This week we’ve all heard how incompetent we are: according to the media, none of us pee enough or understand that nuclear power was idiotic to begin with. Some of us do and did. That includes me. How about you? While you’re thinking about it, here’s something to like: check out “Field Study Stars Rock […]
bridging species
Gone to the Dogs … in New York
If you’re going to New York and have to leave your own dogs (and cat) at home, there’s one sure way to get your dog fix: arrange to be there in February, when New York goes doggy for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The 135th Westminster Dog Show […]
Winning National Writing Awards
We had a winning table at the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) writing awards banquet at the Affinia Hotel in New York City Feb. 13, 2011! This is the DWAA’s 76th year, a professional association of people writing about dogs in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, books, and in art and photography. We were gathered to […]
Daily Rituals with Our Animals: Saving the World One Family at a Time
We start and end the day at our house the same way: in a big pile on the bed while I tell my kids, one by one, with many hugs, how much I love them. And why. Every day. Every night. And I get lots of hugs and kisses in return. What astounds me is […]
Co-incidence and Community: How A Dog, Three Women, and a Book Saved a Life
Sometimes we wonder if we’ve done the right thing in life. Sometimes we get lucky and know we did, even though we were just trying to get by. Sometimes that story co-incidentally defines another, which is what building community is all about. This is the story of how a chronically ill dog saved another dog […]
Sinking or Swimming While Writing Your Book
The hardest book I’ve ever done? My own. No kidding. Not even the analytical, skeptical, intuitive, optimistic cynic in me saw that one coming. In all the years I’ve written and worked with other authors, nurtured them through the writing and publishing process, never have I had so much trouble! I astonished myself with the […]
Alchemy West: Our Interview at Working Dog Wednesday
Robyn: One of the best things at Alchemy West in 2010 was working with Bella the Boxer and her staff, Ellen Galvin and Patrick Galvin, on Bella’s book. Yes, Bella is a dogpreneur and wrote Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success. Bella has upped the ante on the self-help genre, […]
What Do Animal Communicators Really Do?
There are so many people doing animal communication that they’ve begun to specialize. I don’t do animal communication exclusively. I communicate with all life, from animals to businesses, homes, and nature, including wild/domestic land and weather systems. Essentially, animal communicators help us telepathically connect with animals, by hearing or seeing them, experiencing their feelings, or […]
We Mean Dog Business at The Cantankerous Dog Lover
I’ve fired a lot of vets in the 12-1/2 years since I welcomed animals back into my life. Sometimes I think there isn’t a vet left in Seattle that I’ll talk to, let alone pay to take care of my kids. That makes me The Cantankerous Dog Lover, standing up for better, more common sense […]
Storytelling: Two Approaches to Characters
Our stories are living beings, equal partners in our passionate, purposeful, plain fun lives. Our stories matter. The process of telling them matters. How do you learn to write? You write. You think. You read. Here are two novels to think about. What do they share? Christopher Moore. Fluke, Or I Know Why the Winged […]