Hearts of Gold

Please join me in welcoming Duke in his SECOND cover model experience since we've adopted him less than one year ago.  Duke had come to us in November of 2012 and he was unable to walk and unwilling to eat. 
After a series of veterinary visits, tests and lots of prayer, we found out that our foster (at the time) had been diagnosed with Lyme Disease.  Even though he wasn't ours, we did everything we could to make him well again...and thankfully, he started walking and eating.
Since then, we've added him to our family and also to the cover of two of my books.  The first was Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished and the second is my newest book, Hearts of Gold.

Hearts of Gold:

A child should feel the safety of their parent's touch, the warmth of their compassion and the benevolence of their soul. For Peyton Bishop, it was quite the opposite. A victim of domestic abuse, Peyton, along with her mother, Morgan lived under constant fear of her father.
When Morgan sustains an injury from one of the beatings, Peyton needs to spend the night at her grandparents. As a method of enforcing her silence, her father gets rid of her golden retriever, Teddy and makes her believe it is her fault, showing her once again who is boss.
Once Morgan recovers, she promises that she will bring Peyton to safety in hopes of living a normal life, but Peyton continues to suffer from the sting of her father's words, an overwhelming guilt about losing Teddy.
A fictional story, centered around hope, love and loyalty between a child and her dog, that depicts emotional scars left from child abuse.

 

Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished

 

In the prequel, Paw Prints in the Sand, you read the heartwarming story about Foxy, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever who was mistakenly sold to the owners of a puppy mill and lives to tell about it. Her story is one of encouragement and hope and enables us to realize how important it is to band together and save the lives of other dogs living in the same type of cruel environment. That is, if you can truly call it living. After all, these poor dogs are merely existing in cramped cages without proper food, exercise, medicine or love.
The inspirational sequel continues with a bit of a twist. A man suffering with what some might call a critical mid-life crisis (and then some) is contemplating life and trying desperately to find reasons to stay alive.
His wife left him, he hates his job and despises his less-than-appreciative boss. Life as he knows it is pointless. A chance situation gives him reason to smile and he finds himself conversing with a couple of men who are excited to begin a new venture building a modern dog shelter called, "Paw Prints in the Sand. "
Often, we hear about dogs that have been rescued by humans, but rarely do we acknowledge that the opposite is actually true. Discover how Harrison's life is drastically changed by opening his heart to these four-legged creatures. You'll find yourself in agreement that often it is our furry friends that rescue us just as much as we rescue them.

 

Can You Relate?

Dogs are walked and you think to yourself.  Self?  Time to relax.  Time to sit back, turn on that television you've been meaning to watch and enjoy your favorite television show.  But no, there's always one in the bunch that still wants to play.  In my case, her name is Toffee and she's on a mission.  As I sit to stare at the television, her toys are throw in the air blocking my view.  But, she has that award-winning smile. How am I supposed to resist? She thinks because she's been on the cover of a few of my books that she can rule the roost.  Well, guess what.  Ugh.  She's right.  We're going for a walk now.  She won...this time.  Stay tuned for more of Toffee's adventures.  They'll be plenty!

 

Toffee- Cover Model on Paw Prints in the Sand and My Dog Does That!

 

 

 

 

 

Hearts of Gold

Hearts of Gold was an emotional book to write as it combines the horrific life of a child who has experienced child abuse with the loss of a dog.  While a work of fiction, it demonstrates the strong bond between children and animals and how dogs can help heal on an emotional level.

Hearts of Gold is available on Nook, Kindle and in Paperback!!

~~A child should feel the safety of their parent's touch, the warmth of their compassion and the benevolence of their soul. For Peyton Bishop, it was quite the opposite. A victim of domestic abuse, Peyton, along with her mother, Morgan lived under constant fear of her father.
When Morgan sustains an injury from one of the beatings, Peyton needs to spend the night at her grandparents. As a method of enforcing her silence, her father gets rid of her golden retriever, Teddy and makes her believe it is her fault, showing her once again who is boss.
Once Morgan recovers, she promises that she will bring Peyton to safety in hopes of living a normal life, but Peyton continues to suffer from the sting of her father's words, an overwhelming guilt about losing Teddy.
A fictional story, centered around hope, love and loyalty between a child and her dog, that depicts emotional scars left from child abuse.~~

Click Here to Order!

