tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52759743867455651222024-03-13T19:07:24.324-07:00Bobbie Pyronwriter, book lover, dog motherBobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-27373153852431606522014-08-04T10:41:00.000-07:002014-08-04T10:41:16.289-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Patricia Hruby Powell and Lil!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitME-QTpidxRGXUrnCOGHMErx_BtqV9si6Bn-at13koy_v3flQuJpcWXxdHkqhPaoU-ASCWvYQPHhhBjJyocnozIqzWJ_P2mjc9lQFmGaV3vFCniBr-DoPyUqfJqweFvVRRXVEYcfJ9DY/s1600/Patricia+H.+Powell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitME-QTpidxRGXUrnCOGHMErx_BtqV9si6Bn-at13koy_v3flQuJpcWXxdHkqhPaoU-ASCWvYQPHhhBjJyocnozIqzWJ_P2mjc9lQFmGaV3vFCniBr-DoPyUqfJqweFvVRRXVEYcfJ9DY/s1600/Patricia+H.+Powell.jpg" height="200" width="175" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy52euk4evYpxtKpG6DDQbsE29gaeUmptxPE28nA8_t8z6Iqv47ImEp8Kx0wklpevrTnquqd2dSb_NZkh-TbMMa65QXfRzm3tm5AUgnF26mwc3OY5YUViCKgFmnTLH-fhyphenhyphenpv7sfScgUkw/s1600/Josephine+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy52euk4evYpxtKpG6DDQbsE29gaeUmptxPE28nA8_t8z6Iqv47ImEp8Kx0wklpevrTnquqd2dSb_NZkh-TbMMa65QXfRzm3tm5AUgnF26mwc3OY5YUViCKgFmnTLH-fhyphenhyphenpv7sfScgUkw/s1600/Josephine+cover.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a>I know, I know...I haven't done a Fido and Friend In Five in ever so long! What with this and what with that, the time just seemed to slip away. But then I read <a href="http://talesforallages.com/">Patricia Hruby</a> Powell's extraordinary young biography, <i>Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, </i>and I knew it was time to (at least for now) resurrect Fido and Friend! Plus, I've never had anyone on my blog who, in a previous professional life, was a trapeze artist. I'm not kidding. Patricia was a professional dancer and choreographer for many years, as well as a mime and librarian. Now, lucky for us, she writes splendid nonfiction for kids.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBDOxIa-X7HX_CdAlu1ftwmddSI_9VFbiMdKCwdafQUPv-ly1yWBGKM53XHk3ZQy9Lf3XVqt1L4MoN9n17aw1FpTHrFzTfa6DGyJ9Cxux9STBKfQIBhRQlkRioXB90-GQbsBQ73eoAuE/s1600/FrogBringsRain220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBDOxIa-X7HX_CdAlu1ftwmddSI_9VFbiMdKCwdafQUPv-ly1yWBGKM53XHk3ZQy9Lf3XVqt1L4MoN9n17aw1FpTHrFzTfa6DGyJ9Cxux9STBKfQIBhRQlkRioXB90-GQbsBQ73eoAuE/s1600/FrogBringsRain220.jpg" height="170" width="200" /></a>Her latest book, <i>Josephine, </i>is a passionate, volcanic, rhythmic, stunning biography about the African American dancer and singer Josephine Baker. I tell you, when I read it, I just wanted to leap<br />
out of my chair and dance! To say Patricia has brought Josephine Baker to life in this wonderfully illustrated book is an understatement. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. <i>Josephine</i> has won the Boston Globe Horn Book Nonfiction Honor 2014, Parents Choice Gold Poetry 2014, and the Bologna Ragazzi Nonfiction Honor 2014, plus loads of starred reviews.<br />
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I've actually known Patricia for several years. She writes book reviews from time to time for her local newspaper in Champaign Urbana, Illinois, and has reviewed <i>A Dog's Way Home </i>and <i>The Dogs of Winter. </i>As so often happens with dog people, we connected. Let's meet Patricia and her rescued Tree Walker Hound, Lil, in the return of Fido and Friend In Five!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizvLWSyk5QKVx1seJQFJXCaD_2QPHaOGm2vZqJk7ufoe-p1XKo9f2VEzRfoOCK7iVaVzjFCdtQ_HvwHVMu4CvBEKIYmFFt2o8P2esQ5iMGmGCyoGTzmM3wSzk8w7-klt1bMvtw7oUKBc/s1600/Lil2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizvLWSyk5QKVx1seJQFJXCaD_2QPHaOGm2vZqJk7ufoe-p1XKo9f2VEzRfoOCK7iVaVzjFCdtQ_HvwHVMu4CvBEKIYmFFt2o8P2esQ5iMGmGCyoGTzmM3wSzk8w7-klt1bMvtw7oUKBc/s1600/Lil2.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><b>1. How did you and Lil find each other? </b>I "overnighted" Lil, volunteering for<a href="http://www.mobile-mutts.org/"> Mobile Mutts</a>, a dog rescue operation that transports dogs from deep south high-kill shelters to far north no-kill shelters. Lil was found in a Kentucky field and then slated for euthanasia when she got spayed and then the next day put on a volunteer's van. She arrived in Champaign (Illinois) looking like a bag of bones, weak, submissive--love at first site. I actually had to put her back on the transport early the next morning. We both cried, but they brought her back to me late that morning.<br />
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<b>2. What makes Lil's tail wag? </b>Anticipation. She sees me approach and knows she's going to get loved and starts thump thump thumping. When we arrive home, her whole body wags. A different kind of wag starts when she catches hold of a scent, nose to the ground. Lil is a Tree Walker Hound. She doesn't actually <i>climb</i> trees, she jumps straight up and pushes off a tree, so it looks like she's running up the tree. Spectacular! Everyone wants to see a video. I've only managed to get a photo of her jumping 7 feet straight up off the ground.<br />
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<b>3. If Lil could change just one thing about you, what would it be? </b>If I let her run for 24 hours. I wish I could. If not that, I could pet her for 24 hours. Either would suit her.<br />
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<b>4. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </b><i>A Dog's Way Home </i>and <i>The Dogs of Winter</i>--both by you, Bobbie Pyron. Can't decide which. I was planning on writing a dog story from Lil's point of view, so I thought I'd read dog stories. When I read your novels, I realized you'd done it. I didn't need to do it. They're the best since my childhood reading of Jim Kjelgaard's <i>Big Red</i> and <i>The Incredible Journey</i> by Sheila Burnford.<br />
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<b>5. In five words, tell us what Lil means to you: </b>love, independence, intelligence, wag, sensitivity. Actually, this is what Lil is: dance, empathy, fast, funny, sweet.<br />
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<i>Thanks so much to the lovely, talented, interesting Patricia Hruby Powell and her Lil for inspiring me to another Fido and Friend in Five. Be sure to visit <a href="http://talesforallages.com/">her website</a> to find out more about her life and her books. And be sure to read Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. If it doesn't make you want to get on up and dance, I don't know what will!</i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-27626309810165188122014-07-21T08:30:00.000-07:002014-07-21T10:58:05.216-07:00Resurfacing for Writing Blog Tour!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVccTwbj4biWL_Zw9O511hsKAZ4y4_XBuRjKDvMVXm9flqT1dlkWb9_KHhjwEkgUhVODLHK_b69__EbItIqLzX2T2QbhdRtDkAPZ_GEL3Cj1W5qsDoEPSq2OOzyXelN4P-DdlNIEhEpY/s1600/HighResHeadShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVccTwbj4biWL_Zw9O511hsKAZ4y4_XBuRjKDvMVXm9flqT1dlkWb9_KHhjwEkgUhVODLHK_b69__EbItIqLzX2T2QbhdRtDkAPZ_GEL3Cj1W5qsDoEPSq2OOzyXelN4P-DdlNIEhEpY/s1600/HighResHeadShot.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp6rhBNZyFQUfcHS9oC_rplR0hU_og0xqeQImFBElN4eVTnUrVKZ1v0bUQ2dGe76-Gkiow7VekQ3kqtG0E2IvtwdFs4BsWIv-QVHVpllrT9HSESIO10M8GymZKq_4NSyWJJ2DHrcZQ3Q/s1600/Josephine_CVR_for-catalog-240x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDp6rhBNZyFQUfcHS9oC_rplR0hU_og0xqeQImFBElN4eVTnUrVKZ1v0bUQ2dGe76-Gkiow7VekQ3kqtG0E2IvtwdFs4BsWIv-QVHVpllrT9HSESIO10M8GymZKq_4NSyWJJ2DHrcZQ3Q/s1600/Josephine_CVR_for-catalog-240x300.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a>Greetings and many apologies for not blogging in a very long time! I have LOTS of excuses--most of them boring--but now I'm popping back in to be part of a writer's blog tour, thanks to author <a href="http://talesforallages.com/">Patricia </a>Hruby Powell. I'm such a great fan of her nonfiction, particularly her latest book, <i>Josephine: the Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, </i>I couldn't say no.<br />
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So here are the four question on writing we're answering:<br />
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<b>1. What are you currently working on? </b>Well, now that all the revisions and edits are done on my middle grade novel, <i>Lucky Strike</i> (Scholastic), coming out next spring, I have a couple different projects I'm working on. I'm about half way through a young adult novel tentatively titled <i>Pink Slip.</i> It's about what happens when The Infinite Mysterious (God to some people) decides that the human race has not passed its probationary period and is about to be given the pink slip. I'm also working on a picture book biography about the last black jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, Jimmy Winkfield. The more I work on it, the more admiration I have for people like Patricia who write such excellent biographies for kids. It's hard!<br />
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<b>2. How does your work differ from others in its genre? </b>That's a tough question. As far as <i>Pink Slip</i> goes, the idea came to me in response to my bafflement with the whole trend of dystopian fiction, and also from my life-long contemplation of religion and spiritual beliefs. After reading <i>The Hunger Games </i>and <i>Divergent, </i>I just couldn't understand why, if the majority believe there is a god who influences everything we do, why he/she would allow the human race to become the way they are in these dystopic worlds. Besides, who needs to create these violent worlds when we're killing each other at such a vicious rate? The book about Jimmy Winkfield will hopefully live up to the other wonderful picture book bios out there!<br />
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<b>3. Why do you want to write? </b>I often ask myself that question as I stare blankly at my computer on a beautiful summer day! I think more than "want to write" it's that I "have to write." I just feel better about my self and about the world when I write. Plus I have all these little voices yakking away in my head. The only way I can get them to shut up is to write! Finally, I write because I LOVE connecting with readers. There's no better high on earth than to meet or get an email from a young person who passionately loves what you write. Nothing can beat that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl6MuQcKJtKj6u1nrlwXEdiiWEklWHCqLVsO8FPWEdZ8nUaW-lEwT94njel2p3xjN1vBsdex2kD9vdDra1MofHaFC62uKYzJJNsdF474n9WNwcXVNnflC8PL6DmgfjwUIKC9fCPPVnSY/s1600/The+Dogs+of+Winter+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNl6MuQcKJtKj6u1nrlwXEdiiWEklWHCqLVsO8FPWEdZ8nUaW-lEwT94njel2p3xjN1vBsdex2kD9vdDra1MofHaFC62uKYzJJNsdF474n9WNwcXVNnflC8PL6DmgfjwUIKC9fCPPVnSY/s1600/The+Dogs+of+Winter+cover.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a><b>4. How does your individual writing process work? </b>I tend to think about a story for a long time before I sit down to actually write it. That time period can be a couple of months, like with <i>A Dog's Way Home, </i>to five or six years, as with <i>The Dogs of Winter. </i>If I'm still excited by the story after the initial first blush has faded, then I make notes about the story, setting, and characters. This is not an outline! I am NOT an outliner before the first draft. Once I do start writing, I try to get that first draft down a fast as I can. Again, though, that can vary from nine months to four months. I try to write most every day but that doesn't always happen. I'm very happy if I get three to four fairly good pages written when I do write. Because my brain gets tired when I work on fiction, I like to have a nonfiction project to work on at the same time. So a lot of times, I'll work on my fiction project in the first half of the day and then on the nonfiction the second half. All of my books, even fiction, require a lot of research. When I came up with the idea for <i>The Dogs of Winter</i>, I researched for five years before I wrote the first draft. The irony, though, is that before I actually sit down to write the story, I have to forget all the things I've learned! In a novel, you don't want your "research seams" to show. I try not to get too hung up on "process" though. It seems like the process for each book is different. The two things that are consistent with my process is I always write in my office and have music on when I write.<br />
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Okay, that's it! Next you'll hear from my good friend,<a href="http://www.beckyhallbooks.com/about.html"> Becky Hall</a>. She's the author of <i>A Is For Arches</i> and <i>Morris and Buddy: the story of the first seeing eye dog. </i><br />
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<br />Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-51443177522416366932013-08-26T09:03:00.000-07:002013-08-26T09:03:31.424-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Kathryn Erskine and Fletcher!<a href="http://www.kathrynerskine.com/">Kathy Erskine</a>, author of National Book Award winner, <i>Mockingbird, </i>was one of the first authors to visit Fido and Friend back in March of 2011, with her dog Maxine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFXPkt59ccsHHxLkL6l1VxpJA7QndVMicypqw4O3sNVjkYo13MQC2OUGC9JNjV8Ew4Yno6_F6qOf-k4Qa54l3m8WdxFxFb4Un_cO2fEeuz3emudBS9r3Kk_6qPcGkiE6IFuuDNnHuvxs/s1600/K.+Erskine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFXPkt59ccsHHxLkL6l1VxpJA7QndVMicypqw4O3sNVjkYo13MQC2OUGC9JNjV8Ew4Yno6_F6qOf-k4Qa54l3m8WdxFxFb4Un_cO2fEeuz3emudBS9r3Kk_6qPcGkiE6IFuuDNnHuvxs/s200/K.+Erskine.jpg" width="195" /></a> Since then, Kathy wrote another best-selling book, <i>The Absolute Value of Mike, </i>and, sadly, lost her precious Maxine.<br />
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But times moves on. All dog lovers must have a dog in their lives, while they hold their past dogs in their hearts. It's what our dogs would want from us to honor them: to open our hearts and our arms and our homes to another dog. And that's what Kathy has done. This past year, she and her family welcomed a new dog into their lives, a most handsome Labradoodle named Fletcher.<br />
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Kathy Erskine has also written a new book, <i>Seeing Red</i>, which will hit bookstore and library shelves in late September! <i>Seeing Red</i> is the story of twelve-year-old Red Porter, a kid growing up in the early 1970's in small town Virginia. Red recently lost his daddy and everything has changed. Before his daddy died, he was happy just to work in their family garage with him. Now he considers himself the man of the house, even if his mother and brother don't quite see it that way. His relationship with his friends becomes strained, and then there's some family secrets that come to light. As with all her books, Kathy has written another powerful book about family and friendship. This is one I can't wait to read!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJXnrDP55CGGFfOPf8ox4Zmw69lVf5egWzmclHLQBNjxvwtamwEqT0PsZaFhCeag2F2xirNngImIsCpU_q86IpQlXweCJgjgcOg9X1aNBHWQG8Xw2gWd1dEfyYcKOv-dOzSQvGB-nlzQ/s1600/Fletcher+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJXnrDP55CGGFfOPf8ox4Zmw69lVf5egWzmclHLQBNjxvwtamwEqT0PsZaFhCeag2F2xirNngImIsCpU_q86IpQlXweCJgjgcOg9X1aNBHWQG8Xw2gWd1dEfyYcKOv-dOzSQvGB-nlzQ/s200/Fletcher+1.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't you done yet?</td></tr>
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<b>1. How did you and Fletcher find each other? </b>For the first time ever, we went to a breeder. My daughter seems to have developed allergies so we wanted a Labradoodle, and it's very hard to find one at a shelter or rescue organization, although we tried.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8k2QJFfMsM8omxT_150ozhr9uwBiO_mULSXN7a1agdQT-bJ3_wF7PXi8TYfTN-Gu6kS_G5V0Wv7G7cTqdxmSscFhe_kkuoHsHLq25kyXI9yx-5evO9suBxS6dCqSfJs00zpK2q4xcKs/s1600/Fletcher+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8k2QJFfMsM8omxT_150ozhr9uwBiO_mULSXN7a1agdQT-bJ3_wF7PXi8TYfTN-Gu6kS_G5V0Wv7G7cTqdxmSscFhe_kkuoHsHLq25kyXI9yx-5evO9suBxS6dCqSfJs00zpK2q4xcKs/s200/Fletcher+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tired, happy dog!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>2. What makes Fletcher's tail wag? </b>Going to the dog park, playing with neighborhood dogs, attention from anyone, playing fetch, treats of all kinds.<br />
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<b>3. If Fletcher could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </b>I think he would like me to sit at my computer less. He sometimes sits there and stares at me, and then starts rifling through my inbox. That's when I know it's time to play!<br />
<br />
<b>4. What's your all-time favorite dog book? </b>Well, since I've answered this before and there are so many great dog books out there, I picked your latest, <i>The Dogs of Winter</i>. Talk about a powerful story! And the fact that it's based on a true event--wow! Given how much I love dogs, it's surprising I haven't put one in a novel yet. I'm sure I will, but they may not be stars, like your dogs, Bobbie! (aw shucks)<br />
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<b>5. In just five words, tell us what Fletcher means to you: </b>Activity, laughter, friendship, kisses, joy.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3MooMTFqtlDbohJswl1Ol9ER8xT4xmhKF5GVW7emmxDvkkx6A_v3nSvKl7CW1TpSiMLy_DvDOV_xbTyiN-lcs7hkRqU1tybnRoGLrBFpPu8C7cVC715fKsDicxOJ0V0GuJ8eswhK3So/s1600/Fletcher+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3MooMTFqtlDbohJswl1Ol9ER8xT4xmhKF5GVW7emmxDvkkx6A_v3nSvKl7CW1TpSiMLy_DvDOV_xbTyiN-lcs7hkRqU1tybnRoGLrBFpPu8C7cVC715fKsDicxOJ0V0GuJ8eswhK3So/s200/Fletcher+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To smell you is bliss...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Thanks so much to the lovely Kathryn Erskine and her new BFF, Fletcher, for spending some time with us today on Fido and Friend in Five. To find out more about Kathy and to read her blog, visit her <a href="http://www.kathrynerskine.com/">website!</a></i><br />
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<br />Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-57999747175636363212013-08-23T11:00:00.000-07:002013-08-23T11:00:02.043-07:00BELIEVE!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsh30semHnXgnq0PwE3HB-X5j1my7YdTChyphenhyphenkh1z642ycgqcFML23rfQzCgfa9rIh_f0rAeHESlv2QPg8SKZobPiMeZdS-qg1xVQbYgv4idKa1NZHB8Kw86rqAlUundRqdyGgKndhZsNw/s1600/IMG_3602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsh30semHnXgnq0PwE3HB-X5j1my7YdTChyphenhyphenkh1z642ycgqcFML23rfQzCgfa9rIh_f0rAeHESlv2QPg8SKZobPiMeZdS-qg1xVQbYgv4idKa1NZHB8Kw86rqAlUundRqdyGgKndhZsNw/s320/IMG_3602.jpg" width="240" /></a>A few weeks ago, while I was at the huge, annual SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Conference in Los Angeles, my sweet husband went to the Park City Arts Festival. One night while I was in L.A., he emailed me a picture of these windchime sort of things for sale at the festival and said he thought I'd like them. I saw one that said DREAM, and strongly hinted that I would sure love one of those! What better thing to hang in my office, I thought.<br />
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When I got home, he had not taken my hint (as husbands are sometimes prone to do), and had gotten me one that said BELIEVE. I will admit to you, I was a bit disappointed. After all, I was a writer, a creative person, a dreamer! "BELIEVE?"<br />
<br />
