I want to share with you a story told by a veterinarian. You may have seen it before. It's been all over social media, but I think it bears repeating.

A couple and their little boy brought a 10-year old Irish Wolfhound named Belker to the vet, hoping for a miracle. After examination, the vet found Belker to be dying of cancer. He sadly told the family he couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As they made arrangements, the couple thought it would be good for their six-year-old son,  Shane, to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, the vet felt the familiar catch in his throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that the vet wondered if the boy understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition, and they all sat together for a while wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''

Startled, they all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned the vet, who had never heard a more comforting explanation.

Shane said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

If a dog was your teacher, you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.


The Bottom Line?

If dogs can love us unconditionally, why can’t we love each other in the same way? Wouldn’t the world be a better place?

I blatantly ripped this off my publisher's blog. Why? Because I think it is most excellent, and I wanted to share it with you! This is the latest post from Troll River Publications. Enjoy!

The number one question from fans to writers: "Where do you get your ideas from?"

A forgiving, patient writer will smile and move on to the next question or give a vague complacency that won't make sense.

A rude, tired, hassled writer with no bed manners might quip, "How do you finish your homework?"

It's an amateur question filled with awe and amazement that I too think about asking my favorite authors.  But what the question really alludes to is, how did you build a world that is so real?

S.N.McKibben answers--daydreams. 

Letting your mind wander in the still moments you have, or sometimes don't have, gives me the pieces I need to complete the world, the characters and the story.

A book isn't finished until the author says it is. Sometimes I feel the reason why there are series is because both reader and writer don't want to let go of their characters. Exploring the world I've discovered can be too great not to delve into more.

Here are the top 3 amusing questions I've seen asked of authors:

1) What celebrity would you cage-match?

2) Tell me about the most inspiring place for your writing.

3) Do you write drafts with pen and paper or keyboard?

Writers will sometimes get questions they don't want to answer.  Heart rates go up, eyebrows drip sweat and hands literally shrivel up from the lack of moisture.

Top 3 questions you might want to stay away from (unless the author gives permission) and why:

1) What's your writing process?
Every writer has one.  They are all different. Some know what their process is. Some don't. But it's like asking, when you make love to your signification other, do you kiss? 

2) Where do you get your ideas?   
Well, ideas might be from real life. Some from fictionalizing fantasy. Ray Bradbury used to say "from everything and everyone around me."

3) Who's your agent? Can you give me an introduction?
This one is great! Next time someone asks this question, I might ask them if I can date their boyfriend/husband. Because agent/writer relationships are very intimate, it would be a valid request.

Now go forth--and ask your favorite writer a question!

I don't mean to make this a promotion, but hey, I'm a writer. I have to brag a little! Check out some of the initial reviews for Luke's Tale. I promise, they aren't from family members or friends!

"Love is the most precious thing in the world. It doesn't matter whether it's love for animals or  human beings. Everybody likes to be loved, and love can cure many hearts and injuries.

"This particular book contains a very inspirational story. It really touches the bottom of the reader's heart. Very romantic. The author uses a very poetic language to maximize the quality of the story.

"The leading character in this story is a special dog named Luke. The author takes a bold but very creative step in putting a dog at the centre of the story - but it works! This special animal has some extraordinary talents such as understanding human conversations and their behaviours. Sara Colson is Luke's master. Her life is turned upside down when she finds out that she has breast cancer. Downcast, she starts to give up on everything, including love for the important things in her life. But Luke does not give up on her and is determined to bring happiness and love back to Sara's life.

"And that's where the real story begins. It is up to you to find out the rest of this beautiful and romantic story. I strongly encourage you to discover what follows next." - benq123

"A dog can teach us so much; they are capable of the unconditional love and devotion that humans find hard to give and even harder to receive. Initially, the title of this book caught my attention, Luke's tale: A Story of Unconditional Love. It was not until I read the blurb that I realized the story was going to be one that was right up my alley. I love stories about animals, especially those told from the animal's point of view. Carol McKibben has a unique way for speaking for our four-legged friends.

