Amber Polo's Blog, page 7

A Greyhound Book Reviewer Interviewed

Welcome Bunny, and thank you for being my first Greyhound reviewer. I hope you didn't consider the biscuits I sent to you a bribe. That was not my intent.

Bunny: No, not at all! They certainly made the book smell nice while I was reading it, though.  A good book is supposed to be one you can sink your teeth into, after all!
 
Amber: Tell me a little about yourself. And your blog.
Bunny: I'm an almost eight year old Greyhound.  I came to live with my humans when I was eighteen months old.  I went through all the schooling to race, but they decided that I was too little and sent me off to be a pet instead. Since then, I've become a therapy dog, an ambassadog for Greyhounds, a model, a blog writer and a star of the internet.  

My blog is Tales and Tails and it's about the things we do with our humans.
 We go out and have a lot of adventures.  I want my Greyhound friends and their humans to know that retirement from racing doesn't mean that you go take a nap on the couch and never get up again.  It's just the start of a wonderful and exciting new life.  I have one Greyhound sister, Flattery, a German Shepherd sister, Morgan, and a German Shepherd brother named Küster who works as a Search and Rescue dog.  Anyway, we share things about our adventures and fun places we go together and our jobs.  

Amber: I'm thrilled that you enjoyed my book Recovered. I wonder, did you identify with Bliss, my Greyhound shifter heroine? 

Bunny: I did a little bit, but there were also things that were a little foreign. Most Greyhounds in the United States don't get to run around without a leash on. But, I do happen to love books, especially ones that are illustrated.  I would love working in a library like Bliss does.  I also would love going on a grand adventure like she did.
 
Amber: Have you ever met a dog-shifter?
 
Bunny: No, I can't say that I have, but I've read a few other stories about them. I think it would be rather interesting, to say the least.  I'm sure I'd have a few questions for them, provided they could understand me.

Amber: What would you do if you met a werewolf?
Bunny: I wouldn't be too worried.  I mean, no dog is as fast as a Greyhound, so I could always outrun one if I had to. But, I'd be terribly curious and I'd probably want to have a good sniff of it. I also like to write great stories for Halloween on the blog, so I'd see if I could get an interview and some pictures. If the answer was unfriendly, then I'd high tail it somewhere safe.

Amber: Thank you Bunny for visiting. Besides being a star blogger, you certainly are a beautiful Greyhound and must give so many humans pleasure in your therapy and modeling work. Just make sure you save enough time for reading and book reviewing. 
The Shapeshifters’ Library Book 3: Recovered A Cross Country Canine Cozy Adventure from Ohio to New Mexico, filled with ancient mounds, dog-catchers, rescue groups, and wolfdog issues. Come along with Bliss, children’s librarian and white greyhound shifter, and reformed werewolf Harry as they search for the most valuable library on the planet, chased by Sybilla and Blaze, werewolves crazed to stop them.

For more interviews with canine reviewers 
My interview with OZ the Terrier, who also reviewed Recovered

Meet Pacifico, my new hero!

Meet Pacifico Lopez!Chihuahua shifter Pacifico Lopez was a readers' favorite in Released, the first book in the Shapeshifters' Library series, besides the hero Old English Sheepdog shifter and the librarian heroine.

Smart and feisty, the computer genius's Zoogle internet conglomerate kept the dog-shifters in premium dog food and reference books. In Retrieved Pacifico started a library services company with the smartest RFID codes ever made.

Now at last, it’s time for the smallest and smartest to have his own book. And his own romance.
 Book 4, Reprinted, will be published in late October!Soon I’ll reveal the cover for Pacifico’s book, where he’ll chase the love of his life as he battles ebook pirates in the Caribbean, but here's a advance look at this handsome guy. Light urban fantasy for dog lovers
Librarian dog-shifters and book-burning werewolves  Book 1 Released - Liberty and Chronus's story (Golden Retriever & Old English Sheepdog)
Book 2 Retrieved - Godiva and Cynerik's story (Chocolate Labrador Retriever & English Mastiff)
Book 3 Recovered - Bliss and Harry's  (White Greyhound & Werewolf-Dog mix) 




























An one more thing -

I’m excited to announce the amazing Morgan Kearns has invited me back as a speaker for Buildin’ the Dream writer’s conference 2015!  

And just as exciting, Kris Tualla has booked me as one of the lucky authors for the Arizona Dreamin’ readers’ event 2015. I'm still wondering how these ladies pack so much fun into a few Arizona days. So writers or readers see what they’d got planned..check out their joint website.
 
Heard about Arizona Dreamin'?
It's the most unique reader event around,
and I am thrilled to be a Featured Author for 2015!
The best part is, I have a pair of tickets for my fans and friends - for only $89 each!
Email me if you want them, first come first served.
All the info about the event can be found at http://arizonadreaminevent.com/

Tickets will go on general sale on September 1st, so let me know ASAP!amber@amberpolo.com
 

Hearts in the Vortex

It's Springtime in Arizona!

