Author Interview with Kelly Preston!!!

AW: Tell us about yourself…
First, thank you for hosting this interview. My name is Kelly Preston, no not John’s (Travolta) wife that is the other Kelly Preston. I published an award winning book, Real Dogs Don’t Whisper, based on my life story with four special need dogs. In the beginning, I thought I was rescuing them, when in fact; they rescued me, learning from them about life and myself. As a child, my late brother had Down’s Syndrome; later in life I discover the parallelism between my childhood and caring for special need dogs.


AW: Tell us about your book.
Real Dogs Don’t Whisper is about second chances; whether a pet or human, it is about opening one’s heart up to the possibilities; accepting angels that God brings into your life; and learning to live in the moment as each passing moment is simply priceless. Now of course, my co-author Mr. MaGoo, will tell you that his (note his) book is about enjoying life to the fullest, every day there is fun to be had and he makes sure that the reader experiences fun and humor along the way. Yes you guessed it; Mr. MaGoo is my little clown of my pack, full of life and fun.


AW: What was your inspiration for this book?
Great question! I would have to say Betty Boop; she was against all odds from the moment she was born, she was born with hydrocephalus with a very bleak future. As the years passed and Betty Boop was still beating all medical odds, I would keep receiving the question “why, do you keep her?” It was at that point; I decided to share my life with four special need dogs, to help raise awareness for rescue dogs, especially with special need. The goal, to enlighten and hopefully inspire others, maybe even helping others that are facing challenges and sharing how I overcome so many obstacles.


AW: Do you have a favorite character and why that one?
I do not, since all four of my dogs are characters, they each have a favorite place in my heart. You will meet, Betty Boop, Buffy, Carla Mae and of course, Mr. MaGoo. Betty Boop I shared a brief background; Buffy was badly beaten and abused, she has Cushing’s Disease and cancer; Carla Mae came to me severely abused and I share our journey together learning to trust each other. And Mr. MaGoo, oh my, he is my puppy mill rescue and a hand full. He truly thinks I would not survive without him, even goes as far as calling me “The Crazy Lady” in the book. Each bring their own challenges, personalities and each will have the reader falling in love with them as I do.


AW: Did you find anything particularly difficult in writing this book?
Yes I did, opening up and sharing my life, not an easy task to do. There is a balancing act between sharing too much and not sharing enough. How does on share their life story without sounding self-centered? How
does one even begin to share and determine what stays and what goes? These were all questions I asked myself.


AW: What are some items that one should know about living with special need dogs?
Living with special need dogs takes patience, lifetime commitment, dedication, loyalty and above all, unconditional love. There will be times when it truly will be a priceless experience, leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling. And, there will be days that it will feel like your heart was ripped out; just know, those moments are actually the growing moments. You will learn how to overcome challenges; you will discover strengths/skills that you may not have known you had. Caring for special need is a sacrifice; you just can’t whisk off to do this or go there, but know this from the bottom of my heart, the love you will receive (and give) will leave you in puddles of your heart melting when you look into their eyes. Or, when they come over to give you a kiss, be forewarned, your heart will melt.


AW: What project(s) are you currently working on?
I took the story line from Real Dogs Don’t Whisper and wrote a children’s picture and activity book, Mister Spunky and His Friends; I wanted to reach out to children and took the theme and placed it in context for them (5 yrs. and older). Much like Real Dogs Don’t Whisper, Mister Spunky discusses the importance of love, friendship, helping others and anti-bullying/abuse.


AW: Do you have any advice for writers out there?
Best advice I can give, if you have a dream or passion to write, follow it. You just do not know until you try. If worried about where to begin or how to proceed to the next step, there are so many resources available that are free to point you in the correct direction. I had no clue what I was doing, I reached out for help and the amount of help that came my way was (still is) bountiful. Three simple words “Just do it!”; you will be so happy that you did. Remember, we all have a story to share, why not share it and inspire others?

AW: Where can we find you?
 Our website is www.realdogsdontwhisper.com
Facebook is www.facebook.com/realdogsdontwhisper.com
Mr. MaGoo has a blog www.realdogsdontwhisper.com/blog
Twitter handle @KellynMrMaGoo
We are out on various social media channels, even ones that are not mentioned above.


AW: And of course we have to know, where can we find your book?

Thank you for asking
Our website: www.realdogsdontwhisper.com/free
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3571559 (use code 8SPQ272F)
Kindle
Nook
Smashwords