Wooftown Dogs - Spider

Remember Junior, the German Shepherd who looked like Argo and desperately needed a home?  Well, after the amazing folks at Wooftown Rescue saved him from being euthanized, took him to the vet, and boarded him with a pet sitter, Junior was adopted and is now, happily, in his forever home.

Of course, while I was checking in on Junior, I couldn't help but notice all the other beautiful pups who need homes on the Wooftown site, so I figured I'd start posting about adoptable pups from time to time.

Here's a little info about Spider, a medium-sized Border Collie Mix:

"Hi!!! My name is Spider, I am 1 year old, and I am looking for a forever family to love. I was surrendered by my owners. My momma had an unexpected litter of puppies and they couldn't afford to keep me. I am good with children and would be a great family pet or companion for another dog. I have been kept outside by my previous owners, but now that I'm safe in a rescue, I am a indoor dog and I'm loving it!

If you are looking for a happy, playful boy to make your family complete then you have to spend some time with me. I know that we will be best buddies in no time. I may be a little shy when I first meet you but I will warm up to you in no time!"

You can check out his listing here.

Wordless Wednesdays - Totally out of character. . .

100 Things - 95-97

95. I was obsessed with 21 Jump Street reruns in junior high school and secretly wanted to be an police officer like Judy Hoffs - a confession that makes people who know me well laugh hysterically.  Despite the fact that I have horrible aim and am prone to bouts of impressive clumsiness, I still think I'd have made a kick-ass undercover cop.  Plus, since I still get asked when my mom will be home by the meter man, I totally could have had a long career doing drug busts in high schools.

96. I had a crush on Doug Penhall, not Tom Hanson.

97. I finished my taxes last week due, in part, to coffee, popcorn, and St. Elmo's Fire, Funny Farm, and 21 Jump Street on Netflix.

Book Trailer Fridays - Christina Meldrum and Amaryllis in Blueberry

My Fridays have tended toward hectic lately, so I haven't put up any trailers in several weeks, but now Book Trailer Fridays is back, starting with Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum!

Here's a description of the book:

Meet the Slepys: Dick, the stern doctor, the naive husband, a man devoted to both facts and faith; Seena, the storyteller, the restless wife, a mother of four, a lover of myth. And their children, the Marys: Mary Grace, the devastating beauty; Mary Tessa, the insistent inquisitor; Mary Catherine, the saintly, lost soul; and finally, Amaryllis, Seena's unspoken favorite, born with the mystifying ability to sense the future, touch the past and distinguish the truth tellers from the most convincing liar of all.

When Dick insists his family move from Michigan to the unfamiliar world of Africa for missionary work, he can't possibly foresee how this new land and its people will entrance and change his daughters—and himself—forever.

Nor can he predict how Africa will spur his wife Seena toward an old but unforgotten obsession. In fact, Seena may be falling into a trance of her own.

Here's what people are saying about Amaryllis in Bluberry:

"Satisfying." —Library Journal

"Intoxicating." —Publishers Weekly

"Meldrum writes beautifully."—Kirkus Reviews

"A uniquely memorable read that will stay with you long after you turn the last page." —Carol Cassella, National Bestselling author of Oxygen and Healer

"A beautifully layered, intensely emotional story, with unforgettable characters."—Michelle Richmond, author of the New York Times and international bestseller The Year of Fog

Here's the book trailer:



And here's a video of Christina talking about Amaryllis in Blueberry.



You can follow Christina on Twitter and Facebook.

What are you reading right now?

A smattering of links

Lately, at the end of the day, I feel like I've run out of words.  I spend my days either writing or thinking about writing while I do other things, and then my brain is just plain done, and all I can manage is an hour or so of Top Gear before I fall asleep.  Everything else just kind of bounces around in my head.  It's not an unpleasant thing at all, but it means I owe some friends a phone call or an e-mail, and it also means that there are some things I've been meaning to share that I haven't gotten around to yet, so here goes.

