Monday, September 19, 2011

Fido and Friend in Five: Bruce Hale and Riley!

Chet Gecko
Bruce Hale
Author Bruce Hale is one of the busiest, most dynamic guys out there! When he's not writing and illustrating  books in his popular Chet Gecko Mysteries, Prince of Underwhere and Pirates of Underwhere series, he's traveling all over the place visiting schools, teaching in workshops, and performing on stage, television and film. I caught up with him in August in L.A. at the annual SCBWI Conference. I took a one day intensive workshop with Bruce on creating dynamic presentations. Boy, was he dynamic! None of us felt like we could possibly ever be as funny and engaging as Bruce. But the thing was, he truly believed we could be. He genuinely wanted us to do well. When I gave my pretend school presentation on A Dog's Way Home, I got the definite vibe that Bruce is a dog person. I checked out his website and sure enough, he had many photos of his lovely dog, Riley. When he's not doing all the above, he's out hiking, biking, surfing, and playing jazz music near Santa Barbara. My theory is Bruce needs no sleep. None. So you can see why I was truly amazed and honored he took time out to take a turn in the Fido and Friends spotlight!

Riley
1.  How did you and Riley find each other?  My wife and I went to DAWG, a rescue shelter, "just to look." We weren't intending to adopt a dog quite yet, as we had a brief trip coming up. But then we met Riley. At six months old, she was a sweet, yet determined pup. We went by DAWG twice to take her for walks , and that was it--we were smitten. After a "checking out period" and filling out a few papers, DAWG let her come home with us!

2. What makes Riley's tail wag?  She's keen on Trader Joe's "greenies" snacks--those always get her tail wagging. But so does a good session of lovin', when you're scratching that particular spot on her back.

3. What's your all-time favorite dog story?  When I was a kid, I loved White Fang and Call of the Wild, stories of wolfish dogs (and actual wolves) in the Frozen North. Those are the main ones that've stuck with me.

Bruce and the lovely Riley
4. If Riley could change just one thing about you, what would it be?  I suspect Riley would prefer it if I always came outside to hang with her, every time she goes in our back yard. But, my workload being what it is, she doesn't always get what she wants, poor thing.

5. In five words, tell us what Riley means to you:  Laughter, love, playfulness, and wags.

Thanks so much, Bruce and Riley! Be sure to check out Bruce's website to see what all he's up to. You'll be amazed!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for another great interview, Bobbie! I love Bruce's dog, and I definitely need to take Bruce's class!

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