Hound of the Book Reviews- Contest Winners

I hope you've enjoyed Hound of the Book Reviews this week! Whenever I find another great pet book, I'll be sure to fill you in. I know, cat books deserve a turn next time too!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaways. I wish I had books for everyone. But I promise to have more giveaways in the future (and one for my own book too!) And now (drum roll!) CONGRATS to these contest winners! Please be sure to email me your contact information to receive your books (peggyfrezon (at) gmail (dot) com).

A Famous Dog's Life:
Remington
3Doxies

Angelo's Journey e-book:
Carol N. Wong

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy the books. Again, send me your snail mailing address and I'll be sure the books get to you right away. Happy Reading!

In a side note, I also wanted to thank Mark of Beloved Pets for this nice blog review this week. Jump over and check it out, they have info on lots of cool products for pets.

Hound of the Book Reviews #4- Angelo's Journey

Here we are with another Hound of the Book Reviews, and this time it's an e-book. And, read on to see how you can win a free copy of this e-book too!

Whenever I read a news report about the happy reuniting of a previously missing dog with its family, I always wonder about what had happened to the dog while it was away. Leland Dirks was thinking the same thing when he wrote his novel, Angelo's Journey.

Although this is a novel, there are a few true parts: Leland's beautiful border collie Angelo disappeared one day. And, after 40 days Angelo returned. What happened in the middle, and the contents of this book, are left to Leland's imagination. Each chapter is a different story, written in the first person by each person Angelo encounters along his journey. The second chapter, about the man who kidnapped Angelo, is brutal and made me sad. But the rest of the chapters are stories of all the people Angelo touched on his journey-- the truck driver, the cowboy, the waitress, and more. Interspersed are accounts of how Angelo's companion searched for him, missed him, and prayed for him. I truly enjoyed this book and agree that dogs can be angels in people's lives.

About the Author:
Leland lives in the middle of a beautiful nowhere that is Colorado's San Luis Valley. Angelo, the world famous Border Collie, and Maggie, his black Lab philosopher mix, allow him to share their off-grid home. All three tolerate The Cat who does a merely adequate job of rodent control.
Check out Leland Dirk's website.
Angelo's Journey is available on Kindle (can also be read on smartphones, PCs, Macs and ipads.)

* Enter to win a free e-copy of Angelo's Journey. If you don't have an e-reader, never fear! I read my copy of the book with a free downloadable app to my computer, and it worked just fine. Just leave a comment to be entered. For additional entries, follow this blog and leave another comment saying that you are a new follower. And/or post about this contest on twitter and leave a separate comment telling me you posted. Contest ends at midnight 5/5 and winners will be announced on Friday.

Hound of the Book Reviews #3- Dogs and the Women Who Love Them

We're half way through our week of Hound of the Book Reviews! I'm enjoying reading all these great dog books, and hope you are too. Today's book is:
Dogs and the Women Who Love Them, Extraordinary True Stories of Loyalty, Healing, and Inspiration by Allen and Linda Anderson

First of all, the pooch on the cover of this book is just about the most adorable pup I've ever seen (with the exception of Kelly, of course)! What a face! Of course, an equally delightful treat waits inside the pages: story after heartwarming story of amazing dogs. Here are some of the stories:

* Miguel, a Newfoundland-Labrador mix introduced an impoverished child to Rosanne Nordstrom, a resourceful woman who became like a mother to him.

* Euri, a loving English cocker spaniel, inspired Houston’s Bobbi Leder to become a dog writer columnist and miraculously healed her of a chronic illness.

* Beau, a rescued black Lab became “co-founder” of Patriot PAWS, a Texas nonprofit that Lori Stevens started to train service dogs for disabled veterans.

* Major, an abused and neglected German shepherd, saved the life of national-award winning police dog trainer Janet Koch Ballard while serving as her K-9 partner.

* McDuff, a Scottish terrier, turned Judy McFadden into his soul mate as the dog brought healing pet therapy to Henderson, Nevada’s most severely disabled residents.

* Frankie, a dachshund in a doggie wheelchair, inspired Barbara Techel to write award-winning children’s books; she designed a school campaign with Frankie to help children appreciate differences in each other

* A Los Angeles public relations firm president realized a childhood dream of becoming Santa’s lead reindeer Rudolph because a childhood dog let her put lipstick on his nose.

