WordShaping

I'm Moving

2020-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm moving from this blog to

my NEW Wordpress Blog

Because

I have a New Book!

The Pharaoh and the Librarian

Please Come Along on the Journey

What if Cleopatra faked her death?

While her sister sailed for Wales with the most valuable ancient books from her Library of Alexandria? And they both landed in an imagined new world filled with crypto-creatures and historical humans?

Trekking the desert of 1st century New Mexico, Cleo from the Yucatan and Alex from Nova Scotia, they’d need bravery and help from friends and lovers to evade inner demons and determined villains across an uncharted wilderness.

Alternate history- Fantasy-Romance - Adventure!

I'll be leaving up the 250+ posts on Wordshaping. There are great book reviews, interviews, and lots of memories of people and books. There just won't be more.

Please follow me to my New Blog and click on:

to follow me there.

Why? To receive fun posts about Alternate History and Crypto-creatures.

You can also find me on Facebook. Like me there to learn about special sales and events.

“The Call of the Wild” the Movie and More

2020-03-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Jack London published “The Call of the Wild” in 1903 as short pulp fiction, first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post. A thrilling story of survival and wilderness adventure set during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, London’s writing is surprisingly modern for an almost 120-year-old work. His protagonist is the dog Buck not the human characters and the tone fits the turn of the century style of anthropomorphizing animals and accepting that they think and feel with human emotions.

London describes Buck as a St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd mix with a long muzzle and wolfish head. Desmond Morris’ book “Dogs; The Ultimate Dictionary of over 1,000 Dog Breeds” refers to a lot of Scotch collies. My guess Buck’s mother was one of the heavy-bodied drover’s dogs, bred to take sheep and cattle to market and fight off wolves and other predators in Scotland and England, a sturdy Lassie-sized herding dog.

The latest movie version of “The Call of the Wild,” staring Harrison Ford in the role of John Thornton will be released February 21, 2020. Harrison seems to be a perfect match for Thornton, but the role of Buck has created immediate controversy.

The movie is a live action/animated hybrid. The director’s wife Jessica Steele-Sanders adopted the dog Buckley from a Emporia Kansas animal shelter. A digital scan of Buckley was made into a full CGI model to replace the original plan for a Burmese Mountain Dog. Critics commented that no dogs were harmed in the making of the movie--because no dogs acted in the movie.

Note: There’s also another recent movie. One called “Cats” which also has critics complaining about computers. Digital fur on stars and computer generated ears and tails offended some. But “Cats” never proposed to be about real live cats. Like “The Call of the Wild,” “Cats” is a movie for animal lovers, real and virtual.

For fun, watch the 1935 movie staring Clark Gable and Loretta Young. The film bares little resemblance to London’s book. With only a small part for a dog and a very different plot, movie-makers put out a 1930s romantic comedy and saved only London’s title and the so-so-real snow.

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson - Book Review

2020-01-26T07:59:00.003-07:00

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson

Fourteen-year-old McKenna accepts the challenge of a three-day dog sled race across the Canadian wilderness. Hiding her deteriorating vision from all, she takes herself and her beloved dogs into danger on the trail. Written as an adventure for middle schoolers the story is too interesting not to be read by anyone interested in sled dogs.

Terry Lynn Johnson is an experienced musher who bases her books on her own experiences. She owned a dog-sledding business with eighteen huskies and taught dog-sledding near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and served as a conservation officer and backcountry canoe ranger. Loving outdoor adventures, she brings that knowledge to her writing for young readers. Johnson, who now has one Border Collie, is also the author of “Ice Dogs” and “Sled Dog School.”

Old Town Albuquerque Christmas 2014

2019-11-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

What Do 135 Christmas Trees Look Like?

The weekend before Thanksgiving I went to Albuquerque for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards banquet. As an aside my book Heads in the Clouds did win the Romance category. But even without that thrill spending a weekend in Old Town Albuquerque at the elegant Hotel Albuquerque was a delight.

Shops, museums, art, lots of jewelry. And chilies – hanging from rafters and mixed into luscious New Mexico dishes.

While visiting the historic old San Felipe de Neri church on the Old Plaza, I noticed a tall pole with skeleton-like protrusions in the Plaza Don Luis. Left over from the Day of the Dead celebration? I didn't think so.

When a bucket truck arrived and placed a pine tree on the top, I asked the clerk at the gift shop, located in the Sister Blandina Company that once housed the Sisters of Charity, what was happening. Then I saw a flatbed truck pull up with a lot more, really a lot more, trees. And workers began inserting trees into the skeleton from the top down.

As the day progressed, so did the tree, until one hundred and thirty-five (135) trees merged into one gigantic tree.

Workers continued to decorate the the tree with lights, white snowflakes, and red bows until the glorious tree was complete!

New and Gift-Worthy Books

2019-11-06T09:23:00.001-07:00

“A Dog’s Promise” by W. Bruce Cameron (October 15, 2019)

“A Dog’s Promise” is Cameron’s newest Dog’s Purpose novel. Like the original “A Dog’s Purpose” it stars Bailey whose lives began in “A Dog’s Purpose” and continued in “A Dog’s Journey “(both books and movies). Now old soul Bailey’s back and ready to experience more purpose-driven lives. Cameron’s heartfelt style merges tenderness, humor, and wisdom as Bailey is helped by Lacey, a new dog. W. Bruce Cameron is the top-selling author of dog books globally! And, of course, there will be another movie.

“Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein

Any dog lover that missed seeing the recent movie debut of “Racing in the Rain” needs to reread the book before the movie is available for streaming and on DVD. For a special treat, listen to the audiobook. Note: there are 2 audio versions: the original (the same as the book) and a shorter family version. Since the entire book is from Enzo’s point of view, listening to a dog think and complain about not having thumbs takes readers into the mind of a smart and loyal dog.

“Heart of Barkness” (A Chet and Bernie mystery, 2019) by Spenser Quinn

Chet, as philosophical as Enzo in his own way, and funnier, narrates another mystery though canine eyes. Chet and his (human) partner private investigator Bernie Little. Since both are music lovers, the partners take on a case in the country music world.

