Diversion Press

Dakota is a golden retriever and a mischief maker. He is sixty-five pounds of uncontested delinquency born in South Dakota, crated at four months of age, and shipped to a pet store in upstate New York where I found him. My life hasn't been the same since. Dakota: A Work in Progress, $14.95, 192 pages paperback, including photos, published by Divesion Press. ISBN-10: 1935290010, ISBN-13: 978-1935290018

“There is lots of humor about dogs and people . . . The author laments that he lives ‘in a chew bone graveyard.’ And, on several occasions, he observers wryly how Dakota can easily destroy toys advertised as ‘non-descructable’.”-John Rowan, The Daily Gazette.

"Bill Rosencrans' book about his wonder-dog Dakota is a long love letter, really.  It's a treat for the rest of us that we get to read of Dakota's doings over Bill's shoulder, reminded on every page why we ourselves love our own doggies."-Sonny Brewer-author of Cormac, the Tale of a Dog Gone Missing and The Poet of Tolstoy Park.

We spent some time talking to Bill about writing, publishing, selling, and signing, and more importantly about Dakota.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about or currently writing? 

The best advice I have is to never give up. Keep writing.  I once read that a good story will find its way, and I am a firm believer in that adage. It may not happen as quickly as you’d like, but it will happen. It’s also important not to be intimidated by the other writers. I remember reading the works of the heavyweights like Ernest Hemminway, William Kennedy, Saul Bellow, and others, and thinking to myself that I could never write like them, so I started writing screenplays instead. What I failed to realize was when writing you must be yourself, and have fun with what you’re writing if the genre allows it. I enjoy hearing   people laugh over something I said or wrote. Who doesn’t? And Dakota is quite a character. He gives me plenty to write about.      

Tell us something about Dakota that is NOT in your book?

My neighbor, Eileen is avoiding me now thanks to Dakota. When Eileen’s son goes away on business he leaves his dog, Harper with his parents. Eileen was in her yard with Harper when she saw Dakota and me in my yard. She invited us over so that Dakota and Harper could play together.

When the gate opened and Dakota saw his best friend, Harper standing there waiting for him, he went bonkers. His reaction triggered the same reaction in Harper, and they started chasing one another around the pool at warp speed.

Their lips were pulled back with the G-force they created.  

I knew that sooner or later Dakota was going to veer off and come running and jump up on Eileen wanting to give her kisses, thanking her for letting him come over to her yard to play with Harper. I stood there guarding her like a goalie for a hockey team guards the net, while trying to have a conversation with her at the same time, which was near impossible. I had a number of good saves as I dove to the left, then to the right. Then Dakota got by me and jumped up on her. Eileen thought nothing of it. She’s so sweet. Dakota went back to chasing Harper around the pool.

My mistake was not paying attention to Dakota as Eileen and I continued to talk. In mid-conversation I saw her face drop and her mouth fall open. I turned and saw what she was looking at. It was Dakota. He was trying to pick up the floats that were not in the pool and puncturing them with his teeth. The floats popped and hissed, Dakota jumped back. He was deflating them all. 

I told Eileen that I had better get going and took Dakota and left. I hope Jeff has a bike tire repair kit so he can patch up the floats. 

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To read the rest of the interview and see more pictures click here to go the Diversion Press blog The DP Blog

Keep up with all of what Bill and Dakota are doing at his website http://dakotaaworkinprogress.blogspot.com/

If you need a copy of the book click here

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