And I'm excited to announce the release of

Hearts in the Vortex A Sedona Arizona Paranormal Romance
The Most Unromantic Woman in the World Falls in Love – with Two Men – in One Body

No-nonsense attorney Rebecca Dumaurier battles for famous romance writers. But in the Sedona vortex romance spins out of control with a shy trance channeler and a pirate from another time.

This Sedona, Arizona Paranormal Romance is the lovingly revised edition of my first book
"Romancing Rebecca" with a lovely new Arizona cover by Connie Lee Marie.

Never visited Sedona? Don't miss this chance to see the sights!

Available in print from Amazon
Special Introductory Kindle Price through May $.99
Barnes & Noble

How to Relax with your Dog

As a yoga teacher who specializes in relaxation techniques I’ve taught Kapalabhati, Viloma, Ujjaiyi, and my favorite Alternate Nostril Breathing (which will help you survive many crises).


As a dog lover I know dogs are great relaxation aids and enrich body, mind, and spirit:
Walk a dog to get your body moving.Sit and pet a dog to calm you.Play with a dog to create joy.
Here are instructions for a Dog Petting Breathing Technique
·       Find a quiet comfortable spot·       Place hand on dog’s head ·       Inhale·       Begin to Exhale. ·       Slowly move your hand down the dog’s neck and back while silently  counting to three·       When you reach the end of the dog begin the inhale ·       Repeat
It may take a few breaths to settle the dog and to find your pace. Breathe in with the inhale and out with the exhale. Begin to lengthen both the exhale and the inhale to at least a count of three for each. Let your belly move with your breath. Close your eyes if you wish. Continue as long as necessary.


Your dog will enjoy these breathing practice timeouts as much as treats.


Notes:


Adapting for the size of the dog - Breathing with a Chihuahua will differ from breathing with a Great Dane. For tiny dogs the movement has to be very, very slow. Or alternatively experiment with more than one petting movement on the exhale. Exceptionally large dogs may take more than one breath to complete the journey. 

No dog? Borrow one or use this practice with cats, horses, and other warm blooded pets (or a human friend.). 

Enjoy and Keep Petting!

My Annual Valentine Post

Love, Serendipity, and Chocolate by Amber Polo
Indulge me as a republish my annual Valentines Day post.           
Once upon a time in1994. I was the marketing manager for a Boston conference taping company and my boss’s Polish wife decided to throw a party. Registered for a weekend regional Mensa conference at a hotel west of Boston, I was more interested in getting away from my co-workers than socializing with them. But, when your boss has a party, you go, even if the weather is awful and you know traffic to the west suburbs will be hell.
            So I ate Jolanta’s thick potato soup and dark bread and waited for the earliest polite moment to leave. At last, blocking the door, she told me I must take sweet treats with me. I opened my briefcase and she dropped in a handful of candy. I smiled and ran down the steps to head into Friday rush hour traffic.
            At the hotel Regional Gathering on Friday evening I met old friends. On Saturday morning I had my first ever tarot card reading. Still trying to make sense of the intricate cards, I walked into the Clear Thinking Workshop. I was not particularly interested in thinking; Thinking meant questions and I wanted answers. What did the future hold for me, my career, my fortune, and, most of all, my love life? Was it too much to hope to meet the love of my life? And soon?
            Sitting next to me, with obviously a more serious interest in clear thinking, was Vince Polo, an attractive, age-appropriate man from Maryland with a big smile. Vince and I left the workshop and over the next six hours drank a lot of coffee, discussed our lives, and shared personal stories and feelings. Vince’s intelligence, sense of humor, good looks, honesty, and his intense interest in me were irresistible. He stayed for the evening banquet, returned for sessions on Sunday and decided to stay in Boston for another day so we could have dinner on Monday evening.
            Sunday night, as I was unpacking my weekend luggage, I up-ended my bag and out fell two “Prince Polo Krunche wafel z kremem Kakawym oblewane naturalna Czekolada” candy bars in gold foil wrappers.
Had I found my prince?

Here's a photo from our Arizona wedding!

            A Polish deli near Sedona’s Well Red Coyote bookstore stocks Prince Polo chocolate-covered wafer candy bars. And like all the Polish people I've questioned, the deli owners agree the candy bars have been around forever and the name has no significance.

See what Wikipedia says 

Oz the Great Reviews Recovered!

Welcome, Oz the Great, and thank you for being my first canine reviewer. I hope you didn't consider the biscuits I sent to you a bribe. That was not my intent.


OZ: No, not at all.  Now, had you sent a pound of bacon, that would have been considered a bribe.


Amber: Oz, the Great and Powerful Blogger, tell me a little about yourself.


