CONFIDENCE IS SEXY

Now, I know that some people think I'm a bit stuck-up. But, the truth is, I'm simply very confident. My mother once said to me, "Tali, there's a reason they call us bitches." And she was right. In my world, you just can't let them see your paws sweat, or you're flat on your back with your belly exposed, having to grin submissively, and that's just not my style.

This is not to say that I don't have a soft side. My person, Val, taught me that compassion is the most important thing in this world, and I do try and live that truth. For instance--even though it is every other dog's inclination to lick my ears adoringly--when I come snout to snout with a dog who is suffering, I don't hesitate to lick their ears instead. Like when Val takes me to the humane society to visit animals who are scared and lonely, or when he took me to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary down in Utah, well, I did a lot of ear-licking.

So, I suppose now that's cleared up, you won't think less of me when I say, "I'm sure it was your pleasure to visit me again."

I AM EVEN MORE FAMOUS!

Well, Devin O'Branagan has been making the talk show circuit and, of course, I am the main topic of conversation. When she is asked to speak about me, this is what she says:

Miss Talisman DeMitriTalisman is an exquisite blue merle Australian shepherd. Tali's registered name is Spiritsong's Lucky Talisman's Epiphany of DeMitri. Her person is Valentino DeMiitri and she is Val's real estate assistant and office mascot. She is way more intelligent than most of the people in the novel RED HOT PROPERTY. A deep thinker, her thoughts are shared by the slogans on the various neck scarves she wears throughout the novel. On days when she is suffering gender confusion (she is often compelled to lift her leg like a boy dog) her scarf says, “PEE ALL YOU CAN PEE!” On days when she is feeling philosophical, her scarf will ask, “IF A DOG BARKS HER HEAD OFF IN THE FOREST AND NO HUMAN HEARS HER, IS SHE STILL A BAD DOG?” And, of course, there is the ever-ready “CALL ME ELLEN!” scarf which declares to the world that Ellen DeGeneres is her hero. (They both have blue eyes, shaggy hair, and love to dance!) Talisman is very spoiled and lives a full life. Her staff includes a groomer, anesthesia-free dental hygienist, massage therapist, veterinarian, chiropractor, acupuncturist, Reiki master, pet psychic. She also has many friends with whom she schedules regular play dates. She has her own page on Doggy Spaces (which is the online canine version of MySpace). And Val often dresses her in flamboyant costumes: for the last Halloween Canine Costume ball, Tali went as Xena Warrior Princess and she drove all the dogs wild: gay, lesbian, and straight. Talisman has her own blog called "A Famous Dog's Blog," and the website RedHotNovel.com has all manner of gorgeous photos of Talisman and information about the RED HOT Raffle to benefit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary because, after all, not all the dogs in this world have it as good as she does…

And, of course, I couldn't have said it better myself!