Apr 3 2014

Busy, Busy – and Thank You!

Today has been a busy day! First thing in the morning I took mom for a long walk in the nature reserve. We saw many birds and I have to tell you that this time I couldn’t test if any of them could fly. You see, they didn’t walk on my path. All of them were in the marsh enjoying the morning sun.

Big white egret in the marsh

Mom and I liked this big white bird! It was beautiful and I couldn’t help but wonder how it could be so sparkling white, not a single spot on its feathers. I guess it’s not playing around in the grass, like I do. Or maybe it’s taking multiple baths each day? I could never do that, but luckily my coat is brown.

Then we went for a car ride to get some food for me from the Smart Pet store. I love car rides, particularly when my ears flap hard in the wind! And I love to drive the car whenever mom lets me. And today she did! I felt like driving a Maserati, but of course it was mom’s old SUV.

I’m driving – an illustration from my book

When we came back home, there was a huge box at the front door! No, I was not a box of treats for me. It was something even better – a box of my books! You see mom and I have been invited to be contributors at an Open House at the pet hospital where I see my doctor. And the nice girls in the reception. They liked my book so much that they want us to talk to the visitors about adopting a pet, and also to have my book for sale.

As soon as we opened the box, I inspected the books. I am so looking forward to the Open House where people can walk through the hospital and see all their facilities from the inside and also meet the nice staff. I have such fun memories from there…for example, when I did my magic invisibility trick for the girls! You can read all about that in my book.

I’m inspecting the books

I’m so happy we’ll have another opportunity to make money for the Humane Society shelter we support and for the hospital’s own charity that helps less fortunate pets. My dream is becoming a reality, slowly but surely! I want to thank all friends who have already bought the book and I hope more of you will take five minutes do a review so that others will learn what you think!

And I promise to tell you all about the Open House later this month! Love, Bumble

Mar 27 2014

This Morning’s Adventure!

Hiff there! This is Bumble again. I need to tell you something that happened this morning when I took mom for her regular walk in the nearby nature reserve. Those of you who have already read my book know that place. Lots of interesting things always happen there. And again this morning I witnessed a drama! No, I’m not being overly dramatic, you’ll see.

Squirrel watching

First when we arrived there, I was reading my morning paper in the bushes. Small birds were singing and everything was peaceful. I was just resting under a tree after the long run and watching a squirrel when I heard a bird cry! It was a big bird’s cry, very loud. I almost hurt my neck trying to see where it came from. Mom pointed up towards the blue sky and I saw that there was a nest on a big platform. Mom said it was an Osprey family. She knows these things.

Mama and papa Osprey

I saw the mama bird still crying and the papa bird just arriving to help her! Then I saw why she was crying. There was another big bird, very similar to them, circling around the marsh where the nest is! But it seemed to me it was hungry for fish as it soon flew down, its wings almost touching the water.

Big bird fishing

And then it just flew away. Mom and I went down to the water and guess what? We could see the fish, it was still there, just under the surface in the dark water. It got lucky this time!

The fish in the water

Soon peace was restored and I could continue walking mom. When we left the park, I could see the papa Osprey flying away, maybe for a fishing trip in the bay. He was so big! When he passed right above us, I tried to walk very close to mom. I’m always on protective duty.

Papa Osprey flying away

Mom told me the Osprey family is expecting baby birds. I want to come back later to see them getting flying lessons. That would be awesome!

There is always something interesting to report from the nature reserve. This time I didn’t need to rescue anyone and I didn’t dig up anything valuable, but you can read about all those adventures in my book. I wish everyone a great day! Love, Bumble

Mar 6 2014

A Reason to Smile :)

We are so happy for the positive feedback from the first readers of Bumble’s new book. We have heard directly from readers, through Face Book, email and even text messages! We hope readers will also take the trouble of writing a review on Amazon.

This morning, when Bumble was walking me here in our neighborhood as we do every morning, a woman (whose name we don’t know) approached us. She asked me if Bumble is “the rescue dog, who wrote a book”. Of course he is. She went on to tell us that she’d heard of the book from a friend, she got it and she loved it so much that she had just ordered 10 more books to give away as presents. What a great way to help homeless animals to find new homes! Needless to say we were very happy to hear the good news. Bumble smiled. No kidding!

bumble 2 July 2013 (2) edited

Feb 28 2014

Great News!

Confessions of a Rescue Dog is now part of the Kindle Owners Lending Library!

It means that all Amazon Prime members with a Kindle or a Kindle reading app (free download to a tablet, computer or smart phone) can borrow the book for free and still support the HS Shelter!!

Feb 19 2014

Straight Talk from the Heart of a Rescue Dog

We are happy to announce the release of our first title “Confessions of a Rescue Dog”! This treat for dog lovers of all ages is now available in soft cover (188 pages) on Amazon US and as a Kindle Edition!

