While I’ve been preparing for the start of the PR campaign for my latest novel, ‘Orders From Above’, I’ve been able to concentrate on getting my fundraising book published – and today it went live! You can read more about how this labour of love came about in my earlier blog Writing Matters #7: writing a fundraiser.
I started volunteering with Guide Dogs for the Blind in 2015 as a Puppy Walker (now called Puppy Raisers) and I had the delightful (and somewhat opinionated) Buddy for his first year. I started taking photographs from the day he arrived and as he and the picture collection grew I had vague thoughts of one day putting his story into a book. Well, it took lockdown to do it, but the paperback is now available from Amazon, link below, and I’m currently working on the e-version. If all goes well that will be available next month.
It’s been a true labour of love, learning new skills and overcoming a few technical challenges, but I am truly delighted with the result.
Guide Dog Buddy* has chosen extracts from his puppy diary detailing his training during the year he was with me before going into Training School. With over 100 colour photos, this is a charming, amusing, but also informative insight into the world of Guide Dog Puppies.
It is dedicated to all the Guide Dog volunteers who work with these amazing dogs, and to the amazing dogs themselves, who are life changers in so many ways.
All profits will go to Guide Dogs for the Blind.
*’Buddy’ is a working boy now, with an unusual name, so I asked his Owner to choose a pen name for him and she suggested Buddy. He’s quite possible the only Guide Dog with an alias! You can read more about him – and see more photographs – on his own page Buddy.
I’d like to give a big shout out to Rachel Lawston of Lawston Design. Rachel is the designer of my novel covers, and when she realised this was a fundraiser she did the fantastic cover for free!
NB This is not a Guide Dogs for the Blind publication. It has been written and published by me for the sole purposes of fundraising for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
J Merrill Forrest 