WHEN SAM SAW PETER - After Peter's Death!

 WHEN SAM SAW PETER

My friend’s cat had died a week ago, but nobody had told Sam. So he seemed to notice nothing amiss when we went to visit Yvonne. She greeted us as usual and led us through to her sitting room.

About six months earlier she'd downsized from a large house to a much smaller one and her huge sofa rather dominated her somewhat restricted space.

 

Not that that was in any sense a problem - except that, today, Sam stared at it as if mesmerized.

His focus started on the left-hand arm of the sofa, then moved up to its wide (and very long) back, before dropping down to the right-hand arm.

 

At this point his fur bristled and he emitted a sound like a low, deep growl.

 

Yvonne and I watched him, heard him, and then turned to each other.

 

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked me.

 

"What else is there to think?" I said.

 

Meanwhile Sam tentatively (almost on tiptoe!) approached the right-hand arm and it was as though he were inspecting its occupant - reservedly, but nevertheless with considerable interest.

Then, satisfied, he lay down in his usual position on the floor just below the place where Peter habitually lay.

 

Both Yvonne and I felt slightly dazed.

 

Peter, in life, had always arrived at his favourite place on the sofa via a leap on to its left-hand arm, a casual stroll along the back and a slide down to the arm he regarded as his domain.

 

Sam's gaze had just followed this exact route as though Peter were still very much in the room.

Yvonne smiled, saying: "Good to know he hasn't gone far!" 

 

"Just out of our sight," I agreed, "but not out of Sam's. That's all too apparent, thankfully."

SAM'S VIDEO

Well, here's the thing: it suddenly occurred to Sam and me to create a video illustrating SAM'S STORY!

So that's what we did - and now you can see pictures of all the places he mentions on his many adventures. How about that for canine ingenuity? We both hope you'll enjoy seeing Sam in action and that it will give you a good background to his story.

Here he is:

P.S. Direct link to book on Amazon: samstory.online

MY STORY IS FREE AGAIN!

Just letting you know that my story is FREE today and tomorrow on Amazon Kindle. Mum and I thought it would be good to give you a little gift to start your week off right, so we both hope you'll like reading about my adventures as I grew from my puppy-hood to boy-hood ...

Have I told you yet that I wrote my story myself (well, more or less)?

Love Sam xx

SAM AND ALOE VERA

Sam says to tell you that he loves this Aloe Vera Drink. Not that he drinks it, exactly. I pour it on his food and he laps that up. In fact we both benefit from its health-enhancing properties and the way it keeps our limbs more mobile and flexible than they might otherwise be.

Sam watches me drink mine and then he has his - a great arrangement, don't you think?

Sending you our love - Sam and Pam xx

SAM'S STORY IS FREE ON AMAZON KINDLE TOMORROW!

Sam says to be sure to tell you that his story (written in his own words) will be FREE again tomorrow to download from Amazon Kindle via this LINK.

We both hope that you'll enjoy it - and our surf and sunset, selected especially for you.

With love, Pam and Sam x

WIN A BIG PRIZE

Here’s some good news for you from Mum and me - you can win a BIG prize via my story! You'll need to hurry, as the offer ends on Sunday.

The thing is this ... I don't really understand what a Rafflecopter is, but I do understand that you have a chance of winning $400 (or some smaller prizes) by clicking this LINK.

That's simple enough, isn't it? Perhaps I should click the link. $400 would buy lots of treats for Mum and me!

Mum's shaking her head. She does that when I want to do something she doesn't want me to do. So I don't think I'll be doing any clicking.

You can, though, and I hope you win!

I'M GIVING MY BOOK TO YOU

If you think I look relaxed, it's because I am. A reason for this is that Mum's feeling better than she's been feeling recently, so I don't need to worry about her any more.

Another reason is that we both thought we should celebrate by giving my book to you, absolutely FREE. Not today, though. Do I look as if I could act that quickly? No, I don't!

But if on Thursday ... or Friday ... or even on Saturday this week you click this LINK you might be really surprised by what you find. Mum and I both hope it will be a nice surprise. If it is, please click Like on the Facebook link so that we'll know you like my story - yes, the one I wrote myself!

Love from Sam (and Mum) xxx

Well, when the Authors' Marketing Club called me saying something about sending me a special graphic, I must admit wishing they were promising to send me a juicy bone!

I suppose I still wish that, even though I think what they've sent me is probably a good thing. Here it is. What do you think?

 

BUY FROM AMAZON.COM

P.S. It makes me feel important, being called an author!

SEE WHO'S LISTING MY STORY!

This is just a quick little message from me so that you can see who's listing my story today - and tweeting about it too. Except that I don't know what a tweet is, unless it's something that Jonathan, one of my seagull friends, does.

