400th Blog Post! How Did That Happen?

400th Blog Post! How Did That Happen?

I can’t believe that Waggy Tales is celebrating 400 posts, how did that happen?

The thing is it was a complete accident that I fell into blogging. I know that many people say that but in this case, it’s true.

In April 2017 we lost our dog Alfie to cancer. He was only nine years old and his death came as a very sudden shock. To be honest I was preparing myself to lose my other dog Holly who was thirteen at the time and hadn’t anticipated losing Alfie. I’m glad to say that Holly is approaching fifteen years old and (fingers crossed) is still in good health.

After Alfie left me so suddenly I literally didn’t know which way to turn. I’d been through a tough time with a back injury and he had stayed by my side throughout. I poured my despair into a poem and hoped it might help someone else who was going through the same thing.

You can read Alfie’s poem here

The name ‘Waggy Tales’ came about due to my love of dogs and books, both of which feature heavily in the blog. I’m sure that some people think I am just bad at spelling but the ‘Tales’ refers to the book reviews I publish.

Initially, I was to going to post all about dogs with an emphasis on dog-related books. Well, that went a bit pear-shaped when the review requests flooded in and I discovered NetGalley!

As well as Holly, I have a rescue dachshund called Mr. Darcy. He has many issues, which we are still working through, but after three years he is a much happier boy.

In the past, I fostered rescue dogs and have written about most of the dogs who passed by. They all came with their own problems so I have a good knowledge base for many dog related issues.

My daughter has a Cavapoo called Rosie and a Goldendoodle called Luca. They stay with me if she has work commitments. So, there are many days where there are four dogs here with me, from a tiny dachshund to a giant Goldendoodle and from a young pup to a senior old lady.

My most popular dog post so far can be found here

That is the dog part of my life, now on to the books..

I love to read psychological thrillers, crime, mystery, romance, and autobiographies…quite a mix!  When I was approached to do Book Blog Tours I had to admit I had no idea what they were. I honestly thought bloggers jumped on a bus and went on a journey to promote great books. Well, I was kind of right, but you don’t have to leave home (which is a winner in my eyes!)

This is my most popular book post and it just so happens to be a book about a little rescue dog. It is from way back in June 2017.

As well as the lovely community of bloggers I met up with lots of authors through Twitter. It’s a pleasure to Retweet the work of such accomplished authors and they are always so grateful for a review. I just hope more people take the time to write a few lines when a book touches them in some way. Authors need reviews to sell books and all good books should be shared and celebrated. One of my favourite things is interacting with authors after reading a book. I feel privileged that they take the time to comment and it makes me feel closer to the characters they have created.

Just a few exceptional books I really enjoyed

 

Regrets I’ve Had A Few…

I made mistakes along the way and sometimes blogging seemed like a thankless task which put pressure on my already frazzled, brain. I said yes to far too many things and got myself into a right old pickle with far too many commitments. However, at the end of the day, the blogging community are such a great bunch of people I would miss them too much if I stopped.

What I Learned Along The Way…

To be realistic about how much I can do and politely decline requests occasionally.

To read as much as I write and try to learn how to be a better blogger.

To take advice from people who know far more than I do.

To not get overwhelmed by the intensity of blogging, it should be enjoyable!

Thank you for reading this post. I hope it gives a little understanding about the person behind Waggy Tales.

Happy Christmas Everyone xx