Pup Culture!

June 3, 2013 Filed Under: STAY, STELLA, WCIBY, Why Can't I Be You

PC-AllieLarkin1stSpread

 

I’m way behind on updates, but I wanted to share the spread Stella and I have in the latest issue of Pup Culture Magazine.  Michelle Macirella from Luminaria Photography is amazing, and so much fun to chat with too.

Stella and I have been getting to know each other on new terms over the past few months, and I’m continually amazed by the depth of her spirit.  She never lets fear get in the way of loyalty, (nor does she let my desire to sleep in get in the way of our morning jog).

I’m honored to be included in the magazine and love having these photos with one of my dearest friends.

This link will take you right to the article. I hope you’ll check it out.

 

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STAY in Target

September 12, 2011 Filed Under: Mrs. X can suck it, STAY, Target

So, back in February of 2009, I was shopping at Target when my agent called to tell me that STAY had sold.

I still don’t remember what I’d gone in to buy.  Handsoap? Laundry detergent?  Dog toys?  Whatever the item, it was probably an excuse to visit the book section, stare at all the covers, study all the imprints, and daydream about seeing my book on Target shelves one day.  I was always particularly fond of Plume’s beautiful covers for Jane Green’s books (and Jane Green’s books in general).

I can’t say it ever felt like a realistic dream.  It was actually more than my mind could completely fathom — kind of the way I used to kiss frogs as a kid, hoping they’d turn into princes, even though I had a pretty good idea of what the odds were.

But, yesterday, while running errands with J at the very same Target, I pulled him over to the book section.  And there it was: my very own beautiful Plume paperback, hanging out with one of Jane Green‘s beautiful Plume paperbacks.

If you know anything at all about me, I’m sure you can guess that there were happy tears involved.   Me and crying happy tears in Target go way back.

But, I have J now, so I don’t plan to kiss any frogs.

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River Road Books & Mostly Shepherds!

August 25, 2011 Filed Under: Book Tour, dogs, STAY

Okay, so I guess I shouldn’t promise to post something “tomorrow” ever again, because my version of tomorrow takes half a week, apparently.  But oh, my goodness, I loved doing the STAY event at River Road Books in Fair Haven, NJ.  I’m still smiling about it!  Such a great group of people and wonderful dogs!

River Road Books is a beautiful book store run by a great group of book loving ladies!  They’re such a vital and vibrant part of the community, offering a summer reading program for kids, writing workshops, and other events.  It’s nice to see an indie bookstore that is thriving!

I read from STAY, answered questions, and signed books.  Libby Cook from Mostly Shepherds talked about her amazing rescue organization, and showed off a few of the adoptable animals at Mostly Shepherds.

Me & Gidget
I love dogs in general, although I tend to be more of a big dog person, but I fell hard for Gidget.  She’s a Jack Russell/Pug mix (or “Jug”) who acts like a big dog in a twelve pound package.  She’s so sweet and funny and I had the hardest time resisting the urge to smuggle her home in my handbag.  Her listing is here, complete with an adorable video of her playing with a tennis ball that’s almost as big as her head.
Libby had Magnum, a super smart German Shepherd with a long stock coat (like Argo’s), do a few tricks for the crowd.  He’d only had two obedience classes before the event and he was already performing like a pro.  You can see a video of Magnum working on his obedience training on his listing here.  He was so calm, considering the crowd of people!
Magnum & Libby
One of the people at the event was a lovely woman who had adopted a German Shepherd from Libby about ten years ago.  She got up and talked about how her dog changed her life.  It was so moving!  She also said that German Shepherds are one of the more frequently abused breeds.  New dog owners mistakenly think that because German Shepherds are big, powerful dogs, they need to be handled roughly, but the most important thing an owner needs to train a German Shepherd is love.

What she said has stuck with me, because it’s so true!  Positive reinforcement goes a long way with German Shepherds.  What they want most is to be a part of a pack.  When you love them and bond with them and make sure they know they belong with you, they will do everything they can to make you happy.  Giving them the opportunity to succeed goes a lot further than any kind of harsh correction ever could.  I think it’s also important to note that herding dogs are wired a little differently from other breeds, and even if you’re an experience dog owner, if you’ve never had a herding dog, doing research and talking to people with herding breed experience will be incredibly helpful.
It was so nice to spend time chatting with people who love books and German Shepherds as much as I do!  If you’re in the New Jersey area and are thinking about adopting a dog, get in touch with Libby and Mostly Shepherds.  She’s very mindful of matching the right owners to the right dog, and is a genuinely beautiful and inspiring person.  It was an honor to meet her.
There was also a kitty in attendance, but I believe she’s been adopted.  However, Mostly Shepherds has a few more adoptable cats listed.
Roberta Van Anda from the Rumson-Fair Haven Patch was there and posted about the event, so you can read more about it, and see more pictures here. 

Before the event, I had a great little walk down memory lane Broad Street.  I lived in Red Bank, NJ (right next door to Fair Haven) one summer in the late nineties, and it was also just plain cool to have the opportunity to bum around downtown again.  I expected everything to be different. It’s been over a decade since my last visit, but Red Bank is still hopping.  So many of the local stores and restaurants I loved when I lived there are going strong, like The Bistro (where I once accidentally wore my brand new summer dress to dinner inside out), The Downtown (where one of my roommates and I played along with the band leader at a swing show and pretended to be Swedish Swing Dance Champions . . . long story*), and, this place:

Now I’m back home, doing some writing, gearing up for my event in Batavia at Present Tense Books next week, and cuddling with my German Shepherds.  
I was only gone for a night, but they get pretty clingy when I’ve been away.  
Oh, and if you haven’t already entered, I’m giving away five copies of STAY plus gourmet dog cookies!

*No, actually, it’s not a long story. That’s pretty much the whole story right there.  A good time was had by all.

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Things that have happened – The Epic List Post

Wow, I've had blog back up syndrome.  There are too many things I've been meaning to blog about, but I haven't gotten around to blogging, because I feel like I need to address the things I should have posted about before I get to current stuff.  So here is an epic list post to catch you up.  With … [Continue reading...]

It’s kind of mind-blowing all over again. . .

On June 10th, STAY turned one year old, and the paperback will be out on July 26th.  I thought that I'd (finally) pretty much gotten used to the whole I wrote a book and it's on bookshelves and people other than my writing group have read it thing.And then I was on my way out the door yesterday when … [Continue reading...]

Things I’m absurdly excited about

With the holidays, friends in town, and several people I love having birthdays, last week got a little crazy around here, and I didn't get to blog at all. I'm working on a year end wrap up post for later in the week, but a few things have had me jumping for joy & shouting "Mrs. X can suck it!" … [Continue reading...]

Signed Copies of STAY!

I've had a bunch of people ask me how to get a signed copy of STAY either for themselves or as a holiday gift for someone on their list, so I went to chat with my friends at the Greece Barnes & Noble. We've worked out a two step process to make it happen.1. Call the Greece, NY Barnes & Noble at … [Continue reading...]

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