Category: Family

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The Story Behind ‘Musings of a Masterpiece’

Musings of a Masterpiece, book cover

We’ve all heard the stories: a woman unexpectedly finds a priceless work of art in a second-hand store, a family had no idea their grandmother’s furniture was worth a fortune, and he was down to his last $10 when he sold a garage sale knick-knack for untold millions, etc. 

Thomas Adamson (of The Associated Press) wrote of one such occurrence in an article titled, “French woman didn’t realize she owned a masterpiece — it just sold for almost $35M” for Global News. 

I read his article and was instantly inspired to write Musings of a Masterpiece. 

You’d think it was the financial windfall that inspired me, but it wasn’t. 

I asked myself: If a masterpiece painted centuries ago was aware, what would it think of life? What would it want us to know?  

I hope that you enjoy reading Musings of a Masterpiece. It is one of my favourite works. (And if you happen to know Thomas Adamson, kindly send him this link.)

It’s A Go!

Amber Green

**Please note: Depending on the device, the book cover may be best viewed in landscape orientation.**

🇨🇦 Musings of a Masterpiece

🇺🇸: Amazon.com users, click here.

🇬🇧: Amazon.co.uk users, click here.

Amber Green is a self-published Canadian author and freelance writer. Her short stories can be found here: www.amazon.com/author/ambergreen

© 2020 Amber Green

Art © 1989 Dixie Roach-Foxton. Cover design © 2020 Amber Green

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The Story Behind ‘Puppy Love’

Throughout the long weekend, I’ve been publicizing my short story, ‘Puppy Love.’ (**If you have an Amazon account, I’m offering it for FREE until 11:59 pm, PT on Monday, February 17, 2020.**)

This is the synopsis: 

Like her name, Candy is a sweet six-year-old dog who never imagined life without her beloved human. When she finds herself up for adoption, she learns about the dark past plaguing the dog in the neighbouring kennel; hardships she hadn’t contemplated. 

In this heartwarming short story, a dog’s point of view uniquely illuminates the human experience of overcoming hardship and heartache, establishing friendship, and the virtue of loyalty.

Inspiration for ‘Puppy Love’

Before writing this short story, I was talking to a family member about depression and the prevalence of anxiety in our society. (As an aside, I’m so happy that mental health is discussed openly. Have you seen Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour Visionaries: Lady Gaga Interview? If not, do yourself a favour, and check it out. I hope that the stigma surrounding mental health issues comes to an end in my lifetime. Go, Gaga!) During our conversation, a re-run of Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation: Meet Me in St. Louis (season 1, episode 4) played. In that episode, they discussed the atrocity of puppy mills. 

Combining these themes, I was inspired to consider how dogs from different backgrounds would be impacted by mental health issues (if they experienced life the way we do). Employing significant creative license (the story is in the perspective of a dog, after all), I wrote ‘Puppy Love’ (fun fact: I named the human character ‘Ellen’ after Ellen DeGeneres, as she loves animals).

The Power of the Internet

This is the first story that I’ve released exclusively to Amazon’s KDP Select publishing platform. It was on the #1 New Release List on Valentine’s Day (thanks for your support!), and it has a 5-star rating, which includes reviews from Canada and the UK. Extraordinary! Thank you for your kind words, Val and Julie! 

Praise for ‘Puppy Love’ from readers in Canada and the UK.

Young Readers

‘Puppy Love’ has inspired me to write short stories for young readers, as my stories are intended to be enjoyed in thirty minutes or less, and they are inspirational and thoughtful. I hope that my words resonate with parents and teens alike, as I truly believe that- even when life gets you down- each and every one of us can have an impact.

Thanks for reading. It’s A Go!        

Amber Green

🇨🇦 Puppy Love

🇺🇸: Amazon.com users, click here.

🇬🇧: Amazon.co.uk users, click here.