One of the undisputed champions of dog books is W. Bruce Cameron, author of the best-selling A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey –– and it looks like the big dog is back with The Dog Master. Although this historical novel strays from the trail of Cameron’s past canine tales as it details the extraordinary bond between a man and a wolf (the first dog), I’m sure his new story will stand the test of time…even if dogs supposedly can’t tell time! (Amazon)
Best-selling USA Today author, Meg Donohue, has a new novel out this week called Dog Crazy, which I’m sure any dog lover will be absolutely nuts about!
And even better, she’s holding a book launch party at Books Inc. to benefit San Francisco-based Grateful Dogs Rescue tomorrow night on March 12. However, if you can’t make it to the event in person, you can always take a trip to Amazon to get your next dog book fix on! (Books Inc.)
I just started reading a non-dog book by Austin Kleon called Show Your Work: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered — and couldn’t resist sharing this animal-inspired writing advice by master spy novelist, John le Carré…
True romantics say it’s better to be alone than be with the wrong person. But what’s even better than being happily alone? Life with a lovable dog, of course!
However, if you can’t have a dog on this Valentine’s Day (due to rental/housing restrictions or whatnot), why not settle down with a good ol’ heartwarming dog book like Hello Love by bestselling author, Karen McQuestion? Because it’s not just time that heals all wounds — it’s the love of a dog, too, of course! (Bubble Bath Books)
If you’re trying to jam in some extra treats for your dog lover friends for the holidays, you could take it literal and pick up the new animal humor book, Crap Taxidermy, which showcases some of the world’s worst taxidermic projects ever created out of our former furry friends (sounds like one of those bad plastic surgery TV shows on E!), or you could possibly pick up Alan Alda’s not very dog-friendly sounding memoir, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, which is on sale right now for $1.99 on Kindle. Of course, it might be better just to play it safe with a cute, cuddly puppy story — since everybody loves puppies! — so there’s always The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron.
Regardless of whatever goodies you go with to celebrate, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The Chicago Tribune features some new dog books released into the wild world of Amazon and indie bookstores…(Chicago Trib)
This past weekend, there was a very big issue discussed in an open forum that affects billions of people all over the world…
Yes, that’s right — The New Yorker Festival breaks down Cats vs. Dogs — with many high-profile, high-brow writers/pet owners weighing in, including Malcolm Gladwell, Joyce Carol Oates, David Remnick, Jesse Eisenberg, and more.
Need a ghost-dog writer? BuzzFeed has just come up with 22 Literary Pun Names For Your Dog. Let’s hear those barbaric yawps!
When I saw the title of Lorrie Moore’s latest book, Bark, I was hoping there might be a tale or two about dogs included in the short story collection, but it appears to be metaphorical — hence, the pic of tree ‘bark’ on the cover.
However, after listening to author, Walter Kirn, on NPR talking about his new Talented Mr. Ripley-like thriller about befriending a master manipulator (wait, that definitely sounds like a dog!), Blood Will Out, I learned that a Gordon Setter plays a big supporting role in the story. Like all great books, Kirn’s starts with a dog — when he agrees to shuttle a crippled rescue dog across the country to meet a supposedly wealthy, pooch-loving Rockefeller — who turns out to be a psychopath. But don’t worry, at least the dog doesn’t get killed! (NPR)
Dogs serve as powerful influences in our lives — sometimes even, metaphorically speaking. A couple recent titles, When Mr. Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan, and Mr. Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt, are two such examples.
Conaghan’s Dog Bites features a main character who is burdened by the stress of living with Tourette’s Syndrome — in which he barks out foul-mouthed comments at inappropriate times while Chartwell uses the black dog as a symbol of depression roaming the grounds of Winston Churchill’s household.
So, I guess you really can’t judge a book by its cover — even if it has a dog on it!
If you think a dog’s life needs a purpose — or is all about the journey — then you might enjoy the timely new holiday release by W. Bruce Cameron (author of A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey), The Dogs of Christmas — which has also recently been optioned by Hollywood for the movies!
My late dog, Petey, has posthumously made The Huffington Post — although I’m sure he wouldn’t be very impressed. He wasn’t much of a publicity hound!
Is that the dog book world shaking, or are you just excited for this weekend’s Pets Aloud Litquake event? If you don’t know, Litquake is the San Francisco Bay Area’s annual week-long literati celebration featuring scheduled readings all over the city.
And It’s Just A Dog, along with several other fine animal-loving authors, including Melissa Cistaro, Jane Vandenburgh, DB Finnegan, Meg Donohue, and Rosaleen Bertolino, will be having a pet-friendly party at Woodland Pets & Treats in Mill Valley on Saturday, October 12, at 2 pm. So come for the stories, and stay for the snacks!
To check out the full schedule of Litquake readings with such notables as Adam Mansbach, TC Boyle, and Delia Ephron, go here.
As the dog days of summer have finally come to an end, I would like to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who purchased a Kindle or paperback copy of It’s Just A Dog — in which 50% of sales were donated to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue during the 3-month launch.
And on top of supporting Muttville, you’ve also helped the book become an Amazon Bestseller (alongside some very cool cats)! Thanks again so much — we couldn’t have done it without you!
As the dog days of summer come to an end, this is the last weekend to grab yourself a copy of It’s Just A Dog (on Kindle, $0.99 or paperback, $8.99) to have your purchase benefit Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. And to go out on a high note, I’m donating 100% of my royalties this week thru Labor Day, September 2, 2013.
Of course, if you’d like to help Muttville even more, you can donate directly or attend their fall party fundraiser, Moolah For Mutts!