David Rosenfelt has two new Andy Carpenter mysteries: “Bark of Night” and “Dachshund through the Snow.”

Rosenfelt is the author of the Andy Carpenter mysteries, with nine books in the series. Dog lovers and mystery lovers alike follow Andy’s work to help clients and help dogs through his Tara Foundation. The Rosenfelts’ real life Tara Foundation has placed over 4,000 dogs in loving homes and continues to be active in the rescue community. He is also the author of two non-fiction books: “Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure” and “Lessons from Tara; Life Advice from the World’s Most Brilliant Dog.”

“Katt vs. Dogg” by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein.

A book written for middle grade kids but too much fun not to be shared with the entire family. Oscar is a happy go lucky dogg who (along with his dogg family) thinks katts are good for nothing but chasing up trees. Molly is an aspiring-actress katt who, like her dogg hating family, despises drooly disgusting doggs. A laugh-out-loud story of cooperation over prejudice. With brilliant cartoon illustrations.

“Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats” by Kimberlie Hamilton (Scholastic, November 5, 2019) Delightful cat stories like the Scottish cat Pyro who flew with RAF pilots in WWII. Plus amazing cat facts that will make cat lovers purr and dog lovers laugh. “It a cat sneezes, rain is on the way.” “Put a cat whisker in your wallet to attract money.” Charming illustrations by 17 artists. For ages 8 and up (and up).

Previously published in the Oct.-Nov. issue of The Flagstaff-Sedona Dog magazine. Print and online.

Guide Dog Book Reviews

2019-06-04T07:12:00.003-07:00

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust by Michael Hingson. Thomas Nelson, 2012.

On September 11, 2001, a guide dog led a blind man down 78 flights of stairs and safely out of the World Trade Center's North Tower.

Roselle, Mike Hingson’s guide dog, was raised in California at Guide Dogs for the Blind away from storms. Now living on the East Coast, thunder frightened her - but not much else.

Mike tells the story of that September day from the morning thunder, to their taxi ride to the train station, and trip to his office. Preparing a sales presentation, he felt the building sway. He shut down computers until it was clear he and Roselle must leave with his colleague David. Mike was prepared, had taken training, and knew how to exit the building in an emergency. From Room 7827 down 1,463 stairs.

Burn victims pass them. Mike jokes that if the lights go out a blind man and his dog with help them, His humor calms the fearful . Roselle breaks her training and kisses a firefighter’s hand. Perhaps his last touch. Sightless, Mike describes the chaos around him. And trusts Roselle to do her job and lead him to safety. Outside he describes the smoke, falling glass, and ash.
An inspirational story, showing the trust and courage of the man and the dog and that saved them both. Truly an heroic team.

Running with Roselle: How a Blind Boy and a Puppy Grew Up, Became Best Friends, and Together Survived One of America’s Darkest Days by Michael Hingson with Jeanette Hanscome. Roselle's Dream Foundation, 2013.

Written for children age 8 and up, Running with Roselle is the story of Mike Hingson and his guide dog Roselle and their 9/11 escape from the World Trade Center. The book does not talk down to kids and adult dog lovers might like it even more than Thunder Dog, for it contains more information on the training of a guide dog.

Told alternately, by man and dog, the story begins with a boy growing up with parents who worked hard to ignore their son's disability. He never let his disability hold him back and shares what blindness is like. As a boy he rode a bicycle and later drove a car (with a sighted friend’s assistance). He went to public schools, received his first guide dog at 14, attended college, and earned a graduate degree in Physics.

Roselle tells her story through the imagined eyes of a soon-to-be guide dog at GDB headquarters. From birth as a Guide Dogs for the Blind yellow Labrador Retriever puppy, through meeting her puppy raisers, her rigorous training, graduation and being matched with Mike. They become a team.
The issues of 9/11 and their escape is presented in a thoughtful manner and teaches appreciation of what service dogs can do.

Guide Dogs for the Blind retired the name “Roselle” as a guide dog name in 2007. Roselle lived until the age of 14.

Michael Hingson lives in Novato, California with his wife, Karen, his guide dog Africa, and Africa's mother Fantasia. When he isn't traveling the world with Africa speaking and teaching, he enjoys playing with his dogs and cooking.

In 2011 Hingson started Roselle's Dream Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to help society understand that blindness is not the characteristic that holds anyone back from achieving all they wish to be. It provides scholarships to assist blind students, especially elementary and high school, to secure needed assistive technology to help them further their education.

Sacred Scarlets – Scarlet Macaws: Big, Beautiful, Brilliant Birds

2017-10-04T09:12:00.001-07:00

Sacred Scarlets – Scarlet Macaws:
Big, Beautiful, Brilliant Birds

by Amber Polo

After hundreds of years Scarlet Macaws can again be seen at the ancient pueblos of the Verde Valley. Their dazzling feathers catching the sun under the Arizona skies.

History

Remains of macaws have been documented in early archaeological excavations at both Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments. The birds were traded into the Verde Valley from hundreds of miles south in modern day Mexico. Substantial numbers of macaws were identified at Pueblo Bonito (Chaco Canyon) and Wupatki at least as early as 1,000 CE. The earliest date for Chaco (Pueblo Bonito) is approximately late 8th century to early 9th century. The date for Wupatki is approximately 1135-1195.

Kelley Taylor

At the age of five Kelley Taylor, founder of Sacred Scarlets, wrote a letter to Santa asking for a parrot. But she didn’t receive her first birds, three goldfinches, until her sixth birthday. Kelley says, her lifelong companionship with birds has "brought decades of joy, adventure, knowledge, and fun. I feel compelled to share this gift with the world through Sacred Scarlets and my beautiful Scarlet Macaw companions, Sedona Rose and Bonita."

After a career in photography and working in Italy, Kelley adopted several large parrots and began to foster, rescue, rehab, and re-home others. Returning to Arizona she pursued her interest in the thick-billed parrots who once lived in the "Sky Islands” region of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. She's visited parrot sites in Mexico, volunteered with the Arizona-Soronran Desert Museum’s Raptor Free-Flight Program, researched the Scarlet Macaw in archaeology at the University of Arizona, and worked with parrot rescue organizations in Arizona. In 2010 Kelley founded Sacred Scarlets, now a 501(c)3.