But I will tell you, that one word has been more important to me every day, hanging there in the window at my desk where I work, than Dream ever could have been. Why? Believing is a concrete act that, in this profession, this act of faith, is often in short supply.<br />
<br />
I can dream plenty. I can dream of all the many, many books I want to write. I can dream of my editor saying what I've written is a heartbreaking work of staggering genius that needs nary a revision. I can dream of many starred reviews, awards, and interviews on NPR and The Today Show. Dreams are never in short supply.<br />
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But very often, believing is. There are days when I look at that word and I try to believe I can actually be disciplined enough to get my butt in the chair, open my laptop (and not my email, and FaceBook, and Twitter) and do the work. There are many days it's all I can do to believe I have any talent at all, anything worthy of anyone's time to read. To BELIEVE I have a story to tell and I'm the one to tell it, to BELIEVE I have not only the skill to tell it but the grit and the heart and determination--that's what is often the hardest thing to <u>do</u>. On those all-too-often days when self-doubt whispers in my ear "who are you kidding?" I look up at that word, BELIEVE, illuminated by the light beyond the window, take a deep breath, try for that moment to believe, and write.Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-77118849367598240122013-08-09T08:11:00.000-07:002013-08-09T08:11:50.141-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Joni Sensel and Jazz!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmnHp7izzFqpz3_iztuxq62yz68hNYuEqGyk0MeepRn89YqXxWKWJQXeufIlWq6k7iddvg18uxnuoPFrqoxcYqw3WyjqAg8PCmSdl3qESGMrrwTZAylmIi4ALTqwr1W8as6dzxZvLkQQ/s1600/Joni+Sensel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmnHp7izzFqpz3_iztuxq62yz68hNYuEqGyk0MeepRn89YqXxWKWJQXeufIlWq6k7iddvg18uxnuoPFrqoxcYqw3WyjqAg8PCmSdl3qESGMrrwTZAylmIi4ALTqwr1W8as6dzxZvLkQQ/s200/Joni+Sensel.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73quxDJuua7D-sO-tYYe8E_24IlNN7EMloGJTawVDs86EAuw8wFpijcO7EpsP2n3uFhdfeXkGyTRiwleXhSAaFZPcf_48dEeACC4BeLqhHbV-0zI6qAOKrmjGUknk4eXDs8gv_XumW2A/s1600/Fawwalker's+quest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73quxDJuua7D-sO-tYYe8E_24IlNN7EMloGJTawVDs86EAuw8wFpijcO7EpsP2n3uFhdfeXkGyTRiwleXhSAaFZPcf_48dEeACC4BeLqhHbV-0zI6qAOKrmjGUknk4eXDs8gv_XumW2A/s200/Fawwalker's+quest.jpg" width="129" /></a>Yes, dear readers, Fido and Friend is back after a bit of a break whilst I was busy with the "Authors for Catherine's Dream Signed Book Auction." Thankfully, it's all pretty much wrapped up, and we raised over $4,000.00!<br />
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<a href="http://www.jonisensel.com/">Joni Sense</a>l is the author of numerous, highly popular middle grade novels <i>Reality Leak </i>(described in Fuse 8 as "Fun and funny"), the gorgeously written historical <i>The Humming of Numbers</i>, and her award-winning fantasy series <i>The FarWalker's Quest, The Timekeeper's Moon, </i>and the latest <i>The Skeleton's Knife. </i>This series follows the quest of forest girl, Ariel, to discover her own mysterious and startling calling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqGF-zY9iaYxYcq7V32fKfEzLxGtRssheUDuq_5JNhzaRVYzcDzDgWXeJeDLzRn-oaUmPrPXoc7OiTWl5vhuFXQTHKNO6o9O8PSfeJ-z2JoXDMXWtDiiayF3FKzGjZ7ien8xeeK8Dbh8/s1600/Bears+Barge+In.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqGF-zY9iaYxYcq7V32fKfEzLxGtRssheUDuq_5JNhzaRVYzcDzDgWXeJeDLzRn-oaUmPrPXoc7OiTWl5vhuFXQTHKNO6o9O8PSfeJ-z2JoXDMXWtDiiayF3FKzGjZ7ien8xeeK8Dbh8/s200/Bears+Barge+In.jpg" width="147" /></a></div>
Joni is also the proud mother of two picture books, <br />
including <i>Bears Barge In </i>and <i>The Garbage Monster.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_hdQClGChM2r7Qcqwwi9qom-IUFlXrIx9myZ8Mw_otbf9-Rc8bjrQBt_CaFX3LtZyfTtzh2FSbFFFBdxBOtUrU5GBn7Flm4sr0BCT6TgjXD5z8LdBQDczims5dkABz0xSx8jyUnzqdE/s1600/The+Humming+of+Numbers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_hdQClGChM2r7Qcqwwi9qom-IUFlXrIx9myZ8Mw_otbf9-Rc8bjrQBt_CaFX3LtZyfTtzh2FSbFFFBdxBOtUrU5GBn7Flm4sr0BCT6TgjXD5z8LdBQDczims5dkABz0xSx8jyUnzqdE/s200/The+Humming+of+Numbers.jpg" width="132" /></a>Like her heroine, Ariel, Joni is a bit of a "FarWalker" too. She's explored the Sahara Desert, New Zealand, France, and the British Isles--places that have inspired her work. In 2008, she set off on her own walking adventure in England and France, where she ended up walking more than 650 miles!<br />
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Like me, Joni lives in the west in a house in the woods, and likes to hike with her dog, and has raccoons in her tree and elk in her yard (well, I tend to have moose). Unlike me, Joni also loves to scuba dive and ride her motorcycle, and has mice in her stove vent.<br />
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And she has a dog, a wonderful dog named Jazz. Let's meet these two intrepid adventurers in today's Fido and Friend in Five!<br />
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<b>1. How did you and Jazz find each other? </b>I rescued Jazz from a shelter where I'd previously volunteered and where I'd found several other dogs in the past. (The rule is I can only go into the kennel of a dog I'm planning to take home, because otherwise it makes me cry). When we got together in the "get to know you" room, he was more interested in the ball the staff gave him than in me, but he agreed to come home with me anyway. After four years, he still has some issues from his formative <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6bgWVOs3pu5VPLfhsjMzen-uht5-S29tDEnabs-NtI7osANlSdRJnI3sYyfbrdMtLwvS2KHyz5gMT4v4xiEIUcrqNzl-B-DEXBkD2-x82cSRN65JnOsxaSfzzMOQ82jwaXQYjlUbkTE/s1600/JazzGotSnacklo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6bgWVOs3pu5VPLfhsjMzen-uht5-S29tDEnabs-NtI7osANlSdRJnI3sYyfbrdMtLwvS2KHyz5gMT4v4xiEIUcrqNzl-B-DEXBkD2-x82cSRN65JnOsxaSfzzMOQ82jwaXQYjlUbkTE/s200/JazzGotSnacklo.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take me home?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxgjJWkfzprv_PmZLH_GNS7LCJCtUleu303b07VGVbDYSMe0zIilU7QE52sdQAbUyPPju8wzHh9Sv5OlpRmaYT00w5yvpqCnzyR-tnoLWqnB6vFVZ9aU615fYAiCCyIRL5YW82HentyY/s1600/JazzLo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxgjJWkfzprv_PmZLH_GNS7LCJCtUleu303b07VGVbDYSMe0zIilU7QE52sdQAbUyPPju8wzHh9Sv5OlpRmaYT00w5yvpqCnzyR-tnoLWqnB6vFVZ9aU615fYAiCCyIRL5YW82HentyY/s200/JazzLo.jpg" width="150" /></a>years, but we've come a long way understanding each other.<br />
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<b>2. What makes Jazz's tail wag? </b>Chasing things! Elk preferred, but spawning salmon, squirrels, rabbits, pickup trucks, bicyclists, tennis balls, and sticks will do in a pinch. We try to stay near to the end of that list.<br />
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<b>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </b>Boy, I'm dating myself here, but <i>Where the Red Fern Grows.</i><br />
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<b>4. If Jazz could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </b>He'd give me a gender reassignment, I fear. He likes men more than women.<br />
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<b>5. In five words, tell us what Jazz means to you: </b>Kooky pal who chases laughs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2BQW-3yxSm6Qr6lBJW_vAo9egrvkCPICs_MBG5mQNBa65OhsaWrI4NIFj68gNafB-eSJkgOJkIkXBmAeDn2J3bLZZ9MbpOrjMppm2XaStC9fKAwBuSvrzWaznOXwCEMMerJJ7fDuR7M/s1600/jazzbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2BQW-3yxSm6Qr6lBJW_vAo9egrvkCPICs_MBG5mQNBa65OhsaWrI4NIFj68gNafB-eSJkgOJkIkXBmAeDn2J3bLZZ9MbpOrjMppm2XaStC9fKAwBuSvrzWaznOXwCEMMerJJ7fDuR7M/s200/jazzbeach.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kooky friend!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Thanks so much to Joni and Jazz for getting Fido and Friend back</i><br />
<i>on track! Be sure to visit <a href="http://www.jonisensel.com/">Joni's website</a> to find out more about her books and her latest adventures!</i><br />
<br />Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-30008902099855867412013-07-29T06:45:00.001-07:002013-07-29T08:48:36.118-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Annemarie, Zola and Zar!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZmJfmRyip69LfIPHiLgt9eILO-RF5gpM09UYRopL24PfVw7Bva1yObXSAoim2xx1c4WnTifkMKJoFftbLIOhIIwkgTaxQl6JGyvL5R5Mf15YN4aH1CChxee_bNWxsNbGSWJpZE8yDlA/s1600/AnnMarie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZmJfmRyip69LfIPHiLgt9eILO-RF5gpM09UYRopL24PfVw7Bva1yObXSAoim2xx1c4WnTifkMKJoFftbLIOhIIwkgTaxQl6JGyvL5R5Mf15YN4aH1CChxee_bNWxsNbGSWJpZE8yDlA/s200/AnnMarie2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annemarie O'Brien</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrzggYa32Zg07nPQi5khskXo5uqSoygU171d5QIrU6ibw8KerWHBS8sHN4YPJDd2KD7aqwjI5iReSbmtkljtcNu3hKRX2FQQIUrAKcfNw3fQh8io8eLZr7TSK4D3Ayr52s97YZmI9CIo/s1600/Lara's+Gift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrzggYa32Zg07nPQi5khskXo5uqSoygU171d5QIrU6ibw8KerWHBS8sHN4YPJDd2KD7aqwjI5iReSbmtkljtcNu3hKRX2FQQIUrAKcfNw3fQh8io8eLZr7TSK4D3Ayr52s97YZmI9CIo/s320/Lara's+Gift.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim Jessel's gorgeous cover!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.annemarieobrienauthor.com/">Annemarie O'Brien</a> and I go way back on the long, and sometimes, arduous road to publication. We first met around 2006 at Nancy Sondel's amazing <a href="http://www.childrenswritersworkshop.com/">Pacific Coast Children's </a>Workshop, one of the very few writer's conferences just for folks who write fiction for middle grader's and teens. Neither of us had published--yet. She was deep into Vermont College's<br />
Master's program in writing for children and young adults; I had just written my first novel, <i>The Ring, </i>and was impatient to get published. We met several times again at Nancy's PCCW. While I railed against the rules and difficulties of getting an agent, much less an editor, Annemarie patiently worked and refined her skills and manuscript.<br />
<br />
And now here we are! Annemarie's debut novel, <i>Lara's Gift</i>, will hit the bookstores on August 6th, and my humble little blog is the first stop in her blog tour! As she said, it just seems fitting.<br />
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<i>Lara's Gift</i> is a beautifully crafted story set in Imperial Russia about the love and devotion between a young girl and her dog. And this is not just any dog: Zar is a borzoi, the hunting dogs of the Tsar himself. Lara is being groomed to do what her family has done for generations: run Count Vorontsov's kennel which provides these stately and noble dogs to the Tsar. The borzois and Lara have a special connection, one that both frightens her and makes her proud, a gift that her father views as an abomination. Will Lara be able to convince her father it is her destiny to run the kennel? Will she be able to convince him that even though Zar is the runt of the litter, he has the courage and heart worthy of a Tsar? The ever-stingy<a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/annemarie-obrien/laras-gift/"> Kirkus reviews </a>gave <i>Lara's Gift</i> a <b>starred review</b>, describing the book as "engrossing and powerful."<br />
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Annemarie is able to write so convincingly about Russia and borzois in <i>Lara's Gift</i> because she once lived and worked in the former Soviet Union, and she shares her life with two borzoi, Zola and Zar. Let's kick off Annemarie's blog tour with this very special Fido and Friend in Five!<br />
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<b>1. How did you and your dogs find each other? </b>Both of my borzoi, Zola and Zar, are rescues through their respective breeders. They inspired the fictional characters in <i>Lara's Gift</i>. We found Zeus, <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyhRyyVzBrR9dUq1DdocLkSeJjwUyrJGIQvVP8LAAB5811Lt8OylevTKXXUYJvuZJoLQEEQZOcJqmmsWro3B0qDI6vg-J2PPGwMcezTdIVW7PhSAOTzfZMlrw6jMhsgJXHg7jtPPZvqs/s1600/borzoi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyhRyyVzBrR9dUq1DdocLkSeJjwUyrJGIQvVP8LAAB5811Lt8OylevTKXXUYJvuZJoLQEEQZOcJqmmsWro3B0qDI6vg-J2PPGwMcezTdIVW7PhSAOTzfZMlrw6jMhsgJXHg7jtPPZvqs/s200/borzoi3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zola & Zar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
our silken windbound (best described as a miniature borzoi) from breeder Cynthia Dell. I fell in love with borzoi when I was gifted a puppy in Moscow where I worked after graduate school. Dasha was like no other dog I'd ever had. I grew up with spaniels and retrievers who wanted to be everyone's pal. Dasha was selective in the people she allowed to pat her on the head, so she made me feel special.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vrWcP4goKa1mTGiafmWFA56v1GrCW3C5sgKkjfnB2ott5PaDDLrv7n_o5Z4V7ujdfdSXBuB3uoTHvzu8alMlQDmrO8zoSHVU9jtO5A_mzDGOq15dkSPBhlpoGNXQNRTR-12QAstgI6k/s1600/borzoi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vrWcP4goKa1mTGiafmWFA56v1GrCW3C5sgKkjfnB2ott5PaDDLrv7n_o5Z4V7ujdfdSXBuB3uoTHvzu8alMlQDmrO8zoSHVU9jtO5A_mzDGOq15dkSPBhlpoGNXQNRTR-12QAstgI6k/s200/borzoi1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's run Mom!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>2. What makes Zola and Zar's tails wag? </b>The leash, my running shoes, and of course, a meat bone!<br />
<br />
<b>3. If your dogs could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </b>That's an easy question. If they could, I'm sure they would snap their paws and make me an instant lottery winner so I wouldn't have to work so much and could take them for more runs!<br />
<br />
<b>4. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </b>This one is hard because there are so many. But I guess I'd have to go back to my kid days and say <i>Lassie Come-Home, Lady and the Tramp, </i>or <i>101 Dalmations. </i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEmUgmWV3iQZx_bDS7e9_qBC1pAn_WZvXcUOgN84av-U0-30P2qIxv3L9lpkPE8DGlX5k0sL4TfNXubeHW23Cj0q-UjjsahGzVvwjAkx1_r7_Aqci2KZWidDEU1wPZuV0_hQPlJbFPK4/s1600/Borzoi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEmUgmWV3iQZx_bDS7e9_qBC1pAn_WZvXcUOgN84av-U0-30P2qIxv3L9lpkPE8DGlX5k0sL4TfNXubeHW23Cj0q-UjjsahGzVvwjAkx1_r7_Aqci2KZWidDEU1wPZuV0_hQPlJbFPK4/s200/Borzoi2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breed of the Tsars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<b>5. In just five words, tell us what Zola and Zar mean to you: </b>Love. Love. Love. Love. Love.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOKGWsMfPPVwSlh9DAJ41a8A4wFumHxADVrMy1T94o3qIy0JFjuYinXgTxSLuQWkpD2f2TcbKo4u8KRuJODFXebkcbbtUegyFKXqw3AzNLFGsMIKw4sZE4fbFtZcGmqnG_tBPvX-ybGs/s1600/annmarie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOKGWsMfPPVwSlh9DAJ41a8A4wFumHxADVrMy1T94o3qIy0JFjuYinXgTxSLuQWkpD2f2TcbKo4u8KRuJODFXebkcbbtUegyFKXqw3AzNLFGsMIKw4sZE4fbFtZcGmqnG_tBPvX-ybGs/s200/annmarie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love. Love. Love</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Okay, so I <u>know</u> after you read this, you're just chomping at the bit to read LARA'S GIFT! So here's your chance to win a free, <u>signed copy!</u> <b>All you need to do to enter a drawing to win a signed copy is leave a comment below and share this post on your fav social media site! Could it be any easier? I'll draw the winning name on August 15th. </b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
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For more opportunities to win a copy of LARA’S
GIFT and/or a manuscript critique by Deborah Halverson from Dear Editor, check
out these blogs on these dates: Fiction Notes (7/31); Kissing the Earth, Quirk
and Quill, or Simple Saturday (8/1); Coffee with a Canine, Dog Reads, or World
Reads (8/5); Dear Editor (8/6); Word Spelunking (8/7); Random Acts of Reading
(8/8); The Hiding Spot (8/9); Beth Fish Reads (8/13); and Sarah Davies’s blog
at Greenhouse Literary (TBD).<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For more information about LARA’S GIFT, check
out the w<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5275974386745565122" name="_GoBack"></a>eb page:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.annemarieobrienauthor.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.AnnemarieOBrienAuthor.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Teacher Guide:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://annemarieobrienauthor.com/contact/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://annemarieobrienauthor.com/contact/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Book Trailer:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whcIDqxCq9g"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whcIDqxCq9g</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-25339806571464288112013-07-24T07:43:00.000-07:002013-07-24T07:43:08.366-07:00Big Ben! One Rescued Dog's Story<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have the </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">great good fortune to live in a dog-loving community with its own amazing animal rescue organization, Friends of Animals Utah. I've worked as a volunteer with them for many years and have heard some truly inspiring rescue stories. This is one of them. Every year, FOA Utah has a fundraiser (the emphasis on Fun!) called Bark in the Park. At Bark in the Park, they honor one of their amazing rescues. This year it was Big Ben. My BFF, Charlene Brewster, is my guest blogger today, telling Ben's story. Get your hankies ready!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Every year we feature one of our rescued dogs on our race shirt. This year, the dog is “Big Ben, the <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0stWhfIcYSqGbgZF3q-fOnZcamwRn-suVmkq6AKwMcI0Vizw6bphAENUude6wcALLr4b-cOkGl-fRyP_iRekqpPn8q-7Tdg4Eq95hXdN-yYYO37JUVbqKbbdgA-ot_Ocg1Qz2hDIS3iM/s1600/Ben+Post+Surgery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0stWhfIcYSqGbgZF3q-fOnZcamwRn-suVmkq6AKwMcI0Vizw6bphAENUude6wcALLr4b-cOkGl-fRyP_iRekqpPn8q-7Tdg4Eq95hXdN-yYYO37JUVbqKbbdgA-ot_Ocg1Qz2hDIS3iM/s1600/Ben+Post+Surgery.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Prior and Ben </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Miracle Dog” and the tag
line is “Courage to Walk, Courage to Run.” He has been an inspiration to many and we thought we would
tell you his story.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>November 25<sup>th</sup>,
2012 was a Sunday. That was the
day a young Great Pyrenees was hit by a car out on Route 248 near Stock
Lumber. He appeared out of nowhere
and jumped in front of a car – there
was no way to avoid him. The
driver who hit him stopped as did several other people. It was apparent he was badly
injured. He was in much pain and
couldn't use his back legs. There
are many dogs used in the ranching community that are “free range” – guiding
and guarding livestock with little or no human interaction or supervision. This dog was one of them.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNWHTjs4pZmnS2y-vT4njBIRwD20W8sGLW2c2COCUW2XxMazmAdEP-aNGG25L8pAGAz0A-tUis07s4sFi95uOpNOIlqCVrqnSgCvfNj9ZEtkOVpTItIh4iha7nSBMeR12MPRC9gUfJew/s1600/Ben+PT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNWHTjs4pZmnS2y-vT4njBIRwD20W8sGLW2c2COCUW2XxMazmAdEP-aNGG25L8pAGAz0A-tUis07s4sFi95uOpNOIlqCVrqnSgCvfNj9ZEtkOVpTItIh4iha7nSBMeR12MPRC9gUfJew/s1600/Ben+PT.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Healing Touch!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Many
ranching dogs are not considered pets.
