Russell Blake basks in the Mexican sun and surely has a Tequila once in a while.
He is also a very successful suspense writer; a rough and burly guy, I imagine from looking at his author-photograph. At least, his action/adventure-laden books reflect just that.
I became aware of him because he is also generous in sharing insights and writing/marketing advice with other (mostly less read, aka less-successful, writers). I was doubly surprised when I looked at his blog and found a “Pet Wall,” where he encourages others to post (truly amazing) pictures of their pets (you have to take a look at them--naturally, Pasha is there too). That led to my discovering that he wrote a book about his very own dog, “Lobo, an Angel with Fur.”
Well, that man may appear rough and burly (sigh), but I knew then that he also had a great heart. I asked him to share the love of his dog here with my animal friends (make sure you have a hanky close-by).
In Memory of Lobo – by Russell Blake
Lobo’s trademark “We Are Not Amused” look.
When I first laid eyes on Lobo he was a little fur ball, perhaps 6-7 weeks old, at a shelter in Mazatlan, Mexico, where I hang my hat. It was love at first sight for us both. I’ve never before, or since, been suddenly struck by such a powerful emotion, and yet on one late-summer day, in hundred degree heat, without warning or precedence, it washed over me like a tsunami. He owned my heart from that moment.
I adopted him, and we shared adventures and joy, until when he was fifteen months old, he was diagnosed with a rare, rapidly-growing form of terminal cancer.
That marked what I think of as the second phase of our life together. Lobo went through several rounds of chemo, and against all odds and the best guesses of specialists and the medical literature, went into remission. The experience changed us both, and we lived every day from that point on as if it was our last – which wasn’t a bad bet, given that his life expectancy from that point was one year.
Lobo ever vigilant, waiting for unsuspecting workers to walk by so he can bark at them.
At 15 months old, on his Christmas day, 2006 walk. It was this photo that gave me the inspiration for the book title. With the back-lighting from the setting sun, he looked like an apparition – an angel, if you will.
Five and a half years after I adopted him, Lobo slipped gently from this world, taking a large part of me with him. Two years after his passing, I still miss him more than words can describe.
Lobo was a remarkable spirit who touched and affected everyone he came into contact with, a survivor who beat all the odds, brave beyond measure with a stoic courage that humbled me. Lobo taught me the meaning of unconditional love – a gift for which I’m eternally grateful. An Angel With Fur is his story, a rollercoaster of laughs and tears that honors his memory and memorializes his truly remarkable life.
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Thank you, Russell, for sharing your joy--and your sorrow--with us.
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Don’t miss to check out Russell’s great blog:
And the link to his book:
And if you don’t believe my first impression, here is his author page
Today, I celebrate that I not only finished and published this Novella -- but that I finally could decide on a title and a cover (having mucked about with it for quite some time).
