Get “Sirius” about Your Writing During the Dog Daze of Summer!

After ten years of posting on the “Dog Week Book Blog” I’m taking a “paws”. Writing Dog’s Best Friend and blogging about the mission of National Dog Week has been a life-changing process. Many of the posts on this blog, and others, have received nominations and medals from the Dog Writer’s Association of America (DWAA) including Dog’s Best Friend! I began this journey with our beloved, Hooper, a beautiful Portuguese water dog (RIP), at my feet and now a foster-to-forever dog Teddy sits by my side, as he faces his own health challenges, as I draft a memoir based on my experience under the Working Title, THE RISE AND FALL OF NATIONAL DOG WEEK AND A MISSION TO ‘BRING IT BACK’: (MEMOIR OF AN UNDERDOG). I will be posting items from the “Bark-chives” over on the National Dog Week Facebook and my AUTHOR/ARTIST Pages. Here are the links. Please LIKE  and visit for updates I thank you for your readership over the past decade. Inquires and questions? www.lbkauthor@gmail.com 

https://www.facebook.com/LisaBeginKruysmanAuthorAndArtist

https://www.facebook.com/NatDogWeek

Teddy Rocks a Maxwell Medallion!

In late February, my husband I commenced a 900 mile move to our new home and community in coastal Georgia. Selling a home and moving several states away during a pandemic has at times taken on a Twilight Zone vibe, but, we’re happy to say that we’re enjoying life in our new community and look forward to settling in.

And I’ve been writing (and painting). In March, when much of the nation began its serious lockdown, I developed a Full Proposal for a memoir with the Working Title FINDING DOG WEEK. For those not in the publishing industry, a proposal is a blueprint for a proposed book stating all the reason it’s a relevant and salable project – no easy task. It is currently being shopped and at the very least, its writing has been therapeutic.

I’m also drafting a new Middle Grade Novel titled PARTY DOG that explores some of the darker elements of the puppy industry while celebrating the triumphant spirit of the dog-human bond. I’m hopeful that both projects will see successful completion and potentially have some positive impact. I know there are so many authors and so little time for reading, so I do appreciate your readership and support – always.

In September 2021, my essay THE GIFT OF DOG, will mark my contribution to a third dog anthology to be published by the venerable Revell-Baker Publishing Group. Compiled and edited by Callie Smith Grant,  I’ll be discussing this project as we near its release date. Last year, Callie’s SECOND CHANCE DOGS won the prestigious Maxwell Medallion in the category of best Rescue/Adoption book and several contributors took Maxwell honors as well. http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/search?terms=Dogs

My poem, GOT THE HOME WITH HUMAN BLUES, presenting a dog’s humorous perspective upon finding himself quarantined with humans, will appear in the next issue of Ruff Drafts, the official publication of the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) and is now a FINALIST for a Special Award in this year’s DWAA’s Writing Competition!

(UPDATE: COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED, BUT TAKE A LOOK AND PLAN FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT!) And speaking of the DWAA, as an active member of the organization’s Social Media team, I’d like to share that our annual writing competition is currently open. The DWAA, established in 1935, is the only organization in the world comprised of a community of writers and journalists that produce work pertaining solely to canines. But hurry, only original work published between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 will be accepted. All online entries must be submitted on or before Sunday, September 6, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. EST. Mail-in entries must be postmarked no later than Saturday, September 5, 2020, as evidenced by the postmark.

There are a myriad of Regular and Special Awards categories to explore, many offering monetary grants made possible by our generous sponsors. And the good news is that you DON’T have to be a DWAA member to enter and entrants may work from anywhere in the world! Due to circumstances brought about by our current  pandemic, this year’s award ceremony will be held virtually on February 14th – what better way to celebrate our love affair with dogs!

I’m proud to be a recipient of a few Maxwell Medallions and multi-nominee and encourage you to take a look at our categories to see if something you’ve “produced” might suit a category. Entry fees are reasonable, too. Here is the link to the DWAA Site with more competition details. https://dogwriters.org/#

Enter soon and be a Dog Star writer under these starry Dog Days of Summer!

A Fresh New Outlook – Good for Creativity!

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