Congratulations on your win!  Non-writers/artists often ask this question.  Why did you start creating?

My grandparents came to visit our family in Hawaii where my Air Force father was stationed.  While with us, Grandma asked me to write up a daily journal of their vacation for all their friends to read.  She said she’d pay me.  I said no, that’s okay, and happily took notes, typed them up for her, and put them in a 3 ring paper binder.  When I finished, she forced $20 on me.  That was my first sale.  I was 14 years old.  When she died, she still had the journal, which I still have.

Tell us about your experience and expertise, and how this relates to your entry.  What target audience did you write for, and why?

I’ve shared my life with dogs since I was twenty-one.  Most of them, except for one of my two service dogs, were rescues.  I think everyone loves a rescue story with a happy ending, so I didn’t concern myself with a target audience from a marketing standpoint.

What prompted you to submit this specific entry?  Why do you think it struck a special chord with the public and the judges—and with you?

I honestly think I won because the dog in it was so unique, and the story so very unbelievable. I mean, really, a ghost dog?  I’m raised Catholic, and other the Holy Ghost, we don’t believe in spooks.  To have my Black Lab Baron die from old age, yet refuse to leave the house, freaked out both me and my little daughter.  It doesn’t say anything in the Bible about this!

But after the scare—and Mommy trying to explain this weirdness to a six-year-old girl—we felt comforted by his presence.  We loved him so much.  I was also glad I had “witnesses,” including my mother, and wasn’t going crazy!

Baron refused to leave. He looked very real, not misty, unless we got too close, then he vanished, only to turn up later.  We saw him every day until we were ready to let him go.  This happened later when we rescued a terribly abused young terrier (broken ribs and tail and thrown into the ocean to drown).

We gave her a forever home and finally won her trust after four long months.  The day she jumped into my lap for the very first time is when Baron finally left to whatever reward The Creator had waiting.  Tivvy the terrier was our “Second Chance” dog.

How large a part have dogs played in your personal and professional life?  Was there a particular dog that sparked your interest in interacting with the public?  Tell us about this special dog, and/or the dogs in your contest entry.

I’ve had two mobility service German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) that were very dear to me.  And my first dog Brandy, an Irish Setter, captured a wanted killer in my apartment when I went to throw out the trash.  He’d murdered another woman for drug money.  These three special dogs were so loyal, but Baron took loyalty to a whole other level.

How large a part have people played in your association with dogs?  Family?  Friends?  Do you have any favorite writers/bloggers/media or graphic artists?  How have they influenced your career?

My father was military and we were always moving, so I never had a dog until I was married.  I’d always wanted one.  My grandmother and I would visit our cousin who owned a tiny white poodle.  Grandma was always sneaking the dog a few CERTS candy mints when we visited.

I loved that toy poodle.  I was just a little kid, and envied my cousin so much. That poodle triggered my “dog lover gene.” My wedding present request was a dog, and it was granted.  I’ve had dogs ever since.

As for other influences, author David Rosenfelt and his fictional Andy Carpenter series rocks.  After a horrific blow, the financially solvent bitter Andy quits his job as lawyer to retreat with his Golden Retriever Tara.  When he finally comes out of his shell, he starts a dog rescue site, and vows to only take court cases that involve a dog.  I enjoy Laurien Berenson’s books, too.

When you consider both your personal and professional canine-related achievements, which one of each stands out the most?  And why? What is the driving force that sparks your work?

I love writing and always have.  I’ve sold books with dogs in them, and of course my first book sale stands out the most.  But sales were not the only driving force.  My two service GSDs were.  I always had “pets” before.  I’d never had “partners.”  They got me off crutches and out of a wheelchair, and stepped up my game in canine writing.

The change to my mobility and lifestyle was incredible. Striker and Sheba’s problem-solving abilities were phenomenal.  I truly never knew how brilliant dogs could be; so much so that I trusted them to protect my fragile right leg. Before I’d never trusted anyone except my husband.  But my GSDs never came back as ghosts!

What ongoing or future canine projects do you have planned?  Are they personal (cuddling your favorite pooch or volunteer work) or professional (selling articles and books, training, dog shows, or conducting medical research)?

I am presently working on a 3-book dog fiction series to post on KDP—Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon’s book platform.  I’ve never used a self-pub forum, so I’m both nervous and excited at the same time.  It’s a lot of work compared to a traditional publisher.  I had to pay bo-coo bucks for an editor, and I still need to find a cover artist.  It’s an ongoing process, but I’m confident it will succeed.

What would you recommend to those peers who wish to enter your winning category in next year’s contest? 

There are so many lovely stories about rescued dogs.  The emphasis is on “many” because everyone loves to write and read these.  I think if you want to win this “Second Chance” category, find something unique.  Like the lost dog who traveled hundreds of miles to find his family again.  Or the one who was dumped in the ocean yet survived for 12 hours before being rescued and rehomed.  Or in my case—and I still can’t believe it—a ghost dog who didn’t leave until a new rescue arrived.

To conclude this interview, what thoughts would you like to share?

To quote Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”  Baron is one of them.