MAXDOG's BOOK LAUNCH HAS A GUEST OF HONOUR!

HAPPY GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXMOM here...

Above: A 'congratulatory' bouquet from one of my supporters.

...thank you Weinerlein family!!!

A happy 'hello' to all my fur-buddies around the world.

Whew! Things are abuzz here...my head is in a tail-spin...I'm a little unsteady with all that's happening surrounding the launch of my precious book

MAXDOG.

If you would like to visit my publisher's website, and specifically the page where you can purchase MAXDOG, please click

HERE

Boy, I am amazed at the incredible support I am getting from around the country.

Thank you friends for your emails! Thank you for your purchases! Thank you for your encouragement!

 I am so blessed by you all.

500 copies were printed and published on Thursday last week. 

About 250 of those copies are GONE!!!

...to various sources:

Some have been sold/distributed to some of my loyal readers and supporters (A BIG thank you!), some have gone to my publicist and 100 copies have gone to the distributor for the various orders received from bookstores around the country.  I'm spending most of my day answering emails and queries, and trying not to drop any catches. It's fun, but it's tough  :)

Please forgive me, during this hectic time, for not visiting many blogs.  I am sure that you will understand - my special blogging buddies - ?

The official launch of MAXDOG is on Tuesday next week.

If you are in Johannesburg on that evening...

YOU ARE INVITED!!!

Please come and join us in celebrating this milestone! I know its going to be a fabulous evening: Snacks, wine, MAXDOG books and the opportunity to get some 'insider' information about this very personal story.  I would love to see you all there and will be honoured by your attendance.

So, will you be there?

It's going to be a book launch with a bit of a 'difference':

We have a special announcement....we have a...

 'guest of honour' ....

(drum roll).....

"RUDI"

 

Yes, Rudi is the celebrity for the evening.  He is a 7 year old Golden Retriever, with a genetic link to MAXDOG (Rudi is Max's nephew), and has been an active therapy dog for a number of years. He is highly affable and has been part of the 'Paws for People' (East Rand Unit) for a number of years. (It goes without say that 'Rudi' is a fully trained therapy dog) He is accustomed to small spaces and crowds of people and is a delightful , interactive animal with a beautiful temperament. Rudi will be adding the 'special touch' to the evening. This sweet golden retriever has done a lot of work at a special needs school called "Little Eden" on the East Rand. He is also a show dog and is the grandfather of my current Golden Retriever, Toby.

I will be honoured to have RUDI as my special canine guest of honour.  So...come and meet him!

A book launch for a special dog wouldn't be the same without a special dog, would it?

Thank you to Kate, at LoveBooks for allowing us to do things a little differently!

So there you have it...a book launch with a difference!

Thank you, Zena, for accepting the invitation on behalf of 'Rudi'

I am delighted!

 

MAXDOG's first public engagement

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXMOM here...

Above: me and Clare-Rose Julius (General Manager of Porcupine Press)

Hello there to all my wonderful friends around the world.

After not getting much sleep the night before, I finally managed to get my act together and have everything ready for MAXDOG's first book signing event.

Above: First customers/readers

Our local community police forum and the management of

RANDRIDGE MALL

 organised a 'Carols-by-Candlelight' event last night - in support of our community's current campaign:

"Crime Prevention through Divine Intervention"

The organisers graciously invited me to come along with the very first copies of MAXDOG

 ("Hot-off-the-press)

 to be offered for sale and signing to our immediate community.

Above: Adriana van Eyssen (General Manager of Randridge Mall) buys one of the first copies of MAXDOG.

The atmosphere was festive and happy, and overseen by an engaging Master of ceremonies and our ever present community policing forum.

The SAPS Police Band and the St John's Youth Band entertained the public, and the choir from Kingsway school led the public in the carols. "MAXDOG" too, was present and visible. It was a lovely evening!

I am so thankful to my friends and family who came along to celebrate and to support me. 

 Above: The Weinerlein family

 Above: Candice Botha, me and Andrea Botha

 Above: Shelly van Gool and partner

 Above: Barbara Allison chats to me.

Above: Lorraine and I celebrate

(Thank you, Lorraine for taking all the other photographs!!!)

Above: Mike Cloete and me

 Above: My cousin Doug Shead and me.

Above: My husband Les ("Mike" in MAXDOG) and me.

Thank you Lorraine and Jenny for taking care of all the administration and allowing me to simply engage with the public.  I am so grateful for your help and for granting me peace-of-mind despite my initial nerves.

 Lorraine and Jenny help me with 'business'.

 Above: Not ONE, but FOUR copies to sign for Shirley!

Clare-Rose Julius - the general manager of Porcupine Press (my publishers) also came along to give her support. 

Above: Pam and Eugene Halgreen, and Clare-Rose Julius.

Thank you Clare!

It's been really hectic here and I feel as if I am on a treadmill (a fast one, I might add) ... that may not stop.  I discovered yesterday that my limit without sleep is 19 hours.  (I would have been an interesting subject for a cartoon caricature of 'A walking Zombie'!)

I suppose I shouldn't distress, because this is, indeed, one example of...

"LIVE LIFE TO THE MAX!"

Thank you again to the management and staff of Randridge Mall, especially to Adriana van Eyssen as well as Heather Brits (Honeydew Community Policing Forum), for welcoming me and promoting MAXDOG.

"Wherever MAXDOG goes, let it do good!

Sending lotsaluv

BREAKING NEWS!!! They're here! They're here! "MAXDOG" IS HERE!...in print...Max and my gift ... to the world!

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!

MAXMOM here...

