Book review: When Love Wags a Tail by Carmen Leal

Our four-legged friends have huge hearts. Experience the joy of this collection of true-life stories of humans and the amazing dogs who saved them. Carmen Leal never dreamed tragedy could bring positive change. Suffering a traumatic brain injury after a car wreck, the marketing pro struggled to find her center and reclaim her life. But after finally caving in and adopting a rescue dog, her world changed forever. Flourishing on her new furry friend’s unconditional love, she turned her talents to supporting canines still facing grim futures. Working tirelessly over the course of four years, she’s helped find homes for over 6,500 dogs and collected endless tales of wonderment and triumph.

Now, she’s here to share the real-life stories of how a deep connection with these incredible animals can bring fulfillment and joy. In this heartwarming compilation, author and storyteller Carmen Leal interweaves her personal journey with those who’ve experienced renewal at the paws of the dogs they adopted. Bringing together over sixty snapshots, Leal connects both dramatic and simply sweet accounts, including her own, while advocating for help and donating a portion of each sale to a foster-to-adoption group.

When Love Wags a Tail is part emotional memoir and part treasure trove of inspirational and humorous journeys. If you like protecting loyal friends who lack a voice, feel-good adventures, and giving back, then you’ll adore Carmen Leal’s touching read. Purchase a copy of When Love Wags a Tail on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add it to your GoodReads reading list.

My review:

I am an animal lover who spends far too much time online watching rescues of all kinds of animals, from dogs to cats to elephants and more. I also love dogs and have two rescues of my own. So, when the chance came to review Carmen Leal’s When Love Wags a Tail, I had to say yes. This book is a delightful and moving collection of stories about dogs who were rescued and who, in turn, rescued their rescuers. What is a dog? Certainly ‘not just a dog,’ as the poem says. A dog is 100% pure love, commitment, joy, and loyalty. They feel intense emotions, they love, they laugh, and they cry, just as humans do. The stories in this collection are funny, tragic, moving, enlightening, sobering, uplifting, in fact they cover the wide range of human emotions and experiences and how dogs fit into all this and how they feel. Reading this book will teach you a lot about dogs and how their experiences shape and affect them, and how the various humans learned from their dogs’ lives.

The stories also include a lovely thread of gardening, although the author makes no claim to be a gardening expert. You can pick up this book, open it anywhere, and enjoy the story you find. But you won’t do that. Like me, you’ll start reading and keep going for ‘just one more.’ I learned a lot from these experiences; I also shed a few tears, so keep a box of tissues handy. The photographs are utterly beautiful, and I wished there had been one of every single dog mentioned. At the end, there are mini bios of the contributors, who come from all walks of life, with different life experiences. At the end, you will realize that dogs are nature’s best medicine. You can’t lie around wallowing in self-pity if you have a dog. A dog is the best reason in the world to get up and go for a walk with a friend who is overjoyed just to be in your company and enjoying the time spent with you. If you are unwell, a dog is the best reason in the world to fight to get better. After all, you and your best friend need to spend quality time together. Plus, didn’t the doctor say moving around would be good for you? After reading this book you will either get or foster a dog or find yourself volunteering at the nearest shelter where they always need someone to lend a hand or walk the dogs. Dogs are God’s angels with four paws and a tail. There is no doubt about it. Besides, as W. Bruce Cameron wisely said: “God is dog spelled backward.”

 

About the Author

Carmen Leal is a storyteller, Coconut's mom, and a reluctant gardener. She is the author of multiple books, articles, devotionals, and human-interest stories. Carmen relocated from Hawaii to Oshkosh, yes, there is a story behind the move, and has become an awesome dog mom. Carmen and her husband have become reluctant gardeners and, sadly, they know a crazy amount about Wisconsin weeds. She is the mother of Coconut, the best imperfectly perfect rescue dog in the world. Carmen didn’t know enough about rescuing dogs; okay, she knew nothing, but despite her complete lack of research or knowledge, she ended up with Coconut, the rescue who was and continues to be perfect for her.

Carmen is an active member of the Oshkosh Southwest Rotary Club, part of her neighborhood association's leadership team, and is an adjunct professor for Fox Valley Technical College's award-winning E-Seed Entrepreneurship workshop. When she is not writing and speaking, Carmen reads, cooks, and is a major bargain hunter at consignment and antique shops. A portion of every book sold is donated to Second Chance North, an area foster-to-adoption group that helps to rescue more dogs. Follow Carmen on Facebook at #rescuemoredogs.