Scarlet Macaws

Vivid red, yellow, blue, and green feathers make Scarlet Macaws the most brilliantly colored creatures on our planet with their unique red hues spanning ultraviolet to red. Scarlet Macaws are:

32 inches long, with more than half the length in their tail
Weigh 2.2 lbs.
Mate for life
Fly 35 mph
Have dark red with metallic gold iridescence flight feathers
Possess red feather pigments produced only in parrots
May live 75 years in captivity
Endangered

Conservation and Education

The birds of Sacred Scarlets serve as ambassadors for the protection of birds in the wild while acting as brilliant examples of macaws in the history of the American Southwest culture.

Macaws molt and feathers are replaced regularly. Kelley donates feathers to Hopi carvers for their kachinas.

Kelley facilitates rescue with fosters and sanctuaries and urges all potential parrot owners to learn about these intelligent birds before obtaining one from a reputable breeder or rescue. Macaws mature slowly and require a deep commitment to the human-bird bond and long-term responsibility in attention, nutrition, and behavior training. Kelley is available to consult on parrot training and behavior problems.

See the Sacred Scarlets birds and hear about Scarlet Macaws and their history:

Tuzigoot National Monument (Clarkdale, AZ) - Monthly demonstrations Regular fees apply. 928-567-3322 x223

Montezuma Castle National Monument ( Camp Verde, AZ) Regular fees apply– 928-567-3322 x 0

Sacred Scarlets, Scarlet Macaw Conservation

Kelley Taylor, Sacred Scarlets, Founder & President

sacredscarlets.org
Sacred Scarlets, P.O. Box 3543,Cottonwood, AZ 86326

The Wolves of Medicine Wheel Lodge

2017-08-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

The Wolves of Medicine Wheel Lodge

by Amber Polo

HealingWolf’s Medicine Wheel Lodge is a magical place. On ancient land once a sacred gathering place for Native Americans, later Morgan Earp's stagestop, a school, a home, and, for the last seventeen years, a sanctuary for wolves.

HealingWolf
Healing Wolf believes wolves are our teachers. She has raised Gray Wolves, Arctic Wolves, Timber Wolves, and now Tundra Wolves. Iroquois on her mother's side, HealingWolf received her name from her father when at a young age he found her healing a wolf. Since then wolves and all wildlife seek her out. She believes herself privileged to have worked with wolves since rescuing her first wolf in Tennessee.

Honoring all tribes, traditions, and relations, HealingWolf is foremost a teacher.

She and her husband Jon Bickis established Medicine Wheel Lodge in Rimrock, Arizona as a gathering place for people to slow down, learn, share, and heal, interacting with these magnificent ambassadors of nature.

The Wolves of Medicine Wheel Lodge

Dakota, after serious abuse at a fur farm, came to Medicine Wheel Lodge from a shelter where he would have been euthanized. Rescued at 1 1/2 years, he’s had serious medical issues but is now a huge healthy adult male who’s learned he is safe forever.
Kira, an abused female now 6, has slowly overcome her fear of men and serious distress issues.
Mahota and Jhertoma (Tundra wolves) were rescued as 4 month-old-pups after their mother was killed. With no history of human abuse, they are true ambassadors of wolf magic.

All four wolves came to HealingWolf through an informal network of wolf rescuers.

Education for Animal Rescue
HealingWolf considers herself a voice for animals and dreams of a time when all animals wild and domestic are safe. A supporter of wolf reintroduction and all forms of animal rescue, she speaks strongly against the breeding of wolves and wolfdogs for pets and sale. Wolves and part-wolves are not pets. You can’t “own” any wild animal. She urges people who want an amazing companion to seek a needy one in their local shelter.

Caring for wolves and wolfdogs is difficult and expensive. Veterinary care must come to you and surgeries are difficult. Wolves and wolfdogs are not dogs and can easily escape ordinary pens. She has erected heavy 10-foot-high fenced runs with double gates and concrete bases 3 feet into the ground and provided dens. Keeping them healthy and safe is ongoing full time work.

HealingWolf urges all who love wolves to support rescue groups run by those who are doing the work of preserving wolves in the wild and caring for all animals in captivity who can never survive in the wild.

Visits to Medicine Wheel Lodge
Visitors and retreat groups from all over the world and people of all beliefs open their hearts to animals. HealingWolf and her wolves teach respect and love for all wild and domestic animals through physical interactions.

For more information about Medicine Wheel Lodge and Native American Sacred Hoop (the 501(c)3 non-profit). Donations are appreciated for rescue, food, and veterinary care, as well as educational work. www.MedicineWheelLodge.com

To schedule a visit to Medicine Wheel Lodge in Rimrock, AZ call (928) 592-0588 or email healingwolf@hotmail.com. (All visits are scheduled to the best benefit of the wolves.)

Published in another form in the August-September 2017 issue of the Flagstaff-Sedona Dog.

Guide Dogs for the Blind & Doris McFadden - 75 Years of Loving Dogs

2017-07-14T13:42:00.001-07:00

Doris McFadden & Guide Dogs for the Blind

In 1942 long time Camp Verde, Arizona resident Doris McFadden lived in Richmond, California. A 12-year-old dog crazy girl, she helped at a Dalmatian kennel near her home. The kennel owner gave her the opportunity to learn about the world of dogs. At a San Francisco dog show she heard about the new organization called Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB). At the time GDB accepted dogs to be trained and Doris even wanted to donate her own pet to the program.
The Dalmatian kennel’s owner brought two young pups into her home and Doris came daily to care for a 2-month-old Belgian Shepherd. From this solid beginning her love of dogs and dog training blossomed. Doris says, "It was a great experience. And taught me responsibility and stimulated my serious interest in dogs."