Today, I collected some of the first copies of MAXDOG from my publishers: 

Porcupine Press

...in preparation for our book signing event tomorrow evening.

Clare-Rose Julius (General Manager of Porcupine Press) and me.

On Monday, I will receive a further 150 copies of the book for my personal distribution and sales.  My publishers and their distributors are retaining 250 of the 500 initial print-run to cater for the South African orders that have  already been received for
MAXDOG. 
It appears that South African book stores have responded very favourably to the news. (Yay!)

 

If you would like one of these books, please contact me urgently!

100 of these books have also been reserved for my readers who have already contacted me.  So effectively I (personally) only have 150 left for the moment!

I suspect that MAXDOG is going to fly and I am not sure when we will be doing the second print-run!  So please, hurry and contact me if you want a copy from this first print-run.

carylmoll@yahoo.com

My first point of call, after receiving the books, was to my dear friend Lorraine who has stood by me throughout the Maxdog journey.  Lorraine insisted that I stop by because she wanted to 'purchase' a book. 
 "No way!" I said.  "You are getting one as a personal gift from me!"

But my friend is rather superstitious about these things and insisted that she purchase one.  She wanted to be recorded as "The first-ever purchaser of MAXDOG! "
"Okay my friend, then you can have TWO copies - your purchase as well as my 'gift' to you."

Thank you again Lorraine for all your support!
We opened a bottle of Champagne (a small one) and toasted the milestone:

"To MAXDOG! !!"
"Wherever MAXDOG goes, let it do good!"

---xXx---

PRINT ON DEMAND:

MAXDOG

... has been sent to 'Lightning Source' to be prepared as a 'print-on-demand' book for my international readers. The book will be offered for purchase on a number of online channels  but only in 

mid-December 2011.

My international readers will, most likely, be able to purchase their copies via Amazon in about 21 days time. I will put the details of Maxdog's progress up on this blog as we get it.

---xXx---

eBOOKS:

MAXDOG

... is also currently being prepared as an 'ebook', which will become available very shortly.
It will be available in PDF format which can be read on most e-readers.

Unfortunately it won't be available in the specific Kindle format at this stage (yet)
Please watch this space as we try to facilitate this service. 

Channels for ebooks will also be advised in due course.

All enquiries about ebooks can be addressed to:

info@porcupinepress.co.za
http://www.porcupinepress.co.za

---xXx---

REVIEW COPIES:

We have had excellent feedback from the bookstores in South Africa, who are currently ordering their copies from our distributors - Stephen Phillips (South Africa).  Some of the books will also be going to my publicist Helen Holyoake of HELCO PROMOTIONS and will be sent out to various selected journalists for book reviews. 

Journalists wishing to review MAXDOG are please to contact

HELCO PROMOTIONS.

---xXx---

DIRECT PURCHASES

If you would like to purchase a copy of MAXDOG, please contact either myself at:

carylmoll@yahoo.com

or contact my publishers

info@porcupinepress.co.za

http://www.porcupinepress.co.za/

---xXx---

FIRST PUBLIC BOOK SIGNING:

JOHANNESBURG RESIDENTS

are invited to join me on Friday night at 6pm at

RANDRIDGE MALL

for book signing and sales of MAXDOG, as well as Randridge Mall's 'Carols-by-Candlelight' ceremony and extended shopping hours on the evening.

Let the Champagne flow!
MAXDOG here we come!!!

---xXx---

Despite the excitement, I am acutely aware of the sense of closure this book is allowing me. 

I will never forget this beautiful dog of mine who changed my life so dramatically.  We had an incredible journey together and there isn't a day which goes by that I don't miss him...so much!

"Maxi....thank you, my boy, for all you have done for me on my road to healing.  You were an amazing dog - my heart-dog! The Golden Retriever extrodinaire! I love and miss you, my boy!

With love from your,

Maxmom"

"Wherever MAXDOG goes, let it do good!"

Sending lotsaluv,

Gratitude, not pride...

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

MAXMOM here...

Only 5 days to go!

MAXDOG is in the printing process as I write this post.

By Friday morning, we will have the books in print...
for the world to read!

'Shaky' doesn't begin to describe what I am feeling.

My life, at the moment, its quite unbelievable!

There are a number of bloggers who I mention in the book.
If you are interested in who these fur-friends are and my explanation about them, please click
HERE

 Not only this but, in the next two days, my eldest daughter writes her final two, major qualifying exams... after 18 years of hard study! 

If all goes well, by Wednesday evening she will be a highly accredited young woman ...

Congratulations Doctor Jenny!

You are going to be an amazing doctor!

Not only that, but by Friday afternoon, my other daughter will also have her first degree - a 'BSc' and be well on the road to her accomplishing her own dream of becoming a Vet one day!

3 years down, 4 years to go!

Congratulations Robyn!

You are going to be an amazing Vet one day!

I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of these two amazing young women...

They have dedicated themselves to their dreams and their talents...

What more could parents ask for?

Jenny and Robyn, my precious two daughters:  I love you with all my heart!

Congratulations!

What a privilege it has been to be your mother!

I am so proud of you!

MY SPECIAL ROSES

About to unfold, the petals stretch,

shining bright in earthly sunshine.

Tender velvet; fragrance sweet;

delicate creations - an absolute treat!

My roses are partly me, it seems

uniquely formed; budding blossoms.

Preparing to weather life's big storms,

tentatively, untuitively reaching upwards.

In reverence to our Creator, they tilt their heads

proudly shining His light.

My roses - all petals and brand new stalks;

growing blindly despite the envy of others.

(Caryl Moll)

---xXx---

Thank you to all my blogging friends who have helped me reach for my own dream.
Sending lotsaluv