View from the Birdhouse

Friday, April 20, 2018

Dear Abby - Favorite Dog Movies: One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Dear Friends,

I am happy to be back to talk about another favorite dog movie this week. One Hundred and One Dalmatians is a movie my Momma has loved since childhood, and we have the DVD here, so it is one of my favorites too!

One Hundred and One Dalmatians is the story of Pongo and Perdita, a Dalmatian couple who have 15 puppies! They are living happily with their people, Roger and Anita, until a frightening villain named Cruella de Vil decides to steal the puppies for fur coats! After a long chase, the puppies do find their way back home and they have a happy reunion with their family. They bring along 84 other puppies that were also being held by Cruella. Roger and Anita decide to buy a farm so they can keep all 99 puppies -- which makes 101 Dalmatians along with Pongo and Perdita.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians was a 1961 Disney movie. It was based on the children's book The One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. (Momma recommends the book as well!) Dodie Smith enjoyed the movie adaptation and said that she thought it improved upon her original story! The movie was both a box office and critical success. When it was released, this was the top grossing animated movie to date.

Some trivia about this movie:

Author Dodie Smith actually had a Dalmatian dog who had 15 puppies! That was her inspiration for the original book. She also owned a Dalmatian named Pongo.

The dogs in the movie have deeper voices than their owners so they are seen as having more power.

Some of the dog sounds in the movie are provided by Clarence Nash, who was the voice of Donald Duck.

A new type of animation involving Xerox was used in this movie, and it helped give the movie its distinctive look.

Several characters from Lady and the Tramp make cameo appearances in this movie. Jock is seen barking through a drainpipe to a dog in an upstairs apartment. Peg and her bulldog friend are seen in a pet store. Lady and the Tramp are seen during the Twilight Barking scene.

The boy puppies wear red collars and the girls wear blue. This is also true of Pongo and Perdita.

Cruella de Vil was inspired by actress Tallulah Bankhead. Old time character actress Mary Wickes provided a live reference for Cruella de Vil.

Author Dodie Smith said her favorite scene in the movie was the one near the beginning where Pongo is stretching out by a window.

This is one of the only Disney movies to feature cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking.

This was the first animated Disney movie in a contemporary setting.

Here is the movie trailer:

The Twilight Barking is my favorite scene in the movie. This is how the dogs communicate at twilight, by barking to one another to spread the news. I often try to do this with friends in my neighborhood. My dear Momma says she likes the Twilight Bark more in the movie than in real life. When you watch this scene, be sure to look for the characters from Lady and the Tramp!

Have you seen One Hundred and One Dalmatians? I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Book Review and Giveaway - The House on Harbor Hill by Shelly Stratton

Book Synopsis

Set in the past and present, The House on Harbor Hill is a murder mystery that tackles the issues of racial prejudice and spousal abuse in the lives of two very different women…

She’s generous, kind, and compassionate–yet Delilah Grey will forever be an outcast in the small seaside town of Camden Beach, Maryland. She takes in women shattered by abuse, poverty, illness, or events beyond their control. But no matter how far she’s come or how many she’s helped find their way back, there is no safe place for Delilah. Acquitted of her rich husband’s mysterious death decades ago, she lives in her beautiful mansion consumed by secrets–and mistakes she feels she can never atone for. . . . Until she takes in desperate mother Tracey Walters and her two young children.

Tracey won’t say where she’s from or what sent her into hiding. But her determination and refusal to give up reminds Delilah of the spirited, hopeful girl she once was–and the dreams she still cherishes. As Tracey takes tentative steps to rebuild her life, her unexpected attraction to Delilah’s handsome, troubled caretaker inadvertently brings Delilah face to face with the past. And when Tracey’s worst fears come brutally calling, both women must find even more strength to confront truths they can no longer ignore–and at last learn how to truly be free . . .

