapting to the ways of the horse might improve humanity.
His insights on human responsibility in the role as herd leader of their horses.
How having relationship with another author led to his publishing deal and about the benefit of writing your own book over outsourcing it to another writer.
And MUCH more!

Watch P.D. Basconi's Interview on YouTube!

Or listen to the audio only version.

About P.D. "Dave" Basconi

P. D. “Dave” Basconi grew up in rural, coal-mining West Virginia with his two brothers; all worked in their parents’ hardware store. He discovered his passion for horses at an early age when making deliveries with his father to local farms.

Upon graduation with an engineering degree, he headed off to Connecticut, was soon married and raised two sons. The dream to bring horses into his life came to life when he and his wife moved to a new location.

That decision brought a host of new adventures; along with all of its challenges and rewards. A good decision with lots of work and no regrets. The chance to write about it came from the fortunate encounter with some very interesting and accomplished people in the world of books and media.
Dave still lives in Connecticut with his wife, three cats, and four horses.

Dave Basconi Interview Excerpt

Equestrian Author Spotlight Podcast Hosted By Carly Kade Featured in Horse Illustrated Magazine

Carly: Tell us how your love affair with horses began.

Dave: No explanation other than they’re amazing animals that captured me from my earliest memories. I rode a stick horse as a child cowboy. I begged my parents for a pony, but time and place did not allow that to happen. Horses did show up much later in my life; better late than never.

Dave's Herd

Carly: Do you have any stories that people would find interesting or entertaining about your writing or your horse background?

Dave: My original plan was to have a friend write the book. “No, you write it, I’ll help,” was the response. She helped with the early chapters and I took it from there.

She did say something that convinced me to go for it. “No one writes a book that everyone likes or agrees with. If you believe it, then just put it out there.”

I think that’s good advice for any author.

Carly: Tell us about your book Nonsense to Horse-Sense: How Horses Tell Us the Truth About Ourselves and How to Live.

Dave: Once focused, the goal was to write an easy read for teenage and up. The teenager, their parents and grandparents could all read the book and take something from it.

The book is simply what I learned from observing my horses and wanting to share it with others. It is based on natural law ethics; it is not political nor religious.

Carly: What compelled you to become a writer of horse books?

Dave: It became apparent to me that the Nonsense of today needed some good, old-fashioned Horse-Sense.

Carly: It is said that all books are partly personal. Is there a personal connection in this one for you?

Dave: Very personal. I also enjoy reading well-written books on Theology and Philosophy. For me, the quiet of the barn is the perfect place for reflection. That’s where my thoughts between us and horses surfaced and the book evolved.

We all need to find a quiet place or else the noise of living drowns out our best thinking.

Carly: Is there a message you want readers to take away from your book?

Dave: Yes, that there’s a better way. Last summer I sent the following article to a newspaper regarding that message:

   Last fall, the book Nonsense to Horse-Sense was published about lessons learned after bringing horses into my life. I believe these natural law insights, if modeled, would make us a better people.
   The book touches upon Justice, that elusive intangible every society desires. Today, Justice is laws and courts, the means used when higher values have been abandoned. It is man-made, and only a substitute for the real thing. True Justice is as organic as our will to survive, and comes about when the truth of survival is understood and lived.
   To put things in perspective, a functioning community with 10 laws is stronger, and more Just, than if it needed 100 laws. If in time 1000 laws were needed, then that community has deteriorated to the point of collapse.
   What happened? How did we get here? Well, bad paths lead to bad places. A society that invents “truth” is inferior to a society that seeks truth. Invented “truth” is the path on which 10 becomes 1000.
   For Justice, we must put aside egos and politics.
   Justice follows living basic survival truths we were designed to live.
   Horses got it right eons ago; why can’t we?

These days, I would vote for a horse over most people running for office.

Dave Basconi Author of Nonsense to Horse-Sense

Dave's Mare and her Foal

Carly: What do you wish you had known when you started out?

Dave: A lot more about the book business and publishing industry. I started a business 30 years ago and the same thing happened. I had 17 years of work experience at the time, and it was invaluable, but I still had to learn this new industry before things could get better. There are no shortcuts anytime one starts a new adventure.

Carly: What's the most common reason for people failing or giving up? Why do writers put their pens down and walk away?

Dave: I don’t know for sure, but possibly hitting a wall and not being able to recover. I just kept putting words on paper until something worked. Persistence counts; that’s how the snail reached the ark, I’m told.

Carly: What are you curious about right now?

Dave: Concerned more than curious.

The author signing at horse shows allows me to talk to people about what’s on their minds. No one has disagreed yet that Horse-Sense would be a better management practice than whatever we’re using right now.

At one show, a mid-fifties couple bought a copy in the morning. They came by in the afternoon and the man said he had a few hours of idle time and read the entire book. (I believed that since, east of the Mississippi, most men seem to come to horse shows to carry the things their wife buys.)

Anyhow, he said he wanted to start a fundraiser to buy 100,000 copies and send one to every politician in the country.

I thought that was a really good idea!

Where to find Dave Basconi's Book

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Nonsense-Horse-Sense-Horses-Truth-Ourselves
Publisher Website:
https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/nonsense-to-horsesense/

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About Host and Author Carly Kade

Carly Kade is the Author of In the Reins, Cowboy Away, and Show Pen Promise Equestrian Romance Novels

Carly Kade is an award-winning equestrian author and the host of the Equestrian Author Spotlight podcast. Creative writing makes her spurs jingle! She writes fiction about horses, horse shows, Western pleasure and a handsome cowboy or two. Her books are for people just like her — crazy about reading, horses and cute cowboys!

In the Reins, the first in Carly's series of novels inspired by the equestrian lifestyle, has been an Amazon best seller for more than 10 weeks, is an EQUUS Film Festival Literary Award Winner for Best Western Fiction and has earned two Feathered Quill Book Awards in the Romance and Adult Book featuring Animals categories. The In the Reins equestrian romance series is available now in Audiobook, Paperback and eBook on Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks and Kobo.