Can You Really Judge a Book by Its Cover?

Mothers-in-Law Say the Darndest Things

Recently, I inadvertently gave my mother-in-law a sort of Rorschach test of book covers.

First of all, take a good look at the cover for Thirty-Nine Again, by my friend Lynn Reynolds, coming out the same day as my novel Dog Nanny. (That’s June 12, 2009, from The Wild Rose Press.)

When I showed Lynn’s cover to my mother-in-law, she asked innocently (and gotta give her credit—non-judgmentally) if the book was about lesbians. Where did she get that idea? What else—the guy’s long hair.

Everything must look different when you’re almost 79.

Later, I sent her an e-mail with my cover attached. Actually it was embedded, because she doesn’t know how to open an attachment. For her an “attachment” is either a relationship, a part for a vacuum cleaner, or a hook-and-eye.

You see, like many older folks, computer lingo baffles her. “Why do they call it a download? What’s a monitor? You mean the screen?” Heaven forbid I tell her to look on the desktop for the start button or mouse or she’ll start rummaging around on her computer table looking for apparel buttons and vermin.

When I asked her what she thought of my cover, she said, “That was your cover? That picture of a girl with a naked belly?" Observe cover below.

If I scrunch up my eyes just right I can almost imagine those hands are a naked belly.

Here I was thinking AnnWorld (where I spend much of my time) was a freaky place. ShirleyWorld must really be confusing.

First Review for Dog Nanny--5 Cups

Here I was on a lazy Sunday afternoon, poking around on the Internet, when lo and behold I came across my first review for Dog Nanny at Coffee Time Romance & More!

Needless to say, I was thrilled almost speechless (ask my friends—that rarely happens) to find I’d received their highest rating of 5 Cups! Why, the rush from that much caffeine made my heart start thumping like a tennis shoe in a clothes dryer.

Sunday Shannon at Coffee Time Romance says:

A near perfect book. If ever there was a story that made me glad that I am a Texan, this is it. The images of Old Mexico are charming and the Texas portrayals are hilariously true. This book is written in a warm, familiar tone that drips with southern magnetism. I enjoyed each and every character no matter what their issues were. How refreshing it is to read a book that took me away from the present moment and transported me into a small town in Texas where Old World meets New World. This is a magnificent book that is witty in all the right places. There are some books that I wish would never end. Dog Nanny is one of them.

What a great start for Dog Nanny. If she’d said she was buying 10,000 copies for all her friends, I couldn’t be happier.

Click here for the entire review.

One Face of Diabetes

Mardi, diabetes survivor

Diabetes is a disease that touches not just people but often strikes our beloved animal companions. Mardi, our 11-year-old toy poodle, was diagnosed with diabetes in January 2008, but thanks to caring veterinarians and an online Yahoo group called "diabeticritters," he’s doing well.

Just like people, with a little practice, owners can test a pet’s blood sugar and regulate insulin dosages accordingly. Mardi is on a special high-fiber diet, receives two insulin injections a day, and has his blood sugar tested at least twice a day. He's a happy little guy who brings great joy to everyone he meets.

So if you have a pet that’s been diagnosed with this disease, remember, in many cases, it's treatable.

Online Auction for Diabetes Research

Help Find a Cure

Since I’ve been blog-challenged of late, I thought I’d piggyback off my friend Lynn Reynolds’ blog today.

Lynn is showcasing author Brenda Novak’s 5th annual online auction to raise money for diabetes research, which runs throughout the month of May. All proceeds from this year’s auction will be donated to The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami.

Brenda, whose son suffers from juvenile diabetes, has raised over $500,000 for diabetes research.

Items to be auctioned range from a personalized tour of Edgar Allen Poe’s house, celebrity autographed items, laptops, gift baskets, a high-definition TV, lunch with famous writers, vacation getaways, even a day of bridge with a famous player.

Lynn has put together a wonderful gift basket of spa items, containing bath salts, soaps, moisturizer, bath gel, a pink iPOD shuffle, and an iTunes gift card, among other items.

And if you've been drooling over the new Amazon Kindle, look no further. A group of writers from The Wild Rose Press are offering a Kindle and a $70 gift certificate. Bidding will continue throughout the month, so check out all the fabulous items and bid. There's something for everyone.

Happy Bo-Day!

Happy Bo-Day!

Like most Americans I’ve been impatient to see what choices the new president will make now that he’s almost three months into his first term of office.

No, I don’t mean whom he’ll pick for under-under secretary of some department or other. I mean whom will he choose as First Dog!

Today, if the Washington Post report is accurate, I got my answer. And this is one pick who’s been “thoroughly vetted.”

As my family is poodle-whipped, I was leaning heavily toward the Labradoodle. Evidently there’s an entire Web site devoted to pleading with the president to “pick me.”

But when I saw the photo of 6-month old “Bo,” I once more fell in love with a bundle fur, this time a Portuguese Water Dog or Portie (PWD as fans of the breed call them). The writer compared Bo’s coat to a tuxedo, black with a white chest, white front paws, and white goatee.

And he’s already in training—sitting when the Obama girls sit, standing when they stand, and so far no "toileting errors."

Since they aren’t getting a rescue dog—as many people had hoped—I understand the Obamas are, instead, donating to the D.C. Humane Society. However, Bo is a “give-back,” a dog someone else couldn’t handle and returned to the breeder. Lucky dog.

As for me, I can rest easier, knowing that big white house on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is finally a real home.