2013 Word of the Year! STOP.

Once upon a time, I did New Year's resolutions like most other people.  And like most people, I'd broken them before January came to an end.  So, I started to purposefully pick resolutions I knew I could keep.  One year, I decided I would do a shot of tequila.  I like margaritas, and had never done a shot.  So, with Mr. Burhenn's help (he taught me how to do it one handed--hold the shotglass, lemon wedge between pointer finger and thumb, salt on the knuckle of your thumb.  Yep, one fluid motion.) I wrapped that up before January was over.  Yep, I was a winner!

Still, those easy resolutions didn't seem to really improve me.  I mean, yeah, I can handle a shot (although I'd rather sip a wine or beer, personally), but I don't know that it makes me a better person.

So, a few years back, I decided rather than any kind of resolution, I'd try for a word. One word to build my year around.

I've found this really works for me.  I've used words like Optimism, Moment, Awareness, Change...


The last few days I've been deciding on what word I want for 2013.  

Drum roll please...

I'm going with STOP.  

I'm going to use the word as a  reminder to myself to stop and find the glee every day.  To stop and take a breath.  To stop and look for those moments of wonder.  

There's always so much going on here.  I try and balance my family's needs and my writing.  I try to be there for people who need me.  As a pseudo-science geek, I can't help but think that an object in motion tends to stay in motion...unless some outside force acts on it.  Well, I want to be my outside force.  I want to stop the motion and simply appreciate...well, everything!

I hope you find your own resolution or word of the year.  And I wish you a very Happy New Year!!

Holly

My Christmas Gift to You? Nothing But Love!

Ella, The Christmas Dog

 I wanted to get you all a present to thank you for your support over the years. I thought about ugly Christmas sweaters? No, really don't we all have enough of those? Maybe some cookies? But no, that would be a lot of mailing.

Since you all are readers, I decided that maybe a free story was the way to go. So, from 12-24 through 12-26 Nothing But Love will be free on Amazon! Not just in the US, but on the oversea's Amazon sites. Merry Christmas everyone! 


Why a short story?


I got my writing start writing short stories.  I always thought of short stories in terms of a country song, a quick way to heartfelt story.

My goal with a short story was to give readers a vignette.  A small piece of a great story.  And I hoped  to leave the reader with the certainty that these characters will get their Happily Ever After.

And do it in under 5,000 words.

I've written a couple novellas in the last few years, but I haven't done any straight up short stories...until now.

Montlake Romance is rereleasing nine of my old Avalons, along with publishing one final Everything But.. book, Everything But a Dog.  Both series are set in Erie, and in my mind, it made sense that characters' paths would cross and that led...

Well, that's how all fiction starts, with the question: What If?

My answer to that question comes in the form of three short stories.  The first will be available for free from Monday, December 24 - Wednesday, December 6th. After that it's $.99...but really, grab it when it's free because it's my Christmas present to all of you.  You all have been so very wonderful to me and I wanted a way to show my appreciation.

Nothing But Love

A WLVH Radio Series and Everything But...Series short story.

by Holly Jacobs

Take one WLVH disc jockey who adopts a special dog.
Add in one man who thinks he's lost everything.
Let one Everything But... grandmother, Nana Vancy, stir things up.
And maybe find Nothing But Love in this story that's full of Christmas magic.

I so hope you enjoy the story.  And keep an eye out.  I've got two more short stories for the Nothing But.. series.  Nothing but Heart, 2/13 and Nothing but Luck, 3/13.  

The dog in this one got was inspired by one of my Dog Blogs.  You can still read their story at Tami and Marguerite.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!  You can pick your free copy up at Nothing But Love!

Holly

PS I know many of you have other eReaders.  I wish I could make all the Montlake Books available for them, but that's out of my hands.  You can always download the Kindle App to your phone/tablet/computer.  I just want you to know that I value you and I will try at some point in the future to have at least the short stories available for your other formats!

Tami and Marguerite

To celebrate the release of Everything But a Dog on 12/11/12 
I'm talking to people who work with, or have adopted, rescue animals!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I first started writing, I joined a group called the Dreamweavers.  Some I’ve met in person since, and some I only know online, but all of them have a special place in my heart.  Tami not only writes, but she's a vet and works with animals.

Holly:  Hi, Tami! Can you tell us about your work with animal rescue?

