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If only finding true love was as easy as falling for a stray dog. That's what Cara Snow thought. She worked in a specialty pet boutique, and always seemed to go crazy for some homeless pooch at their adoption clinics. But her love life was a disaster!


















In her new book, Stray Magic, Jackie Bouchard blends her trademark humor with a passel of pups and a sprinkling of fairy dust. All I can say is I bet you've never met anyone quite like Vincent, Cara's matchmaker and fairy godfather. (Did I mention he was about 3 feet tall and wears a velour track suit?) And wait til you read what happens to Llewellyn, Cara's adorable corgi. He certainly comes to her rescue in a unique way!

If you're looking for a great story about dogs, love, magic spells that often spell trouble, and a lot of fun, be sure to pick up Stray Magic. And, enter our giveaway here!

Entering is easy! Simply leave a comment telling us one quality in a dog that you'd like to see in your significant other! Contest ends Monday 11/143 at midnight. Good luck!
















Note: Contest open to U.S. residents only. Winner will receive your choice of one e-book or paperback copy of Stray Magic.

Be sure to visit Jackie Bouchard on Facebook or twitter to check out all her great fiction books for dog lovers! Get your copy of Stray Magic on amazon.

 *Full disclosure: I was given one copy to review and one copy to give away in exchange for my honest review. This in no way influenced my decision. Opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

I love books about dogs--partly because I write books about dogs and the human-animal bond. But I also love reading books about dogs, and I read a lot of them. In addition, I love reading books about dogs to my granddaughters. And personalized books about my own dogs? What's not to love?!

 Look! Here are some adorable books about Ernest and Petey.

I See Me! Books released a series of illustrated, personalized rhyming storybooks narrated from YOUR dog's perspective. If My Dog Could Talk. They offered me a chance to review the books, and sent me one for Petey, Ernest, and even one as a memorial for our spaniel Kelly.

My name, other family members' names and my dog's names were incorporated into the artwork. We enjoyed seeing Petey's name on his dog bed, Ernest's name on a dog bowl, and my name on a picture on the wall. The cute little rhyme expressed our dogs' devotion to their family and the book ended with a loving message.


The books are bright and fun, well-made, with great attention to detail and personalization in multiple places, not just once or twice. 

You simply submit information such as your dog's name, and choose from 12 dog "styles" and several color options that make it easy to select a dog that looks like yours--big dogs, little furry dogs, poodley dogs, long-eared dogs, terriers, dachshunds, shepherds, hounds, etc. You can also send photographs of your dog which are printed in the front and back of the book.


You can also get the book with a gift set which includes these adorable bandanas and a dog food place mat. The bandana is happily a nice quality with the name embroidered on, not a flimsy iron-on.


I See Me! If My Dog Could Talk would be an adorable gift for a child with a new dog, to celebrate your own dog's adoption, to memorialize the loss of a pet, for a veterinarian or pet sitter, or just for yourself to enjoy. Read it to someone you love...or maybe even a dog you love!

Check out the dog illustrations on this page. Which dog looks closest to your dog? Which color would you choose?



Your purchase will help an animal organization. This month, I See Me! will donate proceeds to Minnesota's Secondhand Hounds. If you order this month, use the code HOUND and you'll get 10% off your purchase, good through the month of August.

I See Me! also makes books for children to celebrate birthdays, baptisms, and other occasions, and other personalized products such as puzzles, lunchboxes and stickers.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was sent 2 gift sets and one additional book in exchange for my honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion. Opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.

October Book Review

















The Quite Very Actual Adventures of Worzel Wooface--Terribibble Twos
by Catherine Pickles
ISBN 978-845849-31-3
published by Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
$13.99

Would you like to know what's going on in a dog's mind? Do you like books told in the voice of a dog? Well, here is a book told in the "quite very actual" voice of Worzel Wooface. And I have to tell you that Worzel's voice is both unique and hilarious. Worzel is a Lurcher living in the Suffolk, England. (For those of us living in the U.S., a Lurcher is a mix of greyhound-type breed and another breed, in Worzel's case a terrier.)

The Terribibble Twos is the sequel to The Quite Very Actual Adventures of Worzel Wooface, Worzel's  diary of his first year of life. At ten weeks old he was surrendered to a rescue group, after having suffered abuse by his owner and another dog. His new owner, Catherine Pickles and her family--including five cats--nurture, love, and help smooth out Worzel's issues.














Here is an exerpt from the new book, where Worzel is learning to stay home alone:

"January 8
Mission Home Alone: Stage One
Mum's had a word about Mission Home Alone with the man who lives next door, and letted him know wot we're practicing, and sorry about the noise if it happens. Fred is a saint, Mum says, for puttering up with being our neighbour. He's also A Bit Deaf, which helps, happarently. Stage One for Mission Home Alone is that you should not do making a song and dance about going out. ..I was a bit confuddled about this at first."

If you're looking for a sweet, funny and insightful look at a rescue dog "with issues," be sure to check out Worzel Wooface!


















Full Disclosure: We were provided with 2 copies of this book for our review. This in no way influenced my review. Opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

Is Ike dreaming of sailing on the deep blue sea? Or just reading a good book about it?

