Dear Abby - Pet Meet and Greet: Charlie and Baxter

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a good week!  We FINALLY are getting cooler weather here.  It is starting to really feel like Fall.

Today I would love to introduce you to Charlie and Baxter, two handsome Bichon Frise dogs.  Their mother, Lindsay, was kind enough to stop by the blog for an interview.  Lindsay blogs at The Flynnigans, and you'll find more Charlie and Baxter there.

Abby: Who are your pets (names, breeds, ages)?

Lindsay: Charlie 9, Baxter 8. Both Bichon Frise. Both share the same mother and father, they are just a litter apart.

Abby: Is there a story behind any of your pets' names?

Lindsay: Charles Xavier Flynn - Charles after my late grandfather, Xavier after Professor X in X-Men and Flynn is our last name.

Baxter Burgundy Flynn - Baxter because my husband wanted to name him Buster and I refused because I didn't think Buster suited the name being white little fluffy dog, so in the end, Baxter it was. :) His middle name was inspired by Ron Burgundy in the Anchorman movie.

Abby: What is the funniest thing your pets have done?

Lindsay: I can't say that one time in particular stands out in my mind, but the boys are constantly doing funny things and making my husband and I both smile and laugh.

Abby: Have your pets had any adventures?

Lindsay: The boys have never been on a plane but they do enjoy getting down and dirty camping with us usually once a year.

Abby: What do you and your pets do for fun?

Lindsay: We have play dates with friends or at my mom's house (she has three bichons). They love being doted on and loving on Mommy and Daddy. They love snoozing and Charlie loves watching tv.

Abby: Do your pets have any favorite, special toys?

Lindsay: Charlie isn't particular with his toys. He has a basket of toys, some he played with back when he was a puppy that he still gravitates to.

Baxter is pretty indifferent as well. He will play fetch with you whereas Charlie will typically look at the object thrown, then back at you as if to say, "what?". Lol

I would say, though, of all the toys and money we've spent over the years, nothing compares to their love of our freshly worn socks all balled up. That is heaven to them. Lol

Abby: What are some special things your pets can do?

Lindsay: We've always taken pride in teaching them both to sit, down, shake a paw (both sides), high five and twirl like a circus animal all roughly by the age of 4 months, the twirling trick taking longer than the others.

Another thing we are proud of is Charlie's modeling career when he was 6 months to two years old. We had so much fun taking him to photo shoots and auditions but it was hard work, and had we wanted him to get into it more, we would've had to hire a handler, and at that point you have to question whether you want your dog as a family pet or you want them to be a working dog, both different from the other. It's just a whole different lifestyle when you have working pets that are constantly working, going to auditions. It was exhausting but a lot fun nonetheless.

Baxter also had his hand at modeling last year; he won the month of September 2016 for a local dog calendar contest. :)

Abby: What are your pets' most lovable qualities?

Lindsay: Charlie is dubbed the social butterfly of the two boys, he loves all kinds. Baxter is the more reserved boy until he gets to know you and then once he does, he's Mr. Softie. They are both such funny, sweet, smart and loving little gentlemen. :)

Thank you, Lindsay, Charlie, and Baxter, for stopping by today!  I loved hearing about the boys' modeling career and the fun they have.  I love their full names too!   Readers, you can leave comments and questions for Lindsay in the comments, below.

If you have pets who would enjoy being spotlighted here, please let me know!  Be sure to leave your email in the comments if you want to do a spotlight.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Dear Abby - Pet Meet and Greet Spotlight: Hansel, Gretel, and Rosalie

Dear Friends,

I am happy to introduce you to three of my dachshund friends.  They are Hansel, Gretel, and Rosalie, and they live with their mother Sheila.  Sheila is another Doxieposse friend, and she is a great dachshund person.  I love the beautiful photos she has shared, and the stories about her sweet doxies.  I think you will, too!

Abby:  Who are your pets (names, breeds, ages)? 

Sheila:  Hansel & Gretel, Miniature Dachshunds, 14yrs old

Rosalie Lillian, English Cream Longhair Dachshund, 6yrs old

Sheila adds more background for Hansel and Gretel:  "They are a bonded brother and sister who were the only survivors of their litter and weighed ½ pound each at birth. They have had a multitude of health problems. I had a vet once tell me they should have been put down as puppies but I said no. I took them from what I considered a bad home breeder."

Abby: Is there a story behind any of your pets' names?

Sheila:  Hansel & Gretel were named by a co-worker who was from Germany and suggested it because of the German breed.

Rosalie Lillian got her name from the Twilight character Rosalie Lillian Hale who was described in the books as a beautiful blonde.

Abby: What is the funniest thing your pets have done?

Sheila: Gretel is very mischievous and an instigator.  She once climbed a baby gate, shredded everything she could get into, then climbed back over the gate to make it look like someone had broken in, made the mess then left.  That day I had not put away the paper products after grocery shopping so she had a good time.  She’s chewed the bottom fabric on her love seat, she will pull over trash cans, nose around in any bag on the floor, etc.  That is why they are crated when I’m not home. 

Hansel hates riding in the car so bad he once got stuck behind a toilet trying to hide.  I also found him inside an old dog bed once. He somehow managed to get in the part that was full of stuffing and made a huge mess in the process.

Abby: Have your pets had any adventures? 

Sheila: Not sure unless you consider the time they tried to chase the rabbit when I let her loose and bedlam ensued or the time they tried to help me catch the parakeet that got loose in my apartment or the time I caught them with their paws in the guinea pig cages rocking them back and forth or the time I lost my mind thinking I could handle taking 6 dogs outside on leashes at once while dog sitting.

Abby: What do you and your pets do for fun?

Sheila: They love riding in the car (once you get Hansel in the car). Gretel even learned how to put her paws on the automatic window button so the window would roll down.   They also loved going to visit their Nana all I had to do was say the word Nana and they run to the door and start barking to leave. 

Abby: Do your pets have any favorite, special toys?

Sheila: Rosalie has a thing for socks to the point she tries to get the ones I’m putting on to wear with shoes.  

Hansel & Gretel have a favorite blanket and will pout when it’s time to be washed. They also love soft squeaky toys of any kind.

Abby: What are some special things your pets can do?

I can put food on the floor and say "Leave It" and they won’t touch it. This is a command we still utilize from our obedience days.

Hansel has always put his nose on my ankle when he needs to go outside.

Gretel has an overbite (her bottom jaw didn’t grow correctly) and this made her able to whistle.  

Rosalie will hold my hand with her paws or if I’m sitting she’ll climb up, wrap her paws around my neck for a hug.

Abby: What are your pets' most lovable qualities?

Sheila:  Without a doubt the unconditional love I receive every day.

Aww - that is a wonderful quality!  What wonderful stories about these beautiful doxies!  Sheila, thank you so much for visiting today.   Friends, you can leave questions or comments for Sheila in the comments section below.

I only have one more Pet Meet and Greet on my upcoming calendar, and would LOVE to include your pets.  If you are interested, please just leave your email in the comments.  Thanks!

Wishing you a great weekend!   Thanks for stopping by.

Love,

Abby xoxoxo

Blog Review and Giveaway - Love Literary Style by Karin Gillespie

Book Synopsis
They say opposites attract, and what could be more opposite than a stuffy literary writer falling in love with a self-published romance writer?

Meet novelist Aaron Mite. He lives in a flea-infested rented alcove, and his girlfriend Emma, a combative bookstore owner, has just dumped him. He meets Laurie Lee at a writers’ colony and mistakenly believes her to be a renowned writer of important fiction. When he discovers she’s a self-published romance author, he’s already fallen in love with her.

Aaron thinks genre fiction is an affront to the fiction-writing craft. He likes to quotes the essayist, Arthur Krystal who claims literary fiction “melts the frozen sea inside of us.” Ironically Aaron doesn’t seem to realize that, despite his lofty literary aspirations, he’s emotionally frozen, due, in part, to a childhood tragedy. The vivacious Laurie, lover of flamingo-patterned attire and all things hot pink, is the one person who might be capable of melting him.

Their relationship is initially made in literary heaven but when Aaron loses his contract with a prestigious press, and Laurie’s novel is optioned by a major film studio, the differences in their literary sensibilities and temperaments drive them apart.

In a clumsy attempt to win Laurie back, Aaron employs the tropes of romance novels. Too late. She’s already taken up with Ross, a prolific author of Nicholas Sparks-like love stories. Initially Laurie is more comfortable with the slick and superficial Ross, but circumstances force her to go deeper with her writing and confront a painful past. Maybe Aaron and Laurie have more in common than they imagined.

In the tradition of the Rosie Project, Love Literary Style is a sparkling romantic comedy which pokes fun at the divide between so-called low and high brow fiction.

READ an excerpt at Karin’s website, HERE.

 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

My Review

When I first met Aaron Mite in the pages of Love Literary Style, I'll admit I did not like him.  He represented the most insufferable English majors I knew in school, who waxed rhapsodic about "the canon," while sniffing at "genre fiction."

 

But then something unexpected happened.  Aaron met Laurie Lee, a bubbly romance writer, at a writing colony in the North Georgia mountains.  He believed that she was a prestigious literary author, and they began a romance that seemed both well matched and ill matched at once.

 

When they inevitably came apart, I was surprised how much I wanted them to get back together, to find a middle ground where they could both be happy - both together and with their own writing.  And this speaks to the skill of a talented writer, Karin Gillespie.  She created two disparate characters who could have been stereotypes and made them both likeable and multi-dimensional.

 

This is my second read by the author, and I really enjoy her writing style.  It is brisk and lively, with smart dialogue that moves the story along.   I also enjoyed the descriptions and settings in the book, especially as a native Georgian who lives in the same area as the fictional Laurie Lee.

 

I really enjoyed Love Literary Style, both for the story of Aaron and Laurie, and also for the insights on different literary styles and genres.  I recommend it enthusiastically to other readers.     