Starbright Rescue

Tami:  I work with a vet clinic who is a big supporter of 4 animal rescue organizations. We do discount medical treatment and spays and neuters foe them. Three of the staff, as well as me occasionally, foster pets for them. One group, Starbright Rescue, transports dogs rescued from the pound to homes in New England where homeless pets are rare. Two men, who work regular 9-5 jobs during the week, make the grueling drive from Georgia to Maine in a specially outfitted RV, stopping only to walk each dog every couple of hours. They make this trek every two weeks. Linda at our clinic prepares the paperwork, we do health certificates on every dog and on Friday, there is a three ring circus of activity as tearful volunteers and foster parents bid goodbye and place the dogs on the RV for their long journeys home. My last foster, Aylen, made that trip. Her new family sends me updates of her lounging on the couch and playing in the snow. Aylen was on death row at the pound when I was alerted to her by a facebook friend too far away to save her. (Check out Aylen's story) I also have a video of a little dog found on the side of the road paralyzed who's heart and bubbly personality wouldn't let us put her down.

Holly: Later that day, Tami sent me the following post about the paralyzed dog that she mentioned:

Starbright Rescue...a real hero!

Tami: Marguerite was found on the side of the road in rural Georgia.  Our most likely story is that she was dumped and then hit by a car. She was starving, covered in fleas, and paralyzed in the rear legs. Her initial wounds were almost healed, but there were open sores on her back legs from dragging them along the ground as she hunted for morsels of food and water. 


She was picked up and turned over to a local humane society,  who brought her in to the clinic where I work. X rays soon revealed the sad truth: her back was broken in 2 places. 


But Marguerite had this amazing will to live. Shy the first couple of days, she was soon dragging herself to the front of the cage, tail wagging furiously. That seemed to be the 1 thing not paralyzed. There, she would throw herself over on her back, licking your fingers and begging for belly rubs.

The Humane Society decided to transport her to Auburn University to see if anything could be done for her back. The sad news came back; nothing could be done. Even though she could wag her tail, and had some feeling and movement in her rear legs, the paralysis would be permanent.

Discussions were held.

What to do with Marguerite?

She was the stray was little hope of adoption. She was paralyzed, and because of this she needed extra care and attention. But one look at her bright eyes and wagging tail and no one could make the decision to let her go. 


So the volunteers at the Humane Society went to work. Soon they found someone with an old doggie wheel chair that they would donate. The video included is Marguerite's first outing in her new wheelchair. Think she looks happy?


Since that time, someone volunteered to make a special wheel chair that fits her better. Marguerite has learned to run over your foot with her wheels to get your attention for pats. She has become the Humane Society mascot and will live with a foster parent when not doing special community outreach, for the Humane Society and in nursing homes and children's hospitals. Her sunny personality wins everyone over and now unwanted Marguerite is loved by hundreds of people!

Tami McGraw, DVM

Lori and Charlie

To celebrate the release of Everything But a Dog, I'm talking to people who work with, or have adopted, rescue animals!

A few people complained that they enjoyed the Dog Blogs, but they were more cat people.  So, I went to a friend who has made me laugh so many times with stories of her cats.  Now, Charlie isn't a rescue, instead, he's a rescuer! 

Maybe that's the thing with the animals in our lives.  They become more than just pets...they become family.  Most of us would do anything for our pets...and definitely vice versa in Charlie's case! ~~~~~~~~~~

Charlie

 Cats may appear to be listlessly roaming their Kingdoms, but they are in fact the ruling entity.  Some are the proud lion kings or the reclining feline queens or even the jester prince.  In our kingdom, we are ruled by the village idiot, and his name is Charlie.  A huge clumsy walking ball of blubber and fawn colored fur, Charlie is my constant companion, always somewhere in my personal perimeter without ever needing or wanting to be a common lap cat.  He moves quietly around behind me, lounging on a kitchen chair when I cook and plodding down the stairs behind me to get a basket of laundry from the dryer.  He walks along to the mailbox, curls up on his perch for evening tv time and at night, waits for me to head to the bedroom and then sleeps with his front paws on my feet.

Charlie’s beginnings were far more peasant than prince, but he has come far from those days.  I answered a newspaper ad that offered kittens for $50.  We had recently brought home an all black, sleek miniature panther-like kitten and decided we should get another kitten to keep Black Cat (he never did have any other name) from being lonely.  I found the small mobile home tucked in the corner of trailer park in east Anchorage.  A red haired woman with a heavy Russian accent and flaming red hair that matched the color of her lipstick answered the door.  She stepped aside to let me in and her living room floor seemed to be swarming with kittens.  There were dozens of every color combination in the feline spectrum.  She saw my surprised look and told me that it all started with a neighborhood tom cat that had somehow crawled through a vent pipe into her trailer one dark night and had his ways with her three sweet girls.  Within six hours one day, she went from none to nothing BUT kittens. 