They are tools of the trade and treated as such. Basically, if your shovel breaks and it
costs more to fix it than buy a new one, then you throw out the broken one and
get yourself a new shovel… That
was exactly what the rancher wanted to do with this broken dog: he wanted him shot by the sideof the road.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>By this
time, Animal Control, local veterinarian, Carl Prior and Friends of Animals
were on the scene. Dr. Prior and
the folks gathered around wanted to give the dog a chance. Worst case, he would be humanely
euthanized in Dr. Prior’s office.
But maybe, just maybe…
there was a chance that he would make it. He deserved that chance. After more than a few tense moments, the rancher
relinquished the dog to Animal Control and Friends of Animals Utah took
responsibility from there. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoxUlZyvURXsykoG2JDc6vgBY6l4Q41EGpUbeUd9kr9YdrWBIMGaoVs1g01amXdUvC215L6ki8BgZXLQSu83IMf9i8AHPbdqcHLjcjFf_Iv8XaIjnLt7260V1nsQ0lfFZcdk0or6MiIY/s1600/Ben+in+wheelchair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoxUlZyvURXsykoG2JDc6vgBY6l4Q41EGpUbeUd9kr9YdrWBIMGaoVs1g01amXdUvC215L6ki8BgZXLQSu83IMf9i8AHPbdqcHLjcjFf_Iv8XaIjnLt7260V1nsQ0lfFZcdk0or6MiIY/s200/Ben+in+wheelchair.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben's Wheels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>The badly
injured dog could not walk. He did
have a small fracture in his spine, but Dr. Prior was quite sure that given
time for the injury to heal and the swelling to go down in his spine, he may
very well walk again. He was given
the name Big Ben.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Now keep in
mind, this dog had not spent much time with people and had probably never been
inside a building or house for any amount of time ever in his life. In a tremendous amount of pain and
surrounded by strangers, you might think he would lash out in fear or
mistrust. That never
happened. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3yodCMyVPruWAtEsQl7eCduFLO3JK6WmPW1lnDEZ2xoAFGfRJgpbU6_Pqmw1KSdQOdIwKzapEE1IhJcEnIY8Vjf47HkohrvWpr1V_O4weNsiRSEWPutycK0RPcHAhLx1mD7muk_NoOg/s1600/Ben+PT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3yodCMyVPruWAtEsQl7eCduFLO3JK6WmPW1lnDEZ2xoAFGfRJgpbU6_Pqmw1KSdQOdIwKzapEE1IhJcEnIY8Vjf47HkohrvWpr1V_O4weNsiRSEWPutycK0RPcHAhLx1mD7muk_NoOg/s1600/Ben+PT2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hydrotherapy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>He spent more
than a month at Park City Animal Clinic. For the first few weeks, he could not
walk. He had to be helped outside
and to be moved into new positions.
He learned to use a doggie wheelchair and continued to heal. Slowly but surely he began to use his
back legs and eventually take some steps.
He grew stronger.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i> Word got out in the dog community about
this amazing dog. People who
heard about Ben would stop by the clinic and visit him. People donated funds to pay for his
medical care. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>There were
several people who were truly his guardian angels. One of the people who stopped to help the day of the
accident was Billie Harsch. She
visited Ben every day at the clinic during his recovery and rallied the
community around his story with her facebook reports on his progress and
fundraising to pay for his care. Fox
13 TV station did a story about him and Ben soon became a local celebrity –
everyone wanted to know how Ben was doing.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijt0Vasl-Bdy3aTx0i1riLcI9jh3utiocLRzWpLm3h_R2cmtKwZcBA-TNpuIeWzGpY9_Ti8ksBG8ZrEp4kS7MXp9lYaHAnIpzVmMYjUtt5EmIAZLoJJfk16u0kv_VkRNBAUiwwUraeh6I/s1600/Ben+and+Friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijt0Vasl-Bdy3aTx0i1riLcI9jh3utiocLRzWpLm3h_R2cmtKwZcBA-TNpuIeWzGpY9_Ti8ksBG8ZrEp4kS7MXp9lYaHAnIpzVmMYjUtt5EmIAZLoJJfk16u0kv_VkRNBAUiwwUraeh6I/s1600/Ben+and+Friend.jpg" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk_GNGnl3eW0AuMQewTEIVQNXJF_uWwyqgP_xPbYMpQYuyDuhR5Q-ZrAQUlTaRyFPmt62O8j39x0tl9z0FfwiT2S3ohIT4rWI3nITwfSUdXsevHfpWDfkdgypwryhWiRs7XKfAVc-Px8/s1600/Ben+Happy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkk_GNGnl3eW0AuMQewTEIVQNXJF_uWwyqgP_xPbYMpQYuyDuhR5Q-ZrAQUlTaRyFPmt62O8j39x0tl9z0FfwiT2S3ohIT4rWI3nITwfSUdXsevHfpWDfkdgypwryhWiRs7XKfAVc-Px8/s1600/Ben+Happy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow, A Bed & Toys!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>When he was
able to walk pretty well on his own, Ben went to the first of several foster
homes. The Bednars with Active K9
took him home for Christmas. He
then spent several months with Kim Brown and George Forbes at their house. Utah Pet Rehab donated rehab services
to help him get stronger and learn to walk properly. In late February, Ben went to a new foster home. Colleen Keblish and her family opened
up their homes and heart to him.
He is still there today, not as a foster but as a permanent part of
their family. They have a small
ranch in Silver Creek and he gets to run, swim and have fun every day.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>So many
great people came together to give this dog a chance. In his honor, a fund has been started at Friends of Animals
Utah called Ben’s Bank. It's
money that can be used to help badly injured or sick animals who need special
care. Who need a chance. If you would like to contribute to
Ben’s Bank, <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9hnbVh-_L8E81AC6-3Ajkxqx3iDJ1z86te0JKTciIzGKiTIPtUCxrwp3HOvykXreLIJyvUCbKEk9SX_ABjxIQA-lxVwNIzu9wxDAxRSnQZUkY0p0QmepaP1PVXGbZ5mxqfv_SESWSGo/s1600/Ben+shopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9hnbVh-_L8E81AC6-3Ajkxqx3iDJ1z86te0JKTciIzGKiTIPtUCxrwp3HOvykXreLIJyvUCbKEk9SX_ABjxIQA-lxVwNIzu9wxDAxRSnQZUkY0p0QmepaP1PVXGbZ5mxqfv_SESWSGo/s200/Ben+shopping.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh Yeah, Shopping!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.foautah.org/">please click here. </a> </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is that an amazing and inspiring story or what?! Please share with your friends and consider donating to Ben's Bank. Any donation will be tax deductible.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-59174121414976479762013-07-02T10:40:00.002-07:002013-07-02T10:40:46.841-07:00Authors for Catherine's Dream Wrap Up!I wanted to just update everyone on how the "Authors for Catherine's Dream" signed book auction turned out. Over thirty authors generously donated signed copies of their books to be auctioned off; many of the authors donated more than one title or more than one copy. As a result, over forty books were auctioned!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9yOSBWg_TEOTRIchkZ-uSATXLKXfN8_NsUYCYVD_kSI4zGXPHVAmuY9OgaBhCApQfT2c-b5VS7FwJJfyeBFJgcYaWtWnmRN5dqiv3JIqOXoorbmpx2IuU0roJE1TUkAtCseuDbtwnLs/s550/Catherine's+birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9yOSBWg_TEOTRIchkZ-uSATXLKXfN8_NsUYCYVD_kSI4zGXPHVAmuY9OgaBhCApQfT2c-b5VS7FwJJfyeBFJgcYaWtWnmRN5dqiv3JIqOXoorbmpx2IuU0roJE1TUkAtCseuDbtwnLs/s320/Catherine's+birthday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wishes DO come true!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
From the end of May until June 22nd, 115 people bid on books. Isn't that amazing?! And these were folks from all over the United States--Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Colorado, Mississippi, Virginia, Connecticut, Utah and many other places. There were some hot and heavy bidding wars going on, particularly for Leslea Newman's <i>Hachiko Waits,</i> Patricia MacLachlan's <i>Sarah, Plain and Tall, </i>and (not surprisingly) this year's Newbery winner, <i>The One and Only Ivan. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
"But Bobbie, how much money did you raise?" you may be asking. I'm so happy and thrilled to tell you that we raised a <b>little over $4,000.00,</b> and donations are still coming in! Every penny of that goes to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary fund. All the authors and myself are paying the postage to mail the books to the winners.<br />
<br />
I want to thank all the authors who were kind enough to donated signed copies of their books and some of whom also bid on books and donated to the fund. My crazy idea of raising money to honor this sweet little girl could never have happened without them.<br />
<br />
And many, many thanks to all of you who bid on books during the auction. Whether you won a book or not, you were the ones who made it successful beyond my wildest dreams!<br />
<br />
If you didn't have a chance to bid on a book and would still like to help make Catherine's dream of an animal sanctuary in Newtown a reality, <a href="http://www.theanimalcenter.org/sanctuary">you can donate here</a>. Your donation will not only be tax deductible, but will be so very appreciated!Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-32119621487745654392013-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:002013-05-24T10:05:34.814-07:00Authors for Catherine's Dream!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxowdyYdwTQET7utM4HBcNGOAdurWXJOIV-fhWyjUksD809dKZMNyjZzuTACSlSpRgMcRIEWQsxfC7gGRT5o3L3jbeWm8aE1pDHONJSi8FlDrgsFcvZOoKgE6FPHtu4E7PtJsFUJ2Xh_E/s1600/Catherine+V.+Hubbard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxowdyYdwTQET7utM4HBcNGOAdurWXJOIV-fhWyjUksD809dKZMNyjZzuTACSlSpRgMcRIEWQsxfC7gGRT5o3L3jbeWm8aE1pDHONJSi8FlDrgsFcvZOoKgE6FPHtu4E7PtJsFUJ2Xh_E/s320/Catherine+V.+Hubbard.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine Hubbard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have a confession to make: I am a dedicated People Magazine reader. Yes, it's my guilty pleasure. <br />
One day a couple of months ago, I was indulging in my guilty pleasure when I came across an article spotlighting nine families who had lost children in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and how they are coping with this unimaginable loss.<br />
<br />
One of those children was a beautiful little red haired girl named Catherine Violet Hubbard. Although she was only six years old, Catherine was a passionate animal lover. Her parents said, "She loved all animals. She would chase down strangers just to pet their dogs, squeal with delight as butterflies landed on her arm, and sit for hours watching baby birds in a nest."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ8QmVTHmBaFBaArml158K2HZTDQUCF0owG5-dVkcsGvejdzJlxAC-1fY35WAPpd1lvM9Cc2bTGrd6vEAtGSv2zqahDOyVPPw8gM7Yl2uhaVvmWv-DzDoDJiChEGlwqpJKIbafD71VP4/s1600/businesscard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ8QmVTHmBaFBaArml158K2HZTDQUCF0owG5-dVkcsGvejdzJlxAC-1fY35WAPpd1lvM9Cc2bTGrd6vEAtGSv2zqahDOyVPPw8gM7Yl2uhaVvmWv-DzDoDJiChEGlwqpJKIbafD71VP4/s200/businesscard.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was Catherine's dream to one day have her own animal sanctuary in Newtown where homeless animals could feel loved and safe. She even had a little business card she'd hand out that read <i>Catherine's Animal Shelter</i> and included her self-appointed title of <i>Care Taker. </i>Tragically, her life was cut short.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZUtVSdCbJiXu-zXMZNgUxQLRD0oNoJuzsoyGiIFPoErQGKkKBT5ATFc3nd91zymMau78_WCw-VTBZX3NDKMAoV6OCcXUrr9N-npCWCgkB4OWaqpkzfcUhV45gRczjZKp3TxAWa_OLSE/s1600/A+Dog's+Purpose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZUtVSdCbJiXu-zXMZNgUxQLRD0oNoJuzsoyGiIFPoErQGKkKBT5ATFc3nd91zymMau78_WCw-VTBZX3NDKMAoV6OCcXUrr9N-npCWCgkB4OWaqpkzfcUhV45gRczjZKp3TxAWa_OLSE/s200/A+Dog's+Purpose.jpg" width="136" /></a>But not her dream. <a href="http://www.theanimalcenter.org/">The Animal Center</a> in Newtown, in partnership with Catherine's parents, have set up a fund for the<a href="http://www.theanimalcenter.org/sanctuary"> Catherine Violet Hubbard Sanctuary</a>, becoming the "Care Taker" of her dream. Although they've raised quite a bit of money, they have a ways to go before they can realize Catherine's dream.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDM3mIooKwVffW1Yh0cs2Q0KRx7qRJHKljpXrhYbKwH8cLdOPPz9F0FQQ_l0dT_qnKTxKRoefXqHgvPiEzGMc_VmL8uB7L5CFRbmBY6FNwA9mm336IG3QArhMoJ1V709Z9nVXoedZnBk4/s1600/Walk+Two+Moons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDM3mIooKwVffW1Yh0cs2Q0KRx7qRJHKljpXrhYbKwH8cLdOPPz9F0FQQ_l0dT_qnKTxKRoefXqHgvPiEzGMc_VmL8uB7L5CFRbmBY6FNwA9mm336IG3QArhMoJ1V709Z9nVXoedZnBk4/s200/Walk+Two+Moons.jpg" width="134" /></a>I don't know about you, but I have felt so helpless and frustrated since the Sandy Hook shooting. I want so much to see things change, to feel that something positive could come out of this. When I read about little Catherine, I thought <i>here's something I can do. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Thus the idea for "Authors for Catherine's Dream" was born. Now, it would have been easy just to write a check and make a donation to the sanctuary fund, but no, I wanted to give as many people as possible to be a part of this. So here's what's happening:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl46PkoFXZR0ZX6sLhrYtNPJdhyJg8Wju8b_ZqRQQa1j_uumHEC1daNBCdK43jDUGtbrJupv5hThGnIXK0_SGWFw_pNjQn5O7AAbgtbk64Ei-Q5hgKtzhTNyhFgU1ANMOKLP9ohD7DhyphenhyphenI/s1600/Rules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl46PkoFXZR0ZX6sLhrYtNPJdhyJg8Wju8b_ZqRQQa1j_uumHEC1daNBCdK43jDUGtbrJupv5hThGnIXK0_SGWFw_pNjQn5O7AAbgtbk64Ei-Q5hgKtzhTNyhFgU1ANMOKLP9ohD7DhyphenhyphenI/s200/Rules.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
<b> June 3rd through June 16th, I will be auctioning off hardback books signed by over 30 AMAZING authors! Thanks to the contacts I've made over the last two years from Fido and Friend in Five, people were eager to get on board and help Catherine's dream. Did I mention these are amazing authors? You tell me: Patricia MacLachlan, Sharon Creech, Kathi Appelt, Cynthia Lord, W. Bruce Cameron, Joan Bauer, Sarah Zarr, Clare Vanderpool, Katherine Erskine, Arthur A. Levine, Lin Oliver, Anita Silvey and many others! I have three in particular that are going to knock your socks off! Every day during that period, I'll post a pack of books you can bid on, and I'll also be posting what the top bids </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5TldzJdZQoK_qne6kOsD9RvwPPiPcjuyRTpyDa-pGIrqWddPgAxL9j3LQQCxHraR_xcwUSoe53-FSFO6J7nsKgNbez7THp5ONnaMaNLer8hAZBmvoTAH5KCBOwnISelZnvplABTHUYo/s1600/Sarah+P%2526T.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5TldzJdZQoK_qne6kOsD9RvwPPiPcjuyRTpyDa-pGIrqWddPgAxL9j3LQQCxHraR_xcwUSoe53-FSFO6J7nsKgNbez7THp5ONnaMaNLer8hAZBmvoTAH5KCBOwnISelZnvplABTHUYo/s200/Sarah+P%2526T.jpg" width="132" /></a></b></div>
<b>are for each book. You'll be able to bid on ALL the books until midnight on the 16th. You can read more about how this works on my <a href="http://www.bobbiepyron.com/auction">website link</a>. ALL MONEY RAISED WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE CATHERINE VIOLET HUBBARD SANCTUARY FUND!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Even if you're not a collector of books signed by the author like I am, these books would make great gift to the book lover in your life or to your local public or school library. Imagine having a signed copy of <i>Sarah, Plain and Tall</i>! And more importantly, imagine being a part of making one child's dream<br />
<br />
come true...<br />
<br />
So mark your calendar, watch for daily postings on Facebook, Twitter and the website, and bid! And if you really don't need or want a signed book but still want to help, you can donate to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Sanctuary<a href="http://www.theanimalcenter.org/sanctuary"> here</a>. Your donation will be tax deductible. We can all be "Care Takers" of Catherine's dream.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-57689278180454871822013-05-15T09:32:00.000-07:002013-05-15T09:32:12.408-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Sam Angus and Sundae!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbdDZ78cPF4utcdQec-34ukhsIn41AZ1RzOlQqeXPRN_fFOyPMsjd6UwSenFU7SI0P3N3QYiTw2ZdM-iz7ThO7sy2Izyb8yhDRNbSVK60zU36tvGlZde4UWQF1ny6vOTAV4Tkr2sL1Y4/s1600/Sam+Angus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbdDZ78cPF4utcdQec-34ukhsIn41AZ1RzOlQqeXPRN_fFOyPMsjd6UwSenFU7SI0P3N3QYiTw2ZdM-iz7ThO7sy2Izyb8yhDRNbSVK60zU36tvGlZde4UWQF1ny6vOTAV4Tkr2sL1Y4/s200/Sam+Angus.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Angus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7AdsCWQHW7sMoWQScarzkO5cSQGjVdOcWQIKnIdmjPKPxM3gVjQ6GMZu2n8kKpgOdTw_o1_W-spoZubN0dd7lAYlEAFkJPz22Y_bWZjWu0t8Y2z8X4B6LVmYkHCJqOO34KhiEPYK3cI/s1600/Soldier+Dog+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7AdsCWQHW7sMoWQScarzkO5cSQGjVdOcWQIKnIdmjPKPxM3gVjQ6GMZu2n8kKpgOdTw_o1_W-spoZubN0dd7lAYlEAFkJPz22Y_bWZjWu0t8Y2z8X4B6LVmYkHCJqOO34KhiEPYK3cI/s200/Soldier+Dog+cover.jpg" width="131" /></a>One day several years ago, Sam Angus was stuck in traffic, heavily pregnant, on a blisteringly hot day in London. Trying to distract herself from her misery, she turned on the radio and stumbled upon a program that would change her life. The report was about the animals--mostly dogs and horses--who'd sacrificed their lives during World War I. The program was airing around the time that a memorial to these valiant beings was erected on Park Lane. As it happened, the road Sam was stuck in traffic on was Park Lane. She could see the memorial through her car window!<br />
<br />
As she sat in her car, spellbound, Sam learned that<a href="http://soldierdog.net/inspiration-for-soldier-dog/"> dogs in WWI </a>served as sentinels, scouts, sentries, ambulance and messenger dogs. She also learned there had been at least 7,000 dogs killed in action during WWI. She heard numerous stories that hot afternoon of the almost miraculous deeds performed by these four-footed heroes, but it was the story of Jack, a mixed-breed messenger dog, that inspired her to write her debut, middle-grade novel, <i>Soldier Dog. </i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism5GaIAqcnQpZhj5TYnXDFi2TuGguEBgQSaXLNimmXpjlf83keOszHuefOk0uOF54TNYMticgmK_PXj5QT-jt-LEwv5nful_n4fvRUj0WQusD83rwkUr-IDzC7Bthl4H71FZCejJuwwg/s1600/messenger+dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEism5GaIAqcnQpZhj5TYnXDFi2TuGguEBgQSaXLNimmXpjlf83keOszHuefOk0uOF54TNYMticgmK_PXj5QT-jt-LEwv5nful_n4fvRUj0WQusD83rwkUr-IDzC7Bthl4H71FZCejJuwwg/s200/messenger+dogs.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WWI Messenger Dogs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Soldier Dog </i>is the story of 14-year-old Stanley and his bond with a messenger dog named Bones. Trapped in a troubled home, Stanley runs away and enlists in the British army to try and find his older brother Tom. There, because of his experience with dogs, he's assigned to a unit using messenger dogs. That's when he's assigned to Bones, and later, to Pistol, in France. It is here that Stanley's dog must cross no-man's land alone, under heavy fire, to return to his side. Only complete loyalty and love will pull the dog through a firestorm of battle, back to Stanley's side. Reviewers have called <i> Soldier Dog</i> <i>War Horse</i> meets <i>Lassie Come-Home.</i> Quite a compliment! <i>Soldier Dog</i> is also on many award lists across The Pond: the Carnegie Prize, the Redbridge Award and the Branford Boase Award, the Hawick Children's Book Award, the North East Children's Book Award, and the Warwickshire Teen Book Award. Just this April, it was released in this country.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbWZLGkXSbVT9ntLYghQBGKaJYpcyjCmAamERJgxMCFHson1kKpWbY30TI1hhyljKCd7VDXEh2dW7zScOO05DUfNvaKSnqcn2jfBZzvqborikKUA89-OJ7Ee6ybqPsic44xq3hrkcWx4/s1600/Sundae+and+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbWZLGkXSbVT9ntLYghQBGKaJYpcyjCmAamERJgxMCFHson1kKpWbY30TI1hhyljKCd7VDXEh2dW7zScOO05DUfNvaKSnqcn2jfBZzvqborikKUA89-OJ7Ee6ybqPsic44xq3hrkcWx4/s200/Sundae+and+kids.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sundae's pack</td></tr>