I loved these stories. Each one made me reflect on how happy I am go be a woman who loves dogs!

According to Linda Anderson, “Because dogs opened their hearts to love and their minds to possibilities, the women in this book healed from life-threatening illnesses, started new careers or missions, pulled entire groups together for a common good, learned to love again, chose better mates and dates, transformed the lives of children and people with disabilities, brought joy and comfort to the elderly and ill, and laughed when they felt like crying.”

O Magazine recommended Dogs and the Women Who Love Them, and it’s on the Oprah.com website. Betty White, Wendie Malick, Vanessa Williams, and American Humane Association are among others endorsed the book. Find Dogs and the Women Who Love Them on Amazon or at your favorite bookstore.

Hound of the Book Reviews #2: A Famous Dog's Life

If you love dogs and you love books, then this is the place for you! This week I'm reviewing great new dog books. So join me for Hound of the Book Reviews! Read on to see how you can win a copy of today's book, too!

Today we're reviewing a wonderful new book, just being released today. A Famous Dog's Life, the Story of Gidget, America's Most Beloved Chihuaua by Hollywood animal trainer Sue Chipperton and People magazine writer Rennie Dyball.

You probably know Gidget as "the Taco Bell dog." This is her story, from the day the tiny puppy demanded the attention of an animal trainer who was actually out looking for a West Highland terrier, to her starring role as the Taco Bell dog. Gidget has walked the red carpet, flown on private jets, hobnobbed with dozens of A-List celebrities. Her image has graced posters, Tshirts and dolls, and a Google search for her best known role even today yields over 325 thousand website results. And through this book you will fall in love with her sweet, spunky, and quirky personality.

This book is different from many other dog books I've read lately. It's a fun glimpse into the interesting world of acting and a dog who is not only a pet and companion, but also has a job to do. I was fascinated to read about the way dogs are trained for commercials and movies. It is clear that animal trainer Sue Chipperton takes wonderful care to make sure the animals are happy and healthy and won't be harmed in any way. Gidget's playful and sometimes naughty personality shine through in this engaging book. You can find A Famous Dog's Life on Amazon or at your favorite bookstore.

* Win a copy of A Famous Dog's Life! Just leave a comment below. For additional chances to win, follow this blog and leave a separate comment saying that you are a follower, and tweet about the contest and leave a separate comment saying that you tweeted. Two lucky winners will be drawn at random. (Sorry, U.S. only.) Be sure to leave a link to your site or some way for me to contact you to get your mailing address. Check back on Friday, contest winners will be announced then. Good luck!

Clue to tomorrow's review: Most of my blog readers probably fall into the category that is the described in the title of this next book.

Hound of the Book Reviews #1 - Dog Walks Man

Howl Out and join me this week for my Hound of the Book Reviews, as I celebrate two of my favorite passions... dogs and reading. I'll be blogging reviews of great new dog books from inspiring authors every day this week.

First up is Dog Walks Man: A Six Legged Odyssey, by John Zeaman

I walk Kelly for various reasons...to get exercise, to give her exercise, and because she loves the sights and smells. There are also many reasons why I sometimes dread walking her...too cold, too hot, too tired, too busy. But, as you may agree, we do it for our dogs.

In this book, John Zeaman takes a humorous and thoughtful look at walking the family poodle, Pete. While his kids begged for the dog, all too soon the dog-walking duties fell to Zeaman. The "minor miracle of dog walking," Zeaman writes, is "how, forced to do something--even something that you really really didn't want to do--you could end up feeling grateful for it."

Throughout his walks, Zeaman reflects on dogs, family, friends, nature, and slowing down time. My favorite part was when a meandering Pete, dragging so far behind as to be lost from Zeaman's sight, ends up being picked up as a stray and taken for a perp ride in the patrol car.

Dog Walks Man is a "compelling and powerful meditation on the simple wisdom derived from dogs and walking with them."

About the Author: John Zeaman writes an arts column for Design NJ magazine and reviews art for The Record (Bergen County, NJ) and the Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ). He has won numerous journalism awards and is the author of a series of children's books called "Before They Were Pets." Zeaman's young adult book, Overpopulation, was selected for the New York Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age" list. He lives in Leonia, New Jersey.
John Zeaman's website.




Hint for tomorrow's review: Yo Quiero Taco Bell!