Shoot the Horses First
for Book Clubs
Material packets, hosting ideas, discussion questions, recipes, and craft designs for all your book club needs. Leah can drop in for Q&As, virtual calls, book signings, discussions, workshops, and more. Plus, find out how you can get a book-club bulk discount.
Leah is available to join your reading group, writing group, library group, book club, classroom, or other discussion gathering where Out Front the Following Sea is being read. She can Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet (free) for any virtual discussion. She can meet (free) in-person for any interested group within 180 miles of Boulder, Colorado, or she’ll venture outside those limits if a travel stipend is offered. She’ll also meet (free) in-person for group discussions that are near other planned events outside stated limits, as well, so check the events calendar to see if there’s an event happening close to you where your discussion group can piggyback! Leah can sign books at in-person events (optional), and she can sign bookplates for U.S. virtual events (optional). She’ll additionally provide an exclusive gift to all attendees at both in-person (physical gift) and virtual (digital gift) book-club events (optional).
Schedule
Leah for
virtual or
in-person
discussions
Schedule a virtual event (anywhere, worldwide)
Schedule an in-person discussion (within 180 miles of Boulder)
Schedule an in-person discussion (outside of 180 miles of Boulder)
Discussion
questions
These discussion questions are in-depth and cover the entire book. You can pick and choose which questions you like, based on the sensitivity of your readers. These questions contain MAJOR spoilers. It is recommended that you do not read them until you have read the book, and that you make sure your readers have read the book before you get to the discussion of it.
Décor ideas
for group
discussions
Ideas for décor and themes for reading parties, book clubs, and group discussions. From maps, horses, and nautical decorations, to candle scents and chocolate molds, to food table settings and flower arrangements, this section gives you material for ambiance that evokes the senses, colors, sounds, and ideas of the book.
Colonial
food & drink
recipes
These recipes evoke the time and place of the novel, finding their roots in the 1600s. Some of the items are mentioned in the book, and some of them are merely interesting additions to a colonial gathering. Each has been tried, tested, and modified by Leah Angstman, and each includes a history of the recipe and its development through time.
Download
individual
recipes
Recommended
reading
If you are interested in further reading in this time period or atmosphere, here are some books that Leah recommends to get started.
Adult fiction and poetry
• The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare
• The Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Donne
• The Baroque Cycle Series by Neal Stephenson
• Quarantine by John Smolens
• Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit
• Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
• The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
• Speaks the Nightbird by Robert R. McCammon
• The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
• A Light of Her Own by Carrie Callaghan
• Master and Commander/Aubrey-Maturin Series by Patrick O’Brian
• Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Adult nonfiction and research studies
• History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, from Its First Settlement in 1649 to 1900 by Richard Anson Wheeler
• Old Stonington in Connecticut, 1649-1949, and the Fannings, the Winthrops, Captain Kidd, Captain Palmer, and Others by Laurence Frederick Whittemore
• The Diary of Thomas Minor of Stonington, Connecticut, 1653 to 1684 by Thomas Minor and Sidney H. Miner
• Walter Palmer of Charlestown and Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and Stonington, Connecticut: A 400-Year (1585-1985) Family History by Doris Palmer Buys
• The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
• The Pequot War by Alfred A. Cave
• King Philip’s War: The History and Legacy of America’s Forgotten Conflict by Eric B. Schultz and Michael J. Tougias
• King William’s War: The First Contest for North America, 1689-1697 by Michael G. Laramie
• The Border Wars of New England: Commonly Called King William’s and Queen Anne’s Wars by Samuel Adams Drake
Colonial reading for the kids in your life
• American Girl books in the Felicity and Kaya Series by Various Authors
• Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare
• The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• My America Collection in Elizabeth’s Jamestown Colony Diaries Series by Patricia Hermes
• Dutch Colonies in America by Mary Englar
• 1607: A New Look at Jamestown by Karen Lange
Stencil,
fabric, &
art crafts
This section features craft ideas and artwork for the book. There are hi-resolution images to the right that can be used for stencils, fabrics, or paper crafts.
All images marked * are in the public domain or are permitted for all royalty-free commercial and personal use. All images marked # were originally in the public domain, then modified by Leah Angstman. All images marked ^ were created by Leah Angstman. Images created by or modified by Leah Angstman should only be used in conjunction with this book. Click on the image for the hi-res version.
Sewing
patterns
The following patterns will make a fun colonial craft idea for a sewing group or a library activity workshop. Although some of these patterns are more updated for modern tastes, all of their style roots go back to colonial days (or earlier).
Paper
crafts &
printables
The following hi-res printables can be printed out on parchment paper or cardstock and used for book club gatherings, giveaways, and table swag. All printables were created by Leah Angstman and should be used only in conjunction with this book.
Group-rate
bulk discount
If you have set up a reading and discussion of Out Front the Following Sea, you are eligible to get group copies for a discount. If you are one of the larger book clubs that are registered with IPG distributors (or if you want to start operating with IPG), you can get a discount directly through IPG.
For smaller book clubs (with a minimum of 10 members), Regal House Publishing will facilitate a bulk order (of 10 copies or more) shipped to one central address for 15%-off the cover price (whether or not you invite Leah as a discussion participant). Please contact Regal House for bulk ordering.