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Sam Angus was born in Italy, grew up in France and Spain and now divides her time between Exmoor and London. She has a a lively life with her husband, five children, horses, rabbits and Sundae the dog. Let's meet them in today's Fido and Friend in Five!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqF6inMgDRD5sLkLjSBu4h8OfPUYKIRbWcOOu-0V5qcm9zFup5k5AuP5ooIuEKj3DdzaY5LD5Aeb2WJkg1ltzgsUT7bryp436lbMQK7-E_EmMIJEQHlUDIC9TRw3fFrvV8J-RRLMbuyU/s1600/Sundae+on+the+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqF6inMgDRD5sLkLjSBu4h8OfPUYKIRbWcOOu-0V5qcm9zFup5k5AuP5ooIuEKj3DdzaY5LD5Aeb2WJkg1ltzgsUT7bryp436lbMQK7-E_EmMIJEQHlUDIC9TRw3fFrvV8J-RRLMbuyU/s200/Sundae+on+the+bus.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chillin' on double-d. bus!</td></tr>
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<b>1. How did you and Sundae find each other? </b>My husband and daughter found Sundae as a tiny puppy and brought him home to me, so small that he stepped onto the saucer when I lifted up my coffee cup and fell asleep there. He was as white, fluffy, ridiculous, irresistible and sweet as an ice cream sundae.<br />
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<b>2. What makes Sundae's tail wag? </b>A walk. Dinner. Other dogs. a football. Snow.<br />
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<b>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </b><i>Soldier Dog</i> and <br />
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<i>Lassie Come-Home.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfYUcL77lCpRRhmzQxNcmliuYpbxzu-wPJXNyoqAcF44YZr35wO00MmWKvVi2yOQ_YwfqfdbjZuX1zAolzMnz29e3P0ol5JESj6bgaHxCwnPYO7nDsU_5Zje4Ys5r-uMbLXmS7u589cg/s1600/Sundae+and+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfYUcL77lCpRRhmzQxNcmliuYpbxzu-wPJXNyoqAcF44YZr35wO00MmWKvVi2yOQ_YwfqfdbjZuX1zAolzMnz29e3P0ol5JESj6bgaHxCwnPYO7nDsU_5Zje4Ys5r-uMbLXmS7u589cg/s200/Sundae+and+horse.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sundae and friends</td></tr>
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<b>4. If Sundae could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </b>He would like me never to sit down at my desk or do any work, so I would spend all day in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens with him. Then at night, he would turn me into someone who likes dogs on their beds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtbKipgjjZeOsuoFJPXN9TfxlKPMBBSygLl1Vpa2k5tbPzuQ3707Wy5En-vGxU4OOFfUuCrZRb_KtSkyJLW_k3gwfvJ3rPNtjzyuRv91Eg-OJjSGvSRq_NqUjzchaLDyxR7L7ref4S8k/s1600/Sundae+and+Stanley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtbKipgjjZeOsuoFJPXN9TfxlKPMBBSygLl1Vpa2k5tbPzuQ3707Wy5En-vGxU4OOFfUuCrZRb_KtSkyJLW_k3gwfvJ3rPNtjzyuRv91Eg-OJjSGvSRq_NqUjzchaLDyxR7L7ref4S8k/s1600/Sundae+and+Stanley.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best friends</td></tr>
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<b>5. In five words, tell us what Sundae means to you: </b>Love. Loyalty. Company. Protection. Playfulness.<br />
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<i>Many thanks to Sam and Sundae for visiting with us today on Fido and Friend in Five! Be sure to check out <a href="http://samangus.com/">Sam's website</a> to find out a lot more about the hero dogs of WWI. You'll be amazed, and maybe even inspired!</i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-90390902802799776372013-05-09T12:14:00.001-07:002013-05-09T12:14:52.643-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Steve Wolf, Piper and Teasy!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEkGtoQA3p8kbMJ4CvGjEnR1cAPHa9qnT4T8KR2zbMaVm4LjoAZUTvq9GCpgPANAbzTFX6NpZ6s1Xf2F9_VLbXCGL7sQhT3uSNFUtySL52wSTl8qjwIxN6XuWi3OyNCACzV2vBXXulL8/s1600/steven_wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEkGtoQA3p8kbMJ4CvGjEnR1cAPHa9qnT4T8KR2zbMaVm4LjoAZUTvq9GCpgPANAbzTFX6NpZ6s1Xf2F9_VLbXCGL7sQhT3uSNFUtySL52wSTl8qjwIxN6XuWi3OyNCACzV2vBXXulL8/s200/steven_wolf.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve Wolf</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoL_y7-o-cwAZr75ymdKd0uleT6-xPk1wFToRgGvy9V0VMd7MBMcFswBL0WsExDI0b8CEJkBfys_VOs8LS_71x4EHa5L2AOPeDXD3dVQa49bMqu-CeFaRdDJ-lxeP-1dCqHAMEj0ShqY/s1600/Comet's+Tale+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDoL_y7-o-cwAZr75ymdKd0uleT6-xPk1wFToRgGvy9V0VMd7MBMcFswBL0WsExDI0b8CEJkBfys_VOs8LS_71x4EHa5L2AOPeDXD3dVQa49bMqu-CeFaRdDJ-lxeP-1dCqHAMEj0ShqY/s200/Comet's+Tale+cover.jpg" width="131" /></a>In the library system where I (until recently) worked, we have a program called "Reader's Choice." A committee of librarians read a ton of books and then pull out the best thirty or so for our patrons to read and vote on. Most of the books are fiction, but they usually include at least a couple of non-fiction books, often an animal book. For four months, patrons read and then vote on these books.<br />
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That's how I came across<a href="http://www.cometstale.com/"> Steve Wolf</a>'s inspiring book, <i>Comet's Tale: How the Dog I Rescued Saved My Life. </i>Comet and Steve's story will be one of the Reader's Choice books for patrons to read from June through October. And I have no doubt it will have the same impact on lots of readers that it had on me: I felt inspired and humbled and richer on so many different levels after I finished the book.<br />
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Steve Wolf was a Type-A attorney and athlete until a degenerative spine disease completely and utterly changed his life--almost over night--when in his forties. He had to retire from his job, go from actively<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvcvAxRoHQ2kx68kT7nJ2mo3FgP_cEcBcmGCXDs5U1-1ir3_4S7kZU3_dIZWPKC_PEyFCsZk8tLl9q5L7ilnQ3xiSq60M72WPLt4QHHBq7AZwGaBOEbWk0uwpsY6GV-by46ybQArfZyk/s1600/comet_author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvcvAxRoHQ2kx68kT7nJ2mo3FgP_cEcBcmGCXDs5U1-1ir3_4S7kZU3_dIZWPKC_PEyFCsZk8tLl9q5L7ilnQ3xiSq60M72WPLt4QHHBq7AZwGaBOEbWk0uwpsY6GV-by46ybQArfZyk/s200/comet_author.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazing Comet!</td></tr>
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competing in athletics to walking with canes, and spend winter apart from his family in Nebraska in the warmer climes of Arizona. It was there that he met Comet, an abandoned former racing greyhound. As Steve's <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81-M7fTNDnsKyUIRUEUj39XHEMbXae2McYLpawX-x3TrjWWfPCux49V-PsxlEG3XjXMAsw-5ZMPZDcWcDHFdi4lnSqNa78Nx16cQI0oY2WVIhZIOvan8ObpjNZCC1y86t747V4ZLOWu0/s1600/Comet+and+Steve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81-M7fTNDnsKyUIRUEUj39XHEMbXae2McYLpawX-x3TrjWWfPCux49V-PsxlEG3XjXMAsw-5ZMPZDcWcDHFdi4lnSqNa78Nx16cQI0oY2WVIhZIOvan8ObpjNZCC1y86t747V4ZLOWu0/s200/Comet+and+Steve.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comet, Service Dog</td></tr>
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conditions worsens, he comes to rely increasingly on his profound bond with Comet to keep him alive. Literally. Although everyone said it couldn't be done, Comet was successfully trained to be Steve's service dog. She could open doors for him, bring him his cell phone, pull down his bed covers, help him get up when he fell, and hold him up to keep him from falling, and pulled his wheelchair. It is truly, truly an amazing story. As Steve writes, "She seemed to exude a dignified wisdom that whispered, <i>I understand. </i>When she laid her head on my chest during a particularly bad day, it wasn't out of distress. When she watched over me during unbearably long periods of time between bathroom breaks, it wasn't because she felt sorry for me. Comet <i>really did know</i> what I was going through. Her actions ...were empathy, compassion, responsiveness, and identification...we shared a mutual respect that went far deeper than the word <i>rescue</i> could convey."<br />
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Sadly, Comet passed away two years ago, although she lived to the ripe old age of fourteen! Steve has since adopted another "retired" racer (what these dogs go through is horrific), Piper, and trained her to be his service dog as well. He reports she's almost as great at her job as Comet. He also is what we call in the rescue business a "failed foster." He fostered a gorgeous white greyhound named Teasy after her owner passed away. Needless to say, he's made her a permanent part of his family. Steve has also become a tireless advocate for the plight of racing greyhounds.<br />
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Let's meet Steve and his amazing Piper on today's Fido and Friend in Five!<br />
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<b>1. How did you and your dogs find each other? </b>Comet had become a bit of a celebrity in Omaha by the Nebraska Humane Society as Service Dog of the Year in 2010. After Comet passed in 2011<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y9qto2WF-SC0Tr7qroc1WH9nwsikLPAlKr5ohIrytdEr5obpDE1IM94iqfK2NdXdNUuY3TN0D6-YI5s6eS_IOGp9SZwX8aphV6LR9Jf4gmvGCp1JemHLy_cb76siJAuKMGHneYY3_FI/s1600/Piper+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y9qto2WF-SC0Tr7qroc1WH9nwsikLPAlKr5ohIrytdEr5obpDE1IM94iqfK2NdXdNUuY3TN0D6-YI5s6eS_IOGp9SZwX8aphV6LR9Jf4gmvGCp1JemHLy_cb76siJAuKMGHneYY3_FI/s200/Piper+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piper</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRahnADIXZWbSIj0V70PNbSOhB170uxeSEBMLwdSqfmNqlJIJR3_diEzpeBoVumPUq-I0_fjThSVXRylynXcwt0QN1LMgCqj0DyQLe-xM-pzGDVrlaYZEXc5skd6X9hTIIS91AnWBQVsI/s1600/Piper+and+Teasy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRahnADIXZWbSIj0V70PNbSOhB170uxeSEBMLwdSqfmNqlJIJR3_diEzpeBoVumPUq-I0_fjThSVXRylynXcwt0QN1LMgCqj0DyQLe-xM-pzGDVrlaYZEXc5skd6X9hTIIS91AnWBQVsI/s200/Piper+and+Teasy+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greyhound love</td></tr>
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Joanne, who runs the greyhound adoption for the NHS, immediately started looking for another greyhound for me (and without telling me!). Late July 2012 I received a phone text--"I found a dog for you!"--along with a picture of a red-brindle female. I called Joanne and told her, "I'm not ready yet." Her reply? "Get your butt over here. I've had a thousand greyhounds come through here and this dog is in the top two." When I visited and discovered that Piper was in the shelter because she had figured out how to open all her compatriots' cages at the racing kennel where she'd been, releasing them all in the process. The adoption was a no-brainer.<br />
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Joanne also sent Teasy our way in February. This cuddly white female was 7 years old and was at the shelter because her owner had passed away. She was super stressed and Joanne thought Piper might be a comfort until Teasy could find a new home. Needless to say, my fostering role changed to loving, permanent custodian within two hours after Teasy arrived.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUDCg4cv8lk8979gEWJl0f_9NQWkyUqGzLj0zEEI47Y_qHEw_7jo3VqVfXXUSvgXl5qP5C5syZu76nYTTHcAX8qBXYb6i3J3t5jQI1OQe7Mi88D_2YX8D94XgqdQpu5PxhIwUucDP84k/s1600/Teasy+and+Piper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUDCg4cv8lk8979gEWJl0f_9NQWkyUqGzLj0zEEI47Y_qHEw_7jo3VqVfXXUSvgXl5qP5C5syZu76nYTTHcAX8qBXYb6i3J3t5jQI1OQe7Mi88D_2YX8D94XgqdQpu5PxhIwUucDP84k/s200/Teasy+and+Piper.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teasy & Piper and beds</td></tr>
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<b>2. What makes Piper and Teasy's tails wag? </b>Piper, like Comet before her, loves to ride in the back of the SUV. The words, "Do you want to go for a ride?" are all it takes to get her tail going. Teasy? All she needs is to see me put on any form of foot attire--slippers, sandals, shoes--then she's wagging for a trip outside.<br />
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<b>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </b>I still have my 1955 edition of the novel, <i>Beautiful Joe</i>, by Margaret Mashall Saunders, my very first "dog book." This beautifully written story is not only based upon the life of a real dog, it was written in the early 1890s for submission to, and winner of, a writing contest sponsored by the American Humane Education Society.<br />
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<b>4. If Piper and Teasy could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </b>They would <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH2RJqfvNBxFOjkNL59rRQvV3oYFWmMQTmF9fTZyVRoWrK6Bt_T9joIgsCWCRS4pnYtAhf4azF2yd0BFwDBfofRsXAbHd0TWV1bHGMGI6jNgLCNkCR5AJcJYYZjDwOle13oVqRXHEAo4/s1600/Piper+and+Comet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH2RJqfvNBxFOjkNL59rRQvV3oYFWmMQTmF9fTZyVRoWrK6Bt_T9joIgsCWCRS4pnYtAhf4azF2yd0BFwDBfofRsXAbHd0TWV1bHGMGI6jNgLCNkCR5AJcJYYZjDwOle13oVqRXHEAo4/s200/Piper+and+Comet.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piper and Comet</td></tr>
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change me from Boring Writer to Emperor of Dog Bed Manufacturing.<br />
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<b>5. In five words, tell us what your dogs mean to you: </b>They ALWAYS make me smile!<br />
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<i>Many thanks to Steve, Piper, and Teasy for visiting with us on Fido and Friend in Five! And extra thanks to Steve for sharing his and Comet's extraordinary story. You really must read it! And to find out more about what Steve and "the hounds" are up to (and see some great photos), follow them on their<a href="https://www.facebook.com/comet.thegreyhound?fref=ts"> FaceBook page</a> and, of course, Steve's website. </i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-12910471164905980612013-05-02T08:44:00.000-07:002013-05-02T08:44:26.159-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Dianne Ochiltree and Sally!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kkS31IiS191MF8ARDtyDQOYpdMb5iw__AWHkJDJn_PgSPsP41iYKajTTi4cO76oqxBqkPVtS-RgLQUFmXpCf7L3iT-jtUThDggX03uqauLZ_rSbYILvgWRQhaXP3jYSDsrMrlrfCPWE/s1600/Dianne+O..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kkS31IiS191MF8ARDtyDQOYpdMb5iw__AWHkJDJn_PgSPsP41iYKajTTi4cO76oqxBqkPVtS-RgLQUFmXpCf7L3iT-jtUThDggX03uqauLZ_rSbYILvgWRQhaXP3jYSDsrMrlrfCPWE/s200/Dianne+O..jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKl3Wnxw5wdtYSDucVNEL_9xvFyoEq2jzN8No49Cx9VvX6-6T0cJ8hgKAdDajedEGAZh5pEvvQcVHULENAXNkRnCJ4nv-zdtaVWIh6EnCIdLvZDpRJZX8zE1hkxOJO2unpsHgGnYXAJ8/s1600/Firefly+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKl3Wnxw5wdtYSDucVNEL_9xvFyoEq2jzN8No49Cx9VvX6-6T0cJ8hgKAdDajedEGAZh5pEvvQcVHULENAXNkRnCJ4nv-zdtaVWIh6EnCIdLvZDpRJZX8zE1hkxOJO2unpsHgGnYXAJ8/s200/Firefly+night.jpg" width="200" /></a>Reading prolific picture book author, Dianne Ochiltree's, biography on <a href="http://www.ochiltreebooks.com/Default.aspx">her website</a> is like reading the ideal childhood--especially to someone who had a much less-than-ideal childhood. She grew up in small town Warren, Ohio, with three siblings, a stay-at-home mom, and grandparents who lived right next door. As she says, "I grew up around dozens of cousins, bunches of uncles, and <br />
oodles of aunts." Every Sunday, this large extended family gathered at her grandparent's house for dinner, with the grownups telling jokes and stories, and the kids making up musical plays. Not only did she grow up with a house filled with family, but also animals! "My family shared our house with an ever-changing, ever-growing "zoo". The pet parade included at times: ducklings, bunnies, baby chicks, stray cats and their kittens, guinea pigs, hamsters, painted turtles, guppies, white mice, gold fish, and a dog or two." Raise your hand if you want Dianne's childhood!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1yTi-YaBw0MgxPF9AxnhLVsYqyObb0dFSYS9p4_d32cwZg1_D1aktweyR8gFY1g8IemXUWETV3y8o4c40otVb-UAwZmJirZWtBX_pWRgM7Fcu_wCEGwM74fmt8xK4RhCpaN9-vlJjSk/s1600/Pillow+Pup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1yTi-YaBw0MgxPF9AxnhLVsYqyObb0dFSYS9p4_d32cwZg1_D1aktweyR8gFY1g8IemXUWETV3y8o4c40otVb-UAwZmJirZWtBX_pWRgM7Fcu_wCEGwM74fmt8xK4RhCpaN9-vlJjSk/s200/Pillow+Pup.jpg" width="182" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2-Qnx58I6l9VVobyZqJGxTbNzi6g8lzPtc2kmhF_NeuBnnhTgCgiEV64ZsevdZQWDViGn6w9zkV5WAO6Cu9LLjRL_r3HKGdiBjjGhpDCTCkd1uidZVV3RE2FCFoJ0XshC_yuQNYB8_U/s1600/Molly+By+Golly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2-Qnx58I6l9VVobyZqJGxTbNzi6g8lzPtc2kmhF_NeuBnnhTgCgiEV64ZsevdZQWDViGn6w9zkV5WAO6Cu9LLjRL_r3HKGdiBjjGhpDCTCkd1uidZVV3RE2FCFoJ0XshC_yuQNYB8_U/s200/Molly+By+Golly.jpg" width="200" /></a>Luckily for her many readers out there, this stimulating childhood and raising her two sons led to a career writing picture books that make learning fun. From learning to count, to subtraction and addition, to finding out about the first female firefighter, to books that are just plain fun, Dianne has covered it all. Her latest book (coming out May of 2013),<i> A Firefly Night, </i>is already garnering lots of praise; her 2012 <i>Molly, By Golly! The Legend of Molly Williams, American's First Female Firefighter </i>won the Bronze Medal in the Children's Literature Category of the Florida Book Awards <br />
competition!<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r_q5v6ytDXfwdHT4tU2BOCphselK41JrQpf7VyKjO1jRILoDsLB0VEGUJkQRpxDlnbLGLs7p9iCzljYr31EhSCSMrhvFcjjAwkeIdeYJvEZgYILptwWYqulPRvALje1ChvJyNpk5qG4/s1600/simon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r_q5v6ytDXfwdHT4tU2BOCphselK41JrQpf7VyKjO1jRILoDsLB0VEGUJkQRpxDlnbLGLs7p9iCzljYr31EhSCSMrhvFcjjAwkeIdeYJvEZgYILptwWYqulPRvALje1ChvJyNpk5qG4/s1600/simon1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon the Office Asst.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dianne lives and writes in Florida with her husband, Sally the lab, and Simon the kitty office assistant. <br />
<br />
