A Special Anniversary

Today is a very special "anniversary."  It was 30 years ago today that I "won" Lucky in an adoption lottery. It was a day that forever changed the course of my life - a day that sent me on a path of healing and growth I didn't even know I needed to be on. 

I had to do the "math" several times to make sure it was really 30 years ago because I couldn't quite wrap my brain around the fact that it had been so many years. The January 12th part was never in question - just the year.  :-) 

Here is some of the magic I am embracing today: If I hadn't won Lucky in that adoption lottery that day, I wouldn't be who I am today. I also wouldn't have written "Lucky For Me" because there wouldn't have been that story to tell. So with the focus on celebration - I thought I'd share information about our book once again with a few excerpts from a blog I wrote a while back.

Our story still astounds me in many ways . . . I know that 30 years ago today, I was the one who was truly LUCKY, in ways that I had no concept of at the time. What a remarkable milestone indeed!  

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A while back, I received an incredibly powerful piece of feed back from someone after they finished reading my book. They wrote: "Your book is kinda like the boulder that gets dropped in the lake - exponentially magnifying Lucky's impact and a testament to you and your growth. I'm very grateful for your story, for you sharing it with the world and that I got to read it." My heart was deeply touched by his words. 

I wrote the book in the hopes that it might inspire and support others. His comment was like a big thumbs up . . . encouraging me to keep believing in myself and the story that unfolded during the years that Lucky and I were together.

For those of you who are interested in learning more, here is a summary of our book:

From the time Maureen was a little girl, all she wanted was a German shepherd. Then one day she is inexplicably drawn to a news story about a shepherd puppy that had been used in a dog-fighting ring and then heartlessly discarded in a dumpster. Was this the German shepherd she was meant to have? An adoption lottery could answer that and change her life in unimaginable ways.

Lucky For Me takes us deep into the lives of Lucky, the severely abused German shepherd and Maureen, her adopter. Assuming the role of rescuer, Maureen set out on what felt like an insurmountable mission to help Lucky heal from her physical and emotional wounds. Along the way she was catapulted into her own healing journey. Will Lucky and Maureen be able to overcome the obstacles that life has dealt them?

Maureen gives us an honest and introspective look at their quest to regain their confidence and find their way back to whom they are meant to be. As they endeavor to accept, heal and free themselves from the past, Maureen realizes how disconnected she has been from her true self.

While attempting to answer the question “Who am I?” pieces of the puzzle begin to reveal themselves in synchronistic and magical ways. Discovering the hidden gifts in her extreme sensitivity and empathic nature, Maureen’s bond with Lucky grows even stronger and more powerful. As the process of self-discovery unfolds, a new way of life emerges—one that finally feels like home.

Lucky for Me is a true story about second chances and new beginnings. It follows Lucky and Maureen as they navigate the ups and downs of the somewhat rocky terrain, which leads them to self-acceptance and self-love. Ultimately, their inspiring adventure shows us what is possible with love, courage, forgiveness, and trust.

Here is a link to purchase the paperback version: CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT BOOK

If you would like to see how others have reacted and responded to the book, you can also read reviews on their site as well.

In addition to that, our book is also available as an Ebook via Amazon. I was previously resistant to doing an Ebook because I personally prefer a hand held copy of a book :-) but I have come to learn that a lot of people prefer to read books on their kindles so I decided to broaden my scope. You can even read the first few chapters of our book for free if you want to see if it is something you would enjoy.

The Ebook can be purchased here: Buy e-book edition

Happy reading everyone!! 

Lucky For Me - Second Edition Available Now!

 A few months ago, I received an incredibly powerful piece of feed back from someone after they finished reading my book. They wrote: "Your book is kinda like the boulder that gets dropped in the lake - exponentially magnifying Lucky's impact and a testament to you and your growth. I'm very grateful for your story, for you sharing it with the world and that I got to read it." My heart was deeply touched by the comment and it inspired me to move forward more quickly with the revisions of my book.

This week was the 15 year anniversary of Lucky's transition, so it seemed as if the timing was perfect for the Second Edition of Lucky For Me to come out. In case you were wondering what has changed from the first edition to the second edition, the changes were mostly addressing those pesky typos and punctuation errors that snuck through into the first edition. 

Truth be told, I also became aware that I have a tendency to reuse certain words - over and over again - LOL - so in the revised version, I was able to use my thesaurus to add some more variety to a few specific word choices.  :-)

For those of you who were afraid to share my book with friends and family who are teachers, those who work in editing jobs or those who just have a knack for those kinds of details - for fear of giving them a headache - I am happy to say with a higher degree of confidence that you should be able to share my book with them now. :-) 

I also added a few pages to honor my sweet boy Kino who passed away this summer. It didn't feel right to leave him out since he was such a big support to me while I was getting the book edited and published a few years ago. 

Here is a link to purchase the paperback version of the Second Edition: CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT BOOK

In addition to that, I have decided to make an Ebook available via Amazon. I was previously resistant because I personally prefer a hand held copy of a book :-) but I have come to learn that a lot of people prefer to read books on their kindles so I decided it was time to broaden my scope. It should be up and available next week on Amazon. UPDATE: The Ebook is now available and can be purchased here: Buy e-book edition

Circling back to it being the 15 year anniversary of Lucky's transition on the 15th of October, she was definitely letting me know she was around. I'm not sure if I have ever had so many "visitors" in the yard in one day. 

From the squirrels (and especially the bold little squirrel who came up to the back door a few times and bopped the glass with his nose to let me know he would like some nuts), to the crows that walked around the yard and then sat on the fence to watch over me while I was outside, to a feral cat who came by to see what all the excitement was about and hung out for a while. 

It felt really nice to be surrounded by all of them and I could feel in my heart that they were all messengers from Lucky (and Kino too) letting me know that they knew the importance this particular date held for me and they were sharing it with me. 

I felt even more sure of that the next day, when not a single visitor came by. Definite confirmation that something lovely and magical was happening here on October 15th. 

I hope those of you who haven't read my book yet will enjoy the new and improved version. And that those of you who have read it will feel even more comfortable sharing it with others or buying copies as gifts. And finally, I hope that those of you who prefer Ebooks will be even more inspired to check out my book.

Happy reading everyone!! 

ps: For anyone who would like to see a description of the book and don't want to deal with extra clicks to look at the publisher's website, here is a picture of the book summary on the back cover: 

You can also find this book summary at: https://riversanctuarypublishing.com/shop/lucky-for-me/