by Maggie Fogarty | Oct 22, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Hi from Bonnie the very Cornish cockapoo…
This time around I’m going to dedicate the blog to my late friend and regular minder, Leda.
I first met the lovely Leda in July 2015, when my rents were looking for somewhere for me to stay while they were away. (I know – how can they bear to leave me? That’s another story).
Leda had always loved dogs but after her own much loved spaniel died, she didn’t want to take on a full time dog again. Enter little ol’ me, all bushy tailed and happy to play the role of a part-time mutt.
Let’s just say we hit it off from the start. Leda adored long walks and there was a fabulous beach right on her doorstep. She also loved to teach me tricks, like balancing a chocolate drop on my nose and retrieving a hidden slipper. ‘Seek it out!’ she’d yell, while I tried to find out where she’d put the damn thing.
I got to do stuff at Leda’s that wasn’t allowed at home. For a start, she would let me have breakfast sitting on her bed while she listened to her Italian language tapes and I swear I picked up a bit of Italian as I munched away. ‘Bellissimo Bonnie’ she’d always say.
She put on a birthday party when I turned two, with cake and wine for the rents and delicious doggy treats for yours truly.
She even gave a BBC radio interview about me and was proud as punch when I passed the tests to be a ‘Pets As Therapy’ dog.
Leda bought me a heated pad for my crate, a giant bean bag to lounge on and matching Cornish tartan leads so I could look smart on our walks.
And boy did we enjoy those walks and runs on the beach. Whatever the weather, we were out there strutting our stuff and having loads of fun.
It wasn’t all exercise though. Leda loved to read, especially when the sun was out and she could take a book out into the garden. I’d sit there guarding, watching out for predators and those pesky rabbits. If anyone came our way, I’d be ready to defend the patch – well send out a warning anyway.
When the rents went off to Bermuda last January for a whole three weeks, me and Leda had the best of times. Log fires, long winter walks and occasional trips to one of my favourite pubs, the Sand Bar in Praa Sands. If I had to be way from my rents, this was definitely the cosiest place to be.
Then something happened last February. Leda had been feeling a bit unwell and had to go into hospital for treatment. She put up a hard fight against the illness but in the end it took her away far too young.
Me and the rents will never forget Leda. Her smile, her playfulness, her generosity and she was the best minder a little dog could ever wish for.
Of course our hearts are broken but we’ll focus on all the good times we had and, as her middle name was ‘Rose’, there will be a rose planted in our garden named after her.
RIP Leda from your little pal and thank you for being the amazing person that you were.
To quote that song at your funeral a few days ago ‘enjoy yourself…it’s later than you think…’
So, remembering all those fantastic times we had, woof and out…
by Maggie Fogarty | Sep 30, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Hiya folks,
Another post from Bonnie the very Cornish cockapoo…
Back from my big trip to London and didn’t I cope well?
Let’s face it, the city is a bit different from my usual Cornish seaside patch. Hell, I even put up with the long drive down – isn’t the traffic around Knightsbridge just hideous darlings? By the way, that last bit is me putting on my posh city voice.
Still, once there it was straight on to another balcony with a water view. The rents kept cooing over the fantastic views across the Thames and something called Millenium Bridge. Me? Just couldn’t stop looking at the river boats and all those people crossing the bridge.
I was given my own comfy bed to lounge on thanks to the lovely Kevin and Angela who own the apartment. They also treated me to a stash of Waitrose doggy sausages – I was especially taken with the Venison ones. I mean, how pampered can a girl get?
Talking of upmarket, I also got to stay with Kevin and Angela in their gorgeous place on the opposite side of the river. Even more stunning views – their terrace is enormous – and I got to wander around like a celebrity. (Trust me, there are several real celebs connected to that building).
While the rents were off doing their own thing, I went for a stroll with my new best mates to Tower Bridge.
For some reason they wouldn’t let me go into the pubs I fancied the look of – as you know I like a good pub – but it was great to be strutting around the big city.
Yes, think a gal could get used to it, even though I love a beach. What I really need is the best of both and take it from me, this Cornish mutt will be happy to hit those city lights again.
No sooner got back to my seaside patch, when it was time for the rents to give a talk about little ol’ me and my work as a visiting ‘Pets As Therapy’ (PAT) dog. The room was packed out and I got to meet some lovely people from the St Just Memory Cafe. If I could have given out autographs I’d have done so but instead had to make do with lots of pats.