Let's meet Dianne and Sally in today's Fido and Friend in Five!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>1. How did you and Sally find each other? </b>Like most modern couples, we met on the internet! My <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJnbDnvl0tSjOgPajCGd_Zipf39MKlj92AzG0arO0HJCsFAZ9-r430sMcc-MvfvVYrmX6u7nyjmJEJwpr2SBoWW18paDcih6-aeexggrk8NFd3k4knsGVXgFfTIP2lR8S3ylWRgkM1AA/s1600/sally+mar+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJnbDnvl0tSjOgPajCGd_Zipf39MKlj92AzG0arO0HJCsFAZ9-r430sMcc-MvfvVYrmX6u7nyjmJEJwpr2SBoWW18paDcih6-aeexggrk8NFd3k4knsGVXgFfTIP2lR8S3ylWRgkM1AA/s200/sally+mar+2010.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love at first sight!</td></tr>
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husband and I had lost our yellow Labrador retriever, Stella, and were so eager to have another lab in our lives that I immediately started a search for a puppy. Not wanting to "replace" Stella, we decided to adopt a chocolate Labrador retriever this time around. I searched every breeder website in Florida, or so it seemed! Luckily, there was one chocolate lab puppy still looking for a new home and ready to travel in a few days. That was how I found myself on Valentine's Day not at a romantic candlelit table with my husband, but in the car together as we made the three-hour trip to Ocala to fetch our little bit of chocolate, immediately dubbed "Sally Valentine." Trust me, it was love at first sight!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEnH8V1BKlzLnwi6JQeGO6O6cHGDhVLMehbewTHpunkOEy4pJY0m74gkBXwfhNYD37hFiGrPBcFK0IwbDmYZiXGZRbn9Y1UmFlafq6uY5Irjj0VjFaf1xiBlP_upu_j4HMwnjQM7zUjA/s1600/Sally+the+Convict+halloween+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEnH8V1BKlzLnwi6JQeGO6O6cHGDhVLMehbewTHpunkOEy4pJY0m74gkBXwfhNYD37hFiGrPBcFK0IwbDmYZiXGZRbn9Y1UmFlafq6uY5Irjj0VjFaf1xiBlP_upu_j4HMwnjQM7zUjA/s200/Sally+the+Convict+halloween+2011.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sally's Halloween</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>2. What makes Sally's tail wag? </b>A few of Sally's favorite tail-wagging things: leaping into the deep end of the pool just seconds behind a tennis ball headed in the same direction; senior citizens and first graders making a fuss over her on one of our therapy dog visits; and luxuriating in a belly rub anytime, anywhere--it's her hands-down favorite!<br />
<br />
<b>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </b>Easy choice: <i>The Art of Racing in the Rain</i>, by Garth Stein. So beautifully written, illuminating key life truths as subtly as morning light touches a leaf.<br />
<br />
<b>4. If Sally could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </b>It would be my memory. She would wish a very selective amnesia on her owner. I would never remember how many treats I'd given her...or indeed that I <u>had</u> given her one. I would become a living, breathing dog-cookie vending machine at her disposal 24/7.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpMC522qmV7deWdkFohgDmSyz9FGbtu4-J1lh_Gw8-5j2qiPhwPVSZedpT0VnXQzynO0dexRLfNQTTIb4CSUPoRQ5A8BUjsEgfGj7WQydY3cnaYxjVwYb9bY5xOlrvJol6J_Q2g6rdcA/s1600/Sally+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpMC522qmV7deWdkFohgDmSyz9FGbtu4-J1lh_Gw8-5j2qiPhwPVSZedpT0VnXQzynO0dexRLfNQTTIb4CSUPoRQ5A8BUjsEgfGj7WQydY3cnaYxjVwYb9bY5xOlrvJol6J_Q2g6rdcA/s200/Sally+Christmas.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sally's Chrismas</td></tr>
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<b>5. In five words, tell us what Sally means to you: </b>Furry fun on the run!<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Many thanks to Dianne and Sally for visiting with us today on Fido and Friend in Five! Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.ochiltreebooks.com/Default.aspx">Dianne's website </a>to find out more about her and her books.</i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-48953020834419448382013-04-26T12:31:00.002-07:002013-04-26T12:31:40.656-07:00Random Notes: "Benedicto"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQ7GWXBeN_4N6dC2Q54ex6yUrQzk9LpvsOiSWbJ_BUCtPYXM86vf-WIz_5evDR5L85uqVrZAJZQNUYRlwJjiwdB6harSAHfU-oyUeaKHmM2z9uglQdzCy6fbKN7limmlqQm1QKlmKTqs/s1600/IMG_3464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQ7GWXBeN_4N6dC2Q54ex6yUrQzk9LpvsOiSWbJ_BUCtPYXM86vf-WIz_5evDR5L85uqVrZAJZQNUYRlwJjiwdB6harSAHfU-oyUeaKHmM2z9uglQdzCy6fbKN7limmlqQm1QKlmKTqs/s320/IMG_3464.jpg" width="240" /></a>Well, this month has been National Poetry Month, and the end of my long library career! My last day as a librarian was April 16th. The library threw me a nice party and I received some very special gifts and cards. One in particular, though, touched me deeply. My very good friend, Lora Koehler, gave me a card with Edward Abbey's (one of my favorite authors and eco-troublemaker) "Benedicto" on it.<br />
<br />
Like me, Lora is a person who loves the high wild places and feels more comfortable out of doors than in. She's also an amazingly gifted writer. You'll be seeing books from her in about 18 months. She knew this would resonate with me. I thought I'd share it on Random Notes in celebration of National Poetry and to setting off on "crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous" trails that lead to "the most <br />
amazing view."<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Benedicto</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous,</i><br />
<i> leading to the most amazing view.</i><br />
<i> May your rivers flow without end, </i><br />
<i> meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells,</i><br />
<i> past temples and castles and poet's towers</i><br />
<i> into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch</i><br />
<i> and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps</i><br />
<i> and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas,</i><br />
<i> domes and pinnacles and grottos of </i><br />
<i> endless stone,</i><br />
<i> and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm</i><br />
<i> where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs,</i><br />
<i> where deer walk across white sand beaches,</i><br />
<i> where storms come and go</i><br />
<i> as lightning clangs upon the high crags,</i><br />
<i> where something strange and more beautiful</i><br />
<i> and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams </i><br />
<i> waits for you--</i><br />
<i> beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> --</i>Edward Abbey<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<i> </i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-18404867394873996692013-04-16T14:28:00.000-07:002013-04-16T14:28:21.680-07:00Cindy Christiansen and Sprite!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hAnUK5lYa-a66p32LB2SFwXEd8KPgjkZvp0U8yMPPgy4apy2AbCQW3Wr5D1FkcLQXnwlVEXD_Om_ErsnRDsgg0ikLtYygORMjUf_9loYXQog3y12zBQteRajv7mr_FRoxGo8AAhnpCo/s1600/Cindy+Christiansen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hAnUK5lYa-a66p32LB2SFwXEd8KPgjkZvp0U8yMPPgy4apy2AbCQW3Wr5D1FkcLQXnwlVEXD_Om_ErsnRDsgg0ikLtYygORMjUf_9loYXQog3y12zBQteRajv7mr_FRoxGo8AAhnpCo/s200/Cindy+Christiansen.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cindy Christiansen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKpcEMyOCgcu2skIj35KewoU527albKXBfE0jK8E4932FdHv2w5gNcGxAtoKlCTHbg02kGqjSH_GKJfnD8PGHwcDGzQfgK-Kxkj8FWV219HbZW3d7g82Ni-EVsE0YusDfXmpO9QoBMcg/s1600/Braving+The+Blaze_SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKpcEMyOCgcu2skIj35KewoU527albKXBfE0jK8E4932FdHv2w5gNcGxAtoKlCTHbg02kGqjSH_GKJfnD8PGHwcDGzQfgK-Kxkj8FWV219HbZW3d7g82Ni-EVsE0YusDfXmpO9QoBMcg/s200/Braving+The+Blaze_SM.jpg" width="133" /></a>One of the many things I've come to love about doing these Fido and Friend in Five spotlights is the journey that led the person and their dog to each other. So many times, it's often almost magical and, dare I say, even spiritual, the way these two beings are brought together in this world.<br />
<br />
Such is the case with Cindy and Sprite. Both have their physical challenges, both are fighters, and both have huge hearts. It's not a stretch to say they were meant to be together because they understand and respect <br />
each other. And it's also not a stretch to say they are both inspiring in their own way.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dragonflyromance.com/">Cindy Christiansen</a> writes wonderfully fun, suspenceful romance novels that often feature dogs. She's a member of the National Romance Writers of America, has published three books which have won numerous awards and legions of fans. Like many of the authors spotlighted on this blog, writing was not Cindy's first profession. She started out in computers and worked her way up as a programmer/analyst for an aerospace company. Although Cindy had always dabbled in writing (plays, short stories, magazine articles), it wasn't until her health came crashing down and she was bedridden that she wrote her first book. Cindy has been diagnosed with over 30 health conditions, but she hasn't let that stop her. "These illnesses can challenge a person both mentally and physically, but that doesn't have to stop me." She takes her inspiration for Laura Hillenbrand, author of <em>Seabiscuit</em> and <em>Unbroken</em>, both books that have sold millions of copies and spent years on the New York Times Best Seller list. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMlljTOkahYnUvEGbZbCoSo1oJzegrsWi68gakenHg6gFaoNbHvpucBbi391D_q2BlXKcYaHvqXbdq0aZiB5gnnWCw2itxpuMQfGwuHPsl81YIqzqUmQwWcozRsw4DPVpuDW4zTkPHO0/s1600/Love+on+Laird+Ave+Cover1-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMlljTOkahYnUvEGbZbCoSo1oJzegrsWi68gakenHg6gFaoNbHvpucBbi391D_q2BlXKcYaHvqXbdq0aZiB5gnnWCw2itxpuMQfGwuHPsl81YIqzqUmQwWcozRsw4DPVpuDW4zTkPHO0/s200/Love+on+Laird+Ave+Cover1-SM.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Like Cindy, Hillenbrand also suffers from Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome. <br />
<br />
Why does Cindy write the kind of books she writes? As she says, "I believe a book should put you through all the emotions, provide a happy escape, and also teach you a little something." She says all of her books include dogs because "life wouldn't be life without them."<br />
<br />
Let's meet Utah native, Cindy, and her special little dog, Sprite, in today's Fido and Friend in Five:<br />
<br />
<strong>1. How did you and Sprite find each other?</strong><br />
When my brother passed away, we adopted Smokey, his wonderful Schnauzer. We had him longer than my brother, and was also the last link to my family and our farm. When Smokey died of liver cancer, my little family was heartbroken. Within a week, I went in search of a new puppy to adopt. I usually adopt from shelters, but for some reason, I felt the urge to check out this place called The Puppy Palace near our home here in Utah. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DrDgHpwxKdyBgRBGc4bWtaUktuXrcHITC-B0WpOPr-Vajc8UU8vVnY4aVBijkm7iVCMs-IpIICF66P2pMVihJ42iSYtF5sB99dFpOqreg3k_ep7bjIEJXyGrduNy1XEAZ_x79kXyfXE/s1600/Sprite+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DrDgHpwxKdyBgRBGc4bWtaUktuXrcHITC-B0WpOPr-Vajc8UU8vVnY4aVBijkm7iVCMs-IpIICF66P2pMVihJ42iSYtF5sB99dFpOqreg3k_ep7bjIEJXyGrduNy1XEAZ_x79kXyfXE/s1600/Sprite+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who says I stink?</td></tr>
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The conditions were deplorable! The place smelled horrid, the animals weren't being seen to, and the teenager running things didn't care. (T<em>his particular "store" has, thankfully, been closed down).</em><br />
<br />
Although I wanted a female, I spotted this gray fur ball much bigger than the other puppies and asked to see him. He stunk to high heaven. The girl said the was seven months old but, in fact, he was ten months. He had a growth on the side of his head and needed surgery. No one wanted to adopt him. It broke my heart.<br />
<br />
I took him home and gave him a bath. He still stunk. Five baths later, he still had a slight ordor. He had surgery to remove the tumor, but we could tell right away there was something different about Sprite. We soon learned that during his first ten months, he had been badly abused, even to the extent of brain damage. At three, he started having seizures and is on multiple medications, all because of the abuse. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XqYAS_70mEDJvDVJwy9aNIFHOXbEph4jCyh3qu9BqpTQBIlDeqfbEC3AJPKOoJlaCf_SeSMDWaoy5BQ2JLzBp7OwFkRVHtmprhAj8aWG4OnZViRwX19COdCZuUTRDwYH5To0XgDKiEU/s1600/Christmas+Sprite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XqYAS_70mEDJvDVJwy9aNIFHOXbEph4jCyh3qu9BqpTQBIlDeqfbEC3AJPKOoJlaCf_SeSMDWaoy5BQ2JLzBp7OwFkRVHtmprhAj8aWG4OnZViRwX19COdCZuUTRDwYH5To0XgDKiEU/s200/Christmas+Sprite.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy boy now!</td></tr>
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Sprite abhors any buzzing or beeping sounds, barks constantly at everyone, forgets how to do things he's done before, and doesn't like to be touched unless he touches you. Would I do it again? You bet. Sprite brings a lot of joy to our family and he deserves a good home.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. What makes Sprite's tail wag?</strong><br />
His tail is nothing more than a stub and that's what we call it. He wags his stub mainly for food. He's a fiend for jelly beans, potato chips and popcorn, although we don't feed him much of anything except his special diet these days.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. What's your all time favorite dog story?</strong><br />
I've read so many good ones, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most was reading <em>Where the Red Fern Grows.</em> My mom, sister and I got to the end of the book where Old Dan and Little Annie die and not one of us could finish reading it aloud through our sobbing. Finally, my dad had to read it to <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVarX7ldAref4q_JAhwnAFgM2uIV8a9P8y4YAqndDZ1fU0BWE1WKz-3gsJhK2KuZ6NOC9CZALDWr7nn8QIBiyFyjQgLZF5y2fiOV6EM-ianeLOF3lS6Y76ymTcgQ8zYxuw_LalqSpxQM/s1600/Sprite+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVarX7ldAref4q_JAhwnAFgM2uIV8a9P8y4YAqndDZ1fU0BWE1WKz-3gsJhK2KuZ6NOC9CZALDWr7nn8QIBiyFyjQgLZF5y2fiOV6EM-ianeLOF3lS6Y76ymTcgQ8zYxuw_LalqSpxQM/s1600/Sprite+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, that's me: special!</td></tr>
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us and even he got choked up!<br />
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<strong>4. If Sprite could change just one thing about you, what would that be?</strong><br />
Sprite would love it if I let him sleep on my legs. I think he feels secure that way, almost like a little nest. However, I can't stand to have my legs trapped. I let him do it on naps but not during the night. I think he'd definitely like to change that rule! And maybe get a few more jellybeans now and then :)<br />
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<strong>5. In five words, tell us what Sprite means to you:</strong><br />
He's challenging, kooky, sweet, innocent, and very special.<br />
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<em>I'd say you're both very special, and an inspiration to us all. Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.dragonflyromance.com/">Cindy's website</a> to find out more about her and her books!</em>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-63183486464644732492013-04-02T10:18:00.000-07:002013-04-02T10:18:13.245-07:00Leap of Faith...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKQI11MLBUu-doBmdqYY_GlLzgK-wpph3_ONYOQnZUDQ6RAbUHQjkrPj0GA7YTizCtZDxQ50KtBTrekX51gJHITvTZRnCA72xzBeY0-c-ccgYVh-egIQznS3DRSwZbD07yOEIKD1-ZsU/s1600/Man+reaching+for+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKQI11MLBUu-doBmdqYY_GlLzgK-wpph3_ONYOQnZUDQ6RAbUHQjkrPj0GA7YTizCtZDxQ50KtBTrekX51gJHITvTZRnCA72xzBeY0-c-ccgYVh-egIQznS3DRSwZbD07yOEIKD1-ZsU/s320/Man+reaching+for+star.jpg" width="241" /></a>I'm not much of a leaper. I like my feet on solid ground. I suppose this is because I had a rather chaotic, and at times, desperate childhood. And being that childhood is a time when we have very little control over what happens to us, in my adult life I've liked things, well, predictable.<br />
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But two weeks from today, I'm taking, what is for me, a big leap of faith: I'm leaving what has been a very stable, predictable, and rewarding career as a librarian and becoming a full time writer. I had decided a while back that when I sold my fourth book (which I have, and more to come on that soon!), I'd leave the library system. It's just getting too hard, with soon-to-be-four books to promote, and more books I want to write, to shoehorn everything in around my job.<br />
<br />
I'm terrified, yes. I love the regularity of my paycheck, and I love the structure of going to work. On days when writing feels like something I'm a total loser at, I love going to work and feeling like a success. And I'll miss that delicious moment of connecting a reader with a book.<br />
<br />
It also feels like leaving the safe haven of home for me too. Libraries have always had a very important place in my life and in my heart. When I was a painfully shy child, I hid out in the school library rather than eat alone in the cafeteria. Miss Conway, the librarian in my elementary school, allowed me to help her alphabetize the cards for the card catalogue, shelve books, and explore to my heart's content in the library. Later, when we moved yet again when I was at that most painful age of thirteen, I again hid out in the school library rather than endure lunch alone in the school cafeteria. I've alway, always felt safe and secure in libraries. And I'm in good company too. Jack London had a terrible childhood and found haven in his local library. Ray Bradbury is famous for saying, "Libraries raised me." Me too, Ray, me too.<br />
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But it's time for me to leave that safe shore and head out for the life of a writer. I owe it to my books and all the stories yet to be told. I owe it to the writer in me.<br />
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Wish me luck!Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-15896972796780331162013-03-29T14:48:00.000-07:002013-03-29T14:48:46.686-07:00Random Notes Friday: Why We WriteI love to read books that talk about other authors' writing process, and feelings about writing. It helps me feel less alone in what is sometimes a lonely business.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWBibmAZk3zTajtMZUleMUJoipEYQN_s-iaawub5nb02LtVAN4rsAjbt6QiUepzn79AAA97_F0EmdU-3U2WYj8yrioAvKo5Oa-dy0kTFiZKnSayD0aVb9KLFX4qVWYPhvAphBooHE1PU/s1600/Why+We+Write.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWBibmAZk3zTajtMZUleMUJoipEYQN_s-iaawub5nb02LtVAN4rsAjbt6QiUepzn79AAA97_F0EmdU-3U2WYj8yrioAvKo5Oa-dy0kTFiZKnSayD0aVb9KLFX4qVWYPhvAphBooHE1PU/s200/Why+We+Write.jpg" usa="true" width="132" /></a></div>