Resonant, moving, and unforgettable, The House on Harbor Hill paints an unforgettable portrait of two women struggling to forgive themselves, take a chance on change, and challenge each other to finally live.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

My Review
The House on Harbor Hill tells two stories. Delilah Gray lives in a beautiful and mysterious beach house in Camden Beach, Maryland. Her personal background leads her to help young women who are escaping abusive marriages. That is how she meets Tracey Walters. Tracey is a young mother with a little boy and a baby girl. She comes to Harbor Hill to stay with Delilah. While she is there, rebuilding her life, she also meets Harbor Hill's handsome caretaker, who is wrestling with memories of his own past.

This is such a unique book! It is a dual storyline, told in the present and also in 1968, so there is an element of historical fiction. It is women's fiction, but it also is a mystery, as the pasts of Delilah and revealed bit by bit. There is a mystery in Delilah's past that she has struggled with her whole adult life, and she is able to solve that mystery at last.

The 1968 period details were particularly well done and the story of racial prejudice was powerful and moving. Shelly Stratton does a wonderful job at evoking a time and place. I could visualize Harbor Hill and Camden Beach from her descriptions in this book.

The characters, though, are the real stars. Delilah is one of my favorite characters that I have met through reading this year. She is warm and vulnerable, but also so strong and compassionate. What she does for Tracey, and what she has done for many other women in trouble, is a real gift.

I loved the storytelling and the way the narrative revealed itself in bits here and there as the reader learns about the past, and especially Delilah's story and the mystery of what happened the fateful night that changed her life.

I recommend The House on Harbor Hill for fans of women's fiction, mysteries, and historical fiction. It is a beautifully told and engrossing read.

Author Bio
Shelly Stratton is an award-winning journalist who earned her degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. Another Woman’s Man, her novel written under the pseudonym Shelly Ellis, was nominated for a 2014 NAACP Image Award. A film buff and amateur painter, she lives with her husband not far from Washington, D.C. Visit her online at www.shellyellisbooks.com.
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Connect with Shelly

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway
One lucky reader will win a copy of The House On Harbor Hill. Giveaway is for the U.S. only and ends at midnight on April 27. Winner will be contacted by email and will need to respond within 48 hours or another name will be drawn. Good luck!

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I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.

Monday, April 16, 2018

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - The Silver Gun (An Art Deco Mystery) by L.A. Chandlar

Book Synopsis
New York City, 1936. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Big Apple is defiantly striving toward an era infused with art, architecture, and economic progress under the dynamic Mayor La Guardia. But those in City Hall know that tumultuous times can inspire both optimism and deadly danger . . .

It’s been six months since Lane Sanders was appointed Mayor Fiorello “Fio” La Guardia’s new personal aide, and the twenty-three-year-old is sprinting in her Mary Janes to match her boss’s pace. Despite dealing with vitriol from the Tammany Hall political machine and managing endless revitalization efforts, Fio hasn’t slowed down a bit during his years in office. And luckily for Lane, his unpredictable antics are a welcome distraction from the childhood memories that haunt her dreams—and the silver gun she’ll never forget.

When Lane gets attacked and threatened by an assailant tied to one of most notorious gangsters in the city, even the mayor can’t promise her safety. The corrupt city officials seem to be using Lane as a pawn against Fio for disgracing their party in the prior election. But why was the assailant wielding the exact same gun from her nightmares?

Balancing a clandestine love affair and a mounting list of suspects, Lane must figure out how the secrets of her past are connected to the city’s underground crime network—before someone pulls the trigger on the most explosive revenge plot in New York history . . .

Author Bio
L.A. Chandler is the author of the Art Deco Mystery Series

with Kensington Publishing featuring Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and a fresh take on the innovation and liveliness of 1930s New York City. Her debut novel, The Silver Gun released August 29, 2017, and the sequel, The Gold Pawn, will release September 25^th, 2018. Laurie has been living and writing in New York City for 16 years and has been speaking for a wide variety of audiences for over 20 years including a women’s group with the United Nations. Her talks range from NYC history, the psychology of creativity, and the history of holiday traditions. Laurie has also worked in PR for General Motors, writes and fund-raises for a global nonprofit is the mother of two boys, and has toured the nation managing a rock band.