I just asked him, but he wasn't saying if he's the culprit. I'm not sure whether he's quite clever enough. But Mum says that if I give you this link, you might want to tweet about it. So here it is: LINK

WHY CAN'T I FLY LIKE THEY DO?

I was just doing my usual thing, trying to fly like the seagulls, when all of a sudden this great big wave came in! I wouldn't mind except that the gulls flew upwards while I had to swim.

Why is it that I still can't seem to get the hang of flying? I try (and keep trying) with all my might, but without wings I sometimes have a tough time of it. If you can spot me here on Rhossili beach you'll see what I mean. And now my fur's a bit soggy, which makes flying even more of a problem.

I've asked Mum, more than once, about the chances of a boy like me growing wings and her answers aren't very satisfactory. She says if I was meant to have them, I'd have wings already.

What am I supposed to make of that? I'll tell you what I make of it: one of these days, I'll fly - with or without wings!

WIN A KINDLE FIRE WITH SAM'S STORY!

Bet you'd like to know how to win a Kindle Fire with SAM'S STORY! That's my story, by the way - in case you're still in any doubt about it.

Well, I must admit, I don't understand any of this, but Mum says winning a Kindle Fire is a very exciting thing. So here's how you do it: just click this LINK before 25 October 2014 and then read the rules for winning. I'd win one myself, except I'd sooner win a big juicy marrow-bone.

Is that what Mum means when she says "Each to their own"?

Good luck from us both!

GOOD NEWS DAY!

I knew it was good news day as soon as I opened my eyes this morning. So I went straight into Mum's room and licked her face till she was awake. She likes me doing that. At least, I think she does. She giggles and says my tongue tickles her skin. That's the same as saying she likes my way of waking her, isn't it? 

In case you're wondering what the good news is, I'll tell you straight away: 

SAM'S STORY IS FREE ON AMAZON KINDLE TODAY AND TOMORROW!

That's my story, if you haven't already guessed - and, believe me, I have quite a story to tell. I told it myself, except for the little bits Mum insisted on adding. We've popped my paw-prints in to prove who does most of the talking. You'll see what I mean when you read my story.

As I know you're going to want to read it (and won't want to miss it being FREE), I'm giving you its special link to CLICK. 

Happy reading - and be sure to tell me what you think of my story!

SAM'S MUD BATH

Look at me! Do I look muddy to you? No, I know I don't - because I'm not. Not muddy, I mean! But I was - before the bath Mum just insisted on.

Sometimes I don't understand Mum. That is, I don't understand her attitude to mud. I try to tell her that there's nothing better than rolling in the stuff, but she doesn't seem to hear me.

Take today. We're staying with our friends Barbara and David out in the country and I've been on my best behavior. Before she went off to the shops in Ludlow with Barbara this morning, Mum took me for a long walk, keeping me on my lead for some reason. I don't like being kept on my lead.

Then off Mum and Barbara went, leaving me asleep in front of the fire while David sat in his big chair reading his newspaper. Once they'd gone and David had finished reading, he said: "How about a walk, Sam?"

Well, I was instantly on my paws, hoping he wouldn't remember I'd already had my walk. As he opened the door I saw that he didn't have my lead in his hand. Things were getting better and better. Then we set off along the same lane I'd walked along with Mum. But I didn't have the same feeling as before. I felt wonderfully free to explore.

So I explored all the sniffs I couldn't quite reach earlier ... all the trees and fallen leaves ... all the puddles Mum had steered me from.

There was one really stupendous puddle and I threw myself right into the middle of it. Then I rolled over and over, kicking my legs in the air and loving every minute. I think David might have called me once or twice but I couldn't really hear him. I was having such fun in the lovely sticky mud.

He didn't look happy, though, when he took me home. "I think we're both going to be in the dog-house when the women get back," he muttered worriedly. "I never expected you to do that, Sam!"

Do what? Sometimes humans are really odd.

I expect you can guess the rest. When Mum saw me - and when she and Barbara saw the cream carpet that had a new pattern on - they both had lots to say to David about the fact that the Shropshire brand of mud was not just sticky, but also red.

Mum also mentioned - more than once - that I'd been newly bathed and groomed for our little holiday here and now she'd have to start on me all over again. Oh heck!



 

SAM'S STORY IS FREE ON AMAZON TODAY!

If you’re wondering who it is in the picture – it’s me, when I was just a puppy! That’s around the time my story began. Mum’s holding me. You can almost see her hands.

I’m having a good day today. The sun is shining and Mum’s smiling because our book is doing well on Amazon. We call it our book, but it’s mine really. You can tell that by its title: SAM’S STORY. Mum said to tell you that it’s FREE on Amazon today and tomorrow.

Does the fact it’s free mean there will be no money to buy me my weekly marrow bone?

