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PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW PET WALL SECTION OF THIS BLOG

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OCT 15 BREAKING NEWS: In-depth interview with The Kindle Author Newsletter, by David Wisehart.

NEW INTERVIEW/FEATURED BOOK: The Zero Sum trilogy of Wall Street thrillers Book 1 – Kotov Syndrome – is the featured book on GoodeReaders for this week! And best of all, Book 1 is FREE!!! See the interview here.

NEWS FLASH: An Angel With Fur gets twelve 5 star Amazon reviews the first week after it first goes on sale. That’s got to be some sort of record. More news: An Angel With Fur has been #1 on Amazon UK Animal Essays for several days, only five days after release!

BREAKING NEWS: An Angel With Fur gets a fabulous book review. And Fatal Exchange just got an awesome review from influential reviewer and blogger Papermustang. And was featured book on The Kindle Book Review.

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An Angel With Fur

Most anyone reading this blog knows me as a hard-nosed author of action/intrigue/thrillers, or alternatively, the author of a snarky parody of all things writing and self-publishing related.

So it will probably come as a surprise that my new book is none of those.

It’s the true story of the dog who changed my life.

My constant companion, my confidant, my mentor and source of encouragement, my teacher, partner in crime, counselor, cheerleader and shrink.

It’s an amazing saga of unprecedented heroism, of the spirit’s triumph over adversity, of boundless joy and infinite hope, of compassion and trust and forgiveness and commitment; and ultimately of our own frailty and mortality. It is humorous, poignant, part farce, part celebration and part tragedy. As is all of life.

In the end, it’s a love story, and a tribute to my best friend in the world.

You don’t know me, and I’ve never met you, and yet I believe it’s impossible that this story won’t resonate at a level that makes you feel like we’re fellow travelers on a path we’ve shared for years. Anyone who’s ever loved, or battled long odds, or lost someone close to them, human or animal, will recognize in this saga an essential truth. If I can touch you the way Lobo, my companion, touched me, I will have done my job, and honored and celebrated a remarkable spirit’s contribution to my life.

We are all of us here for but a short while, and there’s no telling where our road will lead us or how long it will continue to wind. Some of us will prosper, others suffer ruin. We’re all of us hauling on an oar, making for a destination that is as inexorable as it is mysterious. If we’re fortunate, in our process of living we’ll leave indelible positive impressions on those we come into contact with, and they and we are the better for it. That seems like a reasonable goal for a life well lived, and it’s one I’ve learned to aspire to. In no small part, because of Lobo.

These days, it’s hard to believe that things are going the right direction most of the time – values seem to have gone to hell, danger surrounds us, we can’t be sure who we can really trust, and our most cherished icons are badly tarnished. Heroes are in short supply, and those we have are often lacking once all facts are known. It was uplifting for me to be able to tell a true story that is inspirational, and gifted me with a sense of life’s positive possibility, and the value and very real existence of heroism. It reminded me that while there is much evil in the world, there is also a huge amount of good.

Animals have the capacity to touch our souls, and the bond we can form with them can transcend many relationships with humans. It’s strange to say, but animals can teach us why it’s important to be good in the first place. Perhaps that’s one of their gifts to us.

At heart, An Angel With Fur is a dog’s story, but it’s also about much more. It’s about courage, selfless sacrifice, and the power of love. I hope you’ll take some time to consider it.

Russell Blake, October 5, 2011

An Angel With Fur web page. A portion of all sales will go to Amigos de los Animales Mazatlan, Mexico animal shelter. Book reviewers with verifiable review sites, please use the contact page to request a complimentary review copy. Please specify if you’d rather have PDF or MOBI.

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Since I published An Angel With Fur last week, chronicling the adventures of Lobo the miracle dog, my constant companion and partner in crime, I have gotten quite a few DMs and e-mails from folks who have pets of their own – some of which are no longer with us, and some of which thankfully are.

I can more than most appreciate the pride of being the caretaker of a spectacularly handsome or beautiful or cute pet, and I further understand that many have unique and compelling stories of their own.

After hearing numerous of these I thought it would be a fun idea to create a page where fans can have their pet’s photo and brief story memorialized, for others to share.

And so it is with much fanfare I announce the new Pet Wall section of the blog.

Simply send me a jpg of your pet, along with a 400 word or less summary of their story, and I’ll post them as I get the time. In this way their legacy can be celebrated, and shared with other enthusiasts.

Pets are amazing companions, and can transform even the most mundane day into a joyous adventure. Then again, I’ve really never met a dog I didn’t like, as opposed to people; a species about which I’m still making up my mind.

So please send me your photos and stories, and I’ll post them, and hopefully over time we will build a lasting memorial to our friends. Go to the Pets page, and send your e-mails to Pets (at) RussellBlake (dot) com – obviously no spaces between the at or the dot and the other words. Once I get enough I’ll start posting them.

Oh, and please spread the word so we get a decent amount of participation. Tweet it long and hard.

Click Here to see the Pet Wall.

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