JULY
DELIGHTS WITH DOGGIES
By Catherine
Lanigan with help from FRENCHIE & FRIENDS
The
older I get, the more I write and read, the more I realize how much fuller life
and my stories are made with the antics and love of animals. I’m a dog person, a cat person, a horse
person, a bird person and show me any one of those moving UTube videos about
animals being rescued from tangled barbed wire or those giraffes being moved in
Africa to a safer location, I’m a tearful wreck.
This
July my Heartwarming Book Birthday fellow authors have all gotten together to
delight you with our inspiration for our stories about and which include dogs.
WHEN I FOUND YOU is Kate James’s third
book of her K-9 Trilogy. It goes without saying that Boomer is about the
coolest Alpha male this side of Robert Downey Jr. Boomer is not only a bomb
sniffing expert, but he is a sensitive soul who realizes instantly that Ariana
Atkins is terrified of dogs. Frankly, I think Boomer falls for Ariana even
before Logan does. Just saying. So this
is Boomer. Look at that face!
Kate is very lucky, because she has inspiration
right at her toes every day she writes with her Logan and Harley.
Here’s a great review of Kate’s book, but after
reading it, I’m chiming in with all the reviewers, this one is the best of the
series. http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.ca/2016/06/at-cottage-with-kate-james.html
. Shhh!
But Kate’s working on another one in the K-9 series. Yes. Now it’s a
series not a trilogy. Thank God.
FROM Harlequin Junkie: “This stand-along story in Ms. James k-9
Trilogy was captivating, fast-paced and-for me- a book where the pages flew by…[it]
combined heartwarming romance, edge-of-your-seat suspense and well-written
dialogue that kept me entertained from start to finish. The way this story
ended was perfect.”
Kate has a Prism book tour coming up as well. http://prismbooktours.blogspot.ca/2016/06/announcing-book-tour-for-when-i-found.html So, check this out.
But this review and post is the best, because it’s
from the dog’s point of view as is my upcoming Prism Book Tour with Frenchie,
of course.
To follow that theme, here’s an excerpt from Carrie.http://readingismysuperpower.org/2016/06/29/book-review-found-kate-james/
Zuzu and I love the K-9
Trilogy series by Kate James! So when she (Zuzu) heard that I was reviewing the
final book When I Found You, she asked insisted
on contributing to writing the
review herself. So it is with slight hesitation that I turn the blog over
(temporarily… keep that in mind, pooch) to Her Royal Cuteness, the
softest and quirkiest dog ever, my official blog mascot and sidekick – Zuzu.
Thanks, Mom! Why don’t
you just go … read … or something … for a while? I’ve got everything under
control here.
<looks as adorable as
possible while Mom picks up a book>
I don’t know why she
looks so suspicious. I mean, really. What’s the worst I could do?
<swishes tail
thoughtfully>
Probably best not to
think on that for too long.
Anyway. Back to When
I Found You by Kate James. I’ve read all three books in the trilogy
now, and I think this one is my favorite. Action! Tension! Premium “page-time”
for Boomer, the main character. (Mom says Boomer’s human Logan and the
airport security chief Ariana are the main characters. She’s so clueless
sometimes.)
Speaking of Boomer, he’s right at the center of
the action! Because of course, he’s the main character and DOGS RULE. He shows
off some highly-skilled training in explosives detection, but he’s gentle
enough to help Ariana get over her fear of dogs and win her over. Being a
K-9 officer like Boomer takes dedication and concentration, and Boomer excels
in both. But even when you’re doing all the right things, danger can get the
upper hand in a split second. At one point, I handed the book to Mom, buried my
head in Mom’s my blanket, and
asked her to read it for me until a certain harrowing scene was over. Whew.
One more thing before I
turn it back over to Mom.
Kate. About Sabrina.
Really? I thought this was a K-9 trilogy. As in, canine. D-O-G. No cats
allowed. However, since Boomer was ok with her … I guess I can be too. This
time
My Rating: 4
paws and a tail wag (that’s the highest!)
Karen Rock’s UNDER AN ADIRONDACK SKY is already gathering
five star reviews. Every Karen Rock novel is award winning and haunting, as far as I'm concerned! But I'll let the critics confirm my humble opinion.
In this
heartfelt story, Karen Rock wraps a group of troubled teens deeply around our
hearts! She makes us see them as more than just problems and shows the deep
respect and appreciation that can come from being shown kindness, respect and
love. A true gem of a book! 5 STARS !!!!
Karen’s
getting a string of 5 star reviews
already as well! Here was Karen’s
Facebook post the other day.
