Kay Pfaltz is a writer and bestselling author of Lauren's Story: An American Dog in Paris, Flash's Song: One Small Dog, One Big Miracle, The Things We Do, and The Beagle, a TFH Publication. Kay has been published in English, German and French, including work in The Missing Peace: The Hidden Power of Our Kinship with Animals, Soulmates with Paws, Hooves and Wings, and Bernie Siegel's A Book of Miracles and Love, Animals & Miracles.
Kay donates a percent of profits to animal welfare organizations. For more information, see Kaypfaltz.com.
REVIEWS FOR LAUREN'S STORY:
Chantal Westerman, ABC News
"If you have a dog you love; if you ever wanted a dog, read this book! It is tender, funny, unforgettable and impossible to put down. In today's sometimes dark world, Lauren's Story is a much needed and brilliant ray of light."
Jeffrey Masson, author of Dogs Never Lie About Love and When Elephants Weep
"A beautiful, sensitive book, filled with canine love. This book shows that when it comes to love, dogs may be our superior."
Rita Reynolds from Lajoie
"Kay's deep love for Lauren includes the necessary ingredients of joy and humor. There are moments throughout the book that you will hold your breath for too long until the crisis is resolved. And, equally, there are moments of such hilarity, that you will stop breathing simply because you are laughing so hard. Lauren's Story literally has it all: heartbreak, despair, courage, joy and always love."
Elizabeth Kiem, The Hook
"It's easy to fall in love with Paris. It's easy to fall in love with a dog. Less common though is the kind of devotion that drove Pfaltz from an idyllic lifestyle as a Left bank restaurant critic to a Motel 6 in the beltway hell of Springfield, Virginia [to care for Lauren after she becomes sick]. Pfaltz is dealing with the heavyweights: life, death, and humanity. Pfaltz's love for Paris is almost as strong as her feelings for her dog, but it's enriched with an irony unavailable for Lauren."
Susan Linden, Bark, the modern dog culture magazine
"Kay Pfaltz's account of the years spend with her beagle Lauren will enchant anyone whose life has been changed by a special dog. Pfaltz sets out to write about 'the meaning of love,' and her story is at once a reflection on this topic and a personal memoir. Lauren's Story recounts the relationship of a woman and her dog, but it is also an essay on happiness, both human and canine... Lauren's Story is a tribute to life, and an invitation to cherish every moment of it."
Judy Carman, author of Peace to All Beings: Veggie Soup for the Chicken's Soul
"Dog lovers, animal lovers, Paris lovers, travelers, and everyone who appreciates great literary talent will love this book. Lauren's Story is a gift from Kay Pfaltz's heart t all her readers. In this book, I found the best description I've ever read of that special bond between a dog and the person she or he loves. I felt I was right [in Paris] with Kay and Lauren, so great is her talent in conveying the sights and sounds as well as her own so human and honest responses to this magical city. Funny, sad, intriguing, suspenseful--I couldn't put the book down."
The Virginia Quarterly Review
"This is a charming tale of requited love. Lauren and Kay discovered each other after being introduced by Kay's sister and their love story began. They shared an apartment in Paris, dined together at the city's best restaurants, played in the Luxembourg Gardens, traveled through France and matured together. When Lauren falls ill to cancer, Kay realizes that 'Lauren has taught me more than any being on earth, for she's taught me how to love.' Being? Yes. Lauren is a beagle."
Sally D. Ketchum, Foreword Magazine
"Lauren, a young, starving beagle, matures into a cosmopolitan dog that takes on Paris from its cafés and cinemas to its gardens and salons. She is also the center of a small group of well-defined, fully individuated characters [...] The descriptive passages are so detailed and evocative of scene, that at times it seems as if the Parisian setting becomes a character itself. Readers who love art, music, literature, history and obviously animals will enjoy vicariously traveling with Pfaltz and Lauren. Their excursions are full of historic places and notable people, engaging and stimulation to readers.
Unconditional love is the recurring theme of this book, whether it is between narrator and dog, or more broadly, dog and humanity. Reflective passages are well integrated into episodes of romance, travel, and health crises, further they are inspirational and pertinent to the theme. Though poignant, the book is not sad, but heartening."
James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review
"An engaging and heartwarming story of adventure, trust, caring, and hope. Lauren's Story is highly recommended reading, especially for dog lovers everywhere."