It's pretty sunny in Rochester today, but we've got lots of rain in the forecast, and since it's Rochester, snow isn't out of the question yet.  But in May, I'm headed to the Lake Austin Spa Resort to talk about STAY and writing at the For The Love of Books program, and it has me looking forward to spring in the best way.  I mentioned it on Facebook awhile ago, but I wanted to post about it here, too.  My event is on May 21st, and if you're looking for a place to unwind, Lake Austin seems like the perfect place to do it!  I can't wait!

I'm a member of The Fiction Writers Co-op.  Since many of us visit, call in, or Skype with book clubs, Claire Cook came up with the brilliant idea of making a list of Co-op authors who work with book clubs as a resource to clubs who would like to include authors in their discussions.  Therese Walsh, Rebecca Rasmussen, and Ann Mah helped put the list up online, and you can see it here.

FOUR of my friends have debut books coming out in a few weeks and I'm SOOOOOO excited about them.

1. Rochester author, news anchor, and editor of the New York Cork Report, Evan Dawson is celebrating the April 5th of his debut book, Summer in a Glass, the stories behind Finger Lakes wines, with a book tour of New York wineries and bookstores this spring and summer. 
2. Rebecca Rasmussen's debut The Bird Sisters hits shelves on April 12th, and has been getting rave reviews.
3. Rainbow Rowell's debut novel, Attachments will be out on April 14th.  I got to read an advance copy of Attachments and contributed a blurb for it.  It is absolutely on my list of all time favorite books.  And I can't get enough of her blog either.  
4. The Violets of March, Sarah Jio's debut novel, is out on April 26th, and I've been dying to read it for almost a year now.  

Junior is now at the Pittsford Animal Hospital receiving medical testing and care. He's still looking for a foster or permanent home, so if you're interested in foster/adopting him, or helping with his care in another way, you can contact the animal hospital in reference to Junior from Wooftown Dog Rescue, or contact Wooftown Rescue directly.  

Speaking of animal lovers and great writers, Wade Rouse has a few memoir writing workshops coming up, and since I get a lot of questions about writing classes and workshops, I figured I'd mention it here.  A few days writing with Wade sounds like a great way to celebrate spring.

And, I'm planning to start posting with a little more regularity.  I swear.

Junior, an 11yo German Shepherd in Rochester

I saw a posting about Junior on a friend's Facebook page this morning.  This could so easily be a picture of Argo, and it's breaking my heart.  Stella would have a fit if I brought another dog home, and it wouldn't be good for anyone involved.  But I wanted to at least help get the word out on Junior, because he needs a home very very fast.  

Here's a little bit about Junior:

"11 year old German Shepherd named Junior. Junior is neutered and was surrendered to us because the owner was moving to a place where pets weren’t allowed. This boy is sweet and was being web fostered because he was very stressed here in the shelter. He has some old dog issues like arthritis and a few fatty tumors. The staff member who had him in foster noticed he was drinking a lot and urinating a lot. Urinalysis revealed possible kidney problems. A local vet donated bloodwork and there is the possibility or diabetes or cushings disease. He needs further diagnostics at this point. A decision was made to euthanize Junior, but because the staff have grown fond of him, they asked me to look for rescue first. He is fine around other dogs and cats. He is currently in the house we own next door with the interns, and they are reporting that he is having some anxiety when left alone. He apparently chewed a door one day and has since been crated, although he is anxious in his crate (but does not try to break out). Junior is ready to go."

If you're interested in adopting or fostering Junior, send me an e-mail at info at allielarkinwrites dot com, and I'll put you in touch with my friend.

100 Things - 91-94

Oh my gosh! I didn't mean to disappear from my blog like that.  Since I've made Tuesdays and Thursdays writing-only days, I've had a little trouble trying to cram the rest of the week into Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  But I am getting tons of writing done.  Which is good, since I'm, you know, a writer and all.  I am, however, a writer who does not have a single clean towel in the house at the moment.

Anyway, to get back into the swing of things, here's a few more items for my 100 things list.

91. When I'm putting away dishes, glasses have to go in the cabinet upside down and mugs go in right side up.  I don't know why.

92. I sleep with four pillows.  I know that's ridiculous.

93. When I was a kid, I used to kiss frogs.  Just in case.

94. My dream car is a 1970's era Karmann Ghia, but since I never learned manual, I wouldn't actually be able to drive it.  Plus, the dogs wouldn't fit.