Thanks for stopping by!  It's a Golden Thing is a blog in which I intend to devote solely to animals.  While it will contain a lot of cool dog things, don't be surprised to find pictures of cats, lions or any other animal!

 

This also means there will be lots of pictures, lots of links to other dog posts and lots of links to my dog books! Any information I have about dog products, reviews or services, I'll be sure to post here.

 

This blog was inspired by my passion for dogs and dog rescue, as well as by one of my books, called, Paw Prints in the Sand.  Stay tuned for future posts as I get this blog on its feet!

 

 

Paw Prints in the Sand

 

The perfect dog book for dog lovers everywhere.
Prequel to "Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished"
Love is a strong word signifying different things to different people. It is the relationship between man and woman, parent and child, siblings or friends. To many, it is the soulful bond between dog and its human.
Chelsea and Anthony were elated when they adopted Sugar and Spice, a male and a female retriever. The shelter attendant assured them that the female dog had been spayed, but the male dog needed to get neutered. When Sugar went for a checkup, they discovered otherwise; Sugar was pregnant.
So, when Sugar actually gave birth, finding the perfect owner for each puppy was arduous, but finding an owner for the last pup was downright heart wrenching. The last pup had just recovered from various health issues and had been nursed back to health by Chelsea. She had been in her care for six months--just enough time for Chelsea and her to form a powerful bond.
Alas, it was time to find the pup her forever home. Chelsea rejected many of the pursuers. None were good enough.
But on that warm summer afternoon, the seemingly perfect couple fit the bill. With tears in her eyes, Chelsea handed them the pup, the one she loved as if it were her own daughter. The one she secretly named Foxy.
Two years later, she received a phone call from the veterinarian. A loose dog was found and the microchip led them to Chelsea. It was only then that she discovered Foxy hadn't been given a good home after all. They had unknowingly handed her to the owners of a puppy mill.
As if a knife had been driven through her heart, Chelsea had a choice to make to save this dog. One that would make things right, as they should've been from the beginning. One that would change their lives forever.
A moving love story of sorts that demonstrates the unbreakable bond and sustainable love between dogs and humans.

A fictional novella about dogs.
*A portion of the proceeds will be donated to animal rescue.

 

 

 

The History Behind Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished

When I finished writing Paw Prints in the Sand, a strong emotion came over me.    As any author should, I loved the book.  I loved the characters, the story and of course, the dogs.  But more than that I loved the feeling that what happened at the ending could—and has—happened in real life.  At least on some level.

While reading the story, I felt as if I were on an emotional rollercoaster.  In order to fully portray the real horror behind puppy mills, I had do to something I didn't want to do. Research.  

I don't mind researching information for any story, but for this one, I knew what I found was going to break my heart, yet it was necessary.  

I found myself having to stop and take a break from writing because the tears were streaming down my face.  That should give you a good indication about how awful puppy mills truly are.  Once I pulled myself together, I continued on.  

At the same time that finished writing it, a puppy duck toller wandered into the hands of a rescue group and into my living room to foster.  The irony hit a chord with me.  See, duck tollers are not common here but yet as I was writing the ending, I was staring into the eyes of a breed that this very book was about.  A two month old at that.  I simply knew it was going to be special and because of that...I didn't want it to end.  Well, not quite. 

 

 

So, I took a break and in a month's time I thought of the perfect sequel.  And that is how Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished came about. 

The sequel, while a continuation of the first book, takes the story a bit further.  I wanted to demonstrate how powerful the bond is between human and dog.  It is very real and certainly tangible.  For those of us that have been there, we already know.  Some are just finding out for themselves.

 

In Paw Prints: Mission Accomplished, a man suffering with what some might call a critical mid-life crisis (and then some) is contemplating life and trying desperately to find reasons to stay alive.  

His wife left him, he hates his job and despises his less-than-appreciative boss. Life as he knows it is pointless. A chance situation gives him reason to smile and he finds himself conversing with a couple of men who are excited to begin a new venture building a modern dog shelter called, "Paw Prints in the Sand." 

Often, we hear about dogs that have been rescued by humans, but rarely do we acknowledge that the opposite is actually true.  Harrison often rolled his eyes at his friends who called their dogs "kids."  Now, he was one of them. 