Elizabeth VanDeventer, The Ritual
"This wonderful love story begins quite appropriately in the romantic city of Paris amongst formal gardens, cobblestoned streets, cafes, and centuries of history. Yet from this humble beagle's perspective, all this human grandeur are meaningless compared to her love for Kay and . . . well, maybe a few treats. Lauren, who is more devoted, uncomplaining and non-judgmental than most humans makes Descartes' dictum that "animals have no soul" seem passé indeed. Growing beneath Kay's struggles with unsatisfying romances with men and Lauren's failing health is a bond of love as beautiful and heart-breaking as the best of human love stories. Kay's willingness to risk all the pain that comes with her love affair with this humble dog is deeply touching and noble. Humorous, insightful, and refreshingly innocent, Lauren's Story is not only a joyful book to read, it also subtly begs us to reconsider the way we think about animals and maybe even who or "what" we might choose to fall in love with on the next go-round."
REVIEWS FOR FLASH'S SONG:
“I have admired Kay's writing for so many years—what a gift she has for helping us connect to animals and see and feel the beauty and wonder they bring into our lives . . . . If you have ever loved an animal, you will feel a kinship with Kay as she so beautifully describes that precious gift of unconditional love that they give us. If you have ever grieved the loss of an animal friend, Kay understands the depth of that loss. As an animal rights advocate, I also love Flash's Song, because I believe it can help us all see the sacredness of each individual animal in the world: that they all—like Flash—have a story to tell, a family to love, friends to cherish, and a right to be free from harm.
” (Judy Carman, Peace To All Beings, Veggie Soup for the Chicken’s Soul)
“Flash’s Song takes us on Kay Pfaltz’s uplifting journey with a loving and often fearless dachshund. In times that are often cynical or despairing, give yourself a respite. This book will uplift your spirits and broaden your acceptance of what is possible when you open your heart to the love freely given by a small pup in a big world.” (Allen Anderson, A Dog Named Leaf: The Hero from Heaven Who Saved My Life)
“Flash’s Song reminds us that with love and faith, nothing is impossible.” (Susan Wilson, author of One Good Dog, The Dog Who Danced, and A Man of His Own)
“Flash’s Song reminds us of the uniqueness of all beings, and their capacity to touch our hearts.” (Jonathan Balcombe, author of The Exultant Ark)
“In my opinion, Kay Pfaltz is brilliant: as an author, as a human being – one who fully understands what it means to be love, the deepest, most expansive kind that includes all life. An artist of the highest moral and spiritual ranking, she offers this love so generously to the world through her writing drawn from her own experiences. Flash’s Song is magnificent, beautifully written from the Heart of Love within all, skillfully presented with a perfect combination of wisdom and humor. This is a book to keep close, return to often and give to everyone you care about.” (Rita M. Reynolds, Author of Blessing the Bridge and Ask the Cow)
“Nonhuman animals (aka ‘animals’) can teach us numerous lessons about trust, forgiveness, dedication, peace, and love. For many people, dogs play this vital role in character building. And, the same goes for Kay Pfaltz. Flash’s Song, a deeply inspirational and moving book that covers our complete emotional landscape, shows clearly how a “salamander” wiener dog called Flash taught these and other lessons to Kay. His journey is a heartwarming reminder of just who other animals truly are when we open our hearts to them and allow them to pierce our souls.” (Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed)
“This is a very unusual and very beautiful book because it is filled with both heart and wisdom. Reading the story of Flash and Kay is like having a conversation with life. The rewards for the reader are similar to the lessons learned from our painful life experiences. But Kay and Flash's story make it less painful, while at the same time enriching our lives and making them more meaningful.” (Bernie Siegel, MD author of The Art of Healing and A Book of Miracles)
“From the author of Lauren's Story: An American Dog in Paris, comes another beautiful tale of the power of love and the healing against all odds.
Flash's Song is the tender story of a dachshund diagnosed with a tumor on his spine. But it is so much more than just another sick dog story. Flash's Song speaks not only to the power of love and the human heart in healing, but also to the connection between humans and animals—two things veterinarians have always known, but have not always voiced aloud. This is a beautiful memoir, whose insights into dogs, love and the intangible connection to all life will keep you turning the pages and lift your heart.
” (Dr. Marty Becker, "AMERICA'S VETERINARIAN")
“There are few writers in existence who touch my heart more than Kay Pfaltz. . . . This book grabs us from the first page to the last and takes us into a sacred space where there is harmony on earth and poetry in the universe and love, love, love. Read it now!” (Amelia Kinkade, author of Straight from the Horse’s Mouth)
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