"Luke is an adorable golden labrador retriever, who loves his humans without reservation. He tells us their tale of woe and carries us along on his journey to bring them back to wholeness. This is the story of a broken family, like so many others, and yet unlike them. Ashlundt to my mind is the typical male today; when everything's going well, he is a great partner, but the moment, tragedy strikes, he sticks his head in the sand, and cannot handle the emotionalism involved. Sarah's choice to leave when she found out she had breast cancer was brave and motivated by her love for him and her understanding of his limitations.

"Reading this book, I found that Luke made more sense than his humans. Carol writes Luke's thoughts in such a manner that we feel and understand Sarah's reluctance to add her growing illness to the number of issues that her partner has to deal with. We also can see how difficult a time Ashlundt has had accepting his brother's death, and we feel for him. We empathize with him and understand that he blames himself for the tragedy, added to that is the glaring malpractice suit that threatens to destroy his life and career.

"What you have here is a story that will touch your heart, a story of courage , forgiveness, and most of all unconditional love. As this couple faces the kind of life struggles that could tear anyone apart, Luke becomes the catalyst that holds them together. Luke tells the tale of his family with great care and wisdom. This was a great read for me, and I'm sure you will fall in love with it to. Just make sure you have your tissues ready because you'd have to have a heart of stone to keep a dry eye. -Anita B. Kearney

"Luke's Tale was unique to me because it's told through the eyes of a 89 lb golden labrador retriever. He's incredibly perceptive about human emotions, particularly those of his owners, Sara Colson and Ashlundt Jaynes. Sara keeps her diagnosis of breast cancer from Ashlundt, who is a talented psychologist embroiled in a malpractice suit involving the suicide of a patient.

"As the couple faces their life struggles, Luke is the common bond between the two and manages to bring them back together. It's an inspiring story that I think anyone going through trials and tribulations can relate to. Any dog owner knows the unconditional love their pets have for them. This is just such a story. I enjoyed the book, and I am sure you will too!" -bjy50131

There are more reviews, but I can't make you read through them all! Just wanted to share my happiness that my story of unconditional love is reaching people and striking a cord!

Til next time,
Love, Carol

My friend and client, John Daly, recently wrote a blog about respect. In it, he listed the “11 Traits of a Respectful Person.” While reading them, I thought that if we are truly to love each other unconditionally, this would be a great place to start. Showing others that we respect them, illustrates that we love them.

Here are John’s 11 Traits of a Respectful Person.

Trait #1: They’re honest. They don’t lie. People can depend upon them. Think of the heroes we admire in books, movies and real life. Don’t they act with honesty and integrity? Aren’t they generous with others? Doesn’t everyone look up to them?

Trait #2: They don’t lose their tempers, scream, yell or strike out against others when things don’t go their way. In other words, they rarely lose control. When negative things happen to them, they remain positive. They treat people as they would like to be treated.

Trait #3: They are tenacious. They don’t give up easily. They become resourceful when the going gets rough. They totally get that they can’t change other people or the circumstances, but they can change their attitudes about situations.

Trait #4: They admit when they’re wrong. Instead of sticking to their guns (no matter what) just to be “right,” they fess up to their mistakes, particularly when it lets another person “off the hook” or eases a situation.

Trait #5: They aren’t lazy; they strive. They are hard workers who always want to “get it right.”

Trait #6: They have their priorities straight. They put what is truly important, what will really help others or a situation, above their own needs.

Trait #7: They have an inner sense of right and wrong. They innately know the right thing to do, and they understand clearly when an injustice is being served.

Trait #8: They tend to be role models for other people. Others admire and look up to them.

Trait #9: They are givers. They know the “secret” that the more you give, the more you receive when you are genuine about your gifts. We’re talking not so much about money but time and expertise. They operate on Zig Ziglar’s quote, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough people get what they want.”

Trait #10: They have high self-esteem. They believe they deserve success and know they can do anything they go after. They know that a mistake is something that they do and not who they are. They keep a positive self-image because they know that self-esteem is a state of mind that they have chosen.

Trait #11: They are loyal, even when it’s tough to do so. They stand behind those with whom they have forged relationships and don’t betray them.

Think about it. If we embraced just some of these traits, wouldn’t the relationships in our lives be amazing?

To learn more about John Daly and the amazing work he is doing with The Key Class to help the world become a better place, visit: http://www.thekeyclass.com.

Until next time,

Carol