Thank you to the Dog Writers Association of America for recognizing DOGLAND as the Best Rescue Book of 2015.

Prior to the awards luncheon yesterday, I attended a seminar sponsored by the DWAA. One of the speakers, Ranny Green–long-time journalist for the Seattle Times, former DWAA president, and DWAA hall of fame member–talked about the process of reinventing one’s self. It’s something many of us in the journalism field find we have to do throughout our careers, as this is such a turbulent time in the media industry. (I will spare you the pros and cons of all this turbulence!) Green’s point, which he repeated time and again so we would neither miss it nor disregard it, was, “Don’t give up!” Simple enough, but often the hardest advice to follow.

There were many times along my journey that I considered giving up. After all, I’d never written a book before–my background is broadcast journalism, not print, and my search for an agent went nowhere. But of course, I didn’t give up. I found Ashland Creek Press, an independent publishing company that had faith in me and my story, and together, we ushered DOGLAND to market. To date, I’ve been able to donate nearly $2000 to animal welfare organizations that do amazing work on behalf of companion animals. Hopefully, winning the Maxwell award will lead to more publicity, increased sales, and more donations.

The thing about the message, “Don’t give up,” is that it’s universal–it’s meant for all of us, not just journalists. And there are many times throughout all our lives that remembering these simple words and taking them to heart, can reap never-imagined rewards.

DOGLAND-DWAA’s Best Rescue Book, 2015