Ike doesn't have a boat or an ocean, but he makes do with his wading pool.

 You may know Something Wagging This Way Comes blogger Pamela. (If not, you should check her out!) She, along with her hubby and their sweet golden retriever Honey, are living aboard The Meander, living life on the seas. It's fun to hear how a dog handles daily life on a sailboat.

I recently learned of another dog who sailed around the world with her family. Hubble and Hattie, publishers of great dog books (and the same publishers who put out my Dieting with my Dog!) sent me a copy of the book to review and one to give away!














Tara, the Terrier who sailed around the world by Rosemary and Robert Forrester, is a well-told and heartfelt tale of travel and love.

From the publisher:
For animal lovers everywhere – especially those who like travel and sailing boats – this is an emotional and uniquely entertaining tale.

Excerpt:
What makes a Jack Russell terrier a keen fisherdog? When she joined us on Deusa at six weeks old, all of Tara's natural instincts to kill rats or chase foxes down holes became channeled toward a marine existence. What was there to hunt along the beach but scuttling crabs and little silver fish? Tara dedicated her time to running up and down in the shallows, pouncing and snapping at the shadows and shapes that darted and dashed in the clear water.
Lemon sharks liked to hang around the anchored boats, waiting for tasty morsels chucked overboard when cleaning freshly-caught fish on the back deck. these sharks were bold and curious: not afraid of swimmers, especially if they were spearing fish, and would even swim by the shore to check out anything new. They were not dangerous, but the word shark inevitably conjured up an image of Jaws and we were respectful of their presence.
Tara loved the freedom of the beach, and I enjoyed looking for shells while she played in the water. One day, I was some distance away from her when I saw a lemon shark heading in her direction. There was no use calling, as she never liked to be interrupted in her fishing.
I started running back, imagining the shark gliding up to seize her by a slim white leg or black nose as she stuck it underwater. I could now see the shark in the shallows, its fin sticking out of the water as it edged in for a closer look at the strange creature prancing about....

Hi and welcome to the very last stop on the Faithfully Yours blog tour! I hope you've been touring along with us. Yesterday "we were the champions" at Champion of my Heart. Today we have a treat, two stops, so be sure to stop by both Fire Safety Rocks and Five Sibes! Leave a comment there and you'll be entered for a giveaway for a free copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries!

Hi and welcome to the Faithfully Yours blog tour! Yesterday we were the champions at Champion of my Heart. Today we have a treat, two stops, so be sure to stop by both Joyful Paws and Talking Dogs! Leave a comment there and you'll be entered for a giveaway for a free copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries!

Hi and welcome to the Faithfully Yours blog tour! Yesterday we had a heartwarming stop at Heart Like a Dog and today we continue with the heart theme, at Champion of my Heart. Please stop by! Leave a comment there and you'll be entered for a giveaway for a free copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries!

Hi and welcome to the Faithfully Yours blog tour! Yesterday we visited Pooch Smooches. Did you all get enough doggy kisses? Today we're stopping over to Heart Like a Dog. Leave a comment there and you'll be entered for a giveaway for a free copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries!

Welcome to Faithfully Yours blog book tour. I hope you didn't miss the talented folks over at Talent Hounds yesterday. They're awesome! Today it's my turn! Hi! Welcome!


















Today is the official launch of Faithfully Yours, so I thought it was the perfect day to post. My publisher, Paraclete Press, decided to launch the book about the human-animal bond today because it's St. Francis Day.






















St. Francis is known as the patron saint of animals. St. Francis delighted in God's presence wherever he found it, especially in God's creatures. Many churches, schools and organizations hold a blessing of the animals on this day.


I'm so delighted that Faithfully Yours is premiering on such a special day!

















Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries! Leave comments at all 14 stops on the tour and you'll get 14 entries!

Have you ever had your pets blessed?

Welcome to Faithfully Yours blog book tour. I hope you had a mocha and curled up with your favorite feline yesterday at Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries and Meows. Today we are visiting Pet Product Reviews. Please join us! Leave a comment there and you'll be entered for a giveaway for a free copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries!

Welcome to the Faithfully Yours blog tour. Cindy Lu's Muse was an excellent hostess. Now we're headed to Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, and Meows. Won't you join us there? If you leave a comment, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Faithfully Yours. And if you follow along and visit all 14 blog stops, you'll get 14 entries!

Welcome to the Faithfully Yours blog tour. We certainly enjoyed our time at Earl's World. Now it's time for the next stop. Join us today over at Cindy Lu's Muse.
Leave a comment there and you'll be entered for a giveaway for a free copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries!

Welcome to the Faithfully Yours blog tour. We're about to begin the tour. Buckle up and get ready. We're going to learn a lot about the book, why I wrote it, and the human-animal bond. And join us over at Earl's World.
Leave a comment there and you'll be entered for a giveaway for a free copy of Faithfully Yours. One winner will be chosen from all the comments from the blog tour. Follow the tour and if you leave comments on all 14 stops, you'll get 14 entries!