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That's why I particularly enjoyed reading Meredith Maran's new book, <em>Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors on How and Why They Do What They Do. </em>Many of these acclaimed authors are people who's work I greatly admire: Isabel Allende, Susan Orlean, Ann Patchett, David Baldacci, Jodi Picoult, and more. Her book also introduced me to writers I was, until then, unfamiliar with--Mary Karr, Jennifer Egan, Kathryn Harrison--and now plan to read. <br />
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I was heartened to read that many of these authors who's work I so admire don't outline before they write. This is always a topic of great, and often heated debate, among writers. Isabel Allende says, "When I write a book, I have no idea where it's going. I only know that in a subtle way, a hidden way, I want to have an impact on the reader's heart and mind." That prolific mystery author, Sue Grafton, says, "I write largly by trial and error." Sara Gruen, who wrote the wildly sucessful<em>, Water for Elephants</em>, likes to let a story idea "steep...until the first scene comes to me whole." Being a dedicated "steeper," and non-outliner, I took a great deal of pride in the fact I was in good company!<br />
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It's always encouraging (in a weird way) to hear how terrified even hugely successful writers are--as terrified and unconfident as I. David Balcacci, who's sold millions of books, says, "Every time I start a new project, I sit down scared to death I won't be able to bring the magic again." And Sue Grafton describes herself as "a persistant writer, and a terrified one." Do you know how happy that makes me? <br />
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All the writers, whether commercial or literary, fiction or non-fiction, agree on <u>why</u> they write: because they have to. It's not for the prizes and honors (although between the 20 interviewed authors, there's a bucketful of them), or the money or fame. It's because they can't <em>not</em> write. Just like me, when they're not writing, they feel cranky, out of sorts, and like a big part of their inner life is missing.<br />
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At the end of each author spotlight are tips from the author to writers--tips like:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Whether you're writing a novel or a cover letter to a potential agent, shorter is always better." David Baldacci</li>
<li>"You can only write regularly if you're willing to write badly. You can't write regularly and well." Jennifer Egan. </li>
<li>"Planning and plotting and research are all fine. But don't just think about writing. Write!" Sara Gruen</li>
<li>"It's always good to have a motive to get you in the chair. If your motive is money, find another one." Michael Lewis.</li>
</ul>
And many more. My only gripe with <em>Why We Write</em> is the fact that no children's authors were interviewed. Hmmm...maybe I see a book on the horizon!Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-7427207088659707522013-03-22T08:54:00.000-07:002013-03-22T08:54:55.953-07:00Fido and Friend in Five: Jane Paley and Hooper!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZwAYzDO7sAjgiJstK4tRhTz5NOmMBZo4o45xciRMvPxoLicxBQsqSveMDjDFC2-hDvUlu0H9qsVe_ITK-pEx8NzScwvnXqlYbs_ZUWI9fJaihPugswDsXyodY5waGqavbbqnhhYyulo/s1600/Jane+Paley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZwAYzDO7sAjgiJstK4tRhTz5NOmMBZo4o45xciRMvPxoLicxBQsqSveMDjDFC2-hDvUlu0H9qsVe_ITK-pEx8NzScwvnXqlYbs_ZUWI9fJaihPugswDsXyodY5waGqavbbqnhhYyulo/s200/Jane+Paley.jpg" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane Paley</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rRtoCgdw7fQV_k6Q99fjbmQSizCXElfgNskD6AmkDvu82rikz03ujaDDZPoW-yk-k6nC0jq0EZZuMamMWkCN872afyFwlkAXELsvsWGOYGWwF-JGR6x_CJk4cmEUwIousj4ni_HOzbI/s1600/Hooper+jacket+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5rRtoCgdw7fQV_k6Q99fjbmQSizCXElfgNskD6AmkDvu82rikz03ujaDDZPoW-yk-k6nC0jq0EZZuMamMWkCN872afyFwlkAXELsvsWGOYGWwF-JGR6x_CJk4cmEUwIousj4ni_HOzbI/s200/Hooper+jacket+cover.jpg" width="131" /></a>We all remember those heartbreaking images in the days following hurricane Katrina: stranded people perched on rooftops surrounded by rising water, desperate for rescue; bodies floating in the water, and people frantically trying to leave the city any way they could. And then there were the animals. So many left behind either because their people were sure they'd be back the next day, or because authorities would not allow owners to bring their animals along. As a result, hundreds and hundreds of dogs and cats were left homeless. The lucky ones were eventually rescued by the various groups (Humane Society, Best Friends Animal Society) who came in the days after Katrina. Some were eventually reunited with their people, but many were not. <br />
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<a href="http://www.janepaley.com/">Jane Paley</a> is many things: an Emmy award-winning television producer, an assistant professor at St. John's University in Queens, New York, a writer, and a dog lover. It is the collaboration of the writer and dog lover in her that produced her first novel for middle graders, <em>Hooper Finds A Family, </em>which I read a couple of months ago. Can I just say I loved the book? I mean, you have to love a happy, goofy, plucky golden lab who loves to play games with his bone in his back yard somewhere in New Orleans, right? But then the hurricane comes and, like so many animals, Hooper is left behind. Suddenly, he is in a dramatic, can't-put-the-dang-book-down fight for his life. And even when he finally does get adopted, it's not exactly smooth sailing. I really admired that about the book, because often in adoption situations, it's not all rainbows and sparkles at first. But love and patience find their way, and Hooper did find a family to love. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3_Zuj6eL2b3io5Jyvq24vwk4L9pCA4aI8bGkTluL4YiUqTKPV6DbUM68PQoCuLy6bwKG1_iB37fwS9u-yF1NdaukKXzvZbVPXelGrk6fqrRMxXwbGOGBk8p3_vUSGvR-79O4f0gYr1E/s1600/Hooper+on+TV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3_Zuj6eL2b3io5Jyvq24vwk4L9pCA4aI8bGkTluL4YiUqTKPV6DbUM68PQoCuLy6bwKG1_iB37fwS9u-yF1NdaukKXzvZbVPXelGrk6fqrRMxXwbGOGBk8p3_vUSGvR-79O4f0gYr1E/s200/Hooper+on+TV.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TV Star!</td></tr>
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I googled Jane Paley to find out more about her. I was stunned and excited to discover that her book (although fiction) is based on her own Hooper who she adopted from <a href="http://labs4rescue.com/index.shtml">Labs4rescue,</a> <u>and</u> he had been orphaned by hurricane Katrina! In the years since his adoption by Jane and her family, Hooper has become quite the celebrity. He's been on televsion several times (including CBS Early Show!), been written about in the New York Post as well as several other magazines, and has become a much beloved therapy dog.<br />
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Given all his star power (he has been called the Brad Pitt of labs), I'm very honored to have Hooper and Jane on today's Fido and Friend in Five!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXklRLMCjnqE8djQXPCAysUSovLFtauUN3jj-XpukXw4dUsif1HJvdANLNDON5Ey6J-ImvsTT6eGGrcAGqYbflBuHTMziKSmMSprRsK1KZkedywtbfHxnj9slOqO3gLgXqFiwQIgbJXGA/s1600/Hooper+and+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXklRLMCjnqE8djQXPCAysUSovLFtauUN3jj-XpukXw4dUsif1HJvdANLNDON5Ey6J-ImvsTT6eGGrcAGqYbflBuHTMziKSmMSprRsK1KZkedywtbfHxnj9slOqO3gLgXqFiwQIgbJXGA/s200/Hooper+and+kids.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Therapy Dog!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>1. How did you and Hooper find each other? </strong>We met on-line. Days after the death of our previous dog, Hammer, I poured my heart out on-line, desperate for grief counseling. In minutes, I heard from compassionate rescuers, one of whom sent a photo of Hooper with a note about how he was a healer. My husband was skeptical. Moreover, he wasn't ready for a new dog, especially one who was sick (heartworms) and far away in New Orleans (<em>Jane and her family live in New York)</em>. Many tears and entreaties later, he could no longer buck my force-of-nature determination and made all the travel arrangements. The rendezvous took place late at night in Richmond. From that moment on, Hooper was a healer, as advertised.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsMORk52sS40rbST-R2TnLnXncM6zcH5zjywP0HlaZMn3LLxGm4SaXvhJ4_mIlgO6RgccjM0Ml5wpS0yke134noJiTlIZFkYyWIaws1AYecs0KXRjdDY00Ulk3WOxZ0JBuCK0PCdmyR4/s1600/hooper+and+tennis_ball-330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsMORk52sS40rbST-R2TnLnXncM6zcH5zjywP0HlaZMn3LLxGm4SaXvhJ4_mIlgO6RgccjM0Ml5wpS0yke134noJiTlIZFkYyWIaws1AYecs0KXRjdDY00Ulk3WOxZ0JBuCK0PCdmyR4/s200/hooper+and+tennis_ball-330.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tennis Ball Hoarder!</td></tr>
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<strong>2. What makes Hooper's tail wag? </strong>We play a game called 2-ball with tennis balls. Hoop won't do traditional toss and fetch because once he gets the ball, he doesn't want to give it up. So we show him the second ball so he'll drop the one he's retrieved. This can go on for 15 minutes or so until he tires. At that point, he simply trots to the back door believing he's won the U.S Open.<br />
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<strong>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </strong>I suppose it's <em>de rigeur</em> to say <em>Old Yeller, </em>or one of the other classics, but the truth is, I love <em>Stanley's Party</em> by Linda Bailey. When Hooper and I visit libraries (we're a Pet Partner team), I always read <em>Stanley</em> to the kids and we laugh ourselves silly.<br />
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<strong>4. If Hooper could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </strong>Nothing. He thinks I'm perfect. What a rush.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOQ-BgQ5-2M7fxTDMqJp0_VTSZJjmIXogkjX7qwLcfwjCFUNUVoXkgvGgfNdaNqjFOLqkbyVLxV3l9Eeb6Ix8hKQI7FyH4bz4UCfcPvwb_FuYNTIydGnOQWY5860gGA3gaTuGnh0_MiI/s1600/hooper+and+jane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOQ-BgQ5-2M7fxTDMqJp0_VTSZJjmIXogkjX7qwLcfwjCFUNUVoXkgvGgfNdaNqjFOLqkbyVLxV3l9Eeb6Ix8hKQI7FyH4bz4UCfcPvwb_FuYNTIydGnOQWY5860gGA3gaTuGnh0_MiI/s200/hooper+and+jane.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dog of Her Dreams</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>5. In five words, tell us what Hooper means to you: </strong>The dog of my dreams.<br />
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<i>Thanks so very much to all that Jane and Hooper do to make a positive (and pawsitive) difference in this ol' world of ours. You <u>really </u>must check out <a href="http://www.janepaley.com/">their website</a> to read all the fun things they're doing!</i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-73939419161137353512013-03-08T12:04:00.000-08:002013-03-08T12:04:54.589-08:00Random Notes: Imagine...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ea3wXRX01s9R59fWPIub-QVdLtis4XdBICdMhWaHp2_Rbgco3tPYcJpUsJY31VhAHb0hBi6lFYJpMOR_VpzNqdcYAXqoJkz4n-VmaYdwjpfJbOuEEevJNrWp-v5ENRE-veiEMD8XNlU/s1600/Imagine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ea3wXRX01s9R59fWPIub-QVdLtis4XdBICdMhWaHp2_Rbgco3tPYcJpUsJY31VhAHb0hBi6lFYJpMOR_VpzNqdcYAXqoJkz4n-VmaYdwjpfJbOuEEevJNrWp-v5ENRE-veiEMD8XNlU/s1600/Imagine.jpg" /></a></div>
Yesterday I spent some time at a school down in Salt Lake City doing a booking signing for their Scholastic Book Fair. They had me set up at a table in the large lobby, unfortunately far away from where the actual book fair took place, so I wasn't exactly overwhelmed with kids wanting me to sign their books!<br />
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My eyes wandered around the walls in the lobby, reading all the notices posted on every possible place. There were notices congratulating kids for making honor roll, reminder notices for ballroom dance classes, and then this notice: "Students are <u>not</u> required to participate in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance." I blinked. Had I read that right? I walked over to the notice and read it again: "Students are <u> not</u> required to participate in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance."<br />
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Wow. I went back to my table surrounded by memories of high school, all the times I got sent to the principal's office because I refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. It was the early 1970's and I, like many others in the country, were doing small (and not so small) acts of rebellion to protest the Vietnam War. I felt so strongly that our country's involvement was so misguided and destructive I did not want to pledge an allegiance. I also felt there were far too many injustices in this country to claim, as it does in the proclaim "justice for all." After I was sent to the principal for about the tenth time, he finally called my mother. She came down and gave that principal what-for.<br />
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I still don't recite the pledge, on those rare occasions I'm in the situation where it's being recited. I've often said, the older I get, the more I understand and even embrace the sentiments in John Lennon's song, "Imagine." I truly feel it's that division of "us" versus "them" that has created so much heartache in this world. Every religion feels it has God's ear and the corner on truth; every country believes it is the best country, every person thinks <i>their</i> way of living, <i>their</i> way of raising their children, <i>their </i>way of loving is the best and, therefore, the only way.<br />
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Some people have called John Lennon's "Imagine" the anthem for atheists. I don't think that's true. I think all Lennon was trying to say is we need to somehow eliminate these artificial barriers so that we can all--Christian, Muslim, Republican, Democrat, heterosexual, homosexual--can "live as one."<br />
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So thank you, Hawthorn Academy, for understanding and respecting differences, and for giving students the choice to pledge or not. It sure would have saved me a lot of trips to the principal!Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-90028820548124915942013-03-05T08:06:00.001-08:002013-03-05T08:06:38.404-08:00Fido and Friend in Five: Susan Taylor Brown and Zoey!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZghlL5tW9WJJT9rQlk3zcDf1y07Xrw4h1Ztt66GZ6FDqEpQcFizc05UZow9md3nm1COb1yLZgSiRGz4IaleJoebp_kP8945Qt2uX7h20aV1F-hfASGnqp4BqOcvFkdzAtLzjFCeyCtI/s1600/hugging+the+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZghlL5tW9WJJT9rQlk3zcDf1y07Xrw4h1Ztt66GZ6FDqEpQcFizc05UZow9md3nm1COb1yLZgSiRGz4IaleJoebp_kP8945Qt2uX7h20aV1F-hfASGnqp4BqOcvFkdzAtLzjFCeyCtI/s200/hugging+the+rock.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5he64nzhuuxliPFbbYyisW8KS0OZfMYCOudOW9D6jcQzgKmIU-haqd1xuxS2a6FEfxIkyjekI4KoVt0y6e0zghx8c6Y77ufSEdSTjPzquQrCKxaxHgyKplp-pb6ne1jnheLbWBQBOGc/s1600/SusanTaylorBrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5he64nzhuuxliPFbbYyisW8KS0OZfMYCOudOW9D6jcQzgKmIU-haqd1xuxS2a6FEfxIkyjekI4KoVt0y6e0zghx8c6Y77ufSEdSTjPzquQrCKxaxHgyKplp-pb6ne1jnheLbWBQBOGc/s1600/SusanTaylorBrown.jpg" /></a>When my editor for <em>A Dog's Way Home, </em>Molly O'Neill, told me I needed to have a "presence" on social media when my book came out, my heart sank and my hands grew clammy. I couldn't imagine spending time at my computer tweeting, friending, and being linked in! And while I'm still only an occassional tweeter (and have avoided being linked in), I do enjoy the friends I've made on FaceBook. Some are old friends, some are dog friends, and some are author friends. And some are both!<br />
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<a href="http://www.susantaylorbrown.com/">Susan Taylor Brown</a> is a great example of why I enjoy Facebook. She's both an author and a dog person--a passionate and very knowledgeable dog person, I might add. She's also an amazing photographer. Trolling through Facebook, I always look for her photographs, particularly of her gorgeous white (newly adopted) German Shepherd Dog, Zoey. But let's not get ahead of ourselves...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_zjIIoRflDnFEQxqQ-9tdEOPybZFYA0l5T87qQe2APm-QC-8AKBun5qeoqywesZMlHUJgO5dWw_kcM0JiR0cL-L22jj9-3Wr74_2Thpxrd4HzzjSmJNRHJEoafmEKjaoDw0TEqG4Zv4/s1600/robertsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_zjIIoRflDnFEQxqQ-9tdEOPybZFYA0l5T87qQe2APm-QC-8AKBun5qeoqywesZMlHUJgO5dWw_kcM0JiR0cL-L22jj9-3Wr74_2Thpxrd4HzzjSmJNRHJEoafmEKjaoDw0TEqG4Zv4/s200/robertsmall.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWmTbXa03u_68BOyejRg7YvGgwhh24adPpcTvmOHpw3B2OU2rAmDLre3YjX60fPdIirrZNxj0WWh2hK7dSwx1dpEQ2fPm5CrMIO_sIJbovIiaWguZuQvK4joCLfBhklA0eC6qE0aHRNc/s1600/Can+I+Pray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWmTbXa03u_68BOyejRg7YvGgwhh24adPpcTvmOHpw3B2OU2rAmDLre3YjX60fPdIirrZNxj0WWh2hK7dSwx1dpEQ2fPm5CrMIO_sIJbovIiaWguZuQvK4joCLfBhklA0eC6qE0aHRNc/s200/Can+I+Pray.jpg" width="157" /></a>First, I want to say this about Susan: she has a beautiful soul. No, I've never met her, no I've never seen her soul, but she's a poet and an artist, garderer, and a dog lover. That's enough evidence for me. She's the author of the multi award-winning middle grade novel in verse, <em>Hugging the Rock. </em>Susan is also the author of several picture books, including <em>Oliver's Must-Do List</em> and <em>Can I Pray With My Eyes Open. </em>She's also published a whole mess of books for the educational market. What else does this amazing woman do? She's a motivaltion speaker and teaches poetry to incarcerated teens. Don't you think that earns her some angel wings? Susan is also one of the "authorletes" in this year's<a href="http://www.thinkkidthink.com/"> March Madness Poetry Tournament! </a> How cool is that!<br />
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Speaking of angels, there's her dog, Zoey. She's as white as an angel with the same soulful eyes. Okay, so she may act like the devil sometimes, but Susan loves her all the same. Let's meet Susan and Zoey on today's Fido and Friend in Five:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAB2a5DKSpMBbjh_2BWs6bTnVsxg2hbkw6Xlm8UH_sRMyTtGK2hwVgL6Ihny1K9Gxsjy0eO_p7SOcoQz2p9bNuhyuvjWqzcMgvh73bmk7nSNeeis5QVbk9U2vymLCTSDquakGbAh3ah5k/s1600/Zoey+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAB2a5DKSpMBbjh_2BWs6bTnVsxg2hbkw6Xlm8UH_sRMyTtGK2hwVgL6Ihny1K9Gxsjy0eO_p7SOcoQz2p9bNuhyuvjWqzcMgvh73bmk7nSNeeis5QVbk9U2vymLCTSDquakGbAh3ah5k/s200/Zoey+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angel girl</td></tr>
