Book Tour - Dog-Ma the Zen of Slobber by Barbara Boswell Brunner Book Review

Book Review

Dog-Ma the Zen of Slobber
by Barbara Boswell Brunner

About the Author

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. 

Author's Website          Author on Facebook          Author on Twitter  

Book Description
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!”

      

Our Book Review
Anyone who loves dogs and animals will thoroughly enjoy this book, you will find the authors love, compassion and kindness to her dogs unconditional and the sacrifices both her and her husband make are unbelievable.

Reading the book will make you laugh out loud at the antics of the dogs, I especially liked the one about the two dogs escaping on a daily basis to visit an old couple who would feed them and them bring them back home, which had been going on for months unbeknownst to the author and her husband.

As a dog lover you will just fall in love with all the dogs, as each character trait is described humorously and is taken as part of the package to not only the couple but to all dogs owners out there.  You will also cry and feel the sadness as the author explains the illness and the ultimate demise of her dogs.

This is a truly honest and emotive account of how much one couple love their dogs and how they mean the world to them.  This is one book that anyone who has owned a dog will relate to and you will find yourself recognizing some of the traits and exploits in your own dogs. An excellent read.

Our Rating

   

printed version          ebook version

I received this book to review through Moms With Voices Media, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

 
Sharon x

   
http://www.beckvalleybooks.co.uk 
http://www.beckvalleybooks.blogspot.com

Guest Post from author of Crashers Lindy S Hudis - Book Tour

Across the nation, insurance fraud from staged auto accident schemes costs the insured more than $50 billion yearly. Crashers is a true-to-life novel that uncovers how the innocent get lured into the scheme of "cappers" and "hammers."

Guest Post by author of Crashers, Lindy S Hudis

Of  the 10 million or so automobile accidents reported each year, one out of five of them may not even be accidents at all. In fact, they just may be a planned or “staged” accident – one of the fastest growing types of fraud in the country today.  If you drive a car, you could be another victim.

What criminals find most alluring about this type of fraud, is that it is difficult to prove.  This is why the “crash for cash” accidents continue to be a growing problem. How fast is this growing? The National Insurance Crime Bureau states that as recently as 2009, there were around 85,000 questionable insurance claims reported. That is up 43% from 2008. It may not be bank robbery, but this crime is here to stay.

There is also an array of professionals who are recruited to participate in this type of fraud. Attorneys, doctors and various “victims” - sometimes referred to as “cappers” and “hammers” -  all collaborate to misrepresent facts to fraudulently obtain insurance money. The results of this are skyrocketing costs for insurance premiums, medical insurance, and various other expenses. This crime costs the insurance industry literally hundreds of millions each year.

Staged automobile accidents usually include these types of situations: fake auto accidents with phony injuries, falsification of reports about cars being hit, and “victims” being added to fake accident reports.

There are several types of scams involved in these particular crimes:

1)      Swoop and Squat – A vehicle, the “hammer car”, will cut you off in traffic (the swoop) and suddenly slams on the brakes (the squat) which results in a rear-end collision. The suspect car has “victims”, or “stuffed passengers”, who claim to have painful neck and back injuries, even if the collision was at a low speed.

2)      Sideswipe – A fraudulent “victim”/ driver could deliberately ram you at a busy intersection.

3)      “Helpers” – You could be approached by a friendly stranger at the scene of an accident. They may seem like they are trying to “help” you, but in reality they will try to bully you into seeking treatment at a specific medical clinic, a specific attorney, or an specific body shop for the repairs on your car. This person could be a “capper” – an individual who recruits various people into his network.

What can you do to avoid being a victim? The answer is to be proactive, not reactive. First, never tailgate. It’s dangerous, and makes you an easy mark for any unscrupulous drivers.  Second, glance into your rear view mirror every 8 seconds to observe the drivers behind you. Keep a safe distance between you and them. Third, look beyond the car in front of you while driving. Keep your eyes up and on the road at all times.  Never drive distracted. If you follow basic common sense advice while driving, you can be rest assured that you, and your passengers, will remain safe, and you won’t be a victim to any dishonest drivers.

About the Author, Lindy S. Hudis

Lindy S. Hudis is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is the author of a suspense novel, Weekends. Her screenplay “The Lesson” was made into an independent film and was screened at the Seattle Independent Film Festival and Cine-Nights in 2000. She lives in California with her husband and two children.

Author on Facebook     Author's Website     Author on Twitter

Read my book review HERE

   

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Mind Over Matter by S J Clarke Blog Tour and Give Away

Mind Over Matter

Rebecca McKenney grieved the loss of her daughter for three years. Now, a vision showing Sabrina three years older, suggests her baby is still alive, and the FBI agent who gave up the search is the only one who can help find her. Special Agent Dan Cooper is haunted by a tragic mistake made early in the investigation of Sabrina's disappearance. Now to ease his conscience he agrees to help Rebecca search. Together they fight inner demons, all to real bad guys, and an attraction neither wants to admit to. Each step closer to finding Sabrina is a step deeper into deception and evil. Can Rebecca and Dan save Sabrina before it's too late?

 Follow the Author Website, Facebook, Mind Over Matter Facebook Page, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads  


Purchase Mind Over Matter here: MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon.ca Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Chapters.ca

Follow the Tour Sept 19 - Promo Blast
Sept 20 - http://mommyreadstoomuch.com http://couponingwithboys.com
Sept 21 -http://songberries.com http://ereadingonthecheap.com interview
Sept 24 - http://amandablogs.com http://takingtimeformommy.com
Sept 25 -http://savingfor6.blogspot.com/ http://www.genuinejenn.com
Sept 26 -http://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com http://coziecorner.blogspot.com
Sept 27 - http://www.craftylife.net http://www.debbie-jean.com
Sept 28 - http://www.ginaslibrary.info http://nikita.mattes.blogspot.com

The author is giving away 5 autographed copies (US/ Can) or ebooks for International. 

Fill out the form below to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway -- http://www.takingtimeformommy.com