"Our Service Dogs" is a children's book about 9 different kids who use service dogs to help them with their disabilities. All of the teams featured in "Our Service Dogs" are based on real kids! Click on the pictures to learn more about each team that is featured in my book "Our Service Dogs" You may have noticed that one team is missing. Ben and his mom, from the book, are based on a team that wanted to remain anonymous. A few of my featured teams have amazing social media accounts! Check them out by clicking on the names below (trust me, you're going to want to see these!)
Charley and Eevee Facebook (Team pictures and updates) Charley and Eevee Instagram (Team pictures and updates) Abri and Oliver Instagram (All about Abri's incredible journey) Abri and Oliver Facebook (All about Abri's incredible journey) Kaylee and Riley Instagram (Team pictures and updates) Lane and Thunder Facebook (Updates about Lane, his rodeo adventures and his animal friends) Lindsay and Quigley Instagram (Mental health inspiration by Lindsay) Sarah and Bella Instagram (Team pictures and Updates)
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Attention service dog trainers and educators!! Join me virtually on May 15th 2021 for an exclusive reading of "Our Service Dogs". Get a one of a kind look into my new children's book, "Our Service Dogs" and get access to awesome deals! Fill out the form below for an official invite with the Google meet link! Well, its finally here! The hardcover of "Our Service Dogs" is now available for purchase! There are two versions of the hardcover available as of today: a regular, but still fabulous hardcover, and a "premium", signed, hardcover. Read on for the differences. "Our Service Dogs" HardcoverThis copy of "Our Service Dogs", aka the "regular" version, is available to purchase on Amazon.com or my website for $21. It is printed through Ingram Spark, and is "Library Quality". These books are printed when ordered, and shipped right to your door. It is all set up for expanded distribution (discounted rate for businesses), so if a library or store were to sell my book, this is the version they would be selling. Specs Cover: Matte hardcover, case laminate Pages: 44 Dimensions: 7x10 Spine :0.25 Weight:0.734 My Thoughts It has an ISBN so it is perfect for Libraries and bookstores. It is also likely to show up on B&N and at other book stores. The quality is definitely there! The cover is thick and strong but not too heavy. I color corrected my files a few times for this version, but they still turned out brighter than my KDP paperback. Some of my family members actually like the colors in this version better, but I honestly think they are both great! Unlike the paperback, this hardcover has the dedication and legal stuff as the first page. Overall I was really happy with the printing and shipping process of this book. "Our Service Dogs" Premium HardcoverThe premium version of "Our Service Dogs" is only available on my website. It comes signed by Kaylee, Riley, and myself. These copies were printed at a local printing shop, DiggyPOD. These books are printed in bulk and shipped by me once they are ordered. Specs Cover: Glossy hardcover, case laminate Pages: 48 Dimensions: 7x10 Spine :0.25 Weight:0.8 My Thoughts
The glossy finish on the cover and pages are really nice! I love the way it looks and feels. This version is the only one with the cute yellow pages before and after the body text. It does not currently have an ISBN as it is intended to be a limited edition and only sold on my website. That may change in the future. I was impressed with the printing quality and the color is pretty much how I intended it to look. The spine of this hardcover is the sharpest and strongest of all three versions of my book, but it does make a very slight creaky noise when you open and close the book (most glossy covers do). And of course, I love that I can add a personal touch with a signature and custom note! This version would make an excellent gift or addition to your home Library. *This Giveaway is now closed! stayed tuned for more giveaways to email subscribers. The Hardcover release is just 2 weeks away!! I have been blown away by the support and interest in "Our Service Dogs". As a thank you, I will be giving away not one, but TWO premium hardcover copies of "Our Service Dogs" on April 15th to 2 different email subscribers! These copies will be singed by Kaylee, Riley , and myself! You will also get a cute service dog bookmark to go along with it! If you are already subscribed, then congratulations, you are automatically entered! If you would like to enter to win a premium copy of my book, subscribe to my email list by entering in your email below! Winners will be announced via email on April 15th at 6:00pm! entries close on April 15th at 5:30pm . only one entry per person. Kaylee is the main character of "Our Service Dogs" and my daughter. She has so much energy and spunk! Riley has brought a lot of wonderful things to our lives. Kaylee was born with cerebral palsy and diagnosed at age 3. She took her first successful un-aided steps at around 4 years old and still needs a bit of help to get around. When we got Kaylee's first walker (age 4), we took her to Costco and let her loose. It was her first time ever getting to walk around in a store and she absolutely LOVED it!! It was a freedom she had never experienced before. However, it did not take long to realize that the walker and wheelchair had some pretty major limitations. That summer, we went to a rocky beach with a group of friends. As all of the kids ran around playing, Kaylee crawled around after them trying to keep up and her knees started to bleed. I watched her struggling, thinking to myself that there had to be a better way. That is when Riley's story started. But I'll go more into that on another post. Riley is trained to walk next to Kaylee and give her mobility support. As of right now, we mostly use Riley at home and other places where wheels don't make sense, but we occasionally take her to the store or public gatherings if Kaylee feels like walking off the beaten path. Riley has brought a lot of confidence, companionship, and peace into Kaylee's day to day. The two of them love to play outside together, train, and just be silly. I love watching these two learn and grow together and cant wait to see what the future brings!
