BLOG TOUR: Charlie: A Love Story by Barbara Lampert - Guest Post + Giveaway!

Hi there!

Welcome back to the site that aims to please you with bookish delights day in and day out...Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  Today we have a special guest on the site courtesy of the great folks at Pump Up Your Book Online Book Publicity (Hi, Dorothy!) and she's ready to talk to you not only about her book but the valuable life lessons gleaned from her fur baby.  That's right.  Today's post is going to the dogs, or rather a dog, specifically....Charlie.  He's was bundle of love in all his Golden Retriever glory (always wanted one of these golden fur babies) and though not with her today in body, he will always be with her in her heart.  To share the joys of knowing this creature of wonder and the life lessons he passed on to his family, please welcome author Barbara Lampert.....

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GUEST POST:  Author Barbara Lampert

Charlie:  A Love Story - A Dog Memoir with Many Messages

Yes, this is a book about Charlie, my extraordinary Golden Retriever and our beautiful relationship. So it fits into the “dog memoir” genre.  In Charlie’s story there are many messages, some subtle and some not so subtle, not only about relating to a dog and what a dog can bring to your life but also about life in general.  Besides providing a blueprint for getting older and portraying a wonderful attitude in dealing with life’s challenges, Charlie’s story contains many other interwoven messages. Here are a number of them:

A good relationship is hard to find, and when you do find one, make the most of it, cherish it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a person or a dog, or a cat, or a bird, or any other animal: it’s finding and keeping a good relationship that matters. It’s the feeling of connecting deeply with another being. It can give you confidence and heal you. It can make you feel whole.

Don’t take life or time for granted. Both are limited. Make the very most of your time. Live in the moment fully.

Have things you do that make you happy. They help when there are troubles. Loss is universal and is something we all must deal with, but there’s beauty in life, no matter what.

Don’t take no for an answer: forge ahead, no matter what. Don’t give up until the very last door closes.

Little twists of fate can make a huge difference in your life. Be grateful when something unexpected and magical happens that makes your life so much better.

There’s so much that’s unknown and uncontrollable, but often things work in ways that only make sense when looking back.

Listen to [your] heart and your instincts.

Love is essential and has great power to heal.

Home and family are paramount.

Don’t be afraid to give as much as you can. Giving is at the heart of a good life.

Take really good care of those you love, including yourself. The rewards are endless.

Take really good care of any animal you bring into your home. They are dependent on you. Dogs, in particular, are pack/family beings. Most dogs want to be part of your family. You are at the center of their life. They will give to you unconditionally, and they so appreciate it when you give to them in the same way. Dogs are the only species that has made friends with our species. They deserve the best!

Try to have fun with your beautiful dog, pet, animal, no matter what’s going on. Dogs are joyful, and they love happiness more than almost anything. Mostly dogs are all about love, one of the main traits that make them so special.

I think many of the key principles of life and how to live it well are encapsulated in Charlie’s story, which makes it a story that can be read on many levels. While I was writing it, many of these messages were not apparent to me, nor was I attempting to make them apparent. It was only after Charlie: A Love Story was finished that I began seeing more clearly what it had to say.

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About the author...

Barbara Lampert is a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in relationships. She’s been in private practice in Brentwood, California for over twenty years. She considers her work a calling and loves what she does. She has a doctorate in medical sociology and two master’s degrees – one in psychology and one in sociology. Barbara has adored dogs her whole life. They’re her passion! She notes that for a lot of people, their dogs are their best friends. She loves helping people know that’s ok – that a soul-satisfying relationship may be found with any being and needs to be treasured. Besides her love of dogs, Barbara is an avid gardener and finds herself gardening in much of her spare time. She sees her garden as a work of art. She loves being in nature – the miracle of growth, the ever-changing landscape, its beauty. Today Barbara lives happily in Malibu, California with her husband David (married twenty-eight years!) and their six-year-old Golden Retriever, Harry. Barbara hopes that Charlie: A Love Story will be a tribute not only to a magnificent dog but to all dogs everywhere.

You can visit her website at http://www.charliealovestory.com/.

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Well said, Ms. Lampert and my heart goes out to you and your family with Charlie's passing...though if I may say, it seems that by sharing his story and continuing in your dog loving ways, you're honoring his memory (and those before him) quite well.

I can definitely attest to the unconditional love fur babies can bring.  Whatever your choice of pet (mine being dogs), they are dependent on you for the love and care they receive as well as the love they will in turn show to others.  Nurture your relationship with them.  Give them the time they deserve and show them you care.  You'll be better for it in the long run, trust me.  There's not a person out there that couldn't learn many valuable life lessons from a pet...but perhaps most importantly that it's the little things in life that truly matter; most everything else will work itself out in the end.  Hard to remember at times, yes...but oh so true nonetheless.

Now, you've read about the lessons, here's a little more about the book....

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Charlie:  A Love Story

...tells of the beautiful love between Charlie, a Golden Retriever, and the author, Barbara Lampert. It takes place in Malibu, California. When Charlie turned eleven years old and started having some health problems, a journal Barbara was keeping about her garden quickly became mostly about Charlie. Charlie: A Love Story is an intimate look at an incredible connection between a canine and a human. And as a psychotherapist who specializes in relationships, Barbara brings that sensibility and understanding to Charlie’s story as well. Charlie was Barbara’s loyal confidante and best friend. He was indomitable, had a zest for life and an uncanny emotional intelligence. Charlie: A Love Story is about devotion, joy, loss, and renewal, about never giving up or giving in. But mostly it’s about an extraordinary dog and an extraordinary relationship.

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To me, it sounds like a heart warming read filled with those wonderful moments one can only share with a loved pet.  Have I read the book?  Not at this time....still reeling from my own losses at the moment and not quite ready to jump aboard the puppy book ship, but that doesn't mean I'd withhold it from you.  That's right...you guessed it.  It's time for the giveaway.

Courtesy of Pump Up Your Book Online Book Publicity, here's your chance to win a copy of this book all your own.  Here's the scoop....

The prize...

(1) copy of Charlie:  A Love Story by Barbara Lampert

How to enter...

Fill out THIS FORM and you're in it to win it!

We'll keep things simple for the required entry...but should you desire the chance to score a few extras, I'll supply a few options just for you.

The rules...

Open to U.S. residents only, no P.O. Boxes please.

Entries accepted Thursday, April 19th, 2012 through Saturday, April 29th, 2012 at midnight CST.  Winner will be announced/contacted by Monday, April 30th, 2012.  Any and all information collected will strictly be used for the contest and prize send out...then discarded.

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So there you have it.

The possibility of another enchanting read featuring a member of the animal kingdom that many of us call friend and the lessons gleaned from his tail-wagging life.  Sounds like a great combination to me.

Special thanks to Dorothy at Pump Up Your Book Online Book Publicity for the chance to participate in this tour.  (THANKS!) For more information on their services or to sign up to host a stop on a future tour, be sure to check out their site, like them on Facebook, follow on Twitter, friend them on GoodReads, "plus" them on Google+, or simply sign up for their FREE newsletter to get the latest and greatest delivered to your inbox.

Until next time....good luck....and happy reading!

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