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<strong>1. How did you and Zoey find each other? </strong>We adopted Zoey from the German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California, which is the same rescue group we adopted our last German Shepherd, Cassie, from. We lost Cassie in December, and when I contacted Cassie's foster mom to let her know, I asked her to keep an eye out for another potential dog for us. She said she just happened to have one she was fostering that she felt would be a good match for us. She worried that it might be too soon after losing Cassie, but we had been grieving Cassie for several months as her health went down hill. We knew we didn't want to be without a dog for long. We set up a meeting with Zoey (who was being called Noelle by the rescue group) ASAP. It took all of about 5 minutes for Zoey to lean into me and "claim" me as her human.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMleB30yyvVwfFv7GFnEmnXUWhFKpeLYjal4Y1IKFbJ2XeNunh9TQUfIfWpUBk1mvrM_s9FKFskTE30w2_xYmtj7QRGXs6uhe3f8bAY0cjf20POYYCr3o8-_xG9mRfXv4uGhSGg32K-E/s1600/Zoey+running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMleB30yyvVwfFv7GFnEmnXUWhFKpeLYjal4Y1IKFbJ2XeNunh9TQUfIfWpUBk1mvrM_s9FKFskTE30w2_xYmtj7QRGXs6uhe3f8bAY0cjf20POYYCr3o8-_xG9mRfXv4uGhSGg32K-E/s200/Zoey+running.jpg" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fast girl!</td></tr>
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<strong>2. What makes Zoey's tail wag? </strong>Playing chase or anything involving food! Probably chase most of all. She gets the "zoomies" and loves to run, and she is FAST! I think there's lure coursing in her future, maybe even flyball.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwZ9gifIehnlkJ-4wjIF-iJJdDWuj3s8H3IwmGpqsOpt3TpDdJEiqNI0cEfqYfPABUDE6S0tAq2wvqcLtW3dP6tmaUjhmzs8Ii2a6nmOR3Dym6eIhYpBTt-mS69QNEC46JJDu0F72mcw/s1600/Zoey+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwZ9gifIehnlkJ-4wjIF-iJJdDWuj3s8H3IwmGpqsOpt3TpDdJEiqNI0cEfqYfPABUDE6S0tAq2wvqcLtW3dP6tmaUjhmzs8Ii2a6nmOR3Dym6eIhYpBTt-mS69QNEC46JJDu0F72mcw/s200/Zoey+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<strong>3. What's your all-time favorite dog book? </strong><em>Because of Winn-Dixie</em><br />
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<strong>4. If Zoey could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </strong>That my bum knee would let me run and chase her more often and faster than I can right now.<br />
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<strong>5. In five words, tell us what Zoey means to you: </strong>Pure joy fills my heart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZdiKzfpn5h2nva5pYfH7FmgbYjc5Jztm0HY1I4q1CPQ6Yn4EM2cLlhrrmMB27wT8mT46VKtwM53uAH0G-exJQWdS_4AR1Ju0-Vy11oah6u4-jPGb4fxyyU9h3pnQglPsh3mx_vsdr8U/s1600/Susan+and+Zoey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZdiKzfpn5h2nva5pYfH7FmgbYjc5Jztm0HY1I4q1CPQ6Yn4EM2cLlhrrmMB27wT8mT46VKtwM53uAH0G-exJQWdS_4AR1Ju0-Vy11oah6u4-jPGb4fxyyU9h3pnQglPsh3mx_vsdr8U/s200/Susan+and+Zoey.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure joy...</td></tr>
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<em>Thanks so much, Susan and Zoey, for sharing your love with Fido and Friend in Five. Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.susantaylorbrown.com/">Susan's website</a>, and particularly her <a href="http://www.susantaylorbrown.com/blog/">blog</a>, to find out the latest with her writing and with Zoey. Ever blog entry is graced by one of Susan's arresting photographs. And beautiful Zoey also has <a href="http://www.adoginmylife.com/">her own website!</a> Be sure to check out more news about her life and her growing vocabulary. </em>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-91583522313810990342013-02-15T15:05:00.001-08:002013-02-15T15:05:43.323-08:00Random Notes: Planner or Panster?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxbcGCPdxIS9Wuy5qJ0lfp6uNISTbvimbOVVYr52Qjp_-RzlSgoA6lkN7d7p44rnVGyXkD0fAaLymQwfV1HBK6QyaH9Cc7ZDb7vZPbcAibBQ08tEnsUf3WuzoHlapu5SFAq60VanlP48/s1600/Fly+by+seat+of+pants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxbcGCPdxIS9Wuy5qJ0lfp6uNISTbvimbOVVYr52Qjp_-RzlSgoA6lkN7d7p44rnVGyXkD0fAaLymQwfV1HBK6QyaH9Cc7ZDb7vZPbcAibBQ08tEnsUf3WuzoHlapu5SFAq60VanlP48/s200/Fly+by+seat+of+pants.jpg" uea="true" width="200" /></a></div>
There are two camps of writers out there: planners and pansters. Planners are the ones who outline their whole entire plot before they even write a word. And very often, they've written up lots of notes on their characters and even interviewed them to find out all about them! By the time they sit down to write, they know every thing.<br />
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Then there are the "pansters." Pansters don't do any of the above stuff. They fly by the seat of their pants, at least for that first draft. They don't outline (at least not before hand) and they don't know every single hair and idiocyncracy of their characters before they write. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTvDpNhhp6UrY7TbeM1hI_zO9PD5BnIsFqUP10IvocoiBn6vWiMgcwfPhyzKlNdtxWPpAPbwFnumhL-8-dDXyHSToUTa6OWRNdDjOTN5Ch4NLu-6GJmPwkyWmlCZlZnhzlmMQ9wmUbuU/s1600/imagesCAXZ57RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTvDpNhhp6UrY7TbeM1hI_zO9PD5BnIsFqUP10IvocoiBn6vWiMgcwfPhyzKlNdtxWPpAPbwFnumhL-8-dDXyHSToUTa6OWRNdDjOTN5Ch4NLu-6GJmPwkyWmlCZlZnhzlmMQ9wmUbuU/s200/imagesCAXZ57RD.jpg" uea="true" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm a panster. On of the things I <u>love</u> about writing fiction is the element of surprise. I get chills when the plot takes unexpected turns. I truly enjoy getting to know my characters, just like (hopefully) the reader does. I love to sit back and watch the whole thing unfold and reel out in my head like a movie. It's truly magical...<br />
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Which is not to say I don't think about the story after it taps me on the shoulder or whispers in my ear, "Write me." I live with it for a few weeks to see if I stay fascinated by it. If I do, then I write down (in free form) everything I know at that point about it. Often, I never look at those notes again, but it does give me an overall picture, kind of like looking down on a trail from the ridge above. But still, it's magic.<br />
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It is in the revision process that I go from the magic to the nuts-and-bolts work: cutting, tightening, and re-seeing. That first draft is all about discovery.<br />
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So when I get asked (as writers sometimes do with each other) if I'm a planner/outliner or a panster and I feel embarrassed to say, "Panster," I remember these two quotes:<br />
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<em>"You have to play what you hear, not what you know." </em>Miles Davis<br />
<em>"Dont' think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity." </em>Ray Bradbury<br />
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So how about you? Are you a planner or a panster?Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-53425710497185271852013-02-14T12:23:00.000-08:002013-02-14T12:23:52.455-08:00Fido and Friend in Five: Jacqueline Kelly, Molly and Laika!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluNdC_-v06JIXMfNmwPnOVWXzOtnqmOZgcJ8wlP43Icb3soIemEAabYXY2UUo5DVZOkHXzIFTPGSLHaFMfucgSEAmYCjsOt6XM6DsmpueUwNl5pWq2eqN14ng5UUIsqNCIWreTkJJ6Gg/s1600/Jackie+Kelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluNdC_-v06JIXMfNmwPnOVWXzOtnqmOZgcJ8wlP43Icb3soIemEAabYXY2UUo5DVZOkHXzIFTPGSLHaFMfucgSEAmYCjsOt6XM6DsmpueUwNl5pWq2eqN14ng5UUIsqNCIWreTkJJ6Gg/s1600/Jackie+Kelly.jpg" /></a></div>
Last week's Fido and Friend in Five spotlighted Sheila Turnage, whose book, <em>Three Times Lucky</em>, had just won a Newbery Honor medal. Continuing along that path, today we have 2010 Newbery Honor winner, <a href="http://www.jacquelinekelly.com/">Jacqueline Kelly</a> and her two dogs, Molly and Laika!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnRUDBoLqB8V1JUIY8UQbgdXuDQhiBe0hU1Zr79VuVCjIzCiXm9nbcx6uXKj96uz2JEwWvY0IoVS8Y8ogpz5Ysd_gfBcMzJKTG11juwhoBFltx7C0Vi81R7lVksy9CzJP2KGx2dDwAmw/s1600/Calpernina+tate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnRUDBoLqB8V1JUIY8UQbgdXuDQhiBe0hU1Zr79VuVCjIzCiXm9nbcx6uXKj96uz2JEwWvY0IoVS8Y8ogpz5Ysd_gfBcMzJKTG11juwhoBFltx7C0Vi81R7lVksy9CzJP2KGx2dDwAmw/s200/Calpernina+tate.jpg" width="135" /></a><br />
Jackie's beloved debut novel, <em>The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate</em>, captured the hearts of many readers as well as the Newbery committee. It's the story of a young girl at the turn of the century in a sleepy little town in Texas trying to stay cool during a very hot summer. Her attempts to find ways to stay cool (back before the days of air conditioning, of course), lead Callie to spend lots of time down by the river with her cantankerous grandfather. Despite his grumpiness, he instills in Callie a love for the natural world and a yearning to live beyond the confines of what it means to be a girl during the turn of the century. Jackie has said she was inspired to write Callie's story during a blazingly hot summer day at her 120-year-old Texas farmhouse. "With the thermometer almost boiling over, I began to wonder how people stood the heat a hundred years ago with no air conditioning, especially since they had to wear all those clothes. Callie and her family sprang to life at that moment." <br />
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In 2012, Jacqueline's new book, <em>Return to the Willows, </em>was welcomed into the world with open arms! Publisher's Weekly called it, "...an affectionate follow-up to a classic of children's literature, one that succeeds on its own." And it is <u>beautifully</u> illustrated by Clint Young.<br />
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Jackie and her husband share their homes in Austin and Fentress with three cats and two dogs, Laika and Molly. Let's meet them all in today's Fido and Friend in Five:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkiwx694DYPwTGLHU5Me8snHpLeJwxLidhXVITC8XAEw4lXfV7JNDcrhwHhbHbrYzsMaSGRNXwwhmuvTpMgiiDax2UbVsXUdNfOuVQviwDFgm9N6vxLMhpQbekBiijE2mnYz2tJzpaV8/s1600/Laika.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkiwx694DYPwTGLHU5Me8snHpLeJwxLidhXVITC8XAEw4lXfV7JNDcrhwHhbHbrYzsMaSGRNXwwhmuvTpMgiiDax2UbVsXUdNfOuVQviwDFgm9N6vxLMhpQbekBiijE2mnYz2tJzpaV8/s200/Laika.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laika, CoyDog</td></tr>
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<strong>1. How did you and your dogs find each other? </strong>Laika was an abandoned dog living on top of a picnic table down my the San Marcos River. My husband fed her once or twice and--surprise--that's all it took for her to think she'd found a pretty good deal. We believe her to be that extremely rare mixture of chow and coyote. There's actually a word in the dictionary for a dog/coyote mixture: coydog. (<em>My Boo is also a coydog!)</em>. Molly is of more refined blood, coming from a pair of purebred Goldens, but she does not lord it over Laika, who is definitely top coydog. Molly was just such a fat, jolly little pup that she stole our hearts when we went to pick her out.<br />
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<strong>2. What makes Laika and Molly's tails wag? </strong>They both get very excited at meal times (show me a dog that doesn't) but <u>very</u> excited when they know it's time for their run.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3V1zF0QdYCFxUmqs5b_EFoRtPGLdPJ8KZeioCXkNfF5H5xEZFKjWY1w3D6_r7HNRjyvSOFlIv-pQukK6kxHTDySklVX3Bd1WZ5azlouxS_yNwjFFMt1FjjQvUBMH6JFvs-mnAPb7q_s/s1600/Molly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3V1zF0QdYCFxUmqs5b_EFoRtPGLdPJ8KZeioCXkNfF5H5xEZFKjWY1w3D6_r7HNRjyvSOFlIv-pQukK6kxHTDySklVX3Bd1WZ5azlouxS_yNwjFFMt1FjjQvUBMH6JFvs-mnAPb7q_s/s200/Molly.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Molly</td></tr>
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<strong>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </strong>As a youngster, I was terribly fond of the <em>Lad, A Dog</em> series by Albert Payson Terhune <em>(me too!). </em>Sadly, they have been out-of-favor for quite a while now.<em> </em><br />
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<strong>4. If Molly and Laika could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </strong>Molly and Laika would like to go on <u>two</u> runs daily instead of just one, thank you very much.<br />
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<strong>5. In five words, tell us what your dogs mean to you: </strong>Love. Slobber. Hair. Endless vacuuming. Love.<br />
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<i>Thanks so much to Jackie, Laika, and Molly for visiting with Fido and Friend in Five today! To find out more about Jackie and her books and her background (did I mention Jackie has worked as a doctor and a lawyer?), be sure to visit<a href="http://www.jacquelinekelly.com/"> her website</a>. </i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-43935592765995560842013-02-08T12:18:00.000-08:002013-02-08T12:18:11.255-08:00Random Notes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL6gi9Nog704st0mux6t52G46QOZ8e4GK-QN32bNs5hAwkpkbuwfRGjav1ZRaA9TOF7a_HXKLQvrYgqk1fZJZkwqBdUNDUJF95kPLV36MXWrlIXFE6545tgPN2hRs_qMHuzor33CGlDo/s1600/Random+Note.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL6gi9Nog704st0mux6t52G46QOZ8e4GK-QN32bNs5hAwkpkbuwfRGjav1ZRaA9TOF7a_HXKLQvrYgqk1fZJZkwqBdUNDUJF95kPLV36MXWrlIXFE6545tgPN2hRs_qMHuzor33CGlDo/s200/Random+Note.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I've decided to do something new on my blog: Once a week (or so) I'm going to post thoughts on a book I'm reading, or a poem I especially love, or a photo, or random thoughts on who-knows-what. Because, as we all know, the universe is random!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwLqdN9rnYyV27OYSozImFjLPZLTpArP1xJq-Gy92weD3cTlp7S9YZ_IlMQEtwk99i1HeDa70x2SqixioQsni-_6c8xGmPpj9y97PbQNdRS_etEX5sLO51HJF6XOwZZ9JPa20qeSj59I/s1600/Summer+and+Bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwLqdN9rnYyV27OYSozImFjLPZLTpArP1xJq-Gy92weD3cTlp7S9YZ_IlMQEtwk99i1HeDa70x2SqixioQsni-_6c8xGmPpj9y97PbQNdRS_etEX5sLO51HJF6XOwZZ9JPa20qeSj59I/s320/Summer+and+Bird.jpg" width="216" /></a>So for my first Random Notes, I want to tell you about a beautiful new book I just finished reading. It's a book that will transport you and haunt you and make you want to be a better writer. At least it did me. The book I'm talking about is Katherine Catmull's devastatingly beautiful debut middle grade novel, <i>Summer and Bird. </i><br />
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<i>Summer and Bird </i>is a story about two sisters in search of their parents. When sister, Bird, lets an owl in the window, their parents mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night. The only clue as to where they have gone and why is a cryptic picture message their mother (who is a mystery herself) leaves behind. The message leads the two girls from the safety of their forest home to a ruined, frozen world known as Down. As the sisters search for their parents, they encounter talking ravens, an evil Puppeteer, a kindly man named Ben, lots of other birds, and the tallest tree in the world. Their search for their parents turns into a search for their truest selves, as well. This is a book that, like any good fairy tale, sings on many different levels. One one level, it's an adventure/coming of age story; on another it's an exploration of sibling relationship and parental relationships; and on yet another level, it's an exploration of loss--loss of faith, loss of expectation, loss of identity, loss of The Mother we all seek. As Catmull writes in the book, <i>We lose our mothers and look for them everywhere. </i>Primarily in ourselves, I think.<br />
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Will <i>Summer and Bird</i> appeal to middle grade readers? I'm not sure. It will, though, appeal to readers of all ages who love the work of Phillip Pullman and Sonja Hartnett and Marcus Zusak, and some of Kate DiCamillo's more literary stuff.<br />
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I'm so awed by Katherine Catmull's writing, I can't wait to see what she does next!Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-87714828007921125172013-02-05T07:31:00.003-08:002013-02-05T07:31:53.682-08:00Fido and Friend in Five: Sheila Turnage and Jake!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfDxM5jfnFn_i8hzGsTmSIqq7EGtPVczm4cRY85XjBUOKQoiV-s1S_MK6Q1EcHYCCud8jV6xDs6fe9_umZc4Vf63WzdqlUSqzYC1uA0ZfDGoXOEbG-AUWwImn5BhDOyX_hjGU0py9pYs/s1600/Sheilla+turnage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfDxM5jfnFn_i8hzGsTmSIqq7EGtPVczm4cRY85XjBUOKQoiV-s1S_MK6Q1EcHYCCud8jV6xDs6fe9_umZc4Vf63WzdqlUSqzYC1uA0ZfDGoXOEbG-AUWwImn5BhDOyX_hjGU0py9pYs/s200/Sheilla+turnage.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Lately, I've been attracted to books with the word "Lucky" in the title. Maybe it's because I'm supersticious about the number 13, and I'm trying to take my mind off the fact that this is 20<strong>13</strong>. Or maybe it's because I've been thinking for the last couple of years on this whole concept of lucky/unlucky (for reasons that shall be revealed eventually). So when <a href="http://www.sheilaturnage.com/">Sheila Turnage's</a> middle grade novel, <em>Three Times Lucky</em>, came in to the library, I snatched it up. Then when I read it was set in a small southern town (my favorite setting) and that Sheila lives in North Carolina (one of my very favorite states), I knew I had to read it.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ve6ee6Yv1lAwxgxI63w8pQLN-AEGGaPAYWom-d-ECklUdwX1fzpmduKPRvtTLWxIbRe2yyllhnPSQFEhmHNOFbyBytYYgzU5nIaZwS2BcU4b72WO4omT1BX2iDGS3GdGyDbhT6JC6uw/s1600/Three+Times+Lucky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ve6ee6Yv1lAwxgxI63w8pQLN-AEGGaPAYWom-d-ECklUdwX1fzpmduKPRvtTLWxIbRe2yyllhnPSQFEhmHNOFbyBytYYgzU5nIaZwS2BcU4b72WO4omT1BX2iDGS3GdGyDbhT6JC6uw/s200/Three+Times+Lucky.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
<em>Three Times Lucky</em> is one of those rare stories that is several things at once: a murder mystery, a character-driven novel full of charming, quirky characters, a coming-of-age story, and a story of friendship--all done amazingly well. As Kirkus said in their <strong>starred</strong> review: <em>What do you get when you combine Because of Winn-Dixie’s heart with the mystery and action of Holes? You get an engaging, spirit-lifting and unforgettable debut for young readers.</em><br />
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You also get a Newbery Honor winner! Yes, just this past week, Sheila's <em>Three Times Lucky</em> won a Newbery Honor. I'd say she's now <u>four</u> times lucky!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwtoY1xMgiYpU4XwFXH0SQ3GvxjKQYnIoR9mrQ7R_o_MjKYSU9xLk9srKo1ujgMH02fhIu18X4aZ47k773D6xQ_vMWUzI_lO0G73qIbD19mqXLMGpzpNrCYdHlRxnBw7nC8gXFPnTAWs/s1600/North+Carolina+Guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwtoY1xMgiYpU4XwFXH0SQ3GvxjKQYnIoR9mrQ7R_o_MjKYSU9xLk9srKo1ujgMH02fhIu18X4aZ47k773D6xQ_vMWUzI_lO0G73qIbD19mqXLMGpzpNrCYdHlRxnBw7nC8gXFPnTAWs/s200/North+Carolina+Guide.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