Thank you, Cynthia Keagy for giving UNDER AN ADIRONDACK SKY Five
stars! "One of the most touching, emotional, wonderful reads you will
find."- Cyns Reviews
So, yes,
Karen has adorable Zoey who keeps her on her toes all the time. Inspiration
would be easy from this little girl. So, this is a typical morning…Karen starts
her workout and Zoey brings her ball to join in. I’m melting over that face.
How about you?
Amy’s July release, THE GIRL HE USED TO LOVE features a chocolate Lab.
His name is Scout. Now I ask you, what’s not to love
in that face. And those eyes!!
Amy was the first of us to get a review and hers was
5 Stars! The story of Dean and Faith is
heart wrenching enough that it brought tears to my eyes. I can’t say I was boo
hooing and sup sobbing, but yes, tears down the cheeks, mascara on the bed
sheets, moved. You gotta read this one!
This was the review posted by Darlene at Still Moments Magazine.
The Girl He Used To Love
Amy Vastine
July 2016
The past will always be between them.
He swore he'd never return home. Then a flat tire lands Dean Presley back in Grass Lake, Tennessee, and he's forced to confront the woman he left behind. Faith Stratton was once the love of his life. Now her gifted brother could be the rising Nashville star Dean needs for his struggling music label. But it means taking Sawyer away from the horse therapy farm that Faith's so proud of. That won't be easy, especially since those old feelings that started all the trouble… Well, let's just say he can't go back there, because he doesn't want to relive the memories of the terrible accident that drove them apart.
Between The Pages
A heartwarming romance that holds your attention from start to finished. A beautifully written story of emotion and captivating characters. Dean and Faith are superb leading characters, and the author weaves in a cast from the town that are equally enjoyable. The character development between family and friends is written so well, you’ll want to read more about them. Faith’s brother, Sawyer, was adorable and a favourite, and I hope he gets a story of his own. The plot is engaging and has you not wanting to put this book down. An impressive novel for a first introduction to the town of Grass Lake, Tennessee, and the Grace Note Records series. I can’t brag enough about this story that brought a tear to my eye...twice! This is my first read by Ms. Vastine and won’t be my last. I’m anxiously awaiting the second book in this series.
Rating
5 Stars
Amy Vastine
July 2016
The past will always be between them.
He swore he'd never return home. Then a flat tire lands Dean Presley back in Grass Lake, Tennessee, and he's forced to confront the woman he left behind. Faith Stratton was once the love of his life. Now her gifted brother could be the rising Nashville star Dean needs for his struggling music label. But it means taking Sawyer away from the horse therapy farm that Faith's so proud of. That won't be easy, especially since those old feelings that started all the trouble… Well, let's just say he can't go back there, because he doesn't want to relive the memories of the terrible accident that drove them apart.
Between The Pages
A heartwarming romance that holds your attention from start to finished. A beautifully written story of emotion and captivating characters. Dean and Faith are superb leading characters, and the author weaves in a cast from the town that are equally enjoyable. The character development between family and friends is written so well, you’ll want to read more about them. Faith’s brother, Sawyer, was adorable and a favourite, and I hope he gets a story of his own. The plot is engaging and has you not wanting to put this book down. An impressive novel for a first introduction to the town of Grass Lake, Tennessee, and the Grace Note Records series. I can’t brag enough about this story that brought a tear to my eye...twice! This is my first read by Ms. Vastine and won’t be my last. I’m anxiously awaiting the second book in this series.
Rating
5 Stars
Finally, we come to the star of my show/blog/book
from SOPHIE’S PATH-- Tah Dah! Frenchie!
Frenchie is a six and a half pound Yorkie Poo. She’s
on a diet now and hates it as much as I
do.
Frenchie is just her actor/stage name. Her real name
is Piper McDonald. She lives next door to me although, she actually thinks she
lives in two houses. Whenever she is missing, her mommy knows she’s next door
with me. I puppysit her a lot. She has her own set of stairs to climb up onto
my big French bed.
She
loves being on Twitter and Facebook and meeting new friends. So, to further
enjoy Frenchie you all must visit her postings on the Prism Book Tour starts
July 18th. http://prismbooktours.blogspot.com/2016/07/were-launching-book-tour-for-sophies.html
.
And here’s my 4.5 Star review by Darlene! Check it out! http://stillmomentsezine.blogspot.ca/2016/06/sophies-path.html
.