Oz: I am a Cairn Terrier like Toto from the movie The Wizard of Oz.  It was Ma's favorite movie as a child, and it remains her all-time favorite, hence my name.  I am 9 years young and true to my terrier nature, I love to chase everything.  I also love to go camping, hiking and canoeing and you can read about some of those adventures on my blog. 


Oh...and I fancy myself a poet.  My friends like it when they inspire one of my limericks but I think my best poem to date is my "Ode on Bacon."  It is drool-worthy.


(http://www.oztheterrier.com/2010/09/ode-on-bacon.html- just in case you would like to read it)


Amber: I did read that poem and found it the best bacon epic poem ever. That's makes me even more thrilled that you enjoyed my book Recovered. I wonder did you identify with the dog-shifters? Who was your favorite character?


Oz: I can identify with the shifters when they are in their dog form, sure, but not when they are in their human form. I do love that the dog-shifters are the guardians of all books. If I was a character in your The Shapeshifters' Library series, I believe I would be the librarian in the poetry section.  I would love to be able to share some of my favorite poets, like Walt Whitman or Longfellow, with visitors to the library.


My favorite character was Harry.  As a terrier, I can be loyal and kind but like most terriers, I am very independent and have a killer nature.  It can be a struggle to be a "good dog" some of the time which is why I really identify with Harry.  He struggles to fight his werewolf nature and be a "good dog" too;  I was rooting for him through the whole book!


Amber: Have you ever met a dog-shifter?


Oz: No, I have not. I would love to though. Maybe I need to visit my local library. *wink, wink*


Amber: What would you do if you met a werewolf?


Oz: Well, I am afraid I would probably pick a fight.  I have a tendency to start arguments with big dogs because they usually just want to ignore me and I will not be ignored.  Though, if I met a werewolf and it went in for a kill, well let's just say that werewolf might be surprised at the size of the fight in this little terrier.
Amber: Well, Oz you are one brave terrier! And I hope besides your great blog someday I'll have a chance to review a book of your poetry.
What Oz said about Recovered:
Recovered - The Shapeshifters' Library: Book 3 has a little bit of everything for the reader (and dog lover) - wonderful characters, animal rescue and conservation, lost ancient places and artifacts, a quest for knowledge and a love story.  Once I started reading, it was hard to put it down (except at mealtime, because you know I will not pass up food).  The story grabbed me from the first page and at the end, left me begging for more!


Here's the link to Oz's complete review 
Check out Oz's blog:   The g reat and powerful Oz the Terrier,  poet, humorist and traveler...living the good life in South Florida.  Finalist for Petties 2013 "Funniest Blog"
Oz's the Great's Poems and limericks
AdventuresHelping dogs & cats find forever homesReviewer of doggy pet products & treatsBacon aficionado


 













 

Flash Fiction - How to Dig Up a Bestselller

  The Story Farm by Amber Polo



     The farm cottage wasn’t charming or particularly cute, just a step up from ordinary. She didn’t even know if anyone lived in it. The crone’s hand-drawn map indicated this house was the only building on the Story Farm. The old woman had promised her, that if she buried her writing here, the story’s memories would forever be cast off from her heart. And her life would at last move forward.
    Behind the cottage, mounds of fresh soft dirt dotted the field as if gophers mined for gold beneath her feet. Urged on by Desperation, she could not go back now. Choosing a serviceable spade from an assortment of shovels, she began to dig in an untouched spot. The soil was harder than she’d expected, but after a couple of tries, her shovel pierced the surface. When the hole was a foot deep, she lifted a thick sheaf of papers from her bag and smoothed them flat to the hole’s bottom. Refilling the hole, she patted down the dirt, let out a loud sigh of relief, and left the farm.
    An hour after the woman left, a man walked into the field. He moved with purpose, led by what he called Inspiration, took up his usual shovel, strode to the freshest mound of earth, and harvested the papers. Holding the sheets up, he shook off the dirt. Here on Story Farm there was only one rule. Once touched, the papers could not be put back, nor could the finder return for a year and a day. But the man had learned to trust in his first selection and today, as he scanned the smudged pages, he knew he’d chosen well. This woman’s story would become, like each of the others, a best-selling novel.************************* Short fiction isn't usually the form I'm drawn to, but this little tale wouldn't leave my mind.

My flash fiction story was printed first by Paula in Flurries of Words blog on December 6, 2013.  Flurries offers Book reviews, flash fictions, interviews and x of free and bargain ebooks.