In June Doris traveled back to California to be honored by Guide Dogs for the Blind during their 75th (1942-2017) Anniversary celebration. She toured their facility and was participated in puppy socialization, met volunteers and toured the campus. She had lunch with staff, including a class supervisor trainer, where she asked questions and shared her history of dog training and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

In 1942 when wounded servicemen were returning from World War II, Guide Dogs for the Blind was the first West Coast school to train guide dogs. GDB has provided 14,000 guide dog teams (2,200 currently active) and 1,015,000 volunteer hours of service at no cost to students.

A key part of GDB’s program is volunteer puppy raisers and puppy raiser clubs. Pups aged 2-14 months live in a home and learn about the world. Puppy raisers receive a pup at approximately 8 weeks old and teach the puppy good manners and basic obedience in a home environment. CocoPups of Flagstaff is a GDB puppy raiser club. Their members expose pups to a wide variety of experiences including puppy socialization parties, public transportation, city traffic, even a Diamondbacks game.

Back in California after formal training in guide work learning over 35 commands, such as “Find the Door,” successful dogs begin a residential course with their blind partner. GDB estimates it costs about $40,000 to graduate a team. After that GDB provides lifetime support.

Over the years, Doris owned many dogs and trained even more for others in the Verde Valley. She taught dog obedience in Camp Verde and competed in trials most recently with her Australian Shepherd, and became active in Greyhounds of the Verde Valley after adopting a retired racing Greyhound.

Her interest in animals includes wolf advocacy. She serves on Board of Directors of the U.S. Wolf Refuge in Sparks, Nevada and helps with visitors at the Medicine Wheel Lodge wolf refuge in Rimrock.

Seventy-five years after training that pup for GDB, Doris is still dog crazy and still teaching owners to train their dogs. Although Doris’s pup never graduated, the Guide Dogs for the Blind’s CocoPups of Flagstaff puppy raising group recently honored Doris with a pin awarded to a puppy raiser when their dog returns to San Rafael for formal training.

Amber Polo

A form of this article was published in the June-July 2017 issue of the Flagstaff-Sedona Dog.

Omega Reader Wanted - Read a Series Backwards!

2017-02-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ever Read a Series Backwards?

I will never be able to read my own books for the first time. Can't happen.

But, if I could, I'd love to read The Shapeshifters' Library backwards. I'd start with my personal favorite Reprinted (Book 4). FIRST!
I feel a lot of fantasy readers would have fun doing just that. If that idea makes you cringe and whimper, it's not for you. Just stop reading.

But, if you're intrigued - Here's the challenge!

I'm looking for a fantasy reader who has NOT read any of the four books in my series.

Must love dogs
Adore libraries
Possess a quirky imagination
Have an open mind about werewolves

If that's a fit, send me an email and I’ll give you Reprinted (Book 4 in my series) in the ebook format of your choice.

Read it. Tell me what you think.
l send you Book 3. Same deal.
Next Book 2...
Then Book 3...

And finally after you've read the FINAL three books, you get BOOK 1 - Released. Let me blog about your experience and together we might start a new trend.

Love, Serendipity & Chocolate - a Paranormal Real-life Romance

2017-02-09T09:30:00.003-07:00

Amber Polo's
Love, Serendipity & Chocolate

Indulge me as a republish my annual Valentines Day post:

Once upon a time, in 1994, I was the marketing manager for a Boston conference audio-taping company. My boss’s Polish wife decided to throw a party. Registered for a weekend regional Mensa conference at a hotel west of Boston, I was more interested in getting away from my co-workers than socializing with them. But, when your boss has a party, you go, even if the weather is awful and you know traffic to the west suburbs will be hell.

So I ate Jolanta’s thick potato soup and dark bread and waited for the earliest polite moment to leave. At last, blocking the door, she told me I must take sweet treats with me. I opened my briefcase and she dropped in a handful of candy. I smiled and ran down the steps to head into Friday rush hour traffic.

At the hotel Regional Gathering on Friday evening I met old friends. On Saturday morning I had my first ever tarot card reading. Still trying to make sense of the intricate cards, I walked into the Clear Thinking Workshop. I was not particularly interested in thinking; Thinking meant questions and I wanted answers. What did the future hold for me, my career, my fortune, and, most of all, my love life? Was it too much to hope to meet the love of my life? And soon?

Sitting next to me, with obviously a more serious interest in clear thinking, was Vince Polo, an attractive, age-appropriate man from Maryland with a big smile. Vince and I left the workshop and over the next six hours drank a lot of coffee, discussed our lives, and shared personal stories and feelings. Vince’s intelligence, sense of humor, good looks, honesty, and his intense interest in me were irresistible. He stayed for the evening banquet, returned for sessions on Sunday and decided to stay in Boston for another day so we could have dinner on Monday evening.

Sunday night, as I was unpacking my weekend luggage, I up-ended my bag and out fell two “Prince Polo Krunche wafel z kremem Kakawym oblewane naturalna Czekolada” candy bars in gold foil wrappers.

Had I found my prince?

Here's a photo from our Arizona wedding!

A Polish deli near Sedona’s Well Red Coyote bookstore (now sadly closed) stocks Prince Polo chocolate-covered wafer candy bars. And like all the Polish people I've questioned, the deli owners agree the candy bars have been around forever and the name has no significance.
Little did I know back then that I've ever write a paranormal romance novel or a fantasy.

See what Wikipedia says

The Shapeshifters' Library's new dogs

2017-01-27T10:57:00.001-07:00

The Shapeshifters’ Library Series

Light fantasy for the dog lover who lusts for books adores libraries.
Comic villains, smart sweet heroines, and brave intelligent heroes
share a world where dogs talk and librarians battle werewolves to protect knowledge.

Meet my cover models - three boys and one lovely lady:

Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog hero of Released (he's the image of Jonathan, my forever dog)
Cynerik, the Mastiff hero of Retrieved
Bliss, the brave beautiful heroine of Recovered
Pacifico, the smallest but smartest, hero of Reprinted heads for the Caribbean

Each has a story to tell and in human form are as enchanting as when they change into four legged beings:

Chronus, Headmaster of the hidden academy in Released
Cynerik, archaeologist hero in Retrieved
Bliss, children's librarian heroine in Recovered
Pacifico, computer guru, millionaire, smartest hero in Reprinted

Special series pricing beginning January 28th

Festival of Sleep Day - January 3rd

2017-01-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

January 3rd - Festival of Sleep Day!

