Katie in Her Favorite Chair

Ever had a long conversation with your dog? Better than any therapist, and often more sympathetic than a mate, Katie, the star of my upcoming book, was always ready to listen, her huge brown eyes flecked with gold, focused and alert. Over a period of fifteen years, I confided pretty much all my feelings to her, all the ups and downs of life.

Katie in Pink

But our communication wasn’t only in one direction, for Katie was an empathetic, curious dog, socially outgoing and astutely intelligent. Right from the start, I got into the habit of having conversations with her, eye to eye, and I could tell that she clearly understood the gist of what I said:

“Now, listen up, child,” I told her when she was young. “You’re a good little dog, you are, but you have to learn your manners. No biting, no scratching your nails on the furniture, no getting up on the white couch, and no accidents. And if you’re good, you’ll get a cookie or a nice piece of chicken.” Her ears immediately pricked up at these key words.

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Judge Judy

Even in the company of the great Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Reagan, and Carol Burnett, one of my favorite interview subjects of all time is the incomparable Judge Judy, the charismatic powerhouse who reigns over the highest-rated court session on TV, with more than ten million viewers tuning in daily.

Amazingly, she’s been #1 for the last 700 weeks! Beyond ratings, nobody can surpass Judy’s astute judgments, spicy humor, supersonic mind, and no-nonsense attitude.

And best of all, fear is not in her vocabulary—as she says the things we all want to.

“LOOK at me, Madam!” shouts the Queen of small-screen Justice to an evasive witness.

“Does it say ‘stupid,’ here?” she inquires, pointing briskly to her forehead.

“They don’t pay me because I’m beautiful,” she mugs sweetly to the cameras. “I’m real SMART, so watch it!”

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puppy 1 week old

That little ball of fur on the right is my new puppy at one week old, while the fully formed puppy below her is from last year’s litter, from the same Mom and Dad. Amazing what can happen in 8 weeks!

As I told you a few days ago, the new puppy is arriving on May 1 and I hope you’ll help me give HER a name. Any ideas? Whoever wins the contest will receive (5) copies of my new book and an invitation to really a really fun celebrity book party–so get your entries in.

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Joan Rivers

Last night was the funniest, most enjoyable evening I’ve had in months thanks to the inimitable JOAN RIVERS, who performs periodically at Manhattan’s West Bank Cafe, trying out new material while also raising money for her two favorite charities–Guide Dogs For The Blind and God’s Love We Deliver.

You must not miss her at West Bank. My dog-loving book guru, HARRY HELM, brilliant editorial director at Hachette Book Group, and his trusty assistant, Adlai Yeomans, were at my table, along with Broadway actor Brandon Williams and his wife, photographer Sheila, the fantastic life coach Peg Wallis, the adorably congenial real estate rep Taylor Yunis, accessory designer David Cohen, and my “youngest” friend, octogenarian Bud Klauber, energetic and stunningly dressed as always.

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