A Flash Fiction Fantasy Gift for Writers

  The Story Farm by Amber Polo



     The farm cottage wasn’t charming or particularly cute, just a step up from ordinary. She didn’t even know if anyone lived in it. The crone’s hand-drawn map indicated this house was the only building on the Story Farm. The old woman had promised her, that if she buried her writing here, the story’s memories would forever be cast off from her heart. And her life would at last move forward.
    Behind the cottage, mounds of fresh soft dirt dotted the field as if gophers mined for gold beneath her feet. Urged on by Desperation, she could not go back now. Choosing a serviceable spade from an assortment of shovels, she began to dig in an untouched spot. The soil was harder than she’d expected, but after a couple of tries, her shovel pierced the surface. When the hole was a foot deep, she lifted a thick sheaf of papers from her bag and smoothed them flat to the hole’s bottom. Refilling the hole, she patted down the dirt, let out a loud sigh of relief, and left the farm.
    An hour after the woman left, a man walked into the field. He moved with purpose, led by what he called Inspiration, took up his usual shovel, strode to the freshest mound of earth, and harvested the papers. Holding the sheets up, he shook off the dirt. Here on Story Farm there was only one rule. Once touched, the papers could not be put back, nor could the finder return for a year and a day. But the man had learned to trust in his first selection and today, as he scanned the smudged pages, he knew he’d chosen well. This woman’s story would become, like each of the others, a best-selling novel.************************* Short fiction isn't usually the form I'm drawn to, but this little tale wouldn't leave my mind.

My flash fiction story was printed first by Paula in Flurries of Words blog on December 6, 2013.  Flurries offers Book reviews, flash fictions, interviews and x of free and bargain ebooks.

Shapeshifters' Library Series Free on Kindle & a New Release!

I Love Receiving...
and Giving!
This week I received a special Christmas present.

As some of you know I spent a part of my life in libraries. I worked in quite a few libraries, often as an Acquisitions Librarian. One wonderful memory was of my time in Arlington, Virginia where I had the opportunity to work with two of the finest librarians in the country. These amazing women were true book people. They knew books and knew how to build a wonderful library collection. Acting as their assistant I learned a lot about books and book reviews.

In those days, besides a few respected newspapers and literary journals, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Virginia Kirkus Service book reviews were the mainstays of libraries and bookstores. A bad review in one of those powerful forces could doom a book.

Since I never expected to actually write a book myself, I didn't understand reviews from the author’s point of view. But now I have my own Kirkus review!
s
And I’m thrilled!

aRecovered, the third in my Shapeshifters’ Library series, was reviewed by Kirkus.
And here’s what it said: 

“Author Polo does an excellent job organizing the details of her inviting series for new and returning readers... At its core, the narrative illustrates how… kindness can heal humans and dogs—and maybe even cats… A fanciful read that remains loyal to its noble principles.” – Kirkus Reviews 

To celebrate:

All Kindle books
in The Shapeshifters Library are Free !
Released (Book 1) Free Decmber 26 only
Retrieved  (Book 2) Free December 26-30
Recovered (Book 3) Free December 26-30
and
Heads in the Clouds - Introductory Price $.99 until January 1
More NEWS:
I have revised and republished Flying Free, one of my Arizona romances, as Heads in the Clouds . I added another dog (it's like cooking & adding more wine). And Connie Fisher created a gorgeous new cover. Heads in the Clouds is available for Kindle readers at an introductory price of $.99 until January 1, 2014.

Thanks for reading
and stay tuned for Book 4 as dog-shifters try to shut down book-pirating werewolves.
Amber


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_________
And a Goodreads Giveaway
-
Heads in the Clouds
an Arizona Aviation Romance
(print copy)

Goodreads Book Giveaway Heads in the Cloudsby Amber PoloGiveaway ends January 05, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.Enter to win

The Magic Trees of Sedona

The Magic Trees of Sedona       Something magical happens in Sedona every December.  Well since it’s Sedona, let’s say something more magical happens in December.  Along Highway 179, between Bell Rock and the Town of Sedona, Christmas trees appear along the road.  They just appear.  One day they’re not there and the next morning they are.  Not ordinary Christmas trees, these are heavy with thick tinsel garlands and bright round balls.  Each tree is different but they all seem to be decorated in the same style, as if there were a plan.  This year among the reds and greens, silvers and golds, and purples and blues, there are many covered with red, white, and blue garlands and ornaments. 
          Since the trees appear on Coconino National Forest land where federal regulations require visitors to stay on the trails, decorating trees isn’t allowed.  It is rumored that families sneak along the road late at night with boxes of decorations, but that rumor is harder to believe than magic.
          Wherever these magic trees come from, they disappear as mysteriously as they appear.  On New Year’s Day there are no trees.  If you look carefully you might find a few shards of a red or silver ornament or a bit of glittery purple tinsel, but the trees are gone.  The red rocks and the green trees are still there and still magnificent, but they seem a little drab for a few days.                               

*************************

I wrote this in 2001. Since then the trees don't appear. The nature-loving people of Sedona have stopped decorating forest trees for fear birds will be attracted to the glittering decorations, eat, and die. So let's keep our trees indoors or with animal friendly decorations.