The writer's goal is not to put readers to sleep.

But when I teach relaxation that is sometimes my student's goal. In April I uploaded my Prelude to Sleep audio to Insight Timer's Free Guided Meditations.

This year over 7,000 people have tried it and the reviews are great!
(Not sure how a sleeper can review, but I am not complaining.)

Try Prelude to Sleep.

Insight Timer is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. (free or with an optional upgrades)

Prelude to Sleep is also available

as audio download track

and even an old-fashioned CD.

Buy Links

iTunes cdbaby CD album and MP3 download Amazon CD

Insight Timer – Meditation Timer

I love this app! The bell quality is excellent. The options to set presets of times and bells is amazing. I can set the time I want to meditate, the number of beginning and ending bells, and choose interval bells - random bells to call my mind back from random thinking. Seeing who in the world is meditating now is nice support if you need reminders that you are not alone.

Developers say 1,400,000 meditators worldwide call Insight home and every day the community generates over 30,000 hours of collective meditation.

Insight Timer is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play (free or with optional upgrades)

Christmas in the Caribbean for 99 cents

2016-12-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Fly Off to a Caribbean Island for Christmas?

Christmas on Wherever Island by Amber Polo

A Magic Santa brings Caribbean Christmas Joy!

Marti Bell is facing the prospect of a very unmerry Christmas. Reluctantly, leaving her married lover she travels toward ice, snow, and judgmental family until a magic Santa sends her to a surprise destination in the warm waters of the Caribbean.

Wherever Island would be a winter paradise except the only place to stay is the beachside cottage of romantic globetrotting photographer Cliff Holmes. Cliff wants to unwind and treat Marti to a little romantic Caribbean Christmas fun but she’s determined to stay in the warm ocean and out of hot water.

“Not only is the setting sensational, the hero will sweep you off your feet…this is one story I can read every Christmas season. …a great happily ever after story.” Gotta Read Reviews

99 cents - Novella in ebook only

Christmas on Wherever Island
Kindle

Magic Christmas Trees in Sedona... and one in Albuqueque

2016-12-12T09:19:00.002-07:00

The Magic Trees of Sedona

Something magical happens in Sedona every December. Well since it’s Sedona, let’s say something more magical happens in December. Along Highway 179, between Bell Rock and the Town of Sedona, Christmas trees appear along the road. They just appear. One day they’re not there and the next morning they are. Not ordinary Christmas trees, these are heavy with thick tinsel garlands and bright round balls. Each tree is different but they all seem to be decorated in the same style, as if there were a plan. This year among the reds and greens, silvers and golds, and purples and blues, there are many covered with red, white, and blue garlands and ornaments.

Since the trees appear on Coconino National Forest land where federal regulations require visitors to stay on the trails, decorating trees isn’t allowed. It is rumored that families sneak along the road late at night with boxes of decorations, but that rumor is harder to believe than magic.

Wherever these magic trees come from, they disappear as mysteriously as they appear. On New Year’s Day there are no trees. If you look carefully you might find a few shards of a red or silver ornament or a bit of glittery purple tinsel, but the trees are gone. The red rocks and the green trees are still there and still magnificent, but they seem a little drab for a few days.

*************************

I wrote this in 2001. The trees no longer appear. The nature-loving people of Sedona have stopped decorating forest trees for fear birds will be attracted to the glittering decorations, eat, and die. So let's keep our trees indoors or with animal friendly decorations.

********************

Christmas trees are the best part of Christmas. Here's a repeat post of my trip to Albuquerque in 2014 and the great Christmas tree in Old Town Albuquerque.

What Do 135 Christmas Trees Look Like?

The weekend before Thanksgiving in 2014 I went to Albuquerque for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards banquet. As an aside my book Heads in the Clouds did win the Romance category. But even without that thrill spending a weekend in Old Town Albuquerque at the elegant Hotel Albuquerque was a delight.

Shops, museums, art, lots of jewelry. And chilies – hanging from rafters and mixed into luscious New Mexico dishes.

As the day progressed, so did the tree, until one hundred and thirty-five (135) trees merged into one gigantic tree.

Workers continued to decorate the the tree with lights, white snowflakes, and red bows until the glorious tree was complete!

New Canine Cover Models

2016-12-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

I've been busy training dogs for my NEW covers!

They're all gentle sweeties, but sometimes get bored posing for covers.

Meet my cover models - three boys and one lovely lady:

Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog hero of Released (he's the image of Jonathan, my forever dog)
Cynerik, the Mastiff hero of Retrieved
Bliss, the brave beautiful heroine of Recovered
Pacifico, the smallest but smartest, hero of Reprinted heads for the Caribbean

Each has a story to tell and in human form are as enchanting as when they change into four legged beings.

Now scroll down to see this season's gifts. A free Christmas romance novella, perfect with a pumpkin latte (or a rum punch). And a Goodreads Giveaway.

Thanks for letting me share my news and please tell your friends,

Amber

Read for FREE through the season
Christmas on Wherever Island
is the "warmest" story I've written.
Maybe it was the season, but a lonely northern girl
needed to find herself on a sunny island with a hot hero.

Amazon Kindle
Smashwords

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Reprinted

by Amber Polo

Giveaway ends December 09, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Christmas (on Wherever Island) is Free

2016-11-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Fly Off to a Caribbean Island for Christmas?

Christmas on Wherever Island by Amber Polo

A Magic Santa brings Caribbean Christmas Joy!

“Not only is the setting sensational, the hero will sweep you off your feet…this is one story I can read every Christmas season. …a great happily ever after story.” Gotta Read Reviews

Novella in ebook only

Christmas on Wherever Island
Kindle

The Book of Dog Magic - A gift for dog lovers with New Age spirit

2016-11-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Book of Dog Magic: Spells, Charms & Tales

by Sophia with Denny Sargent, (Llewellyn, 2016)

Dogs have long been important in folklore and mythology. Many claim dogs can see ghosts and strange energies that we cannot. Therefore, it's not surprising that dogs are associated with magic. Sophia and Denny Sargent’s how-to-manual of charms, chants, meditations, and stories provides background into dogs and spirit and a guide to magical techniques and exercises to connect you with your dogs on a deep psychic level.

