A Dog Dreams of Paris Blog Tour

Bonjour. Welcome to my virtual blog tour with WOW! Women on Writing. Until I put all my dates in my diary, I've listed my stops here to remind me how much fun I had visiting so many lovely blogs. Diva Dog loves being the center of attention! And loves making new friends. Merci to all the folks who let me stop in and for all the charming reviews of my book.  Miss April in Paris

June 29 Link The Muffin WOW! Women on Writing Blog. Tour Launch Interview.


June 30 Link Bring On Lemons Review by 8-year old Carmen Otto
The book is interesting because it is written by a dog and has a lot of French words and places in it. The main idea of the book is to follow April's journey through the sites, sounds, and smells of Paris. A Dog Dreams of Paris takes place in Paris, France during current days. Because it takes place in Paris, reading it helps you learn about Paris and French things....

July 1 Link Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
Book Excerpt:

Dear Diary, Making New Friends Abroad

I can’t wait to sniff some butt in Paris. You know, make new doggie friends. It is our universal language. You should see the butt sniffing here when one of us goes to the vet for a visit. It is a smelling frenzy afterwards. I will learn some French to use as I write in my diary. It is important to educate oneself to all cultures. Butt sniffing is for the dogs, but you never know who you will meet and most humans don’t like to have your nose in their private places. Arf! Arf! I will use my French with them.

July 6 Link Frog On A Blog Post Earmarking a Portion of Your Profits to Charity.

July 8 Link Building Bookshelves Review
What an unexpected book! I learned so much about Paris and having the story told through the eyes of a dog made for an unusual viewpoint. It’s amazing what a dog would notice about Paris!  All sorts of fascinating pieces of trivia are sprinkled throughout. There’s something for everyone…art, food, dogs, birds, fashion, flowers, writers and some very off the wall stuff (which most kids and adults will love) that I’m not going to share because I don’t want to ruin the surprise.

July 9 Link Words By Webb Interview The 5W's

July 10 Link Oh My Dog Interview

July 14 Link Writer With Dogs Blog Celebrating Bastille Day Doggie Style

 July 15 Link Hott Books Review
A Dog Dreams of Paris is an adorable book! I loved every word. Not only did I learn several new facts, but every page is filled with a fun verse, a bit of French, and plenty of amazing pictures.  This sweet little book is a perfect bedtime story for Paris lovers, dog lovers, and silly boys that like poo facts! Yes, we know who they are!

July 16 Link Margo L. Dill: Writer, Editor, Author Blog Post Why Every Home Should Have a Dog and review.
I read this book to my daughter, pictured here, who is 4. She loves dogs, so I knew this would be a great book for her. She laughed and pointed at the dog pictures. She said: “The book is funny.” When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said: “The page with all the dogs.” (She is holding it open in the photo.)

July 17 Link Renee's Pages Review 10 Things I Learned About Paris. Photo Renee's dogs.

July 24 Link M.C. Simon Writes Book Review

A Dog Dreams of Paris Release

Available on Amazon. Paperback only.

Part of book proceeds go to Animal Rescue.

 

 

 

 

A Dog Dreams of Paris is my dream come true! I've been missing in action for some months now. Hard at work finalizing my picture book and getting it up on Amazon before I went in for hip replacement surgery on May 12th. I am happy to report the book made my surgery deadline and I am six weeks out from surgery doing outpatient physical therapy and driving again. But this post is not about me, it is about Miss April in Paris, rescue dog turned diva. It is her diary of the places she would visit if she traveled to Paris the city of lights. From a shy rescue dog who could not find her place with the other dogs in my house to the star of her own picture book! I am happy to report, Miss April in Paris is taking her fame in stride.

 

April's story began in January 2010 when I brought her home to become the sixth dog in my house. The year started out with my adopting a mate of hers, Rascal, from a local shelter. I had seen April's photo online and it was a hard choice to make, which dog I wanted. A week after adopting Rascal I adopted April. She was a shy dog with dark brooding eyes that watched across the room as I wrote on the computer. Even though she had a ready made friend in Rascal, she held back, until one evening she walked up to me, bumped my elbow and help me delete my work. I looked at her solemn face and asked, "April, who are you?" I knew she needed to feel special so I renamed her Miss April in Paris and kissed her nose. Some days later I did a photo shoot of my dogs in hats. I placed a vintage pink chapeau with a huge silk rose on April's head. Expecting it would be tossed to the floor, I was surprised to see April held her head higher and posed for my camera.

