The Life and Times of Le Bronco Von Der Lowenhohle Featured on Smorgasbord

Today my book is being featured on Sally Cronin’s prominent Smorgasbord book promotion blog

Leonberger In Online Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine

Three weeks ago, I made a post about our late Leonberger Bronco (and my book) being featured in a local Dallas magazine called the Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. This magazine has 47,000 subscribers. In that post I posted screenshots of the printed version. Today they posted the free online version of the magazine. Click here to see the article about Bronco, my book and me. Click here to see the front page of the online version of Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. The headline of my article can be found on the front page.

The page showing the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. My article is on page 10 - left. It is the upper half of the magazine.
The page showing the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. Click on the image to see the front page of the free online version of Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine.
The article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine zoomed in a bit. The title is "preston Hollow Man Pens tribute to his beloved Bronco"
The article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. Click on the picture to go to the article in the free online version of the magazine.
Bronco, our Leonberger is standing on an orange sofa while giving me a hug.
Bronco and me

Leonberger In Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine

Our Leonberger Bronco, well Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, and my book about him, as well as an interview with me by journalist Kersten Rettig was featured on page 10 of the Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. This magazine is mailed to 47,000 households in north Dallas. Below are pictures from the on-line version of Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. You can probably not read the text in the top picture. However, I added additional pictures which are enlarged/zoomed-in versions, and you may be able to read those. Also, if you click on any of the pictures you are taken to the magazine where you can zoom in and enlarge as much as you want.

This is the spread of Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine it features a few articles including the article about our Leonberger and my book, which cover half of page 10.
This is the spread of Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine that feature our Leonberger Bronco and my book about him. Click on the picture to see the online page.

Just as an FYI, Preston Hollow is an area in north Dallas with a long history. Some of its residents include former President George W. Bush, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks, Dirk Nowitzki, Jordan Spieth, Tyler Seguin, and the late Ross Perot who once was a Presidential candidate.

In this picture it is just the Leonberger article in the Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine that is featured. Click on the picture to see the online page.
The article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. Click on the picture to see the online page.
This zoom-in of the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine show the top-left portion of the article. It feature text, our Leonberger Bronco wearing a party hat, a puppy picture and an illustration showing Bronco with two hamsters in his mouth.
Zoom-in of the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. The illustration by Naomi Rosenblatt shows Bronco’s face as he is carrying two hamsters in his mouth. Click on the picture to see the online page.
This zoom-in of the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine shows the bottom left of the article. Click on the picture to see the online page.
Another zoom-in of the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. Click on the picture to see the online page.
The last zoom-in of the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine shows the right side of the article. The top is cut-off because it is only pictures. Click on the picture to see the online page.
Another zoom-in of the article in Preston Hollow Peoples Magazine. Click on the picture to see the online page.

A Young Canadian Leonberger With My Book

With today’s post I just wanted to show a photo of a beautiful young Leonberger called Hachi with my book. Brenda Saito allowed me to use the photo, which I took from her review on the Canadian Amazon site. I am so grateful for this review. You can read the review by clicking on the photo, and you can view the entry for my book on amazon Canada by clicking here.

In the middle of the photo a young Canadian Leonberger, Hachi, is lying on the floor. Leaning on him is my book, the life and times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. Click on the photo to see the associated review.
Photo of Hachi a young Leonberger in Canada. Click on the photo to see the associated review.

Leonberger Book Reviews Maybe

On Amazon my Leonberger book has 13 ratings including 11 reviews and on Goodreads I have four reviews and on Bookbub and Barnes & Noble none. All the reviews are wonderful and supportive five-star reviews. I am extremely grateful for this .💖

However, with this post I would like to shamelessly request additional reviews. The vast majority of readers do not write reviews. I know, I am the same way. It is hardly something you expect. But if anyone out there who has read my book and has not written a review somewhere, is willing to do just that, I would be very grateful. I would like to stress that the review certainly doesn’t have to be a four-star, or five-star review and they don’t need to be elaborate or wonderful or long. Short honest reviews between one-star and five-star would all be very helpful to me.

