Reviews

“Julie Bettinger writes books that make a difference, like the stories of a heroic therapy dog who helped children testify against their abusers in court, the achievements of a wounded veteran returning home to accomplish his aspirations and inspire war survivors, the saga of one family’s environmental preservation of an entire ecosystem. These are nonfiction works of integrity as well as of literary merit by a seasoned journalist who is a master storyteller and a meticulous researcher. Readers can trust her to dig deep into stories that matter, and bring back the gold. Julie Bettinger embodies all that’s best about committing to writing as a life’s work.”
Diana Hume George

author of The Lonely Other: A Woman Watching America and Oedipus Anne: The Poetry of Anne Sexton. Professor Practice, Goucher College MFA in Creative Nonfiction

Chicago Tribune, February 22, 2016 
“The human-animal bond has quite a storied past but perhaps fewer stories can match that of Rikki . . . It is her work with child abuse victims, however, that is her most important . . . offering them a calming presence in a difficult — and heartbreaking — situation.”

“Julie Bettinger is an author who can bring somebody else’s story alive.”
Allan Zullo

Best-selling author of more than 120 nonfiction titles

What they’re saying on Amazon…
“The story touches the reader in a deep way, bringing out the details of each child’s story… and shows how very important ‘outside the box’ thinking can be…This is a game-changer!” …all 5 star ratings. Read Here

The Hardest-Working Dog in Therapy
“Rikki the Golden Retriever: The Hardest-Working Dog in Therapy . . . Julie Strauss Bettinger has written a winner” Read Here

What they’re saying on Goodreads…
“This book can be a catalyst for increased involvement of therapy animals in many crucial aspects of an increasingly caring society.” …all 5 star ratings. Read Here

Tallahassee Democrat: Rikki To The Rescue
“A courtroom is intimidating, especially to a child witness. A judge looks solemnly down from on high. A uniformed deputy wears a gun. Everyone’s dressed up and staring at you. It feels like Judgment Day, and in a way, it is. Who wouldn’t be frightened?” Read Here how Rikki was able to help one little girl face her fears in the courtroom.

Natural Baby Goods: Encounters with Rikki (Book Review)
“It was a truly inspirational book… about so much more than a dog, it was about a mission to change the way we see animals and to begin valuing their abilities and potential.” Read Here

Best Friends magazine September/October 2016
Book Review: When life gives you lemons… “many…readers will, as I did, find (Encounters with Rikki) engrossing enough to be read in one sitting.”

Encountering Rikki: the Book
She has been called “an angel,” and her uncanny ability to decipher the one human in a crowd who most needs rescuing has many people agreeing. Therapy dog Rikki, who has been quietly serving alongside her human partners, Chuck and Patty Mitchell, through the Tallahassee Memorial Animal Therapy program, is now the star of a book, “Encounters with Rikki: from Hurricane Katrina rescue to exceptional therapy dog.”

One Little Mister: Encounters With Rikki (Book Review)
“If you’re a dog lover and a fan of rescues, Encounters with Rikki: From Hurricane Katrina Rescue to Exceptional Therapy Dog is a must-read. The stories are heartbreaking and amazing all at the same time.” Read Here

Animal Wellness, March 2, 2016
“In Encounters with Rikki, author Julie Strauss Bettinger paints a detailed portrait of an exceptionally-gifted therapy dog named Rikki… you’ll come away from it with a renewed appreciation for the power of the human-canine bond.”

Luke Murphy inspires in ‘Blasted by Adversity’
“Blasted by Adversity: The Making of a Wounded Warrior,” is by far the best account of one warrior’s trip to hell and back. My search is over for the map to give to those who suffer the wounds of war and desperately need someone like retired Army Staff Sergeant Luke Murphy to model how to heal and move on.” Read More

Military Experience & the Arts Excerpt
The non-profit MEA included an excerpt from Blasted by Adversity: the Making of a Wounded Warrior in their May 26, 2015 issue.

Bettinger and Murphy co-author Blasted by Adversity
Luke Murphy, SSG U.S. Army -Ret. (B.S. ’11) and Julie Strauss Bettinger (B.S. ’83, M.S. ’09) co-authored “Blasted by Adversity: the Making of Wounded Warrior,” which was published by Inkshares Memorial Day 2015. Read More

Goodreads community reviews “Blasted”
Readers are handing out a lot of stars…From a reader: “Blasted by Adversity is a narrative spoken through the words of a true warrior. Luke is a prime ambassador to the motto Excelsior; onward, upward, higher, and higher.”

CNN Exclusive
Memorial Day weekend 2015 was the official pub date for our book, Blasted by Adversity: the Making of a Wounded Warrior. I was in Pittsburgh at the Creative Nonfiction Writers’ Conference and checked my email at lunch: CNN had picked up Luke’s op ed! Home run…

Amazon reviews
Everyone seems to have a story about Luke Murphy… From one review: “This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it gave me a new appreciation for the job that our service men and women do every single day.”

 

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