Fall 2023

“It wasn’t easy,” she admits. “But I wanted the story to have substance.” The book begins with an invitation to “follow along as we explore the village, help solve a mystery and make new ‘furever’ friends.”Activity pages encourage children to “create their own adventure” while a walking map of the pets’ adventures allows children to collect clues. The stars of the book are Tarman’s own dogs, Olly, a Schnoodle (Schnauzer/Poodle mix), and Lucille, a long-haired Schnauzer, who passed away recently. At the end of the story, photographs and biographies of the actual pets who are featured in the story are includ- ed, along with behind the scenes details of the process and local artwork. “The road to a happy heart is full of paw prints,” proclaims the book, which provides information about local nonprofits like Carmel Cares, a volunteer group that keeps Carmel clean and was instrumental in helping Tarman find sponsors for the book, after they became a main sponsor. Tarman secured 17 sponsors, in- cluding Diggidy Dog Pet Boutique, Portabella Restaurant, Pilgrim’s Way Community Book- store, Esperanza Carmel and the Carmel Chamber of Commerce. Many of the sponsors are now her friends and their advice and encouragement helped elevate the story. Funds raised from the sale of the book will benefit local nonprofits, and a launch “pawty” and book signing at Carmel Plaza on September 3 from 2-5pm will raise funds for Max’s Helping Paws. More events are planned throughout the year. For Tarman, the inspiration to pour her heart and soul into a project that is a true ode to Carmel and its animal residents is due to multiple factors. Carmel was her safe haven during a challenging childhood; she has fond Charming illustrations follow the dogs through famous Carmel landmarks like the Hofsas House Hotel (above) and the Sunset Center performing arts center (below). 154 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 3 Tarman went to great lengths to make sure she portrayed local land- marks accurately, working with all the book’s sponsors who are featured in the tale to make sure they were happy with and proud of the results.