Find Kaylee and Riley in "Our Service Dogs" available now! I'm super excited to introduce you all to our littlest service dog and her amazing person, Sarah. Most of the service dogs in my book do work for people with disabilities that are recognizable from the outside. Bella's work involves helping Sarah with her invisible disability. Sarah has debilitating depression and anxiety. People with mental illnesses often opt for an emotional support animal (ESA), but Sarah trained Bella to do more than give her support. Bella is trained to take specific action to help Sarah with her disability, making Bella a psychiatric service dog. Bella alerts Sarah when her heartrate begins to elevate. She also interrupts anxious behaviors. If Sarah starts nervously shaking her legs, Bella gently paws Sarah. Bella is trained to find and alert Sarah's mom, if Sarah needs her. Bella's most common task is to apply light pressure therapy, which sends calming signals throughout Sarah's body. Bella, has made a crucial difference in Sarah's life. Mental illness can be just as debilitating as any other disability. When I interviewed Sarah for my book, she said, "My favorite thing about Bella is how loving and caring she is. Bella has improved my life a lot. I wouldn’t be here without her..." Not only does Bella help Sarah using the tasks she knows, she has also helped Sarah in giving her a fulfilling hobby: dog training! Sarah did all of Bella's service dog training and the two have been hard at work learning agility, tricks, stunts, exercising, and passing many training tests, winning certificates. I really enjoyed getting to know Bella and Sarah for "Our Service Dogs". Not only is Bella one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen, she is also an incredible asset to Sarah's life, and I bet if we could ask her, Bella would say the same of Sarah. Find Sarah and Bella on Instagram @theservicespaniel
See Sarah and Bella in "Our Service Dogs" Available now on Amazon. A really common question I get is, "What breed of dog can be a service dog?" So I made another infographic all about service dog breeds. Scroll through and comment with your favorite dog breed! *All dog photos from Pexels.com
Meet Abri and Oliver! Abri lost her left leg to Ewing Sacroma, a rare form of cancer, when she was 7 years old. Oliver was meant to be her service dog. He was supposed to grow to be around 80lbs but ended up being much smaller than Abri and her family had anticipated. He is too small to do mobility work for Abri, but he is perfect for another really important job. Oliver spends most of his time in Abri's shadow, encouraging her on hard days, and giving her lots of love on the good ones. Oliver may be small, but he is really smart! Abri loves teaching him new tricks and thinks she may end up teaching him some official service dog tasks in the future. For now, the support he gives emotionally is exactly what Abri needs. I had the opportunity to video chat with Abri and Oliver recently. It was so fun to see how connected they were. Abri was smiling ear to ear while she talked about how smart and loyal Oliver is. Abri has had some pretty tough experiences but I am so impressed with the way she faces life head on! She has done motivational speaking, been in many news articles, gone on Crystal Maze on Nickelodeon, modeled for Abercrombie kids, competed and won a recent dance challenge, and is using her voice to spread awareness for childhood cancer! This girl is unstoppable! To learn more about Abri and the amazing things she is doing, follow her on social media @teamabri.
See her Instagram here Don't miss Abri and Oliver in "Our Service Dogs" available now! Here are your current purchase options for "Our Service Dogs" by Amber Diane Hill. Learn more about "Our Service Dogs" Here. Pre orders will ship April 15th 2021.
Click on the picture to learn about that option It's Warrior Wednesday again and today I'm going to introduce you to Lane and Thunder. Thunder is Lanes diabetes alert dog. When Lanes blood sugar gets low, his breath becomes perfumed with ketones, and other smells that Thunder was trained to recognize. When Thunder detects these smells, she gently paws or nudges Lane to prompt him to take his insulin. Thunder is not a replacement for checking blood sugar levels, but she is an amazing early warning system for Lane. On top of type 1 diabetes, Lane is also battling Cancer. Because of this, Lane spends a lot of time in the hospital, sometimes he is there for a month at a time! When Lane goes, so does Thunder. The two snuggle up in bed, color, and watch tv. Thunder helps Lane beat the boredom and feel calm before big surgeries. To prep for my book, I asked Lane and his mom what their favorite thing about Thunder was. Lane said that his favorite thing was she made him feel safe. Lanes mom's answer was, "My favorite thing is the confidence she has given Lane. Before she arrived he was to scared to sleep in his own room since his diagnosis of t1d & cancer, the first day we had her he slept in his room, something he hadn’t done in over a year." Lane has a special bond with Thunder, but she is not the only amazing animal that gives Lane the support and love he needs. Lane has another dog, Summer, who is his shadow at home, and a horse. Lane is a strong kid, with some steep challenges. With the help of his family, and furry friends, he is able to face his challenges and enjoy life the way a kid should. Learn more about diabetes alert dogs here
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