A paperback edition will be available on Amazon world-wide and with other book sellers in the US by Friday, February 28.

Bumble, the rescue dog, hopes that his book will help other shelter animals find loving forever homes and he invites you to enjoy an excerpt from his book (below). This is how he rediscovered play after coming to his new home.

Mom and dad have tried to play with me. They throw a little soft ball, and I guess they expect me to fetch it. But I don’t. I just look at it where it stops on the floor. They look confused, but I hope they understand I’m not used to playing with anything. I’m still a little sad too. It takes a while to shake off all sadness and dare to feel happy. I’ve learned that happiness can be short-lived, and the happier one feels the more disappointed one becomes when the happiness is no longer there. I’m working on it though. Mom and dad make it easier for me. They show me every single day that they love me.

But I have to tell you that I am already interested in play. Or perhaps I’ve always been, but my ability to enjoy play was suppressed after I left my litter-mates and my real mother. See, yesterday some friends came to visit. They are dog lovers, so they came to meet me. Mom told me they have two rescue dogs at home. I haven’t met them yet, but I’m curious. I feel that the shared experience of being abandoned at a shelter might help form a deep friendship.

Anyway, they brought me a little fox. It is brown-whitish, has a soft coat and a long tail. I’d love to play with it. My paws are itching. I’ve been sniffing at it many times, but I have not yet touched it. I’d like to pretend it runs away, and I chase it. Play. I’m tasting that word, tentatively.

The fox is on the kitchen floor near my crate. I’m looking at it. I’m a hunter, like we poodles have always been. I want the fox to run from me. It doesn’t move. I go closer. It still doesn’t move. I touch it carefully with my paw. It moves a tiny bit. I touch it again, a fast move, a little harder. Another fast move, and another. It’s running! It’s running away from the hunter. I’m going after it. No one sees me. Mom and dad are having their dinner in the family room in front of the TV. They do that sometimes when there is a program they don’t want to miss.

So I continue to push the fox in front of me, one paw, another paw. It’s running into the family room, but I don’t even notice where we are going. I’m completely into the play now. The fox is running, and I’m going after it. Faster and faster. I catch the fox in front of the fireplace. I did it! I’m taking it into my jaws and shaking it. Shaking it, back and forth, back and forth! Oh, now I lost my grip! The fox flies up in the air, and lands right on dad’s plate!

A portion of this book’s sales will go to the local Humane Society shelter where Bumble lives.

Stay tuned for further news!

Jan 26 2014

Welcome! And How It All Started.

Dear reader, welcome to Firdemonte Press, a small newly established independent publishing house. Our first title will be available in February 2014, and two more titles later in 2014. Please join our mailing list to be the first to know about new releases and other exciting news.

Here is a bit of history on the first title:

OMG! He Did It!

Finally we are up for air, my writing partner and I. You see, last November right around NaNoWriMo time, Mister Bumble insisted that he wanted to write his story. He would call it ”Confessions of a Rescue Dog”. He asked me to type it since I’m a bit faster than him. When I hesitated, he went to his archives and brought me a quote. That did it.

The quote was written on a simple piece of white paper and it read: “Rescue animals aren’t broken. They’ve simply experienced more life than other animals. If they were human, we would call them wise. They would be the ones with tales to tell and stories to write… animals dealt a bad hand, but who responded with courage. Don’t pity a shelter animal. Adopt one! And be proud to have their greatness by your side.” -Anonymous

I thought his story was worth telling. In fact, it’s quite heart-warming and uplifting. So he started narrating and I started typing. And typing. For the whole month of November. Then came December and we both got busy with other things. I re-engaged in some income generating activities and Bumble concentrated on his work, namely protecting our home from shady characters. We made a few efforts towards editing the manuscript late at nights, but achieved little.

The holidays came and went. The manuscript was covered by soft cushions in a corner of the sofa in my office. Until one day, when Bumble was digging there to make a bed for himself, it fell down on the floor. And I knew we had to finish the book.

We got to work. Reviewing, editing, reviewing again. Then one day great illustrations appeared in my inbox. My son had finalized the cover and several other images for the book. Now we just had to get to the finish line.

So finally our joint labor is bearing fruit. 188 pages. Just before midnight yesterday, the book was submitted for publishing. Bumble did it! He wants to help other animals find loving forever homes so he committed us to donate a portion of the sales to the Humane Society’s shelter here at home. We have been there, seen all the dogs, cats and rabbits. It’s a large and well run no-kill shelter.

We’ll let you know when and where Bumble’s story will be available. When you read it, please remember not to take all his observations about me literally. While I think that he’s a fairly accurate analyst of human behavior, I have noticed that he tends to exaggerate a bit when I’m concerned.

♥ Helen and Bumble

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