First , every dog lover can find their inner canine and mythic dog spirit. Next discover your dog's astrological sign, as well as suggestions of complementary dog breeds based on your astrological sign.

Fortune telling? Yes, your dog can be your psychic. The authors offer the meaning of cards your dog steps on (and hopefully doesn't eat).

Use The Book of Dog Magic to find a spell to choose the perfect dog for you. Then look up a meditation to identify the right name for your new dog. Next, chant a spell to housetrain the puppy and another to make your dog more obedient.

To keep your dog from roaming try the practical "Always Come Back to Me" spell:

Tyr, hear, always stay.

You will never run away.

Always be by my side,

Never vanish, never hide.

If you do someday run free,

Always return to me.

Most comforting are the spells and meditations to help your beloved dog pass into the afterlife.

The Book of Dog Magic includes a glossary of dog spirits and dog-loving gods and goddesses.

A wonderful gift for the dog lover with New Age spirit.

Sophia and Denny Sargent -

Sophia is an animal intuitive, professional psychic, teacher, and bestselling New Age author. She's a traveler with the ability to call wild animals to her wherever she goes.

Denny Sargent is a writer, artist, and university instructor, specializing in ancient cultures and folklore. He has been initiated in several esoteric, western Hermetic and Tantrika traditions. He helped found, write, and edit esoteric journals of contemporary mythology and magik.

Both love all animals, especially canines.

Animal Stories Make Great Gifts for Dog Loving Kids

2016-11-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sashi and the Puppy Mill Girl by Linda Greiner
Illustrated by Morgan Spicer.
(Brown Books Kids, 2016)

A fast-paced story about breed rescue filled with charming drawings.

Sashi, the bossy Sheltie, lives with a liitle girl named Anna and her mother who fosters Shelties. Cinnamon arrives as a dirty and frightened foster. The story explains what a puppy mill is and how fostering and adoption works with an emphasis on the patience needed for rehabilitation. Fostering is defined as "helping dogs find a home where they will be loved forever and ever."

The "For the Adult Reader" page discuses choosing a family dog from a rescue.

A picture book for 5 - 8 year old children, kindergarten through 3^rd grade.

Linda Grainer adopted the real Sashi in 2001 from the Shetland Sheepdog Placement Services of New Jersey and started fostering in 2003. She is the author of two previous Sashi books. A portion of sales from Sashi benefit SSPSNJ.

Morgan Spicer, a self-proclaimed dog-and-cat-lady, hopes to one day open an animal sanctuary and rescue where she will continue to educate youth about the importance of compassion and the magic of animal companionship.

_____________________________________________

The Shelter Pet Squad series
by Cynthia Lord. Illustrated by Erin McGuire.
(Scholastic Press, 2014, 2015, 2016)

A series of three (so far) short chapter books about 7-year-old Suzannah, who can't have a pet - but desperately wants one. She volunteers at her local animal shelter and becomes part of the shelter ‘s Pet Squad, a group of children who learn about animals, make toys, and have fun caring for the shelter animals.

The first in the series features “JellyBean” the guinea pig. The second is about a ferret named “Merlin” and the third stars “Paloma” a satos puppy from Puerto Rico.

Each book encourages volunteering and friendship, explains how shelters work, and stresses the need to understand the type of animal you adopt. They include suggestions how children can help shelter animals in their own area, craft projects to make toys, and advice for caring for a pet and help your local shelter. Each one asks the child to sign a Pledge to become an Honorary Shelter Pet Squad Member.

Especially fun for 7-10 year old children, 2^nd - 5^th grade.

Cynthia Lord is a prolific award-winning children’s author of many books about animals and pets as well as Rules, a Newbery Honor Book. Lord is a shelter volunteer, works in a writing shed, and has a collection of rubber duckies, as well as Milo her dog, Cookie the guinea pig, and two bunnies.

Animal Rescue Groups Raise Funds And Lots of Fun

2016-11-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

Jerome (Arizona) Humane Society

Jerome Humane Society’s "Through the Looking Glass" brunch and auction at the Honeymoon Cottage in Jerome benefited the Jerome Humane Society. Music was provided by the world-famous Jerome Ukulele Orchestra – even Batman made an appearance.

No wonder Jerome, former mining, then ghost town, now filled with artists, is also known for its ghosts.

________________________

Humane Society of Sedona (Arizona)
Pet Lovers Gala

HSS celebrated its 50^th Anniversary (1966-2016) at the Enchantment Resort with a festive Pet Lovers Gala. Hosted by the HSS board and new director Austin Gates, guests enjoyed great food, music, and enthusiastic company, all to support the work of the Society.
Amid the glamour, The stars of the evening were shelter dog Heidi and her 4 four-week-old pups. Heidi was found and taken to the shelter where she gave birth that same night.

_____________________

Red Rose Inspiration for Animals

Red Rose Inspiration for Animals Art and Craft Shows for Animal Rescue bloom in the Olde Sedona Bar & Grill and Red Rock Precision Motors parking lot. Organized by the tireless Tina Allegrezza and her volunteers, the shows will resume in the spring.

Greyhound Update for Arizona - Greyhounds of the Verde Valley Picnic

2016-11-14T10:58:00.003-07:00

Greyhounds Updated

Greyhounds of the Verde Valley’s annual picnic brought 40 dogs to Cornville, Arizona for food, fun races, and hot dog bobbing.

Rory Goree, Chairman of the Arizona Racing Commission and dedicated greyhound welfare advocate, was GVV’s featured speaker. Before becoming a commissioner Goree spent 17 years with Greyhound Pets of America, ten of them as President, during which time the organization placed thousands of retired greyhounds in adoptive homes. Goree personally has seven greyhounds.

Rory Goree,
Chairman of the Arizona Racing Commission

In June 2016, Tucson Greyhound Park, the last Arizona dog track, ended live racing. The ruling was expected and many dogs had previously been moved to tracks in other states and Caliente, Mexico. Of the remaining 300 dogs, many were spoken for to be adopted. The closing was the easiest track closing of the four in Arizona since 1993. Also there are now no National Greyhound Association breeders in Arizona.