I knelt down and tiny little wobbling and mewing blobs began to climb up my jeans and onto my shirt.  I had no idea how to make a choice so I just reached down and plucked one of the furballs off my shirt and said “I’ll take him”.  Money exchanged hands and his chariot awaited.  He screeched all the way home, I almost turned around and took him back.  But home we came.  I plopped him down in front of the Black Cat and the brotherhood was formed. 

Brothers yes, twins…not even close.  The Black Cat was athletic and energetic, Charlie was clutzy and slow to react.  He tried so hard to keep up, but we came to realize he wasn’t 6 weeks old as we had been told, he was barely able to walk a straight line.  Black Cat would run and scamper and jump up the step into the kitchen, with Charlie in lukewarm pursuit.  Charlie’s attempt to clear the step usually ended up with a tiny thump and a confused kitten still on the wrong side of the step.  After only a few days I could see that Charlie’s energy was fading and he wasn’t gaining ground at all. 

Off to the vet we went.  He was so tiny that he didn’t even register on her scale.  The sweet vet looked at me deliberately and gently said “Let’s just hold off on giving him his shots for now”.  And I realized she was telling me she wasn’t sure he was going to survive.  “He’s really too young to be away from his mother.  He isn’t able to eat solid food, he’s starving.”  My indignation was palpable.  Nobody, not one living thing, was going to starve to death on MY watch.  I went home with a case full of kitten formula and eye droppers and initiated “Operation Save Charlie”.  He was not a willing participant for the first couple days, but by day three, there was an obvious improvement in his alertness and energy.  He began to seek me out for his eyedropper snacks.  He started to gain weight…in quantum leaps.  Two weeks later at vet’s office, he was a full two pounds.  At his 6-month check up, he was 12 lbs, at which point the vet assured me I had saved his life.  He has been at his present plumpness for 7 years now, 20 pounds of regal majesty. 

Black Cat was half his size, but they were brothers in every sense, as much time spent curled together and bathing each other as fighting and snarling and fussing.  Black Cat was the consummate hunter, flattening himself out on the grass and streaking across the grass to nearly catch thousands of birds in his lifetime.  He never gave up on the idea that he could catch one.  Charlie was content to spectate from the comfort of the shady side of the yard.  His running was reserved for heading to the house when food might be involved.  His stride was less panther, and more Huffalump.  Both back legs moved together giving him a bouncing cartoon look as he went.  His nickname became Catopotamus. 

But Charlie is sweet and devoted.  Our granddaughter can lay on him, love him, carry him or kiss him.  He has never shown a mean bone in his body…except to another animal that would dare to enter his Kingdom.  We think he views any intrusion as a threat to the food dish, it’s the only explanation that makes sense.  There was a day 5 years ago when I believe that Charlie saved me, truly. 

My husband had gone to Texas to visit his parents.  I stayed behind to finish a couple days of my work week, but was heading down myself later that day.  The cats and I went outside to water the garden.  Black Cat was under the deck stairs in the front yard, Charlie, as usual, was my shadow and we were inside the garden fence on the side of the house.  A menacing bark and growl made me turn around and I saw two large black dogs, one a Rottweiler mix and some other mixed breed,  coming into our yard from the street, hackles raised.  I followed their gaze and realized that they had target lock on Black Cat in the front yard.  I looked at him, and he was frozen in arch, hissing and growling himself.  My heart pounded, and all I could think was that they would rip him to shreds if he didn’t have the sense to run and climb something.  Without thinking I unlatched the fence gate and ran out into the yard screaming at the top of my lungs, expecting all parties to be startled and run in opposite directions.  Instead, both dogs just stopped in their tracks, then turned to me and began coming aggressively at me, hackles raised and snarling.  I was terrified.  I realized that I had run so far into the yard and away from the safety of the fence that I would not be able to outrun them back.  And I remembered what you always are told “If you run, it will make an aggressive animal chase you”.  So I tried again to yell and make them change direction, but they kept coming.  I was really terrified.  The next sound I heard can only be described as demons from the bowels of Hades.  It was a guttural scream, that low and turned into a screech that was louder than any sound I could make.  And from the corner of my eye, I saw this giant fawn colored beach ball trot past me.  Every hair on Charlie’s body was standing straight out and he looked three times his normal size.  His ears were laid back on his head and he moved in a line, past me and straight at those dogs.  They paused, they sized up their opponent, who was still screeching and advancing, and they turned back toward the street.  That wasn’t enough for Charlie, he increased his speed…and so did the intruders.  They were at a full run by the time they left our yard.  I was in tears from the adrenaline dump.  Charlie continued his escort until he reached the edge of the yard and then turned to come back to the garden.  His hair was laying down a little with each step, but it took him nearly 10 minutes to settle himself.  He continued to growl under his breath and pace, I understood completely.  He was nearly comatose for 3 hours, sleeping off the after-terror let down.  I understood that too. 