 

 

The extra attention the hat and photo session gave her boosted her confidence to start to bloom into the outgoing dog she is today. I started a blog for April to tie in with the release of my memoir, The Unfaithful Widow. It was short lived, but so much fun.

 

April's story has always been close to my heart. I needed a project. The idea to make Miss April in Paris' diary into a picture book took form and with the help of my book designer PD King Design we made it happen.

 

A Dog Dreams of Paris is an amazingly beautiful full color picture book. It is not a children's book, but a book for dreamers of all ages. I used my original photos of April and my other dogs, along with many purchased stock photos, and vintage ephemera from my personal collection. I ran the photos through an online editing site, giving them the feel of watercolors, but not loosing the photographic quality. The text was written from a dog's point of view . . . only a dog would want to meet new friends by sniffing butt in Paris! I have to thank my designer (who is also my sister) for meeting my deadline and seeing my book in Technicolor. She has made April's story a classic!

 

While dreaming of traveling is fun, April realizes she would miss her friends in her forever home. My six dogs have their forever home. I hope the sale of A Dog Dreams of Paris will help other dogs find their forever homes, as a portion of all proceeds will go to my favorite dog rescue groups. In addition, A Dog Dreams of Paris is available at my wholesale price for groups to use for fundraising.

 

Next week starts my blog tour with Wow! Women on Writing. I will be posting our progress here!

 

 

And you ask why I call her "Miss April In Paris" . . .

Miss April In Paris

 

 

 

It is raining cats and dogs again today. Well, at my house, it is raining dogs and pee. Yes, I can't believe I said that, but the dogs won't do outside in the storms and they are dancing around my kitchen, waiting for me to turn my back and . . . yes, pee. It is a well known fact my dogs are sissies about the weather. I am too.

 

I've been going through some much older posts on this blog and came upon this photo of Miss April In Paris. She was the sixth rescue dog to enter my home in a nine month period. Shy, she kept to herself, until I put a lovely vintage hat on her head. Then she became Miss April In Paris to herself and the world. I wrote about it at the time. This is the link to that post.

 

There have been some dog changes here. A new dog, Miss Bertha Barth, came in a few months after Miss Foxy left me in her old age. I like the number six it seems . . . I love my Margaritas but live with a six-pack at home.

 

In The Unfaithful Widow you meet Foxy and Jake and a few of the rescue dogs to enter my front door! I am working on my dog memoir, stories on all the dogs that have enriched my life, most since I've been on my own, single again. It got put on the back burner for my first novel, Danger In Her Words. Today I am at work on my new memoir on my life with dogs. I am getting sentimental about all my dogs as I go through the old photos and blog posts about them. There is nothing like a rainy day to hold memories close and cherish those around you.

 

 



When A Dog Has More Style Than You, Or Finding Your Inner Beauty

Miss April In Paris, A Vision Of Style

That is Miss April In Paris. My rescue dog turned Diva. She has her own blog where she talks about visiting the city of lights. She has been a lazy Diva these last months and her diary has fallen behind, although her dreams are still large.

She looks better in hats than I do.

How sad is that?

Perhaps it is even sadder she wears a hat and I don't.

I am uncomfortable with anything sitting on my head. Yet, when April had this lovely, vintage, pink, rose chapeau placed on her head for a round of dog photos I was doing at Easter, she transformed from the shy dog that fell on her side to the ground, cowering, as I walked into the room, to a Diva. She was the latest rescue dog to come to my house. Number six. She had been here only a few months and had not found her place in the pack yet.

Suddenly wearing that hat, she had attitude. April did not seem a fitting enough name for her now. April was her name from the shelter. A fine name, but now plain for this Diva.

I looked at her and smiled. I put my hands on her face, bent down to kiss her nose and whispered into her ear, "I shall call you Miss April In Paris because you are so lovely."

She has transformed from a shy, panic stricken dog, to a dog full of confidence. She holds her own with the pack now. On any given day she comes up to kiss me right on the mouth. A bold move for a dog that was so timid.

I am amazed. The placement of that hat done without thought on my part, made such a difference for a shy dog.