If you go to the Amazon page for my book and you scroll down until you see “Customer Reviews” on the left-hand side, there is a white button below “Customer Reviews” bars that says, “Write a customer review”. You can also get here by clicking on the small blue text near the top that says, “13 ratings”. Once you click on the “Write a customer review” button you will see four fields “Overall rating”, “Add a headline”, “Add a photo or video”, and “Add a written review”. “Add a photo or video” is optional, and I admit I have never used it. You can either type something in the “Add a written review” box or copy from, for example, Microsoft Word. Note that Amazon takes a few days to publish a review after it has been submitted.

It works similarly on Barnes & Noble but here you have a blue button towards the bottom on the left. On Bookbub there is a red button towards the bottom left and on Goodreads there is a black “write a review” button in the middle halfway down.

By clicking on any of the pictures below you can visit my book on Bookbub and Goodreads.

he image shows the Leonberger lying in the green grass. Click on the image to go to the Bookbub location for the book.
This is a photo of our late Leonberger Bronco lying in the grass in the front yard soon after a toe surgery. Click on the image to go to the Bookbub location for the book.
The image shows two photos. On the left is Leonberger puppy wearing scarf. On the right is an old Leonberger lying in the frass. Click on the image to go to the Goodreads location for the book.
This is a photo of our Leonberger Bronco at 3 months old (left) and at almost 13 years old (right). Click on the image to go to the Goodreads location for the book.

Other eBook Versions of my Leonberger Book Are Now Also 2.99

It took a while, but I was finally able to lower the price of my e-Book on IngramSpark to $2.99. It’s been $2.99 on Amazon for almost a week already. IngramSpark only update prices on Fridays, and I managed to lock myself out of my account. Fixing it turned out to be complicated.

For those who don’t know; IngramSpark is a competitor to Amazon which distributes to a whole range of bookstores, Barnes and Noble, Indigo in Canada, independent bookstores, libraries, and Apple devices. Unlike Amazon IngramSpark does not translate the dollar amount to other currencies for you so to make it simple for myself I made it 2.99 in all currencies.

Click here to visit the Nook version of my book on Barnes and Noble

The reason for the 2.99 promotion is that our late Leonberger Bronco was born on July 3rd 2007 and in his honor I launched my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” on July 3rd 2022, one year ago. I will do the $2.99 promotion until July 20th.

The image shows the front cover of my book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. The cover is beige and brown and it has the face of an old Leonberger in the middle. Author is Thomas Wikman. Click on the image to go to the Nook (e-Book) version of my book on Barnes & Noble.
The front cover of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the Nook (e-Book) version of my book on Barnes & Noble.
The image shows the back cover of my book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. The cover is beige and brown and it has in image of a Leonberger in snow. Author is Thomas Wikman. Click on the image to go to the paperback version of my book on Barnes & Noble.
The back cover of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the paperback version of my book on Barnes & Noble.
Endorsement by D'Nae Wilson, President, Leonberger Health Foundation International: "A wonderful tribute to the author's beloved Bronco. The stories are heartwarming as well as informative--a true glimpse into the life with a Leonberger". Endorsement by Julie Schaffert, LCA breeder since 1992: "A lovely tribute to Bronco, with lots of resources for general Leonberger Information"
These are the endorsements for the book. Click on the image to go to the Kindle version on Amazon.com.
The image shows the Leonberger lying in the green grass. Click on the image to go to the paperback version on Amazon.com.
This is a photo of our late Leonberger Bronco lying in the grass in the front yard soon after a toe surgery. Click on the image to go to the paperback version on Amazon.com.

Finally, if you would like to learn more about the Leonberger book I wrote click here or here. All royalties are donated to the Leonberger Health Foundation International.

Kindle Version of my Leonberger Book is Temporarily 2.99

On July 3rd 2007 our Leonberger Bronco was born. On July 3rd 2022, soon one year ago, I launched my book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle; Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. I can’t believe it’s been a year already.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the publication of my book I am lowering the price of the Kindle version from $4.99 to $2.99.

Click here to visit the Kindle version of my book on Amazon.