Charlie is blissfully free from the ravages of intelligence, but he is pure devotion and I adore him.  

~Lori Zaumseil

Tami and Aylen

To celebrate the release of Everything But a Dog, I'm talking to people who work with, or have adopted, rescue animals!

When I started writing, I joined a group of other writers online.  It's been well over a decade, and though we don't talk as often as we once did, I still count them as some of my first and best writing friends.  Tami is a part of that group.  I've always known what a big heart she has...and I'm glad that I get a chance to let the rest of you meet her and find out for yourselves!


Aylen's Story

Aylen

Social media is a great way to reconnect with old friends, make new friends, market a business, and yes, sometimes even save a life.

Because I'm a veterinarian and I am active on animal issues, especially rescue, I have made a lot of friends on social media sites involved in the same thing. So it wasn't unusual one day to switch on Facebook and see a photo of a little dog sitting in a stark cage.

It was posted by a rescue worker in Florida and asked simply, "Can someone in Georgia please help this dog? She's on death row." Death row is the term often used in rescues for animals whose time is nearly up at the animal control facilities.

With trepidation, I asked "Where in Georgia?" I hoped it was up in the far north of the state, somewhere too far to get to easily. Then she would be someone else's problem. It's not that I don't like to help out, but with 5 rescued dogs as well as rescued cats and horses there was not much room at the inn, so to speak. Plus my husband was going to kill me if I carted home another animal.

Her answer came back, "middle Georgia". Uh oh, that's where I lived.

"Where in middle Georgia?"

"Warner Robins" was the answer.

Great. 30 minutes away in the city where I worked.

But the good news was the vet clinic where I'm employed also works with several rescue organizations.
They offer low cost spays, neuters and medical treatment to the rescued animals. Several of the technicians are even foster parents, and Linda, the head tech handles all the paperwork for one group, Starbright Rescue.

So I told my Facebook friend to hang on and called Linda.  "Do you think one of the rescues has room for another dog?" I asked.

Linda told me she'd check and made some calls. "Misty at Starbright knows exactly the dog you're talking about. She'll pull her tomorrow. "

I was relieved. Good deed done. I notified my friend that the pup would be in the hands of a rescue the next day.

The following morning when I got to work, Linda greeted me with a smile. "So what do you want to name your dog?"

"My dog?" I sputtered.  "I don't want the dog. She was for the rescue to find a home!"

"And they will," Linda said. " But someone has to foster her until they do. And you volunteered!"

"My husband's gonna kill me!" I sighed.

A little later, Misty from Starbright Rescue showed up with this medium sized Australian Shepherd mix. She was about 7 months old, and just happy to be there. Her plumed tail waved as she greeted everyone.

Many rescue dogs come from the pound unsure and frightened.  They don't know how to trust, or just seem very sad. Not this little girl. Even when we put her back in the kennels, she just looked around happily as if to say, "Heyyyy. New digs!"

I pored over possible names. Since she wasn't a tiny cute puppy and would be on Petfinder among hundreds of other dogs, I needed something that would make her stand out. I'm part Native American and my last two rescue horses were given native names. I found the perfect name almost instantly when I looked up Cherokee words. "Aylen" It meant "happiness" and was perfect for a happy little dog.
So then the work began. Aylen was tested for parasites, bathed, spayed and given her vaccinations.She was photographed and I wrote up her bio for the Petfinder site.  And she was taken home to meet the rest of my gang.

Aylen settled in immediately.  Still happy, she befriended dogs and cats alike. She loved all people, especially kids. And my husband didn't kill me after all, and even let Aylen crawl up into his lap. Crate training and house breaking went relatively easily.