It must have gone down well because me and the rents have been invited to do some other appearances. At this rate I’ll be getting even more star struck if that’s possible.
Now just remind me again – which is my best side for photos?
Woof and out…
by Maggie Fogarty | Aug 10, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Hiya folks,
Bonnie the very Cornish cockapoo is back again and what a crazy few weeks it has been!
Lots of people dropping by on their Cornish holidays, garden party planning, little ol’ me featured on the front cover of rent Maggie’s new box set of books. If this wasn’t enough, I’ve been invited to a talk about ‘Pets As Therapy’ (PAT) dog duties.
Well I could go on but you get the idea.
Summer is whizzing by but so far the Cornish weather has been – dare I say it? – a bit of a dogs dinner. One day sunny, the next pouring down and sometimes both on the same day. Yikes – I’ve even had to wear a rain coat when I should be rolling around in the warm sands. Come on, this ain’t good enough and I’m not even down here on holiday.
So I’m putting out a Bonnie cockapoo ‘cosmic order’ for a whole lot more sun. There, have done it and we’ll see if it works.
As for me on the front of the books box set, guess what?
Got masses of ‘likes’ on Instagram – here’s a snapshot of them…
I’ve said it before, us mutts on covers get a fantastic response.
It’s not quite a first doggy modelling assignment – ahem, a little reminder that I do have my own favourite west Cornish pubs calendar – but judging from the latest Instagram response, I think there’s scope for a whole lot more. Just saying.
Not really sure what I’m expected to do at the PAT dog talk. I’m guessing that the rents will do the chit-chat bit with me in charge of the ‘meeting and greeting’. There’ll probably want more photos but let’s face it, I’m getting used to that. Just have to make sure that this gal is camera ready for her close up.
Hey ho, it’s fun being a mini celebrity and there’s no complaints on that front.
The rents keep saying that I get treated better than them in the local pubs and restaurants and that’s true. They do know how to roll out the red carpet for us mutts in this part of the country. Bowls of water and free snacks are available in loads of places. One pub even offered up some scrummy left over beef from the Sunday roast menu, while the rents had to make do with a few tired looking Yorkshire puds.
Yeah – the priorities are bang on here. Now give me that order for more sun and it will be a Cornish paradise. Just get on with it though, cos we’re losing patience here.
Woof and out….
by Maggie Fogarty | Jul 7, 2017 | Uncategorized |
First a short message from Bonnie the very Cornish cockapoo…
‘Ahem folks, I know I’m supposed to be the doggy star of the blog but this time rent Maggie is grabbing back the slot. So here is a quick piccy of me to be going on with and trust me, I’ll be back!’
So over to me, to tell you all about the Dublin Writers Conference, a bizarre coincidence, and meeting my namesake cousin for the first time.
Starting with the conference. It was my first experience of this type of writer event and I wasn’t sure what to expect. As a journalist and television producer, I’ve covered lots of professional gatherings – everything from probation workers, doctors, police, child care workers – but attending as a participant, (rather than detached observer), is a completely different experience.
There were great opportunities to pair up with writers in our own book categories – mine being crime mystery and family saga – and my chosen writer ‘buddy’ was Norah Deay. We hit it off straight away and were both left stunned by a truly amazing coincidence but I’ll keep you waiting for a short while on that one.
My aim was to learn more about book marketing, what works and doesn’t work, straight from the mouths of other writers. I wanted hear about what they had tried, tested, developed and discarded. In other words the ‘who, what, why, when and where?’ of book visibility tactics in a fiendishly crowded market.
On that score the Dublin conference didn’t disappoint.
All the speakers I heard were informative, sharing their highs as well as the inevitable lows. Best selling Irish author, Patricia Gibney, described her own journey from taking up writing after the death of her husband, to the trials and tribulations of finding a publisher. Then several years down the line, the holy grail of top spots in the UK/US Amazon crime fiction listings.
The message? Be persistent, be patient, be prepared to rewrite and fine tune. Far from feeling discouraged, I actually came away feeling energised and upbeat.
It was reassuring to know that there are some things I’m doing right – blog, Twitter, Facebook etc – but it all needs to be done much smarter and in a more disciplined way.
In other words, as a writer you have to put in the regular hours on social media, hold book events, give talks wherever you can. While there is no magic bullet, the old saying that ‘the harder I work, the luckier I get’ seems to apply to those authors who have punched through on book sales.
Like any business, you have to speculate to accumulate, spend on marketing and get additional help where it is needed. Along the way, I met some great fellow writers – to name but a few: journalist Nick Rippington, Allie Marie, Ray Ronan and of course the indefatigable Norah Deay.