The Amazon page says the publish date is July 2nd for the paperback version and July 1st for the Kindle. What happened was that they told me it would take 2-3 days for it to show up after I pressed the yellow publish button. The evening of July 1st 2022 I pressed the yellow publish button on Amazon and it happened quicker than I expected. But the actual launch, i.e., telling friends, the Leonberger groups I was part of,  and announcing the book on social media and on this blog that was July 3rd.

I also published the book with Ingramspark, which distribute to Barnes and Nobles, Canadian stores, and in many other places. Due to technical problems, I am having a hard time changing the price on Ingramspark. I will make another announcement about Ingramspark once I solved the technical problems.

The image shows the front cover of my book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. The cover is beige and brown and it has the face of an old Leonberger in the middle. Author is Thomas Wikman. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com Kindle location for the book.
The front cover of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the Kindle version on Amazon.com.
The image shows the back cover of my book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. The cover is beige and brown and it has in image of a Leonberger in snow. Author is Thomas Wikman. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com paperback location for the book.
The back cover of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the paperback version on Amazon.com.
Endorsement by D'Nae Wilson, President, Leonberger Health Foundation International: "A wonderful tribute to the author's beloved Bronco. The stories are heartwarming as well as informative--a true glimpse into the life with a Leonberger". Endorsement by Julie Schaffert, LCA breeder since 1992: "A lovely tribute to Bronco, with lots of resources for general Leonberger Information"
These are the endorsements for the book. Click on the image to go to the Barnes and Noble location for the book.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Book review: The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger

This is a wonderful presentation and review of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger”. Thank you so very much Robbie.

robbiesinspiration's avatarRobbie's inspiration

What Amazon says

“A wonderful tribute to the author’s beloved Bronco. The stories are heartwarming as well as informative—a true glimpse into life with a Leonberger. The adorable illustrations are icing on the cake.”—D’Nae Wilson, President, Leonberger Health Foundation International

“A lovely tribute to Bronco, with lots of resources for general Leonberger information.”—Julie Schaffert, Leonberger Club of America breeder since 1992

If you’re thinking of getting a Leonberger, or if you’ve already owned one and know how rewarding the experience can be, you’ll want to read the story of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, called Bronco, who came into the lives of the Wikman family of Dallas, Texas, in 2007. Bronco, a recipient of the Leonberger Health Foundation International’s Grey Muzzle Award, lived an unusually long life for a Leonberger—almost thirteen years. His human family is convinced that what helped him exceed his breed’s normal life expectancy was…

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The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle

With this post I just wanted to say a few words about the book I wrote “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. This book features several dozens of funny or astonishing dog stories centered on our late Leonberger Bronco, as well as information about Leonbergers and an extensive Leonberger resource guide. The book contains a lot of color photographs and colorful illustrations depicting Bronco’s adventures. The book is intended for all dog lovers of all ages or anyone who loves to read fun dog stories. It is also intended for those who are  looking for information on Leonbergers.

Me standing as Bronco our Leonberger is trying to give me a hug and lick my face. Bronco our Leonberger was an extremely affectionate dog.
Bronco our Leonberger was an extremely affectionate dog.

Bronco wasn’t our only dog, but our world wouldn’t have been the same without him. For instance, he once saved the life of our pug by fending off an attack from another dog. He probably saved our Labrador’s life, too, by sniffing out an impending insulin shock before it happened. Bronco’s hamster search and rescue operations gave us some great stories to tell, and it kept our hamsters safe. Then there was the time he chased off a nightly stalker, well a peeping Tom who’d been terrorizing my wife and other women in the neighborhood. The private detectives I had hired could not catch him but Bronco did.

Bronco is no longer with us, but even in his passing he was distinctive. Leonbergers tend to live less than nine years—but Bronco came very close to reaching his thirteenth birthday. In fact, he received an award for longevity called the “Grey Muzzle Award.”  We already knew he was a special dog, but we sent his DNA to two labs for research anyway.