Sheila has also published poetry in a variety of periodicals, and won the Katherine Kennedy McIntyre Light Verse Award for her poem <em>Thank You Note</em>. She's also written several nonfiction books about her beloved North Carolina.<br />
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Sheila lives and writes in an adorable house with an inviting porch on a farm in eastern North Carolina. She lives their with her husband, chickens, a cat, and yes, a dog. A very smart dog named Jake. I know he's smart because 1) he's an Australian cattle dog and 2) Sheila says so.<br />
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Let's meet this brand new Newbery winner and her dog Jake in today's Fido and Friend in Five:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax923PPuBcU5V_qQACMwTh5xjHl2BFGFsJIrlZCIJN73ewzBSOImWLYPxLyKKDV-0hLCT8cUk2BH8yw24pN3swxaqvPB-zaMWab7Bfy1Yn3YXJOiR9fgDxztp4UFxG4AxqaRhP3cDZP8/s1600/Jake,+Nosy+Head+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax923PPuBcU5V_qQACMwTh5xjHl2BFGFsJIrlZCIJN73ewzBSOImWLYPxLyKKDV-0hLCT8cUk2BH8yw24pN3swxaqvPB-zaMWab7Bfy1Yn3YXJOiR9fgDxztp4UFxG4AxqaRhP3cDZP8/s200/Jake,+Nosy+Head+shot.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I choose you!</td></tr>
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<strong>1. How did you and Jake find each other? </strong>I met Jacob when he was still a pup. He had a number of brothers and sisters (all very cute). I really wanted a dog, and I had come to check them out. I thought I was choosing a pup, but I realized one of the puppies had left the pack and was sticking by me! I had my dog and my dog had me!<br />
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<strong>2. What makes Jake's tail wag? </strong>Going out to play ball. He also likes to hear "walk" and "ride in the truck."<br />
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<strong>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </strong>I didn't read lots of dog books growing up, but I loved to watch the dogs who had their own TV shows: Lassie, Rin Tin Tin...I loved <i>Old Yeller</i> (though I wasn't crazy about the ending). They were fantastic because they were so smart. And I STILL like smart dogs!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPrEq7ktO4V4rIpsVCXrU_LRLxekh4yGE7T1sBttlVr8LrgQlFoUjE6REbnknDWxruD-OG41-lQ9q-muLW0jhmvywLaGykbGtzRCfPBAPqIcZqgETSgcUdEld1RVLQWs3vmv5j5_oZtE/s1600/Jake+with+bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPrEq7ktO4V4rIpsVCXrU_LRLxekh4yGE7T1sBttlVr8LrgQlFoUjE6REbnknDWxruD-OG41-lQ9q-muLW0jhmvywLaGykbGtzRCfPBAPqIcZqgETSgcUdEld1RVLQWs3vmv5j5_oZtE/s200/Jake+with+bowl.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fill bowl. Fill bowl...</td></tr>
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<strong>4. If Jake could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </strong>I would develop a complete willingness to fill his bowl on his psychic command.<br />
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<strong>5. In five words, tell us what Jake means to you: </strong>Smart, funny, faithful, protective friend.<br />
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<i>Many thanks to Sheila and Jake for visiting with us today! I know Sheila has to be busy since her Newbery Honor win. Be sure to check out her <a href="http://www.sheilaturnage.com/">website </a>to find out all her goings-on and to find out more about her. Jake, make sure your mama still gets out every day to play.</i><br />
<br />Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-39558484954072584792013-01-30T09:14:00.001-08:002013-01-30T09:14:04.115-08:00Fido and Friend in Five: Laura DiSilverio and Marco!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjoCzuJIkYKjK8YEHb1KtMENEplf0fNazuj-AeRkNNOfzAbTsI7h8wfpXFhkLxq9IjDLjhDrEpfgwqvwZPRBZ9xQ1ZB4OiRyynEEGb73nEnOLh99sL-JRi4bqxDaWYIqY-exKDWY16BY/s1600/Laura-DiSilverio-134x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjoCzuJIkYKjK8YEHb1KtMENEplf0fNazuj-AeRkNNOfzAbTsI7h8wfpXFhkLxq9IjDLjhDrEpfgwqvwZPRBZ9xQ1ZB4OiRyynEEGb73nEnOLh99sL-JRi4bqxDaWYIqY-exKDWY16BY/s1600/Laura-DiSilverio-134x200.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura DiSilverio</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGTfH2c5tzDmSbprtExb2J5QmsDIuYTuTXr97sYkmQXF2nrl4hNYvrPOXUSFgC7ZWuF1K8R4SA9zczATPlkWZdHN6b9Avn64t-RniqTLppwUQjzWCmQnxKo5LEgiBS7fXzMo41CguvL0/s1600/Swift+Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGTfH2c5tzDmSbprtExb2J5QmsDIuYTuTXr97sYkmQXF2nrl4hNYvrPOXUSFgC7ZWuF1K8R4SA9zczATPlkWZdHN6b9Avn64t-RniqTLppwUQjzWCmQnxKo5LEgiBS7fXzMo41CguvL0/s200/Swift+Run.jpg" width="148" /></a>I love reading mysteries. I'd even like to try writing a mystery, but I just don't think I'm smart enough. I think you have to have a mind that works in certain ways, sees things that others don't see. You not only have to "see dead people," you have to have a mind that likes to create complex knots, and then untie them. And some people have the background that lends itself well to creating these knots.<br />
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Take<a href="http://www.lauradisilverio.com/"> Laura DiSilverio</a>. Yes, she always wanted to be a writer, and like many of us, she wrote some truely awful first attempts and put them away in a drawer. But unlike many of us, she went on to join the Air Force and became an intelligence officer! She served with an F-16 wing in Korea, helped resolve reports of live-sightings of Vietnam prisoners of war, and worked at the Pentagon. Oh, and then she decided to get her Master's degree and taught English at the air Force Academy. Did I mention she also commanded a squadron in England? I can't even command a squadron of shelties! Along the way, she married and had two children. She retired from the Air Force in 2004 to pursue her long-lost dream of being a writer. Given her background, it's no surprise she writes mysteries. It's also no surprise that she has not one, not two but <u>four</u> different mystery <u>series</u>! And she writes under another name--Ella Barrick--as well as her own. I think I need a nap...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6ZuO90VLemW344AXWZuL7lc3awzeyvyrRiojHv66sRb-xp3y6vV4n8U9jyv8uEELXlkKxrEyKWGqYlpL12xbSzU2sleJbkiUMjokTZVgJ4diiR7-V_R7lRPbDoJBeBo-X9hIQd7ErUA/s1600/Quickstep+to+Murder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6ZuO90VLemW344AXWZuL7lc3awzeyvyrRiojHv66sRb-xp3y6vV4n8U9jyv8uEELXlkKxrEyKWGqYlpL12xbSzU2sleJbkiUMjokTZVgJ4diiR7-V_R7lRPbDoJBeBo-X9hIQd7ErUA/s200/Quickstep+to+Murder.jpg" width="148" /></a><br />
Let's meet today's dynamic Fido and Friend in Five duo, Laura and Marco:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tsjhuW5CnPuUID10fmdg4dLqrMYfRsLRsZyLnTCJVq7JFHaepwF6bGigVTcf-01tnUOOf2CL6agc8lMz9LJvKcEpCviXe_gIyjComg7bTe9RnQEg0v0mVqtorDEHtFe4Ld9BA9bLDF4/s1600/Puppy+litter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tsjhuW5CnPuUID10fmdg4dLqrMYfRsLRsZyLnTCJVq7JFHaepwF6bGigVTcf-01tnUOOf2CL6agc8lMz9LJvKcEpCviXe_gIyjComg7bTe9RnQEg0v0mVqtorDEHtFe4Ld9BA9bLDF4/s1600/Puppy+litter.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppies!!!!</td></tr>
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<strong>1. How did you and Marco find each other? </strong>After my chocolate lab died of old age in 2002, we waited two years before we felt ready to adopt a new puppy. We did a lot of research and finally settled on a Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon because they're smart, good with kids, and low-shedding. There were no litters in Colorado, but we found one in Alabama, near where my folks lived, so I corresponded with the breeder, and my mom drove me over to look at the pups. She gave them and the breeder a "thumbs up," so when the puppies were old enough, I flew back to Alabama, spent a morning playing with the litter, and selected Marco to bring home. He flew with me in a crated tucked under the seat in front of me on the airplane.<br />
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<strong>2. What makes Marco's tail wag? </strong>Walks, walks, walks. Rides in the car. Being patted (non-stop). Play 'tug', chasing squirrels. Rolling in grass or snow. Did I mention walks?<br />
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<strong>3. What's your all time favorite dog story? </strong>The Big Red books.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZLOUQXOn5ShZGVW9PxB4Pd-9r-TENl5FOoBNuw8V19RRD-FcpVaM49z5a7-RqN03LFx38EoKktkUii4eNBD4vDWg6E-EGjvx_t88Bulp0xth3UQzLIy9DbND0vDuXV2_2Ta5DOCHRyk/s1600/Marco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZLOUQXOn5ShZGVW9PxB4Pd-9r-TENl5FOoBNuw8V19RRD-FcpVaM49z5a7-RqN03LFx38EoKktkUii4eNBD4vDWg6E-EGjvx_t88Bulp0xth3UQzLIy9DbND0vDuXV2_2Ta5DOCHRyk/s1600/Marco.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's Play!</td></tr>
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<strong>4. If Marco could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </strong>The fact that we leave him alone sometimes. He'd like to spend every minute of every day with his "pack", and he gets sad that we go off to jobs and schools and church and restaurants (and many other places) without him. He knows when we're leaving, and he tucks his tail under and looks convinced we're never coming home again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ywHTOnbzUVXEA5aqq4m_i4CdDVso5735xLcNJiYoVGyRkRDlJkdKu4ORfyuN7x_z-bQvaFfmYP5RaidH4EHz235yyiazXxVR7c2MO6OKTzuspysKogBYefaLR2rPH3phgmTv5jXQ24g/s1600/Marco+and+Laura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ywHTOnbzUVXEA5aqq4m_i4CdDVso5735xLcNJiYoVGyRkRDlJkdKu4ORfyuN7x_z-bQvaFfmYP5RaidH4EHz235yyiazXxVR7c2MO6OKTzuspysKogBYefaLR2rPH3phgmTv5jXQ24g/s200/Marco+and+Laura.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Buds</td></tr>
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<strong>5. In five words, tell us what Marco means to you: </strong>Love. Companionship. Comfort. Long walks.<br />
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<em>Thanks to Laura and Marco for taking out time from writing and walking to visit Fido and Friend in Five. If you're a mystery lover, be sure to check out Laura's mystery series. You can find out more about them and her on <a href="http://www.lauradisilverio.com/">her website</a>.</em><br />
<em><b>**Laura informed me yesterday that sweet Marco is recuperating from</b></em><br />
<em><b>an attack by a neighborhood dog. Please leave Marco words of encour-</b></em><br />
<em><b>agement in your comments! </b></em>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275974386745565122.post-50339318815252681782013-01-24T09:38:00.000-08:002013-01-24T09:38:06.897-08:00Fido and Friend in Five: Randi Barrow and Manuel!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQa7MASD75tneYew7IhcuxEq17rShvtJwJDqRJUht9BHgTND12ri0HNc0lFnDf0C5cRsbvXAwcEBIXbdibc51RpObQPuDI7w1hbgiz4FJZKWc5hedG3SEJXXwbT51PWcDfARoyqj1Hdw/s1600/Randi+Barrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQa7MASD75tneYew7IhcuxEq17rShvtJwJDqRJUht9BHgTND12ri0HNc0lFnDf0C5cRsbvXAwcEBIXbdibc51RpObQPuDI7w1hbgiz4FJZKWc5hedG3SEJXXwbT51PWcDfARoyqj1Hdw/s200/Randi+Barrow.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Randi Barrow</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm29ra2OZnnDeKB4y9frWbJidfL6wEH9Cs8h38do8CZLhHh9Tj_8qHThSHasY9MXmoQrCUa4pZ2eLyGZsyVfuC5SpGNIbrbdcticf1w3ScAdxpj039wCXSmGdRa2WZKAN5zy9E76UbPr0/s1600/Finding.Zasha.cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm29ra2OZnnDeKB4y9frWbJidfL6wEH9Cs8h38do8CZLhHh9Tj_8qHThSHasY9MXmoQrCUa4pZ2eLyGZsyVfuC5SpGNIbrbdcticf1w3ScAdxpj039wCXSmGdRa2WZKAN5zy9E76UbPr0/s200/Finding.Zasha.cover.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.randibarrow.com/">Randi Barrow</a> and I have a surprising number of things in common: 1) we both have gender-neutral names 2) we both write for Scholastic 3) we both write about and are inspired by dogs 4) both of us have books that take place in Russia <u>and</u> 5) we both have characters in our books that take place in Russia named Ivan <u>and</u> 6) our Ivan boys do whatever it takes to survive, often with the help of their canine friends. If all this doesn't make us related in some way, I don't know what would. Oh, and we both had <u>loads</u> of research to do for our book. I wonder if she enjoyed it as much as I did?<br />
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Randi is the author of the amazing and riveting <em>Saving Zasha,</em> and its newly released prequel, <em>Finding Zasha. </em>I'd read <em>Saving Zasha</em> when it first came out, as I was finishing up revisions on <em>The Dogs of Winter, </em>reading any middle grade book I could get my hands on set in Russia. I loved the book and was so excited when I read she had a prequel to it coming out! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnJZtVHI_cHlmjXMFlGBM6Ml8woV5il-LAMDDx5MIkWeuVZL6xQ_pb4Qf0HvNAg5txsPf2tkudLe03JTGdZaf-1dufZE6RRL8qejU9qPzt8njWey6NBvRVB3qlUgcT-P46MHjhTUqgjk/s1600/Saving.Zasha.cover_001_002_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnJZtVHI_cHlmjXMFlGBM6Ml8woV5il-LAMDDx5MIkWeuVZL6xQ_pb4Qf0HvNAg5txsPf2tkudLe03JTGdZaf-1dufZE6RRL8qejU9qPzt8njWey6NBvRVB3qlUgcT-P46MHjhTUqgjk/s200/Saving.Zasha.cover_001_002_001.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
Let's do this in chronological (rather than publication) order. <em>Finding Zasha</em> is the story of 12-year-old Ivan, trapped with his mother during the siege of Leningrad in 1941. I didn't know until I read this book just how devestating the German siege of the city was. Millions died! To survive, Ivan's mother sends him away to a little-known uncle in the outer reaches. How Ivan meets and falls in love with a German Shepherd dog being trained to hunt Russians like himself is the crux of this story, and it's a heart-warmer. <em>Saving Zasha</em> is set in Russia in 1945 at the end of World War II. Both books are full of all kinds of interesting facts and insight into life in Russia during and after the war. And, I might add, are beautifully written. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl94ODLSAJVYUJLlt8E6cwr09WvcvCSnYshpqld7pV6iQDJrslJBLAYXaS0tgizFlUslqm3YJ4igbFnPjbWbVCfBNpcwl-ioZb2AdG3ZZD6ZckAJzdRMXAR2V5Hp1bC4RzWO9mPILribo/s1600/Somebody's+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl94ODLSAJVYUJLlt8E6cwr09WvcvCSnYshpqld7pV6iQDJrslJBLAYXaS0tgizFlUslqm3YJ4igbFnPjbWbVCfBNpcwl-ioZb2AdG3ZZD6ZckAJzdRMXAR2V5Hp1bC4RzWO9mPILribo/s200/Somebody's+child.jpg" width="128" /></a>I asked Randi in an email exchange if she always knew she'd write the story <u>before</u> <em>Saving Zasha</em>. She wrote, "I didn't have a prequel in mind and neither did my publisher. I just knew I wanted to write more, using the history I'd learned (in writing the first book) and incorporate some new characters. The interesting and fun part was trying to tie it all together."<br />
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Randi familiar with the hardships kids can face. She was an adoption attorney for twenty years before she became a writer. She wrote a book based on her experiences called <em>Somebody's Child: Stories from the Private Files of an Adoption Attorney.</em><br />
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These days, Randi lives and writes in Los Angeles with her husband and her most handsome boy, Manuel. Let's meet them in todays Fido and Friend in Five!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XrkLQ8A0zDPq_cvgfbY3lopX9gvh173Iog58_NwJBIstptbdHyjrBlO7BhPndVWRgZgfEH_tMA0otdz2V9B8LbWdUeyqHtFfy5mPqbPnaYQp5fJSQZjo8hVQJm3XjxPY9WaaMxofZGI/s1600/Manuel+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XrkLQ8A0zDPq_cvgfbY3lopX9gvh173Iog58_NwJBIstptbdHyjrBlO7BhPndVWRgZgfEH_tMA0otdz2V9B8LbWdUeyqHtFfy5mPqbPnaYQp5fJSQZjo8hVQJm3XjxPY9WaaMxofZGI/s200/Manuel+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most handsome boy</td></tr>
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<strong>1. How did you and Manuel find each other? </strong>A neighborhood dog I loved very much died. A friend slipped a brochure from a no-kill shelter into our mailbox, knowing how sad I'd be. That was all the encouragement I needed. Within hours, I was there, telling the woman at the shelter that we hoped for a "small, sweet, quiet" dog (I laugh when I read that now.) She said, "Let me introduce you to Manuel!" He was emaciated, looked a little sad, and shy, but there was something about him that made me know he was the one. My husband had to work that day. Thank goodness he trusted me or we might have missed out on meeting our Manuel!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyURCTkCQdcVMjqgkQ7ghUwGsbHLeX8mLhHWZZLRwkZmgNazmcOfO6oHKjl2Z5Ub96Zu8nkpysZGdr0AKQpQRyVzBC4dYJdLWRLRxjhIuaPYmM8xA-QgeGp3X3F0MB00wKh8W8l3sqIH0/s1600/Manuel+&+Randi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyURCTkCQdcVMjqgkQ7ghUwGsbHLeX8mLhHWZZLRwkZmgNazmcOfO6oHKjl2Z5Ub96Zu8nkpysZGdr0AKQpQRyVzBC4dYJdLWRLRxjhIuaPYmM8xA-QgeGp3X3F0MB00wKh8W8l3sqIH0/s200/Manuel+&+Randi.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manuel loves words</td></tr>
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<strong>2. What makes Manuel's tail wag?</strong> Words make his tail wag. Words like Go, and Walk, and Treat, and Holly. Holly is a mini-pincher who lives down the street. She manages to escape her house with some regularity and comes to visit Manuel. Whenever she arrives, there is an explosion of sound, as if the world's biggest emergency is at hand! After they start to play--after Holly reminds him who's boss--he is one happy dog.<br />
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<strong>3. What's your all-time favorite dog story? </strong>As corny as it sounds, it's probably <em>Lassie Come-Home</em>, by Eric Knight (<em>OMG, <u>another</u> thing we have in common!!!). </em>And I like the 1943 movie with Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor even better than the book. That Lassie has to be sold so that the family can eat...does it get more heartbreaking? Watching that magnificent dog swim in the cold Highland waters, escape from robbers and dog-catchers, or arrive half-dead at the old people's cottage, is spellbinding. At leas to me!<br />
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<strong>4. If Manuel could change just one thing about you, what would that be? </strong>He would unchain me from my desk, from the telephone, from errands, and other mundane chores and never let me leave his side. Maybe he has a point.<br />
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<strong>5. In five words, tell us what Manuel means to you: </strong>Happiness, joy, love, tolerance, perfection.<br />
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<i>Many thanks to Randi and Manuel for sharing their story on today's Fido and Friend in Five. To find out more about Randi and her books, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.randibarrow.com/">her website</a>. Happy tails!</i>Bobbie Pyronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244714223615778335noreply@blogger.com0