Harrison's life is drastically changed by opening his heart to these four-legged creatures. You'll find yourself in agreement that often it is our furry friends that rescue us just as much as we rescue them. 

Every once in a while a dog walks into our life, changing our world forever, making us wonder how we ever got by without one.

 

Find it on Amazon!

Copyright © Elizabeth Parker 2013
"Bringing awareness about dog adoption and rescue, one dog at a time!"

Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, Bark Out Loud!, My Dog Does That!, Paw Prints in the Sand, Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished, Unwanted Dreams, Evil’s Door, Phobia and Faces of Deception

www.facebook.com/goldenbooks1

www.twitter.com/golden_books

www.elizabethparker.webs.com

Designer of Buddy Bracelets www.facebook.com/buddybracelets

www.twitter.com/buddybracelets

www.lvjewels.storenvy.com

 

 

Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished

The Sequel to Paw Prints in the Sand is OUT! 

In the prequel, Paw Prints in the Sand, you read the heartwarming story about Foxy, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever who was mistakenly sold to the owners of a puppy mill and lives to tell about it. Her story is one of encouragement and hope and enables us to realize how important it is to band together and save the lives of other dogs living in the same type of cruel environment. That is, if you can truly call it living. After all, these poor dogs are merely existing in cramped cages without proper food, exercise, medicine or love. 

The inspirational sequel continues with a bit of a twist. A man suffering with what some might call a critical mid-life crisis (and then some) is contemplating life and trying desperately to find reasons to stay alive.

His wife left him, he hates his job and despises his less-than-appreciative boss. Life as he knows it is pointless. A chance situation gives him reason to smile and he finds himself conversing with a couple of men who are excited to begin a new venture building a modern dog shelter called, "Paw Prints in the Sand."

Often, we hear about dogs that have been rescued by humans, but rarely do we acknowledge that the opposite is actually true. Discover how Harrison's life is drastically changed by opening his heart to these four-legged creatures. You'll find yourself in agreement that often it is our furry friends that rescue us just as much as we rescue them.

Find it on Amazon! 

Copyright © Elizabeth Parker 2013

 

Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, Bark Out Loud!, My Dog Does That!, Paw Prints in the Sand, Paw Prints in the Sand: Mission Accomplished, Unwanted Dreams, Evil’s Door, Phobia and Faces of Deception 

www.facebook.com/goldenbooks1

www.twitter.com/golden_books

 

Designer of Buddy Bracelets www.facebook.com/buddybracelets

www.twitter.com/buddybracelets

 www.lvjewels.storenvy.com

Did Someone Say Treat?

Some Dogs Will do Anything for a treat...

When waiting in line for a milkbone, some dogs will dress in disguise hoping no one will notice they already had a treat...

 

Some may even dress like a little, helpless old lady...

 

Others are oblivious to the world around them, unless, of course, a treat is mentioned.

 

Toffee, someone's at the door!

 

Toffee, can you please move so I can vacuum?

 

Tof, it's thundering out!! Oh no!!!

 

Hey Tof, want to go for a ride?

 

Look Tof! A rabbit!!

 

Um, Tof?  Want a snack??

There we go.  Finally, a reaction!

 

Love at First Site 

 

What does YOUR dog do for a treat?

 

 

Copyright © Elizabeth Parker

Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, Bark Out Loud!, My Dog Does That!, Paw Prints in the Sand, Unwanted Dreams, Evil’s Door, Phobia and Faces of Deception

www.facebook.com/goldenbooks1 www.twitter.com/golden_books

Designer of Buddy Bracelets www.facebook.com/buddybracelets www.lvjewels.storenvy.com

 

 

 

 

 

Paw Prints in the Sand

Paw Prints in the Sand

I'm excited to announce my new book that will be out by the end of this month, July, 2012.  It is a fictional story, however, the foundation of the story—puppy mills—is unfortunately, quite real.

Chelsea and Anthony Shelton had their heart in the right place when they made the decision to adopt two dogs.  Shortly thereafter, they were greeted with a surprise for which they hadn't been prepared—the female is pregnant.

They made the best out of a sour situation, sold the puppies and donated the proceeds to an animal rescue group.  What they couldn't predict was the actual lifestyle of one of the buyers.