 

GUILTY!

Does Leo look guilty, do you think? Maybe you remember me telling you about Leo, when he was a year old. Well, he's two years old now and just back from a Big Adventure with his Mum, Joanna - who is sort of my sister, as her Mum is also my Mum. Make sense of that, if you can!

Well, there he was on a Spanish beach, after driving all the way through France (Leo didn't drive, although to listen to him you'd almost think he did) and his Mum was having a well-earned rest. But then Leo decided he needed some cool, damp sand to lie on. So he started digging ... and carried on till he'd made himself a nice cozy hole.

In the process, though, he covered his Mum and the towel she was lying on with sand - and guess what? She wasn't happy!

JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL

Some days there are just no seagulls to be seen. It’s all a bit of a mystery. Where are the gulls when I can’t see them?

Mum says they play hide ‘n seek with me. Why would they do that, do you think? I’ll have to ask Jonathan, next time I see him. That’s the name Mum gave to one of the seagulls, naming him after Jonathan Livingston Seagull who was in a wonderful book she read once.

I wonder whether he wrote his own book. I don’t suppose he did. Seagulls can fly but I bet they can’t write. So that’s one up to me, as I sort of wrote mine!

There might be no gulls to play with today, but there’s plenty of beach and any minute a new playmate might arrive.

I’m ready for him, whoever he is … ready and waiting.

SAM'S DOG STORY - FREE eBOOK

 SAM'S DOG STORY will be FREE again on Christmas Day!

Mum and I had been wondering how to give our lovely readers a little Christmas gift, when suddenly the idea hit me of giving all of you who missed it previously another opportunity of reading my story - quite FREE!

We think you'll be happy to have my adventures by the sea on your Kindle because I'm a dog who loves life, loves his Mum ... and loves all the people and creatures I meet between our house and the beach.

Here's a picture of our home on the Gower peninsula:

When we moved here I was just a puppy and had no idea how much fun lay ahead of me as I tried to fly like the seagulls and run with the wild ponies who have become my friends.

I've made human friends as well. So has Mum ... but maybe I shouldn't mention her friend Morgan here. (You'll need to read my book to know their story!)

Yes - you've guessed ... my story isn't just about me! I tell you too what Mum has been up to. Ooops!

Anyway, we both wish you  

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A BRIGHT NEW YEAR

Oh - just click SAM'S DOG STORY on Christmas Day for your free copy!

 

You live in the UK? Then click: SAM'S DOG STORY for your free copy.

BOOKS ABOUT DOGS

Do you like reading books about dogs? Mum does. She says she especially likes the dog story book I wrote. Then she says she supposes that’s because she’s biased.

If she thinks that by using long words she’ll fox me, she’s right. Except that I don’t stay foxed for long. It’s never hard for me to work out what Mum means – because I understand her, you see.

In her own way, she’s telling me that she likes my dog story best because I’m special. That’s in the sense of having a special place in Mum’s heart. She’s told me about holding me there ever since I trotted over to her when she came to Axminster to choose a puppy from my litter. It wasn’t a question, she says, of choosing me because I chose her first. Then she adds that the feeling was mutual. I think that means she would have chosen me, if I’d given her half a chance and not been so fast on my paws.

I need to be fast on them when I'm up above Three Cliffs Bay, watching and waiting for a seagull to fly by. As soon as one comes on my horizon, I'm on to him - racing through the sand-dunes and down to the beach. One of these days I won't be racing. I'll be flying!

Anyway, we both think books about dogs are great! See if you agree that mine's best when you've read my story ...

DOG STORY BOOK

It was Mum’s idea for me to write a dog story book. When she first suggested it I thought she was having me on. Who would want a book written by a dog? Besides, I didn’t think I could write.

But Mum said how would I know unless I tried? I saw the sense of that – and she then said she’d help me. 

I was a bit bewildered when she put the laptop in front of me, but together we set to work and gradually Sam’s Story began. I expect you can guess why we called it Sam’s Story. What else could we call it, when my story is mostly about me?

We mention Mum once in a while, because she was helping and I couldn’t have written my dog story book without her. By the way, we’re giving it away FREE on Amazon on Christmas Day!

AMAZING DOG STORIES - A Cartoon For You

I'm feeling a bit insulted! Mum took one look at me having fun on the beach and said my antics made her think of some amazing dog stories she'd just seen. But she wasn't talking about my dog stories. Oh no, she was referring to some cartoons that she said made her smile because they reminded her of me!

Well, the chap in the pictures isn't half as handsome as I am! He's half my size and not nearly as hairy. All the same, I suppose he and I are a bit alike in the way we behave. So maybe Mum isn't being insulting. Take a look at The Mud Song on my Facebook page and see what you think ...