Within 2 weeks of posting, there were 3 people interested in Aylen. My naming and bio had gotten her noticed and her cute face did the rest.

They let me contact the potential adopters and the first one was a  young couple in Maine who had finally moved into a home where they could have dogs. I spoke to the wife for an hour and knew they would be perfect.
So then began the process to get Aylen to Maine. Another physical exam was done and a health certificate written out and added to all her medical info, along with a photograph and microchip to identify her. Linda is an ace at organizing all the paperwork so that transport goes smoothly.

Transport day is like a carefully orchestrated three ring circus. There are two gentleman who work a full time job during the week, then every other Friday drive a specially renovated RV from Georgia to Maine carrying rescued pets to their new forever homes. They drive straight through, stopping every couple of hours only to walk and water the dogs.  They have regular drop off points along the way where they meet the adoptive families.

These men are volunteers. They receive no pay. They leave on Friday, deliver all the dogs to their families on Saturday, and on Sunday make the long drive home so that they can be back at work on Monday. They do it all for the love of the dogs.

When the transport arrives on Friday morning there is a flurry of activity at the veterinary clinic. Some pets are left at the clinic overnight to get their health certificates and to be there if the foster parents can't bring them on Friday. There also volunteers for Star Bright and foster families bringing their foster pets. There is laughter, hugs, and tears as each dog is told goodbye and loaded onto the RV to head to it's forever home.

I hugged Aylen to me, my face buried in her soft fur. In only 5 weeks this little dog had won my heart. This is the main reason I hate fostering.  I get so attached to these guys and then I have to tell them goodbye. The only reason I'm able to let go is knowing they're going to a wonderful forever home.
Aylen, for her part, never looked back. She bounded into that RV, tail wagging, looking forward to her future with that same happy outlook on life.

I get updates from time to time from Aylen's new parents. It took her awhile to win over the family cat, but finally they are friends and will share space on the couch together. Her new family is very active and Aylen enjoyed a summer of hiking and boating. With her thick coat, she really loves the snow, something she would never experience here in the Deep South.

But Aylen's very favorite thing is to lay on her back on the couch with her head resting in her new Dad's lap.

Aylen. A happy little dog who made the long journey from death row in Georgia to a forever home in Maine.

~Tami McGraw, DVM

Love is Just as Fun the Second Time Around

Ethel, Ella, Holly (w/ coffee...no shock)

Last week, my new book, Everything But a Dog  was released (my dogs, Ethel and Ella are still waiting for the Puparazzi to hound them...alas, none have yet!  LOL).  And the rest of that series has been rereleased as a eBooks, and also as paperbacks.  (They were originally hardbacks.)

Well, I got word that Montlake Romance is rereleasing my other Avalon series, WLVH Radio as eBooks and paperbacks TODAY!  Yeah, that's a lot of books.  But I hope you all enjoy this series.

The fun thing about both series as eBooks is, they're available around the world.  Amazon has sites in the UK, Germany, Japan...  Well, a lot of countries.

The bad thing is, they're only available for the Kindle.  People who have other eReaders can buy the paperbacks at whatever store the prefer shopping at, or download the Kindle app to their computer/iPad or smartphone and read them there.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Holly


PS I have a bit of a Christmas gift for all of you...more on that later in the week.  But for now, here are the two series in order (though each book stands alone).

Everything But... series:

Everything But a Groom, Everything But Book #1

Everything But a Bride, Everything But Book #2

Everything But a Wedding, Everything But Book #3

Everything But a Christmas Eve, Everything But Book #4

Everything But a Mother, Everything But Book #5

Just in Time for the Holidays!

December 2012 Montlake Romance 

Everything But a Dog 

(Everything But Book #6)

in both eBook and print.
"Holly Jacobs delights yet again with Everything but a Dog – a heartwarming, feel-good tale/tail!”~ USA Todaybestselling author Catherine Mann

And out today, my WLVH Radio series.

I was very lucky.  I had a friend who is a local Disc Jockey, and Craig Warvel let me come hang out with him at Star 104 here in Erie.  I wanted a bit of a feel for what DJ's do at the station.  Any mistakes are purely mine. (Oh, and the dog in the third book, Night Calls, is modeled after the Old English Mastiff we had before Ethel and Ella...he was a great dog!)

Pickup Lines, WLVH Radio, Book #1

Lovehandles, WLVH Radio, Book #2 

Night Calls,WLVH Radio, Book #3

Laugh Lines, WLVH Radio, Book #4