Without revealing the rest of the story, writing this book had caused me to get swept away in a dreamland of my own.  Here's one dream I don't mind if someone steals and makes it their own.  As a matter of fact, I'd love for everyone to steal this dream idea!

So, here it is.  Somehow, some way I'd love to open a pet sanctuary/rescue facility.  I'd love to have it right on my property.  Sounds like a crazy, farfetched idea for me, but it's my dream so I can make it as insane as I want! 

Join me in my insanity, won't you?

In this facility, stray dogs will be taken in, given the proper medical attention if necessary and then, ideally, adopted out.  In my world, however, once I foster a dog, they rarely leave.  I'd have to work on changing that.

I'd love for this facility to be comfortable and homey. I'm not talking cages.  I'm thinking about actual comfortable furniture for the dogs to lounge on, tiled floors instead of cold cement.  In this building, the senior dogs would have their own area, the puppies would have theirs.  No sense in getting the seniors in an uproar by an overzealous pup!

Sure, the upkeep would be costly, and I'd be replacing couches every so often, but then again, the dogs don't necessarily need style, just comfort.  So, I might be able to purchase a bright yellow, polka dot couch for an affordable price. Maybe even two.  Don't worry, I'll hang some nice pictures on the walls.

The yard would be spacious and, again separated for senior dogs, pups and for those with special needs.  There'd be enough room for them to run, play and socialize.

This way, when pups like this walk into my life, they don't necessarily have to walk out.  I'd be prepared.

And when problematic dogs, who don't quite play well with others stroll by, they too can find comfort in having a room to call their own.

Think of it as a house just for dogs, not a cold building and in no way an idea for a hoarder situation.  Just a manageable amount of dogs-someplace on an large lot for them to call their own, without worrying about when or where they will get their next meal.

It's a dream for now.  But  each dream starts with an idea, that can eventually  cultivate into reality.  As the old saying goes, If you can dream it, it can happen. 

Who knows? I can win lotto tomorrow and if I do, my idea is all mapped out.  I even know what I want the house to look like.  Now I just have to buy the winning ticket.

Again, feel free to make this dream your own.  I'd love for there to be thousands of these 'dreams' being brought to life.

Paw Prints in the Sand.  The kind of dream that might one day exist.  For now, I bring you the book-coming soon.

By Elizabeth Parker

Copyrighted by Elizabeth Parker 2012

Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, My Dog Does That!, Bark Out Loud!, Unwanted Dreams, Phobia, Evil's Door and Faces of Deception

Paw Prints in the Sand coming soon!

Finally Home-What's It All About?

I've had people write to me or approach  me at a book signing to say they couldn't bring themselves to read Finally Home because they get too emotional when it comes to dog stories.  I was happy to report that at the time when I wrote that book, Buddy was sitting right next to me.  I wanted Finally Home to be the first of its kind in that respect, and it was, as far as I know. It didn't have a sad ending.  Like so many readers, I don't like sad endings either.   Buddy was there with me the moment I started typing away and there the moment I received my first proof in the mail, and published my book.  I had his paw print to autograph my first copy. 

My goal in writing that book was twofold, or perhaps, threefold.  Primarily, he had so many quirks, I knew his story would make people smile-especially those who have owned a dog as rambunctious as Buddy.  Secondly, I wanted to donate a portion of the profits to animal rescue.  Lastly and perhaps most importantly, I wanted to correct the misconception that shelter dogs or rescue dogs are less adequate than dogs bought from a puppy store or breeder. 

I think I accomplished that. Although Buddy was a handful when we adopted him, we learned from him, he learned from us, and together, we created a soulful bond that formed our family.

Life is all about learning lessons.  The first time you try anything on your own, it's a blessing if you succeed.  Training Buddy was no different.  At first, we thought we'd get our answers out of a training manual, so we read several.  If I could think back far enough, I'd bet that Buddy probably chewed through them anyway.  No, it's safe to say our lessons were ones that couldn't be learned from a book.  They couldn't be learned from any particular trainer. They had to be learned by looking directly at the source, seeing the gentle giant for who he was, realizing that Buddy was an individual with a big heart and his own agenda.  Once we understood that, we understood Buddy.

As many dog owners will tell you, each dog has its own unique personality.  Specific rules don't apply to all. 