Asked why the track shut down, Goree names the anti-gambling lobby. Asked if racing might return, he stressed racing is not against the law in Arizona, just gambling on races.

There are still greyhounds needing adoption. Dogs come in from Florida, Kansas, and other states. Greyhounds of the Verde Valley helps dog lovers find a greyhound pet and continues to rehome dogs (when necessary) and supports all previous adopters and fosters.

Interested in fostering or adopting a Greyhound?

Greyhounds of the Verde Valley: (928) 634-7250 greyhoundsverdevalley@gmail.com

Greyhound Pets of Arizona: General Information: (877) 454-3647 info@gpa-az.com ; Verde Valley adoption contact: Debbie Hunseder: (928) 300-6807 deb@gpa-az.com

If you're not in Arizona, contact your local or regional greyhound adoption group.

Banned Book Week Sept 25--Oct. 1

2016-09-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

It’s Banned Book Week - September 25th through Oct 1st!

by Amber Polo

Why should you as an author care? Your books probably will never be banned. Right?

The freedom to write and publish without censure is a gift to you from those who have worked hard to protect the rights of all writers. The authors of the Bill of Rights. The ACLU. And, yes, librarians. Those be-bunned creatures have protected your rights for decades. They didn’t have to love your work or even want to read it, but they understood that if censors were able to ban one book, all were in danger. They stood up in their libraries and in courtrooms.

As I wrote The Shapeshifters’ Library I reflected upon the freedom to read and the freedom to publish and what I, as a librarian, always took for granted. I incorporated the problems of libraries into a fantasy where noble dog-shifters protect knowledge from book-burning werewolves in a small Ohio town. I speculated on the many ways the werewolves among us have tried to curtail our knowledge. It became clear that banning and burning are pretty much the same thing. If a book is unavailable, it’s ideas are gone. If it never gets published, it’s unavailable.

Enter “Fifty Shades of Grey” into this year’s censorship discussions of what should be ripped from shelves and chained in the library’s basement. In a small library bookclub I facilitate, I asked a group of senior citizen-readers if they planned to read the book. We had a great discussion. One of the best comments was from a woman who said she would read it because she wanted to be able to discuss it with her grandchildren.

Recently the San Francisco Public Library installed 18 privacy screens on computer terminals to shield from others what one person sees on the internet, be it porn or someone’s idea of porn.

Librarians don’t judge the reason you want to read. But they do have policies detailing their individual library book selection policy. Public money can’t be stretched to buy everything published. (Remember that when you expect a library to buy your book or accept a donated copy.)

Celebrate Banned Book Week by reading a banned book. Check out The top ten most frequently challenged books of 2015 .

Scroll down for the list of challenged books for the years 2001 through 2013. I bet you find a couple of your favorites.

Then visit your local public library and see what’s changed. Support your local library. And love your librarian.

Full disclosure: I have an MLS and have selected books for a public library. And I’ve listened to the first third of “Fifty Shades of Grey” in audiobook.

*********

More Thoughts -

Sometimes it's easy to imagine that the censorship of books like "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Leaves of Grass" are in the past. Notice the Idaho story of "Like Water for Chocolate"? These parents who described the book as filled with porn might be surprised at the books on their teenagers' cell phones.

Since I write about dog-shifter librarians who protect books fighting book burning werewolves I found it interesting that National Dog Week (Sept.19-25) precedes Banned Book Week.
And you thought my stories are fantasy! :) Amber Polo

And Read to Your Dog!So Celebrate!

Read a Banned Book!

Take a Treat to Your Librarian!

And Read to Your Dog!

More Dog Book Reviews

2016-08-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

Dog Crazy: A Novel of Love Lost and Found by Meg Donohue

(William Morrow, 2015)

Maggie Brennan is a gifted pet bereavement counselor for patients who’ve lost a a four-footed friend. She has a gift for guiding others through difficult situations.

Leaving a job and a relationship, Maggie moves from Philadelphia to San Francisco, but when her retriever mix dog Toby dies, she becomes unable to leave her home. Suffering from agoraphobia, fortunately Maggie’s living in the same building as her old friend Lourdes and Lourdes’s family, including two daughters and their poodle Giselle.

Maggie’s troubles threaten the success of her counseling practice but for a while she is able to hide her condition, see clients, and volunteer for SuperMutt Rescue, a dog rescue organization without leaving her home.

Everything changes when Maggie meets Anya, an eccentric young woman convinced her stolen dog Billy is alive. Anya’s family, including her elderly grandmother and intriguing brother Henry, want her to face the truth that Billy is dead. In order to aid Anya search the streets of San Francisco for the missing dog, Maggie is forced to leave her house with the support of Giselle, her friend’s poodle. But when she needs go out without Giselle to rescue another dog, Maggie must face her demons and bravely venture out alone.

Dog Crazy blends the mystery of a missing dog with the importance of baby steps and courage in overcoming a disability as Maggie finds herself entangled in a mystery that forces her to face her biggest fear. And open her heart to new love.

This sensitive women’s novel demonstrates how dogs help people and people help dogs, while incorporating a sweet love story into a feel good dog story.

Meg Donohue is the USA Today bestselling author of Dog Crazy, All the Summer Girls, and How to Eat a Cupcake. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, three young daughters, and a dog.

Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushina
(A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery) Crooked Lane, 2015
First, the title is a lot grittier than this fast paced dog-centered mystery, which combines K-9 work with elements of a small town cozy.
Sheriff Deputy Mattie Lu Cobb has a new partner.“[He] was a handsome guy: straight black hair, intense brown eyes, and white teeth that flashed when he grinned…the only one in the department who could outrun her in a cross-country foot race.” He is her German Shepherd K-9 police dog Robo.
Both new to their jobs and both highly driven to succeed, the Mattie-Robo team must figure out why a 16-year-old girl was killed. As it becomes clear the murder may be just the beginning, Mattie and Robo never loose focus.