“Catherine Lanigan welcomes you back to Indian Lake
with yet another deserving addition to the Shores of Indian Lake series in
Sophie’s Path. The book takes you back to the familiar cozy town with an
all-access pass into the intricate lives of its close-knit community. Once again, she delivers a worthy read with a
vivid setting, a captivating plot, and engaging pivotal characters. The story
also brings back some of the series’ favorites, and I especially liked how
Catherine Lanigan give the reader a chance to see how their lives have
progressed since the last story, and how she manages to do this without taking
away from the current main story. Also embedded in this story of loss, guilt
and love is an important message on drug addiction.” Faridah Nassozi.
5 STARS.
5 STARS.
All of us will be on tour with TLC Book Tours and we
start on none other than the 4th of July!
Here’s the link: http://tlcbooktours.com/2016/04/summer-lovin-tour-julyaugust-2016/
Come join Frenchie, Boomer, Zoey and Scout along
with their humans (Kate, Karen, Amy and me) for a delight-filled summer lovin’
time!
Of course, anything that involves animals I also love, so naturally, I love your post, Catherine. Thank you for including Scout, and Harley and Logan.
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled to be sharing release month with you, Karen and Amy . . . and Frenchie, Zoey and Scout!
Opps . . . the first reference to "Scout" above should have been Boomer! (The first book in my K-9 Series featured Scout as a search and rescue dog, and of course Amy now has her Scout!)
DeleteOkay, you are up entirely too early for me! Ha! I loved writing this post and having fun with all the doggies. This is such an exciting month for us all. Happy Book Birthday to you, Amy and Karen! See you at RWA. Wahoo!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post!!!! I am honored to be included - I will share with Zuzu when she returns from her walk... though this may just reinforce her recent notion that she should take over the blog permanently. ;)
ReplyDeleteGuest posting is one thing, but you might want to remind Zuzu that having her own blog would cut dramatically into her sleep/play time! :-)
DeleteThanks again to both of you for the wonderful review!
Thank you, Carrie for stopping by and for including ZuZu in your review and post. Please watch for my Prism Book Tour where the entire tour is hosted by my FRENCHIE!!! Dogs rule!
DeleteThese adorable dog pictures are melting my heart! These books all look terrific. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amie! Aren't they cute? And then this morning, I'm having a tree taken down in my yard and the owner of the tree service brought the most magnificent German Shepherd with him. There are 8 guys out there and Maisie. She's so fun. Wants to run away too much, but fun.
DeleteGood morning! Love all your faces - writers, heroines, dogs! Congratulations all on those wonderful reviews and the great books that inspired them.
ReplyDeleteYou are too sweet, Muriel. Aren't the dogs just the greatest? I have to tell you, we are having some summer fun, here!
DeleteLadies, I can't wait to read all of your books. I don't currently have a dog, but until the last few years I have had, and they appear prominently in almost all of my books. I love cats, too, and should write more about them. Your stories are awesome.
ReplyDeleteConsider yourself honorary Godmother to Harley and Logan!
DeleteI love that, Kate, honorary Godmother. That means more birthday goodies and treats at Christmas from Godmothers, right? So, count me in!
DeleteCongratulations on those great reviews! I love animals, too. They add so much to a family. <3
ReplyDeleteCatherine, what a fun post! I'm a goner for pet characters, too. (In books and real life.) Thanks for sharing these cuties. Happy book birthday to you, Amy, Kate, and Karen! These all sound like fantastic stories - the perfect summer reads!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Carol! I can't wait for YOUR next book!
DeleteA fun post and a great month for Heartwarming!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on all of the great reviews ladies!! I can't wait to read all of these. And the dogs?....well, they're just the icing on the cake. Thank you Catherine Lanigan for this fun, informative and cute post. (I'm a sucker for German Shepherds so I can't stop staring at Boomer.)
ReplyDeleteLaurie, you have to know this. So, today, this massive Red King Maple in my backyard that my parents planted in 1965 was struck by lighting last summer when my husband was in the hospital. So, I HAD to take it down as it was dry as a bone and the limbs falling off could kill someone. Probably me. This morning the crew arrived with the most gorgeous and fun GERMAN SHEPHERD! The dog has been here all day. Just having a blast. It's a lot of activity for my quiet neighborhood. I'll post some photos on Facebook, too. Thanks for sharing with us. Happy 4th of July!!
DeleteI'm late to the game but had to say this is an excellent post! All the dogs are so sweet and the stories fabulous :). July is sporting an awesome group of HW authors! And so sorry to hear about your tree. We had to have one take down a couple of years ago for the same reason.
ReplyDelete