The image shows the front cover of my book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. The cover is beige and brown and it has the face of an old Leonberger in the middle. Author is Thomas Wikman. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com paperback location for the book.
The front cover of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com location for the book.
The image shows the back cover of my book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger. The cover is beige and brown and it has a photo of Leonberger standing in a snowy forest. Author is Thomas Wikman. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com kindle location for the book.
The back cover of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle”. Click on the image to go to the Amazon.com kindle location for the book.
This is an image that shows the endorsements for the book "The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle". The endorsements are: "A wonderful tribute to the author's beloved Bronco. The stories are heartwarming as well as informative -- a true glimpse into life with a Leonberger -- D'Nae Wilson, President, Leonberger Health Foundation International", "A lovely tribute to Bronco, with lots of resources for general Leonberger information. -- Julie Schaffert, LCA breeder since 1992". Note LCA stands for Leonberger Club of America.
These are the endorsements for the book. Click on the image to go to the Barnes and Noble location for the book.

Below are four selected book spreads.

Page six and seven from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. This book spread is about Bronco’s dramatic arrival and his initially faulty birth certificate stating his name as “Lets Do Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle.” This came about when we were told that his first name “Bronco” could not start with a ‘B’, it had to start with an “L” and my wife said “Let’s do…”. You can figure out the rest. There are two photos in the book spread, one of his birth certificate and one of Bronco as a puppy.
Page six and seven from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. His initial birth certificate was faulty stating his name as “Lets Do Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle.” This came about when we were told that his first name “Bronco” could not start with a ‘B’, it had to start with an “L” and my wife said “Let’s do…”. You can figure out the rest.
Page twenty-four and twenty-seven from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. This book spread contains stories about Bronco's size and his Hamster serach and rescue operation. There are two photos in this book spread. Bronco sitting in my wife Claudia's lap. The second picture feature Bronco carrying two hamsters in his mouth (they were fine but somewhat frightened).
Page twenty-four and twenty-seven from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. That’s my wife Claudia behind Bronco. The second picture feature Bronco carrying two hamsters in his mouth (they were fine but somewhat frightened).
Page ninety-two and ninety-three from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. In this spread Bronco was wearing a full leg cast he was not supposed to bump. Let's just say he was bumping it all over the neighborhood. There are three illustrations in this book spread, Claudia running, Bronco running with his cast, and our neighbor running down the street with his two corgis.
Page ninety-two and ninety-three from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. In this spread Bronco was wearing a full leg cast he was not supposed to bump. Let’s just say he was bumping it all over the neighborhood.
Page one hundred and two and  one hundred and three from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd frequently tested old Bronco's patients, climbing on his, and even dangling in his tail once, as if it was a swing. On page 102 there is a photo of Rollo and Bronco, and Rollo wants to play with Bronco. On page 103 Rollo is playing with Bronco’s tail.
Page one hundred and two and one hundred and three from the book The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle. Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd frequently tested old Bronco’s patients, climbing on his, and even dangling in his tail once, as if it was a swing.

If you would like to learn more about my book and find out where to buy it, click here or here. You can also click on the cover images above to buy it from Amazon. All royalties are donated to the Leonberger Health Foundation International. I can add that all illustrations were done by Naomi Rosenblatt.

There Are Leonbergers on Bookbub

Bookbub is a book discovery service that was created to help readers find new books and authors. Bookbub has 15 million users, so it is a fairly large service. Upon the suggestion of Jacqui Murray I decided to join. You can join as a reader or as an author. Since I’ve written a book I joined as an author. I noticed there were already three Leonberger books on Bookbub, so mine is the fourth one. The vast majority of Leonberger books are not on Bookbub. There is also an author by the name Leon Berger, but he does not write about Leonbergers.

Today or rather yesterday my profile was approved for upload. Therefore, I have not done a lot of work on my profile yet. I linked my book to Bookbub, added a profile picture, and wrote a couple of sentences about myself. I started following a few authors and published a few reviews. However, I am just getting started. Please, if you are an author and you are on Bookbub, tell me in the comments, so I can follow you. Naturally I wouldn’t mind follows myself (both authors and readers can follow). Below is my preliminary Bookbub profile picture. Click here to see my Bookbub profile.

This is my Bookbug profile picture. I will probably update. It is me and our Leonberger Bronco giving me a hug. Click on the picture to go to my Bookbub profile.
This is my Bookbug profile picture. I will probably update. Click on the picture to go to my Bookbub profile.