The case rocks the small Timber Creek, Colorado community where Mattie was once known as a bad kid. Cole Walker, local veterinarian and single father assists, while Mattie and Robo track down the truth and uncover her hometown’s secrets, including those of Cole's daughter, who may know more than she's saying.

The appealing Robo knows what he’s doing, he just needs to train his new partner to trust him. Mizushima treats Robo as an important character, but never uses anthropomorphism to enhance his personality. Mattie honors the human-dog bond with respect. Filled with realistic veterinary procedure and police K-9 team work. Killing Trail features quirky local characters like Mattie’s co-workers at the sheriff's department, all who certainly will turn up in subsequent books.

A suspenseful, well-crafted mystery featuring a caring and relentless heroine, outdoor action, and a dog you’ll fall in love with. Killing Trail is an exciting debut that will have readers waiting for the next book in the series.

Margaret Mizushima balances writing with assisting her husband with their veterinary clinic and Angus cattle herd. She enjoys writing mysteries, reading, and hiking. Mizushima lives on a small ranch in Colorado where she and her husband raised two daughters and a multitude of animals.

Reviewed by Amber Polo

I put 3,000 people to sleep!

2016-03-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

The writer's goal is not to put readers to sleep.

But when I teach relaxation that is sometimes my student's goal. I uploaded my Prelude to Sleep audio to Insight Timer's Free Guided Meditations. Over ~~3,000~~ 4,000 people have tried it and the reviews are great!
(Not sure how a sleeper can review, but I am not complaining.)

Try Prelude to Sleep.

Timer is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. (free or with an optional $4.99 upgrade)

Prelude to Sleep is also available

as audio download track

and even an old-fashioned CD.

Buy Links

iTunes cdbaby CD album and MP3 download Amazon CD

Insight Timer – Meditation Timer

There’s also a log or journal and statistics available for record-keeping meditators.

Some of the extras are a little odd. Like posting when you’re meditating on Twitter or sharing your milestones on Facebook.

Developers say 3/4 million meditators worldwide call Insight home and every day the community generates over 600 days of collective meditation.

Insight Timer is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play (free or with an optional $4.99 upgrade)

Coloring: a story from a long time ago

2016-03-03T09:22:00.001-07:00

With all the current coloring craze, my library writers' group had a Coloring for Grownups party and I added a cake to celebrate my birthday. (See below for the coloring I did that day.) Then I remembered a short short story I wrote about my early coloring days.

The White Crayon

One rainy July afternoon, the summer I was four, my grandfather bought me three new coloring books and a box of 24 Crayolas.

My mother told him that one book and a 12 color box would have been enough to keep me quiet. “How many colors does she need to color Cinderella, The Three Pigs, and Puss in Boots?” she asked.

I began pulling crayons out of the box, gripping the waxy ends with chubby fingers: Forest Green, Magenta, Sky Blue, Light Violet, Crimson Red, and Pink. Delighted, I examined each one.

All went well until I pulled out the white crayon. I scrunched my nose. Grandpa watched as I snapped the crayon in two and threw the pieces across the floor.

“No good,” I said.

My mother said, “That’s a perfectly good crayon. You have to learn to take care of your things.”

I said, “No good.”

My grandfather said nothing, but his eyes twinkled and he went back out into the rain.

An hour later he returned with a giant 36 color box and waited for me to discover the white crayon.

WordShaping

I'm Moving

I'm moving from this blog to

my NEW Wordpress Blog

Because

I have a New Book!

The Pharaoh and the Librarian

Please Come Along on the Journey

“The Call of the Wild” the Movie and More

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson - Book Review

Old Town Albuquerque Christmas 2014

What Do 135 Christmas Trees Look Like?

New and Gift-Worthy Books

Guide Dog Book Reviews

Sacred Scarlets – Scarlet Macaws: Big, Beautiful, Brilliant Birds

The Wolves of Medicine Wheel Lodge

Guide Dogs for the Blind & Doris McFadden - 75 Years of Loving Dogs

Omega Reader Wanted - Read a Series Backwards!

Ever Read a Series Backwards?

Love, Serendipity & Chocolate - a Paranormal Real-life Romance

The Shapeshifters' Library's new dogs

Meet my cover models - three boys and one lovely lady:

Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog hero of Released (he's the image of Jonathan, my forever dog)

Cynerik, the Mastiff hero of Retrieved

Bliss, the brave beautiful heroine of Recovered

Pacifico, the smallest but smartest, hero of Reprinted heads for the Caribbean

Each has a story to tell and in human form are as enchanting as when they change into four legged beings:

Chronus, Headmaster of the hidden academy in Released

Cynerik, archaeologist hero in Retrieved

Bliss, children's librarian heroine in Recovered

Pacifico, computer guru, millionaire, smartest hero in Reprinted

Special series pricing beginning January 28th

Festival of Sleep Day - January 3rd

January 3rd - Festival of Sleep Day!

Christmas in the Caribbean for 99 cents

99 cents - Novella in ebook only

Magic Christmas Trees in Sedona... and one in Albuqueque

The Magic Trees of Sedona

What Do 135 Christmas Trees Look Like?

New Canine Cover Models

They're all gentle sweeties, but sometimes get bored posing for covers. Meet my cover models - three boys and one lovely lady:

Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog hero of Released (he's the image of Jonathan, my forever dog)

Cynerik, the Mastiff hero of Retrieved

Bliss, the brave beautiful heroine of Recovered

Pacifico, the smallest but smartest, hero of Reprinted heads for the Caribbean

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Reprinted

by Amber Polo

Christmas (on Wherever Island) is Free

The Book of Dog Magic - A gift for dog lovers with New Age spirit

Animal Stories Make Great Gifts for Dog Loving Kids

Animal Rescue Groups Raise Funds And Lots of Fun

Greyhound Update for Arizona - Greyhounds of the Verde Valley Picnic

Banned Book Week Sept 25--Oct. 1

More Dog Book Reviews

I put 3,000 people to sleep!

Coloring: a story from a long time ago

They're all gentle sweeties, but sometimes get bored posing for covers.

Meet my cover models - three boys and one lovely lady: