What if your dog died and then came back as a ghost…that could talk? Would you welcome him back with open arms or run away scared to death?
This is the premise of IT’S JUST A DOG, a new novel about love, loss, and one man’s dog who rises up yapping from the grave.
Charlie Keefe is not just your typical dog lover –– he’s a world famous dog painter, a.k.a. “The Picasso of Pooch Portraits”. Unfortunately, Charlie’s beloved muse, Pete, his lovable Jack Russell terrier, has just died. And he’s totally devastated by the loss of his furry best friend.
So, after months of grieving over his dearly departed soulmate, Charlie reluctantly agrees to foster a new puppy –– a cute Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Brownie from the local animal shelter. Soon after, Charlie is surprised to find himself falling head over heels with this new puppy girl, his ‘Rebound Dog’, as he calls her –– as well as being romantically attracted to Janelle Jordan, the head hound at the dog
rescue.
But then complications arise when the ghost of his old dog, Pete, mysteriously reappears one night and comes back to haunt him and the new puppy –– setting off a bizarre chain of events that throw Charlie’s life, career, and entire belief system into chaos!
If you’ve enjoyed such classic dog books as The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Dog’s Purpose, then you are bound to find a place in your heart for IT’S JUST A DOG.
IT’S JUST A DOG
is not just for dogs. It’s for anyone who has ever lost a pet –– and learned to love again. If you’re a feel-good fan of dog books, make IT’S JUST A DOG your special treat!
I think any one who is a true dog lover has heard the phrase "it's just a dog" from the people around them. I've heard it when I turned down invitations to go places because of my dogs, or because I spent too much money on my dogs, or because I spend so much of my time involved in doing things with my dogs- including writing this blog. I have never had to deal with people telling me "it's just a dog" after a dog has died, however. And I hope I never will.
The general public, who views dogs as pets, not family, may not get this book. They will probably enjoy it, but be thinking that the main character, Charlie, is over reacting to the loss of his dog, Pete. I think most of my blog readers fall into a different camp of people- those for whom the loss of a dog is just as bad as the loss of a family member, or sometimes, even seems worse, since a daily companion and huge part of our life is missing.
Russ Ryan, the author of It's Just A Dog, really gets it. I, thanking my lucky stars every day, have not had to lose one of my dogs since my childhood dog. That was heartbreaking enough, but I doubt it would compare to losing the dogs who have shared the past three and five years of my life. I don't even want to think about it.
Overall, I really ended up enjoying this book. It's Just A Dog was a good read, plain and simple. Parts of it made me cry as I read them aloud to my dogs (please tell me I'm not the only one who reads out loud to their dogs...). I actually had to stop reading, or read silently for a while, as certain parts of the book made my throat close and tears start leaking from my eyes.
Then, at the same time, there was always some kind of relief. Sometimes, it was a bit of dark humor at just the right place in the story. Other times, it was a funny story about Pete, or the destructive or irritating things that he did during (and after) his life. I think I would call this book a comedy, if I had to choose, though maybe more along the lines of a dark comedy. It deals with the very serious feelings of grief and depression associated with losing your dog, but does so in a fun to read way- without ever making light of the all consuming horribleness of losing your best friend.
A description of the book is below, along with links to where you can purchase a copy for yourself or for a dog loving friend.
What if your dog died and then came back as a ghost…that could talk? Would you welcome him back with open arms or run away scared to death?
This is the premise of IT’S JUST A DOG, a new novel about love, loss, and one man’s dog who rises up yapping from the grave.
Charlie Keefe is not just your typical dog lover –– he’s a world famous dog painter, a.k.a. “The Picasso of Pooch Portraits”. Unfortunately, Charlie’s beloved muse, Pete, his lovable Jack Russell terrier, has just died. And he’s totally devastated by the loss of his furry best friend.
So, after months of grieving over his dearly departed soulmate, Charlie reluctantly agrees to foster a new puppy –– a cute Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Brownie from the local animal shelter. Soon after, Charlie is surprised to find himself falling head over heels with this new puppy girl, his ‘Rebound Dog’, as he calls her –– as well as being romantically attracted to Janelle Jordan, the head hound at the dog rescue.
But then complications arise when the ghost of his old dog, Pete, mysteriously reappears one night and comes back to haunt him and the new puppy –– setting off a bizarre chain of events that throw Charlie’s life, career, and entire belief system into chaos!
If you’ve enjoyed such classic dog books as The Art of Racing in the Rain and A Dog’s Purpose, then you are bound to find a place in your heart for IT’S JUST A DOG - Part Book, Part Blog, ALL DOG, (Okay, there may be a few cat videos, too, to show some love for the other team!)
Aside from being a dog lover and a dog widower, RUSS RYAN has written and developed screenplays with the Hollywood producers of American Pie, Final Destination, and Fireflies in the Garden. He was also a writer on a really bad teen comedy, National Lampoon’s Repli-kate, starring Eugene Levy. This is his first novel.
In addition, he is the creator of Meansheets, a vintage movie poster blog that focuses on the greatest artists and illustrators from the 1940′s-1980′s.
I was offered the opportunity to do another book review, this time of the book Dog-ma, the Zen of Slobber. I love reading, so was eager to read this book and share it with my followers.
Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot. The writing is witty, snappy, and really gives character and depth to the stories. Since the book is basically a collection of short stories about Barbara and Ray's dogs, all woven together into a complete book, it is easy to read a bit at a time without losing the thread of the story. I started reading this book at a flyball tournament before going to bed for the night between tournament days. Even though I was tired I found the book very engaging, making me want to stay up to keep reading even though my logic told me I needed sleep for the next day.
Like most dog related books, there are a few things I didn't care for in this. Over the course of the story, there are references to some practices (purchasing puppies from places other than reputable breeders, cropping ears of dogs not intended for show) that I don't approve of. Probably the biggest one for me was the lack of containment of their dogs and the use of an underground fence to keep the dogs home when unsupervised. I do feel a little like inexperienced dog owners may decide to use an underground fence based on its use in this book.
Even so, these points were more of slight bothersome points than something that ruined the book. It was still well worth the read, just as Marley and Me was worth the read despite some similar issues in that story. Overall, I found the book a fun read of mostly fun stories mixed in with sadness for just the right balance of lightheartedness and deeper emotions. It is a book I would be happy to pass on to more readers.
Below, you can find a few pictures of the book itself, a summary of the book, a brief about the author section, and links to where you can purchase a copy.
For dog lovers everywhere.......Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books.
When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves.
Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the
best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!”
Barbara grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her parents, sister and always a dog, or two or three. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from a small women's college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Meeting her husband in Washington, DC, they continued together on a journey as self-proclaimed dog addicts. In the ensuing years, she founded three successful businesses in the Pacific Northwest and is a prolific fundraiser for breast cancer research. She and her husband are retired and now reside in Southwest Florida with two dogs and copious amounts of dog fur. She is currently working on indulging her well known flip flop addiction.
A Dog Lovers lasting guide.......An beautifully illustrated interactive book that one fills in all of the information about their dogs life in the event they can no longer care for them to help ensure your pets are taken care of.
A thought provoking check list for dog lovers, who unfortunately and with much sadness can no longer take care of their dog.
This book will assist those who want to prepare for their dogs future in an easy to use format that will guide them through the process of telling the "story" of their dogs life, for their pets "Next Guardian".
None of us can predict the future, but in the event situations arise such as death, health impairment or left with no other choice but to give them up, this book will be there to assist your beloved pet with the transition from one home to another.
It is something none of us really want to think about. Or simply don't think we have to think about. Our pets have such short lives compared to our own, that it is easy to not think about what will happen to them if something happens to us. But really, we should.
That is what "If I Should Die Before My Dog --" is all about. This book guides us, step by step, over what we really need to think about and plan for our pets in case the worst happens to us. It is perhaps better called a manual, even. It tastefully and carefully guides you through all of the things you should think about for caring for your pet after your death, providing blanks in the book for you to fill out. Not only are there the basics, like who is going to take your dog (do you know the answer to even this most basic question?), but the more in depth questions as well. It gives you a chance to really share everything about your pet, from the daily routine to allergies to the food they like the best. What kind of play do they enjoy? Are they afraid of men wearing sunglasses? All of those little quirks can be written down, all in this one place.
You may know the answer to all of these questions already. But even if you have it laid out in your will who will take your dog, there is no comparison to having something like this book, filled out and ready, to hand off to the new owner of your dog. Being able to give them this reference of your dog's whole life could make a huge difference to how easily your beloved family member settles in to their new life. I would say this is a must have for any dog owner. Hopefully, you will never have to pass it on. Hopefully, your dog will live out a long and happy life in your household. In which case this book would be a wonderful reminder of all of the little things you did together and what made your relationship so unique and important to you. I also think this book would be a wonderful thing to send along to a new home of a foster dog. Imagine being able to send off that long term foster dog with a manual to all of the likes, dislikes, routines, and the tiny little details of their lives with you. For a dog who has already had upheaval and potentially many home changes, something like this could help keep some consistency and stability in their already chaotic lives.
A Dog Lovers lasting guide.......An beautifully illustrated interactive book that one fills in all of the information about their dogs life in the event they can no longer care for them to help ensure your pets are taken care of.
A thought provoking check list for dog lovers, who unfortunately and with much sadness can no longer take care of their dog.
This book will assist those who want to prepare for their dogs future in an easy to use format that will guide them through the process of telling the "story" of their dogs life, for their pets "Next Guardian".
None of us can predict the future, but in the event situations arise such as death, health impairment or left with no other choice but to give them up, this book will be there to assist your beloved pet with the transition from one home to another.
Joe and Cathy Connolly have spent a lifetime owning, training and caring for dogs. Cathy grew up with a Collie breeder, dog groomer and dog handler while attending many different dog shows and eventually went on to work with other breeders as she grew older. They live in beautiful Northern Michigan with their 3 furry four legged children, one large dog, one small dog and the entire family is supervised by one bossy calico cat.