Am I being silly? Maybe. Perhaps. But it is a true story.

Sometimes the smallest gesture can bring out inner beauty. If a dog's attitude can change with the placement of a vintage hat, during that moment something out of the normal is done, what do you think something out of the normal will do for you?

I like to open up to the possibilites of what if, even if they are silly and make you laugh. A big smile brings out more beauty than any other thing you can wear!

Originally posted on Skirt.com September 25, 2010, a few minor changes here.

Meet Miss April In Paris On Tilly The Rescue Dog's Blog

Tilly the Rescue Dog's Blog

The life and adventures of a very special little rescued dog & her canine companions and friends! Click above and visit Tilly in the UK.

Miss April In Paris, the last dog to come in my house in January of this year has her own blog where she dreams of visiting Paris. Today she is a guest speaker on Tilly's blog in the UK. I am sharing the post with you.

Wednesday, 16 June 2010 Please would you all give a big welcome to my very special guest today, the beautiful Miss April in Paris. She has a lovely story to tell, and without any further ado I'll hand you over to her.
Hope you enjoy it.
Lots of love,
Tilly

Bonjour Everyone,

Enchante. I am very excited to finally get attention and share my story here. If there is a handsome dog that finds me fetching, contact me. I am a single female, young at four years and very lovely in my vintage rose hat. Don’t you think I look delightful in it?

I wasn’t always this outgoing. I am the sixth dog in a house of dogs. The grand dame is Foxy who is fourteen human years old. The rest of the dogs, my new friends, all came from local rescue shelters in the last year. Miss Barbara lost her husband and decided that dogs were the best source of love. And that rescue dogs give the best kisses. She has written a book about her first year as a widow and how rescue dogs rescued her.

I was the last one to come live with Miss Barbara right after New Year’s Eve this year. I am not in her book but I have my own blog. My owner is wonderful, but it took her a week to finally notice me. I had to bump her elbow while she was on that computer and I heard her say in a confused tone, “I’ve just lost my Outlook tool bar!” Whatever that means. Then she turned to me, held my face in her hands and said in the sweetest voice, “April who are you?” She bent down and kissed my nose making me feel very special indeed. “Let me call you April In Paris because you are so lovely.” How did she know I love Paris? I dream of going to Paris and having a bowl of sparkling water at the Café Le Paris on the Avenue des Champs Elysees. Oui! I hum the old tune April In Paris to myself almost daily. Now I am called Miss April In Paris.

I love my full name. So don’t call me just April. I only answer to April In Paris. I had my Easter photo taken in my lovely chapeau and the rest is history. I have my own blog where I share my dreams of Paris. http://aprilinparisdivadog.blogspot.com/

I was very frightened in the animal shelter and lived there for two years. I was taken care of by State Trooper Peggy who started the non-profit rescue shelter Atlanta Canine Adoption Project http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA244.html in Monticello, Georgia, about an hour from where I live now. She kissed me and fed me, but the bigger dogs bullied me. There were sixty dogs at the shelter and I am a big girl, but the bigger dogs could sense I was nervous and they were mean to me. I have a scar to prove it.

State Trooper Peggy let me sleep with her, but I wanted my own special person. Then Miss Barbara called after seeing my face on the rescue web site and wanted me. My drive to her house was the best time. We kissed and ate chick filet nuggets. Such yummy food. I wonder if I can find those in Paris?

I was nervous when I arrived and saw five fellow dogs come running out to greet me. I hit the ground worried I might get attacked again. But how silly, I was greeted with barks and licks. My old girl friend Rascal was there. We had been together at Monticello but she came to Miss Barbara a week before I did. Then there were the others. They came from Animal Action Rescue, a cool dog shelter I’ve been told by the others. http://www.animalactionrescue.org/

Miss Barbara has dedicated her book to her favorite dog rescue shelters and is having a big party in June with a silent auction for Animal Action Rescue. I heard her tell a friend who came by to meet me that her book is her widow story, but it is full of dog stories too. She wants to help rescue groups because she loves dogs so much.

Thank you for inviting me to share my story. From rescue dog to Diva. Merci.
Au revoir, until we meet again.
Miss April In Paris
Widow Lesson Learned: There are friends to be met all over the world if you open your heart.