Find Carmen online at:

Her website: https://www.carrmenleal.com

Her publishing company: https://wagawaypublishing.com

Her Facebook page: https://facebook.com/rescuemoredogs

Her Personal Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/carmen.leal.794 

10 Things You Might Not Know About The First Girl by Jennifer Chase

 

Detective Katie Scott stares in horror at what she and her K9 Cisco have discovered: seven shallow graves, the bodies of young women each wrapped carefully in a blanket and buried in makeshift coffins in a rural area.

Title: The First Girl: Detective Katie Scott Book 11

Author: Jennifer Chase

Publication Date: December 19, 2023

Pages: 354

Genre: Crime Fiction/Thriller

The cold night breeze slams the barn door shut with a sickening crash. The girl curled in the corner wakes with a start. Her gold butterfly necklace catches the pale moonlight as she clutches it tight, thinking of her family. Will she ever escape? Or is this the last face she’ll ever see?

Detective Katie Scott stares in horror at what she and her service dog Cisco have discovered: seven shallow graves, the bodies of young women each wrapped carefully in a blanket and buried in makeshift coffins. Miles of abandoned farmland stretch out from the treeline behind her. Has Katie uncovered the horrifying graveyard of a monster who has been stealing Pine Valley’s daughters for years?

Katie quickly identifies one of the victims as Abigail Andrews, a beautiful young woman who disappeared fifteen years ago. Katie is heartbroken that she’ll have to tell Abigail’s mother her darling girl is gone.

When Katie is ambushed working late at the scene, fired upon by an unknown assailant, she knows she must be close to finding the killer. But the shooter vanishes into thin air. And when a new young woman is taken, dark haired and dark eyed like the others, Katie realizes her time is running out. Can she stay alive long enough to track down this twisted murderer before another young life is stolen too soon?

“Fast paced, characters intelligent and had each others back. The plot was a bit harrowing, but from what plot entailed I was confident one of the main protagonists, Katie had the situation under control. At least the best of her capabilities as the situation warranted. This ebook was fresh, tasteful and powerful. It was a boon to read about a female with military experience who maintained a level head and who put her knowledge to practice.” ~Amazon 

“AMAZING characters (including Cisco of coarse) & suspense in a twisty plot that sucks you in & never lets you go. Highly RECOMMEND the entire series for some great reading.”  ~NetGalley

“AMAZING characters (including Cisco of coarse) & suspense in a twisty plot that sucks you in & never lets you go. Highly RECOMMEND the entire series for some great reading.” ~Goodreads

The First Girl is available at Amazon & Other Retailers.

Book Excerpt:

The soft breeze blew through the open bedroom window, ruffling the sheer curtain. The evening was still warm from the sizzling day and was now gently cooling into the July night. The crickets played a harmony of music that filtered around the farm and across the acreage.

Lara Fontaine suddenly awoke, a loud sound interrupting her sleep. She sat up in bed and looked around the small bedroom but wasn’t sure what she had heard. In the other twin bed, her best friend Desi was still asleep and breathing evenly. What had disturbed Lara? Her first thought was to wake her friend because it was Desi’s house and she might have some idea what the sound had been, but she decided against it. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, where they dangled, not quite reaching the floor. Still contemplating if she should go investigate, she stared at the closed bedroom door. Even though she was twelve, almost thirteen, she had developed a curious mind and wanted to know the answers to so many things. Everything she saw in her world made her more inquisitive.

Lara stood up, feeling the wood floor against the soles of her feet—it too was warm, like the evening air. Wearing only a white cotton nightgown, she decided to explore. Glancing back at Desi, who was still sound asleep, she went to the door and slowly turned the knob. To her relief, the door hinges were well-oiled and didn’t emit any sound.

A breeze hit her as she stepped into the hallway, which seemed strange. It was as if someone had left a door or a window open. She didn’t slow her pace as she moved forward. For the first time since she woke, she heard a noise, as if a chair was sliding across the floor. It was high-pitched and had an eerie quality about it.

As if being pulled by an unknown force, Lara crept toward the sound. She headed down the hallway, passing closed doors, to the kitchen. The farmhouse plank floors creaked beneath her slight weight. She stopped and listened. Leaning her body toward the sound, stretching on her tiptoes, she assumed she would hear more, but it remained quiet. As Lara let out a breath, her previous curiosity had now diminished, she decided she would return to the bedroom and try to go back to sleep.

