My Writing Process Blog Tour

Gibson, my co-editor!

As many of you know, I’m an author, photographer, journalist, blogger, editor, and public relations specialist by trade. My brief reply to anyone who asks what I do for a living is simply “author and photojournalist.” I love the written word as much as I love capturing life on film (or digital disk as it is today). In addition to this FiveSibes™ blog, I also administer the companion FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9News & Reviews Facebook page, and am a contributing writer to American PetMagazine and Dog Writers Association of America’s Ruff Drafts. I also host a show that airs on Dog Works Radio called “The Sibe Vibe,” where my producer and co-host, Robert Forto, shares the mic with me each month as we interview and chat with Siberian Husky rescue volunteers and “hu-parents,” authors, artists, singers, movie producers, mushers, trainers, who all are passionate about the breed of Siberian Husky, as well as Canine Epilepsy and health experts, veterinarians, holistic practitioners, and more. It’s a wonderful and informative hour shared with pretty awesome folks who all love our canine companions!

The purpose of today’s “My Writing Process” or #mywritingprocess blog tour is to open a window to allow readers in for a visit to my world of writing. I am honored to be invited to join in this tour by author, pet columnist, and canine parent Peggy Frezon of Peggy’s Pet Place blog, whose books include Dieting With My Dog, Heart to Heart Hand to Paw, and The Dieting with my Dog Guide to Weight Loss and Maintenance. Check out all of her works on her website at: www.peggyfrezon.com. Thanks, Peggy, for inviting me along!

In order for me to participate in the hop, I need to answer the following questions, so here we go!

The cover of my current book.

1. What am I working on?

Chloe with copies of my last published book.

I am always working on several projects at one time! I told you I love the written word, right?! First up, I am getting ready to publish a book on Canine Epilepsy that is very near and dear to my heart. It’s title is EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy and it features 122 stories about 125 beautiful dogs from across the world who are living with, or had lived with, Canine Epilepsy. In addition to these beautiful heartfelt stories (and yes, tissues will be required in order to read this book!), there is also an informative and important resources section. The book is tentatively scheduled for publication this August through ArcticHouse Publishing.

Harley with my newest FiveSibes Tale.

In December, I released Buddy, the Christmas Husky~A True Holiday Miracle, a book for all ages and all seasonsillustrated by the talented Barbara K. Slocum, and this month, I just released my second FiveSibes Tale, Getting Healthy With Harley: Learning About Health & Fitness that is a children’s book illustrated by the very talented Michelle Littler. In this book, a few furry friends were also introduced in addition to my FiveSibes—Harley, Gibson, Wolf, Chloe, and Bandit. I am currently working on my third FiveSibes Tale with Michelle that is titled Cooking With Chloe: Learning About Healthy Recipes and will feature some more furpals, as well as a few extra “treats” I know readers and their parents will love! I’m pretty excited about that! The FiveSibes Tales are also published through ArcticHousePublishing.

Wolf checking on our FiveSibes blog.

And, of course, I always try to keep up with different news and fun snippets of life with five Siberian Huskies on my FiveSibes blog. And I have a new article on healthy canine treats in the upcoming issue of American Pet Magazine, and am working on a Canine Epilepsy awareness article for their following issue. And…I’m working on a fiction novel and several short fiction stories.

2. Why do I write what I do? How to answer this question is the real question! I guess bottom line is I love to write and I love the subjects I write about, whether my FiveSibes, Siberian Huskies, dogs in general, pet health, life with pets, and life in general. I have always felt that there is so much hard, sad, and bitter news out there that we hear about every day. I want to write something so that when the reader is done, I’ve brought a smile to their face and brought them a little joy through my written words.

3. How does my writing process work?

My radio show writing station.

My process varies. I may be working on one story, article, poem, or book and suddenly another idea will pop into my head. I keep a “notes” file so that I can finish up what I’m currently working on and then not forget my “great idea” when it’s time to move on to the next project. However, as anyone who follows a creative muse can tell you, sometimes you just have to jump ship and work on the new idea if the creative juices are flowing!

Bandit checks FiveSibes Facebook comments.

I write in rough draft format first, then go back and edit about a zillion times. I also do my own marketing, which I will admit, is not my top priority even though it really needs to be. I would love, love, love to have a marketing person on board my writing ship as it is very time consuming and I’d much rather be writing! I do love being connected to readers and fans via social networking and am quite active on my FiveSibes Facebook page, as well as Instagram and Twitter (where I can be found under @FiveSibesMom).

Huskies, coffee, laptop ~ ready to write!

Once a die-hard writer by handwriting, then by computer, while I do have an official writing desk, I have adopted the motto, “have laptop, will write!” And typically I am writing in my favorite chair or out on my deck, and always with a steaming mug of coffee and one, two, three, four, or all five of my furry best friends snoozing around my feet! Which really brings me full circle, since they are my inspiration for all my canine-related writing!

 Wherever I am writing, my furbabies are close by!

As part of this tour, I need to now pass the pen along to three more writers (in no specific order) who are very talented and will share their #mywritingprocess in the tour starting next week. It would be wonderful if you popped over to visit them and see where their muses lead them on this wonderful ride called writing.

Sue Sehi-Smith writes about her White Dog Army in the White Dog Diary blog, and she does amazing work through Paws to People: Bridges to Cures, which she founded, concentrating on “furthering comparative studies research in catastrophic diseases to save the lives of humans and pets.” Sue is an amazing, selfless advocate, and I love her White Dog Army stories! You can also hear more from Sue when she was a guest on my radio show, "The Sibe Vibe." (listen in here). You can visit Sue's White Dog Diary blog at: http://whitedogblog.blogspot.com.

Joanne Sundell, author of Arctic Storm, book one of the Watch Eyes Trilogy, is “an epic tale of adventure, endurance, and young love—a heroic journey tested against America’s last frontier.” This book is slated to be published by Five Star Publishing in September 2014. I am going to be reading and reviewing her book in a later post, and am SO looking forward to it! You can check out her website at: www.joannesundell.com and her Facebook blog post here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/joanne-sundell/hunger-games-go-husky/10204281212368676.

Jodi Ekberg, author of The Adventures of Cain and Frankie ~ The Husky Brothers The Beginning, a true story featuring photos about these two Siberian Huskies who helped their mom, the author, “through cancer treatments and other illnesses and injuries due to the treatments” and helped to give her the will to live! You can also follow Jodi and the tales of the beautiful The Husky Brothers (who are now four!) on their Facebook page of the same name as well! Jodi was a guest on my "The Sibe Vibe" (listen in here) and I’ll be posting a review on her book in a later post. I loved this book! Check out her website at: www.thehuskybrothers.com. 

A thrill to see my books on display at my vet's office!

 

Thank you for stopping by the tour, for your readership, and for your continued support of my writing! Sure hope you enjoyed this blog stop!

Bandit says, "Okay, Mom. Back to writing!"

“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.” 

~Diane Setterfield