I've had people write to me to tell me they wanted to give up on their own dog due to their behavioral issues, but after reading Finally Home, they gave their dog a second chance.  Some have told me they wanted to buy from a breeder, but chose to now rescue instead.  I had once said that if just one dog gets saved, then all of the hard work was worth it.  After all, you can't put a price tag on a life.

If you get the chance to read Finally Home, I'd love to hear from you and welcome comments about your own dogs...or cats!  Hopefully one day, there won't be so many abandoned or neglected animals.

Like I said earlier, life is all about learning lessons.  Why not learn them from a free-spirited dog?

Thanks for reading.
Elizabeth Parker
Copyright © Elizabeth Parker
Finally Home is available on Amazon.com in Kindle or paperback format.

A portion of the proceeds from all of  my books are donated to animal rescue groups.

Visit me on Twitter at Twitter.com/golden_books or Facebook at www.facebook.com/goldenbooks1
Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, My Dog Does That!, Bark Out Loud!, Unwanted Dreams, Phobia, Evil's Door and Faces of Deception

2011 Goal...Met

When I initially decided to write and publish my first book, I sat down with Buddy Senior, looked into his beautiful eyes and said "Yours is a story worth telling." 

Who would have thought that a "simple" adoption that cost us nothing would have changed our life in so many ways?  Who would have thought that a golden retriever would have such an incredible personality—one that was actually capable of teaching us a thing or two about life. We had no idea what we were in for or what a profound difference that stunning dog was going to make.

After writing "Finally Home," I showed Buddy the first proof that I received and no doubt, in his mind, he said "Cool, a toy for me."  The standard dog toys were a mere distraction for him, nothing more than something to occupy his time for a short while.

The "real" toys were paper towel rolls, shoes and, of course books —things he could tear easily and initiate  entertaining games of chase and keep away.

Before "Finally Home" was even published, I had made up  my mind that if any copies had sold, a portion of the proceeds would be donated to animal rescue.  I had no idea about publishing a book, how to market it or if any copies would even be sold!  I suppose I was utterly clueless about the entire process.

Upon my first sale, you can imagine how happy I was when I realized I could now officially donate something from the sale of my book.  True, it was only one dollar, but hey, it was a start.

Little did I know that the first year I was able to donate about one thousand dollars to animal rescue.

So, when 2011 rolled around, I raised the bar.  My goal became $2000.00.

As I wrote those promising words on Facebook and Twitter, I have to admit, a blanket of doubt covered my thoughts.  Two thousand dollars?  How was I going to do that?

Well, some months were better than others and I even thought about how I was going to break the news that it just wasn't possible.

Those are the months I tried even harder.  I had more ideas so I wrote more books.  Now, almost two  years later and I have seven books on the shelves of Amazon.  I am donating from the sales of each of those books.

Almost two years later and I'm happy to say that I was able to reach my goal of $2000.00.

I can't take the credit though. I have to thank my readers for their support.

Most of all, I have to thank Buddy Senior.  Though I never in a million years expected him to have to leave us when he did, he is the main reason that any of this came to fruition.  The only reason I am able to do ANY of this is because he gave me the initial material to write a book, simply because he was who he was.

The rest just followed.

I haven't set a goal yet for 2012, but will do so shortly.  It's a great feeling to play even a small role in helping the homeless, neglected and abused animals.  They are not disposable and deserve all the love in the world.

After all, Buddy Senior was the dog that no one wanted.  I can never imagine my life without knowing him. 

Thanks again for reading and thanks for your support.  It's greatly appreciated.

Happy Holidays and wishing you health and happiness for the year 2012.

Elizabeth Parker
Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, My Dog Does That!, Bark Out Loud!, Unwanted Dreams, Phobia, Evil's Door and coming soon...Faces of Deception.
www.twitter.com/golden_books
www.facebook.com/goldenbooks1

Toffee's Rant

Aren't there doggy labor laws? Mom takes me to work much too often.  I've gotta get my rest so I can wake her up at the crack of dawn!

Also, I know there are cookies in that drawer.  She thinks I can't smell them, but I can.  Think she'll give me one? Nope.  She just stands there and takes my picture.  I might flip over my water bowl in a minute...just to show her who is boss.

Elizabeth Parker

Author of Finally Home, Final Journey, My Dog Does That! Bark Out Loud!, Unwanted Dreams, Phobia, Evil's Door and Faces of Deception