THIS WEEK'S BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNER

Thanks to all who stopped by this week, and a special thanks to Melinda Leigh, our Book Club Friday guest author. Melinda offered a copy of She Can Run to one of our readers who posted a comment this week. The winner is Sheila W. Boneham. Sheila, please send your mailing address to me at anastasiapollack@gmail.com so I can forward it to Melinda.

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR MELINDA LEIGH

Our Book Club Friday guest author today is Melinda Leigh who describes herself as a fully recovered banker, wife, mom, lifelong dog lover, and second degree black belt in kenpo karate. She is also the author of She Can Run, a kindle bestselling romantic suspense released in November 2011 from Montlake Romance. Her next book, Midnight Exposure, will be released in June 2012. Find out more Melinda at her website.

Melinda is offering a signed copy of She Can Run to one of our readers who posts a comment this week. -- AP

More Than Man’s Best Friend

In She Can Run one of my characters, a police dog reject, struck a chord with readers. In fact, Henry nearly stole the show from my hero. When I wrote the book, I had no idea how much my love of dogs would influence his character. Nor did I anticipate how much readers would fall in love with him.

No one can pinpoint exactly when humans first domesticated dogs, but archeologists suggest it was around 15,000 years ago, when people first started living in settlements and wolves would likely have been attracted to our garbage. Dogs and humans share a similar social structure. Perhaps these similarities helped the two species to bond. Since then, canine genes have been manipulated into an array of breeds bred to perform specific tasks.

Dogs have become an invaluable asset to humankind. They herd cattle and sheep and protect livestock from predators.  Guard dogs protect owners and their property. Hunting dogs help their owners find and retrieve game, or as it was historically known, dinner.

Their superior canine senses make them far better scouts then their human counterparts. Canine soldiers sniff out explosives, drugs, or other substances for the police and military. Police dogs tackle criminals, control crowds, and search buildings.  Dogs have been used by military forces since the BC years. The Romans and the Greeks trained large breed dogs to fight in battle. The Conquistadors employed Mastiffs to terrorize conquered peoples. Military dogs have been used as messengers and to haul equipment. They’ve even been used to drag wounded soldiers from the battlefield. Dalmatians are mascots for firehouses, but in the times when fire rigs were pulled by horses, the dogs would protect the horses and equipment. They also ran ahead of the rig to clear a path for the horses.

Search and rescue dogs find survivors in disasters, and their bond with humans is so strong, that when they find only the deceased, the dogs become depressed. Over 100 dogs worked tirelessly at Ground Zero.

Today, dog jobs are even more varied. Dogs can tell the hearing-impaired when the fire alarm is going off, the phone is ringing, or someone is knocking on the door. They help blind people navigate a seeing world.  Service dogs turn door knobs or fetch items for the physically handicapped, motivate chronically sick children to take their medicine. Dogs are good for our health.  Simply being around pets lowers blood pressure.

My two dogs don’t have a specific job (other than crumb patrol), but I can’t imagine my house without them. They are truly members of our family and a constant source of pleasure and companionship.

If you’re looking to add a canine companion to your household, please visit your local animal shelter. Dogs don’t deserve to be discarded after all they’ve done for us.

Thanks for joining us today, Melinda! Readers, if you’d like to read about Henry, post a comment for a chance to win a copy of She Can Run. -- AP

GUEST MELINDA LEIGH, SELF-DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR: SECURE YOUR HOME

Melinda Leigh from Attacking the Page is back today with some more safety tips. Melinda holds a 2nd degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Melinda hosts Fight Like a Girl Southern NJ, a blog featuring effective and easy to learn self-defense for women. She’s also one of the bloggers at Attacking the Page, a blog about Martial Arts & Writing Action. You can also visit Melinda at her website. -- AP

There are many things you can do to make your home and property more secure, both when you’re home and away.  Make sure your property is well-lit, the windows and doors clearly visible.  Burglars love thick shrubs and shadowy entrances.  Lock your doors. This sounds simple, but many people neglect to lock up while they are at home. 

Single women should list their initials instead of their first names with the phone company and other utilities when possible.  Don’t post your address, phone number or other personal information on social networking sites, this includes your marital status if you’re single or the fact that your husband will be in Japan for the next two weeks.  If you have a home security system, use it.  Keep valuables in a safety deposit box. 


In addition, if you are going on vacation, make arrangements to have your lawn mowed, leaves raked or deliveries picked up.  Let a trusted neighbor know you’ll be away and when to expect you back.  Give the neighbor a phone number to contact you in case of emergency and a key. Ask the neighbor to walk through your home occasionally. Things like a broken pipe or freezer can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Unplug small appliances.

If you’re leaving your car at home, park it in its usual spot.  Ask your trusted neighbor to park in your driveway.  Keep drapes and blinds in their usual positions.  Use timers on interior/exterior lights and a radio or TV to make it appear as if someone is home when you are at work or on vacation. 

Stop your newspaper and mail or get a neighbor to collect them for you. Same goes for any deliveries.  Have the same neighbor put out your trash and bring the can in as normal. 

Don’t post your plans on social network sites, announce it on your answering machine, or otherwise broadcast your upcoming absence. Tell your Facebook friends all about your trip after you're home.  It’s also a good idea to let your alarm company know you’ll be away and how to reach you.

Great tips, Melinda! Thanks so much for stopping by to share them with us. And readers, remember to post a comment to be entered into the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author.-- AP            

GUEST MELINDA LEIGH, SELF-DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR

Today at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers I’d like to introduce you to a special guest, author and self-defense instructor Melinda Leigh. Melinda holds a 2nd degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She's also a founding member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers.  Melinda lives in the NJ suburbs with her husband, two kids, and a whole bunch of animals.  Her romantic suspense fiction has won writing awards across the country.

Melinda hosts Fight Like a Girl Southern NJ, a blog featuring effective and easy to learn self-defense for women. She’s also one of the bloggers at Attacking the Page, a blog about Martial Arts & Writing Action. Melinda, along with fellow bloggers Rayna Vause and Kathy Fawcett, will be stopping by Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers from time to time to offer practical safety tips for women. You can also visit Melinda at her website. -- AP

SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK: USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Many people rely on trains and buses for transportation.  Unfortunately,  predators of all sorts troll these areas as well.   The following tips can help make your trip a safe one.

When riding on a bus or train, have your ticket or change ready so you do not have to get your wallet out.  Always wait in a well-lit area for your bus or train and wait near other people.  If possible, meet a friend there to wait with you, or even better, travel together.  A lone traveler is always more of a target than a group.  There’s safety in numbers.  If you do end up on the bus or train alone, sit close to the driver.   Don’t fall asleep.  Stay awake and alert at all times.  Don’t get so caught up in texting a friend or reading a book that you fail to notice who gets on and off.  You don’t need to stare to know who is around you and what they are doing.  Sit in an aisle seat so you won’t be blocked in. Keep your belongings on your person, with your purse strap over your shoulder and larger bags between your feet.

When you reach your destination, pay attention to who gets off at your stop.  If you think you are being followed, use the go-to-people principal.  Let the person know you see him and know where he is at all times.  If possible, have someone waiting for you, especially if your stop is isolated or dark.   If you’re going out with friends, make a pact that you will all leave together and make sure no one gets left behind.

Great tips, Melinda. Thanks for sharing, and we'll all look forward to seeing you, Rayna, and Kathy stopping by occasionally with more safety tips. Readers, do you have safety concerns? Let's hear from you. Anyone who posts a comment this week is entered in the drawing for a free book from out guest author on Book Club Friday. -- AP