And speaking of Norah, here’s that heart stopping coincidence I spoke about. We were paired together because our books were in a similiar story category, yet when we got talking we realised that the central theme of my ‘Dilemma Novella’ trilogy – adoption and reunion – actually mirrors Norah’s own life. She too has experienced a family adoption and is hoping for a reunion. What are the odds of that happening in a pairing of two writers? We are certainly going to stay in touch as we see how her real life quest turns out and on that score we both agreed that we were meant to meet up.
Would I recommend the Dublin Writers Conference? Absolutely. Meantime, I’ll be setting a realistic budget while trying to get that elusive bang for my ‘books’ – all the time keeping a beady journalistic eye on the results and of course, blogging about the journey.
After all the writer talk, there was still a little time left to do a bit of city exploration and to look up some relatives.
On that note, I met my namesake cousin ‘Mags’ Fogarty, (married name Moore), and we talked for Ireland. Isn’t it funny how you can meet a relative for the first time and the connection is already there – hardwired in the family DNA? So here is a pic of my namesake and by the way, another theme explored in my novel ‘My Bermuda Namesakes’.
Isn’t life darn well eerie sometimes?
by Maggie Fogarty | May 30, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Hi folks,
Time for another posting from little ol’ me, and not before time!
The weather is getting better and it seems that a good chunk of the country is making its way down to my Cornish patch. Talk about busy and we haven’t even hit summer yet…not that I’m complaining.
Looks like we’ll be getting some visitors of our own in the middle of June and already my rents are planning where to take them. As usual I’ll be centre stage and lets face it, my very own pub calendar would be a good starting point. ‘Walkies first, drink afterwards’ is how it goes and take it from me, there are lots of great places to choose from.
Rent Maggie then takes off to Dublin at the end of the month, heading to a ‘Writer’s Conference’ whatever that is. I think it’s got something to do with those books she’s written and there will be lots of authors, book marketing bods and the like. She’ll also be seeing some relatives and it’s a shame I can’t go over there as well. I’d love to wander around the place and chill out in some of those Dublin bars. Though not sure if they’re all that mutt friendly over there, unlike Cornwall which is pretty damn good to us pub loving dogs.
Hey ho, me and rent Paul will just have to stay put and hit the beach. Talking of beaches, there have been lots of photos featuring yours truly recently – seems like they’re going to be used in a book marketing campaign – and I keep being nagged about not looking directly at the camera. I mean – come on. How can a gal be expected to stare at a boring bit of kit when there’s all those lovely views around to distract?
Now, what else should I mention in passing? Oh yes, rent Maggie has written a magazine feature on sailing supremo, Sir Ben Ainslie. It was done out in Bermuda earlier this year – that’s where the America’s Cup yacht race is now taking place. It has to be said that those boats look fantastic though I’d be happy with a more gentle sail across my local Mounts Bay, hint, hint.
Anyway, here’s a couple of pics of ‘you-know-who’ to be getting on with. You’ll see in the first one that I’m looking (or should that be snoozing?) straight at the camera and the secret is a doggy choc reward. Simples…
by Maggie Fogarty | May 1, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Hey – it’s little ol’ me again, Bonnie the dog blogger.
Just got back from a great break away with my rents – we stayed in a cottage right up in the Malvern Hills, so lots of great walkies and pub visits. (You guys know how much I love a good long stroll followed by a drop into a pub). Let’s face it, the two go together like – er – chicken and kibble or Tui my Havanese friend and me.
Saw lots of peeps and met a few new pals too. You’re never short of a friend when you’re out with a cute dog like me. That’s what my rents say anyway, so I’ll take the compliment thank you.
Now it’s back to work and there’s lots of stuff for me to do around rent Maggie’s books. With the three novellas all done and dusted, it’s full speed ahead so watch out for me with my ‘marketing mutt’ hat on.
Trust me, by the time we’re finished I’ll be even more of a celebrity than I am now!
Anyway, here’s a piccy of yours truly sizing up the job.
Look good don’t I? Next week there’s a proper photo shoot lined up with beautiful Cornish back-drops. Yes, sun, beach, Bonnie and (must not forget!) books. Never mind whether you are summer body ready yet. The real question is, are you holiday book ready? Just sayin…
That’s it for now folks and keep an eye out for those great snaps. When you spot them, let me know what you think because this gal just loves a bit of feedback.
Woof and out….