Author Links
Website: http://www.lachandlar.com
Social Media Quick Link to all my social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Newsletter): http://www.lachandlar.com/social
YouTube for Behind the Scenes Tours: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOc8aw0RmT-MTKuCGKJ7dOw?view_as=subscriber
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7656965.L_A_Chandlar

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play BookBub

Giveaway
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Friday, April 13, 2018

Dear Abby - Famous Movie Dogs: Toto from The Wizard of Oz

Dear Friends,

I'm back to continue our chat about movie dogs. This week my post is all about Toto, the cute little terrier dog from The Wizard of Oz. This is one of my Momma's favorite lifelong movies, so I have seen it many times with her.

Toto was a female Cairn terrier. She was born during the Great Depression in 1933. Her original owners were a young couple who did not train her properly. She had potty accidents and they looked for another home for her. (Momma said that sadly this happens a lot in rescue.) They found Carl Spitz, a famous dog trainer. He worked training Terry and found she was very smart. That is how her movie career began! Her movies included Bright Eyes (with Shirley Temple), The Women, and Tortilla Flat.

Of course, Terry's most famous movie was The Wizard of Oz. She was seriously injured during the filming of this movie when one of the palace guards stepped on her and broke her foot. She went to stay at Judy Garland's home to recuperate, and they developed such a strong bond that Judy wanted to adopt her. (Terry's person, Carl Spitz, said no.)

A little more trivia about Terry in The Wizard of Oz:

She was afraid of the wind machines used in the movie.

Terry made $125 a week - more than the Munchkins!

She attended the movie premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

After this movie, Terry changed her name to Toto officially.

She passed away in 1945 and was buried at Carl Spitz's ranch. Her grave was destroyed when the Ventura Freeway was built, but she now has a memorial at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

There is a book about Terry called I, Toto: The Autobiography of Terry, the Dog Who Was Toto by Willard Carroll. My Momma has a copy of this book here, but she has not read it (yet!).

Here is a little short video about Terry as Toto. It is narrated by Angela Lansbury. I enjoyed it and think you might like it too.

I would love to hear your Wizard of Oz memories! Did you grow up watching this movie?

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Monday, April 9, 2018

Book Spotlight - Farewell, My Cuckoo: A Birds of a Feather Mystery by Marty Wingate

Book Synopsis
Julia Lanchester must defend her love nest from an invasive species: her boyfriend’s sister. And then there’s the little matter of murder . . .

“The cuckoo comes in April and sings its song in May. In June it changes tune and July it flies away.”

Wedding bells are ringing in the small British village of Smeaton-under-Lyme. Julia Lanchester’s second-in-command at the local tourist center is finally getting married, and the lovebirds are giving Julia and her live-in boyfriend, Michael Sedgwick, ideas about their own future. But before anyone can say “Will you,” Michael’s flighty older sister, Pammy, crashes the party, fresh off a breakup and lugging all her worldly possessions around with her in a tangle of plastic bags.

Before long, Julia’s cozy cottage starts feeling more like Pammy’s bachelorette pad. To keep herself from going cuckoo, Julia throws herself into her pet projects at work—until death disrupts her plans. First a body is found on the estate. Then the police discover that Pammy was the last one to see the man alive. And soon Julia gets the feeling that if she ever wants her home—or her boyfriend—back, she’ll have to get to the bottom of this mystery, even if it means breaking a few eggs.

Author Bio

Marty Wingate is a Seattle-based writer and speaker who shares her love of Britain in her two mystery series. The Potting Shed books feature Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener transplanted from Texas to England, and Birds of a Feather follows Julia Lanchester, bird lover, who runs a tourist office in a Suffolk village. Marty writes garden articles for magazines including Country Gardens and the American Gardener. She is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Crime Writers Association. She leads garden tours to England, Scotland, and Ireland, spending free moments deep in research for her books. Or in pubs.

Marty Wingate’s captivating mysteries can be enjoyed together or separately, in any order:

The Birds of a Feather series: THE RHYME OF THE MAGPIE