Author Bio

Karin Gillespie is the author of the national bestselling Bottom Dollar Girls series, 2016 Georgia Author of the Year, Co-author for Jill Connor Browne’s novel Sweet Potato Queen’s First Big Ass Novel. Her latest novel Love Literary Style was inspired by a New York Times article called “Masters in Chick Lit” that went viral and was shared by literary luminaries like Elizabeth Gilbert and Anne Rice. She’s written for the Washington Post and Writer Magazine and is book columnist and humor columnist for the Augusta Chronicle and Augusta Magazine respectively. She received a Georgia Author of the Year Award in 2016.

 

Connect with Karen

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a copy of Love Literary Style.  This giveaway is open to readers in the U.S. and Canada, and will end 11/11.  The winner will be notified by email, and needs to respond within 48 hours.  The book will be sent to the winner directly from the author or her publicist.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Music Monday - 13 Great Halloween Songs That Aren't "Thriller" or "Monster Mash"

Throwing a Halloween party or looking for some fun music to listen to while handing out trick or treat candy?   I made a list of 13 of my favorite Halloween songs.  Although I like "Thriller" a lot, you won't find it here, and some of the songs you hear a lot like "Monster Mash" are missing too.  I went for songs you don't hear as often at Halloween, just to keep things interesting!  Just click on the song title link to hear each song at Youtube.

1. "Spooky" - Dusty Springfield (1968).  The Classics IV version is best known, but I prefer Dusty's jazzy cover.
2. "I Put a Spell On You" - Nina Simone (1965).  My favorite Halloween song, and Nina Simone's version is my favorite.
3. "Voodoo" - Chris Isaak (1987).  I confess:  Chris Isaak is one of my secret celebrity boyfriends.  And I love this song! 
4. "Dead Man's Party" - Oingo Boingo (1985).  THE Halloween song from my college years.
5. "The Twilight Zone" - Manhattan Transfer (1979).  I love them - my favorite vocal jazz group.
6. "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder (1972).  One of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs.
7. "Evil Woman" - Electric Light Orchestra (1975).  Great 1970's retro song.
8. "Bad Moon Rising" - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969).  I think CCR deserves more oldies music love;  they're one of my favorite 1960's bands.
9. "Season of the Witch" - Donovan (1966).  A 1960's hippie rock addition.
10. "Hungry Like the Wolf" - Duran Duran (1982).  Some new wave dance fun!  Not a traditional Halloween song, but if you listen to the lyrics, it fits into this list. 
11. "Witchcraft" - Frank Sinatra (1957).  A cool jazz addition to your Halloween playlist.  Love Sinatra.
12. "Cat People" - David Bowie (1982).  One of my favorite Bowie songs, and also one of my favorites for Halloween.
13. "Bewitched" - Peggy Lee (1965).  Yes, it's the TV theme with lyrics!

What are YOUR favorite Halloween songs?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Dear Abby - Vintage Halloween Dogs

Dear Friends,

Happy ALMOST Halloween!  Are you ready for Halloween?   I am looking forward to a quiet holiday, with extra treats and happy music when the trick or treaters come by.  I like children, but don't like loud noises at the door, so I stay in the bedroom all safe and comfy on Halloween night.

When I'm not playing, walking, snuggling, and blogging, I like to collect dog theme vintage cards, photos, postcards, and images.  I would love to share some vintage Halloween dogs with you today.

This Calling All Girls magazine features a girl dressed as a witch -- and her dachshund rides on the broom!

Betsy McCall paper dolls like this came in McCall's magazines back in the 1960's.  These Betsy McCall pictures feature Betsy's dachshund, Nosy, playing on Halloween.

This children's book, Fall is Here, has an illustration of two children carving a jack o'lantern with the help of their cocker spaniel.

A cute Scottish Terrier is pictured on this 1940's vintage greeting card.

A beagle finds his person - even in a costume! - on this Wee Wisdom magazine cover.

In this vintage photo, a Boston Terrier dog is dressed up as a sailor for Halloween.   I think the shadow in the foreground looks spooky!

A boy wears a Halloween advertising pattern costume, and his dog is dressed up too in this vintage photo.

Extra spooky!  A child is ready to trick or treat as their dog watches in this vintage photo.

This cute vintage photo features a little clown and his dog.

 A little girl is dressed up for Halloween, and waiting with her dog in this antique photo.

Aww!  I love this vintage photo.  I hope this sweet looking dog gets lots of treats.

In this vintage photo a cat and dog go trick or treating together.

 This vintage postcard features a boy and girl with their cat and dog. 

 A sweet little terrier dog helps his boy line up Jack O' Lanterns on this vintage postcard.

This vintage postcard has a black cat peeking out of a jack o' lantern and greeting a dog.

An owl and dog play near a big jack o' lantern on this Halloween postcard.

Two dogs are surprised when a cat peeks out of a jack o' lantern on this vintage postcard.

I hope these fun vintage postcards put you in a Halloween mood.  If you have cats or dogs, do they enjoy greeting trick or treaters?  Do your pets like to dress up for Halloween?  I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below!

Have a great weekend and Happy Halloween!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo