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Forever Dogs
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Why launch a non-political book in 2020?
Well...2020 is a very hard year, and it could use a break.
A deadly pandemic, a vital election, ongoing economic hardship,
continued strife for racial and gender equality,
natural disasters, and worry...lots and lots of worry.
Sometimes you just need a smile, or perhaps 304 pages of smiles.
Forever Dogs: Wit and Wisdom from the Great Canine Beyond - Wagging Tails Telling Tales!
to the rescue.
When the news is hard to hear, when personal pressures keep mounting,
when hope is fleeting, and when the media is laser focused on political narratives,
a book that provides relief from all of that may just be one of those sweet and simple bright spots
that transforms "distraught" into "delight", if only for a moment in time.
After all, everyone knows that a smile is good for the soul.
The hardest part about loving dogs is losing them.
Author Tricia Spencer knows all too well the
heartbreak of losing a beloved dog way too soon,
so she wondered, "What if long-lost hounds could still
bring a smile to our faces? What if they could share their wit and their wisdom
long after they were gone?"
Smiling at the expression of a dog forever immortalized in an antique cabinet photo,
she realized that they could do just that, even if they had been gone
from this earth for more than a hundred years.
Selecting more than 350 photos from her private collection of thousands of
antique and vintage dog pictures, Spencer gave those dogs voices via captions, poetry, short stories, ads, pup advice, and newsworthy tidbits.
Also included in the book is a "Doggone Smart" chapter that features "dog connections" to some of America's most iconic people, places, companies, and organizations, inlcuding:
The United States Marines Canine Mascots
The Seeing-Eye Guide Dog School
American Express
The American Red Cross
The Girl Scouts of America
The Forest Queen Hotel
Opera Diva Rosa Ponselle
The Pennsylvania State Police Canine Unit
Railroad Construction Company
Actress Florence Martin
Sparky - KFAR Radio's "Bark Jockey"
Ketchikan, Alaska
The Seeing-Eye Guide Dog School
American Express
The American Red Cross
The Girl Scouts of America
The Forest Queen Hotel
Opera Diva Rosa Ponselle
The Pennsylvania State Police Canine Unit
Railroad Construction Company
Actress Florence Martin
Sparky - KFAR Radio's "Bark Jockey"
Ketchikan, Alaska
Through these timeless American treasures,
the Doggone Smart chapter provides unexpected insight.
Flush with pictorial slices of Americana from days gone by, this book is a
fiction/nonfiction rainbow created for all the dog-loving humans left behind when life's memorable pooches became...
Forever Dogs.
What Others Say...
"This book is a a delightfully strange, warm, charming celebration of one of Earth's greatest
wonders and treasures--the dog."
--Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
"Mixing humor and poignancy, history and fantasy, Tricia Spencer has created an eclectic scrapbook of talking dogs, vintage photos, and intriguining dog influences
that even this life-long dog lover never knew existed.
Without question, Forever Dogs is a fun addition to the wonderful world of dogs."
--Dr. Marty Becker, "America's Veterinarian",
founder of Fear Free, syndicated columnist,
and author of 23 books, including three New York Times bestsellers
"A warm, fuzzy walk with your dog down memory lane with fun vintage fur-filled photos,
a reminder of the unbreakable human-animal bond we have shared with our canine companions throughout the ages."
--Mark Winter, CEO/Executive Producer of Pet Life Radio
"Time goes by, but the heart-centered authentic nature of dogs stays unchanged.
This is such a sweet book with which to enjoy dogs and their lives with people,
over the decades."
--Tamar Geller, celebrity dog expert and author the the New York Times bestseller, The Loved Dog
"Those of us who have truly loved our pets know well the delight of having them in our lives,
as well as the sadness we all experience when losing them. Forever Dogs delivers a wealth of those memories in a most creative and entertaining way."
--Mike Arms, President/CEO of Helen Woodward Animal Center,
creator of Remember Me Thursday,
International Pet Adoptathon, and Home 4 The Holidays
"Funny and Entertaining. A great book to read and share with your dog-loving friends."
--Walter Salas-Humara, singer/songwriter and creator/artist of WALTER'S DOGS
"Tricia Spencer’s clever book, Forever Dogs: Wit and Wisdom From the
Great Canine Beyond – Wagging Tails Telling Tales!, speaks from the
heart, passing on the secrets of unconditional love (and fun and
happiness and laughter and so much more) from one dog lover to another...
Great Canine Beyond – Wagging Tails Telling Tales!, speaks from the
heart, passing on the secrets of unconditional love (and fun and
happiness and laughter and so much more) from one dog lover to another...
a collage of photographs, captions, sayings, poems and so much more to make the reader laugh, cry, and just savor the complexity of true puppy love.
A wonderful tribute to those who went
before us and wait to rejoin us in the great beyond.
before us and wait to rejoin us in the great beyond.
This is a book to savor over and over again."
--Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite
"A wonderfully entertaining read from first page to last, "Forever Dogs: Wit and Wisdom from the Great Canine Beyond - Wagging Tails Telling Tales" will prove to be a welcome addition to the personal reading lists of anyone with their own canine companion, as well as an enduringly popular addition to community library Pets/Wildlife collections."
--Midwest Book Review
About the Author
Tricia Spencer first became enamored of writing during her stint as Editor in Chief of her grade school newspaper. She follows her heart and imagination when writing, no matter the subject, no matter the form. From songwriting, to nonfiction "how-to", to fiction prose and poetry,
she simply loves the wonder of words.
An award-winning author, other books include:
The Touch of Roy and Dale: The Influence and Influence of Roy Rogers,
The King of the Cowboys, and Dale Evans, The Queen of the West,
As Only their Fans Could Tell It
The Touch of Roy and Dale, Volume II: Personally Told Stores of Lives Changed by Roy Rogers,
The King of the Cowboys, and Dale Evans, The Queen of the West, CONTINUE
1001 Wedding Ideas: The Ultimate Resource for Creating a Wedding No One Will Ever Forget
Tips, The Server's Guide to Bringing Home the Bacon: The Customer Speaks to
Every Waiter, Waitress,
and Restaurant Manager in America
Spirit Prayers for Joyful Living
Forever Dogs Questions Asked & Answered
Q: Why a dog book?
A: I got my first dog on my first birthday. Her name was Gizi, and she died on Thanksgiving Day when I was 16 years old. I literally grew up with her as my best friend. Since then I have been incredibly fortunate to share my life and love with dozens of rescued dogs who have since become Forever Dogs. All of them live eternally in my heart.
Q: Do dogs rule at the Spencer house?
A: Of course! My husband and I once took a 5,000-mile driving trip with 6 dogs, 2 rabbits, a cat,
and a pigeon in the van. Our motto? No creature left behind! Although such a wacky adventure is not for the faint of heart, or the easily wearied, you cannot deny the amazing, unpredictable, are-you-kidding-me memories!
Q: The dogs do most of the talking in the book. How did you decide what they had to say?
A: I let them decide. I looked at their expressions and at what was happening in the photos,
and I wondered, "What are they doing? What are they thinking? How did they get into that situation?" I let the dogs in the photos speak to me, and when I got it wrong, believe it or not,
they told me so!
Q: Are your own dogs in the book?
A: Some of them are. My first rule of the book was that every dog had to have passed away, so in spite of having some pretty stellar connections to the author, current fur-babies were not eligible. But Gizi is there, as are Sonora, Sahara, Shotgun, Remington, Maxie, Lion, Woody, and Serendipity. Awaiting their turn in the spotlight are Tiny, Rosco, Rollo, Napoleon, Ilya, Kyle, Kane, Baron, Falcon, Buffy, and Buffette. I promised them an appearance in an anticipated Forever Dogs, Volume II.
Q: Are there any famous dogs in the book?
A: Sure, there are some renowned dogs, like Chesty, the official United States Marines mascot; Buddy, the seeing eye dog that inspired the launch of The Seeing Eye Guide Dog School;
Sparky, KFAR Radio's "Bark Jockey"; and Togo, the brilliant lead sled dog who helped to save lives in The Great Race of Mercy. But most of the dogs in the book are just sweet, lovable canines of no fame or fortune, the kind that we all know and love so much. Some were, however, photographed back in the day by celebrated photographers.
Q: Is the book funny?
A: Some of these dogs will make you smile or tickle your funny bone, others will tug at your heartstrings, while others will simply tell you a story, real or imagined. They are a most diverse group.
Q: Who is your favorite dog in the book?
A: Well, I got pretty well attached to all of them as I got into their little heads, but if I had to pick one (who was never a part of my own family), I would choose that tubby, rascally, thieving dacshund on page 53. I fell in love with him on sight. He was the first dog in the book to get a "voice", and he used that voice to both plead his alibi for his dastardly deed and to say "I love you" in one long breath. He's just too cute!
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Forever Dogs: Wit and Wisdom from the Great Canine Beyond - Wagging Tails Telling Tales!
Book Identity
ISBN: 978-0-9715098-1-8
Lilac Bloom Press
Release: October 2020
Author: Tricia Spencer