But suddenly a strong arm grabbed her around the waist and clamped a hand over her mouth. She instantly struggled, but the man’s strength easily overpowered her as he carried Lara to the back door. She could smell stale cigarette smoke on him and some kind of whiskey. The more she struggled against him, the more she weakened. Her whimpers were the only thing she could express.

The outside air hit her. She kept struggling, hearing her attacker’s rattled breathing next to her ear. Realizing they were heading toward the large barn, she tried to put her legs out in front of her to stop their progress, but it was no use.

“Stop fighting,” hissed the man directly into Lara’s ear. “It’ll be over soon.”

Those words resonated in her mind.

What did he mean?

The crickets abruptly stopped.

Silence.

Holding Lara with one arm, the man pulled open the barn door. The hinges made a terrible squeak, interrupting the quiet.

“Stop!” Lara managed to say. “Please, don’t…” Her arm felt as if it would break.

They moved deeper into the barn.

Lara could smell the hay and the alfalfa. But there was a low murmuring sound that she didn’t recognize. She was forcibly put into an old metal chair and immediately her hands and ankles were secured, and a piece of duct tape covered her mouth.

It was difficult for Lara to focus through her tears, but she forced herself to look around. There were wooden crates filled with metal items, tools, and miscellaneous parts from various pieces of farm equipment. Then she saw her.

In a corner, there was a dark-haired young woman. She too was tied to a high-backed chair, unable to free herself. Her arms, legs, torso, and neck were secured. Her eyes were wide in terror, swollen from crying, and blood ran down her arms and neck from struggling against the restraints.

Lara locked eyes with the woman. So many emotions gripped her. Panic. Desperation. Fear.

The man moved around the area, he was dressed in jeans and a white, stained T-shirt. He appeared to be conflicted, confused, and even a bit panic-stricken as he ran his hands through his hair. Moving back and forth, he went from one box to a table, and then back to another box until he decided what he wanted. He carefully plucked out a long instrument that appeared to be some type of sharp, thin knife and stared at it with curiosity and wonder as if seeing it for the first time.

To Lara’s horror, he turned and approached the woman. With his back to Lara, he attacked the woman with vicious intent. She heard muffled screams as the woman writhed in her seat.

Lara could barely breathe. She thought she would pass out, but her unrelenting terror kept her awake as she shook violently in her chair, watching the horrifying ordeal until it finally came to an end.

The man turned slowly, his shirt soaked in crimson. He looked at Lara as if he wondered why she was there. Still with the bloody tool in his hand, he slowly moved toward her. The weapon was still drenched with the woman’s blood.

“No…” Lara tried to say.

He stood in front of her like a monster, reaching out.

Lara took a short breath. It was the last thing she remembered before passing out.

 10 Things You Might Not Know About The First Girl

1. The series takes place in a town called Pine Valley located in Sequoia County California, along with several nearby towns that are made up and entirely from my imagination.
2. The commands and search techniques used in the story are some of what I've learned firsthand training my own German shepherd for cadaver/forensic search.
3. This has been a series that I've wanted to write for some time—more than five years before I pitched to my publisher.
4. Detective Katie Scott's partner Detective Sean McGaven's character is based on someone I once worked with. 
5. I've studied nearly one hundred homicide crime scenes, which contributed to the body count and creativity in The First Girl.
6. Inspiration for the large rural areas in the story was based on my own observations in visiting similar places.
7. I sketched on paper the crime scenes and farmhouses, areas of escape, and where bodies would be located before writing those particular chapters.
8. In The First Girl, I loosely outlined the story before beginning to write, but I love to create the guessing game of who the killer is and how the ended is going to be crafted. I had fun with this story.
9. On my walks or when I'm doing errands, I sometimes take photos of places, locations, and buildings that helped to inspire this story's locations.
10. I always balance out how many times Detective Katie Scott uses Cisco, her retired military working dog, in area searches surrounding the cases.

About the Author

 

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and USA Today Best Selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. Her latest book is The First Girl.

Website & Social Media:

Website -> https://authorjenniferchase.com/ 

Twitter -> https://twitter.com/jchasenovelist 

Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferChase 

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/jenchaseauthor/ 

Goodreads:->www.goodreads.com/author/show/2780337.Jennifer_Chase 

 

 

Sponsored By: