First Word

Dropped-Off Dog Catherine Lagorio Order your copy on Amazon ( click here )  Life is good for the Little Tiger-Striped Dog.He has food to eat, water to drink, a safe place to sleep and someone who loves him until one fateful day ... His world turns upside down when he is left alone in the country to fend for himself! Dropped-Off Dog (A Mostly-True Tail ) tells the fictional history of a real dog and how he came to live in rural California's San Joaquin Valley. After a journey from happiness and plenty through abandonment, hunger and fear, the Little Tiger-Striped Dog makes his way to a house with another dropped-off dog and two people who recognize his struggle. They adopt him and he really, truly lives happily ever after. Dropped-Off Dog is a children's picture book based on a real story about an animal. It is written to give children a stunning visual story with the theme of hope to raise awareness about the issue of animal abandonment and homelessness.

The fantastic problem in the book world: running out of copies of your book. Dropped-Off Dog (A Mostly-True "Tail") by Catherine Lagorio is the best example of a hot seller and keeping up with demand. In publishing you try to stay ahead of print runs to ensure you maintain stock. In this book's case, it has been off press about two months and selling hotter than hot cakes. As we've juggled and shuffled books back and forth to meet demand, she hit her "out of inventory" moment this morning. So congrats! The good news we pre-ordered more copies. The trepidation -- timing the new order to the demand. Ah, the life of a hot-selling author! You do have to smile though. Give us a few days and then pick up your own copy of this sweet and endearing book about pet homelessness. Find out why she ran out of her first print run so quickly.

The latest children's picture book released from my company 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com) is one of my new favorites (they're all favorites), but this one stands out from the "pack" (ha, ha) because it has a strong social message. Written as a cautionary tale to guide and inform children (and adults) about the perils of dropping off animals in the countryside to fend for themselves. It's a sad story with a happy ending. The writing by Cathy Lagorio is well-done and well-thought-out, and the story based on her dog, Steve. The illustrations by Robert Kelley are fine art and gorgeous. It's a hardcover book, too. It's $21.95 and a purchase you'll feel worth every penny. Read it to your kids or grandchildren or even nieces and nephews, especially if they want or already own a pet. The lessons about pet ownership are invaluable. Buy it on the 3L Publishing website to fully support the author -- although it is available on Amazon, too. To purchas...