Fun Stuff
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Meet Surf Dog Ricochet
I love dogs. They are noble and heroic and worthy of being included in my romantic suspense stories. For many years, Gus and Talley, my two Golden Labs, were my constant companions; they inspired me to include four-legged characters in my books because of the unique relationships people and animals share.
When I was researching topics for today’s blog, I came across a website for an impressive canine–Surf Dog Ricochet (or Ricki, as she is called). The achievements of this very special SURFice dog® highlight the endearing qualities of all service dogs: loyalty, personality, dedication, steadfastness, comfort and unconditional love.
After “flunking out” of training as a service animal, Ricki’s owner wasn’t sure what to do with the puppy. She enjoyed surfing and, at fifteen months, took third place in the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge surf competition. Ricki’s knack for surfing created a unique opportunity for her to work with special needs kids and peoples with disabilities on the water.
One of Ricki’s other talents is her ability to detect stress and anxiety in people. This is one reason therapy dogs are being used to treat service members with PTSD and children with autism. Read more on this on Ricochet’s website.
Over the course of Ricki’s career as a therapy dog and philanthropist, she has raised almost $500,000 for various causes, won top dog awards and become a media star. You can read her story in Ricochet: Riding a Wave of Hope with the Dog Who Inspires Millions and catch her in Super Power Dogs, which comes out in 2018.
Part of what is most inspiring about Ricki’s story is that her “pawsome” success as a surf therapy dog was not intentional. That’s a wonderful reminder that when life doesn’t go as planned or we fall short of our goals, there is still the potential to become or experience or achieve something amazing.
See Ricki’s incredible photos and learn more at her website: www.surfdogricochet.com.
Photos of Ricochet used with permission.
Readers & Writers in Seattle
Last weekend I attended the Readers & Writers Seattle event. As always, the best part of the event was meeting readers in person. Okay, I lied. The ripped cover models were the best part of the event. If you’ve ever attended a book signing or reader event featuring cover models, you’ll just nod and agree. If you haven’t….find one to attend ASAP!
Of course I was so busy enjoying the eye candy that I forgot to get photos with them. I did, however, get pictures with some of my reader and writer friends.
Some of the readers created “memory books” with a page dedicated to each author. They collect autographs and it was an honor to sign my page in this reader’s book.
Here’s a group photo taken at the event. FYI, tickets for 2018 are already on sale!
Win ebooks for your summer TBR pile
It’s time to start making plans for the summer. Are you traveling? Going on vacation? Visiting friends and family? Relaxing at home with a “staycation”? Boy, just talking about relaxing summer days makes me want to start a pitcher of sun tea, kick off my flip-flops, find a shady place to set up my hammock and read a good book.
If your To Be Read pile is getting low, check out these two giveaways. You could win a bundle of Regency romances, ebooks, gift cards or a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet. Good luck and happy summertime reading!
Follow your favorite authors on Amazon and BookBub for a chance to win 80+ historical romance plus other prizes! To participate, click here: http://bit.ly/rmh-may17
180+ Author Giveaway! Win $1,000 in Books
One Grand Prize Winner – One of every book in the event!
Multiple Genre Grand Prize Winners – Get all the books in your favorite genre!
One Winner of Each Individual Book!
To participate, click here: https://authorsxp.com/giveaway/mega-multi-genre-giveaway
Happy Mother's Day to the Fur Baby Moms
I saw this adorable greeting card and it reminded me that Mother’s Day means different things to different people. The second Sunday in May has become a celebration of motherhood in many forms, an all-encompassing acknowledgement of the caring and nurturing contributions of all women in our society.
That includes all the fur baby moms.
Being a mother is all about dedication, unconditional love, teaching, tending, healing, inspiring and encouraging others. For all of those moms who love and adore their fur babies, have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
If you have a fur baby, share a photo and tell me how you’ll be celebrating your special day.
Flower Festivals Around the World
There is something joyful and inspiring about the burst of color and delicately perfumed air that accompanies the arrival of springtime flowers. Here are five incredible flower festivals from around the world.
If your own garden is slow to bud, grab a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy scrolling through these gorgeous photos. You might find one that’s just right for a new screensaver.
Fuji Shibazakura Festival (Japan)
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival (Washington, USA)
Flower Carpet (Belgium)
National Cherry Blossom Festival (Washington DC, USA)
Canadian Tulip Festival (Canada)
What is your favorite springtime or flower celebration?