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This press release was turned into a front-page story:

Nevada County Animal Shelter Hosts Pet Adoptathon

On Saturday, May 1, from 1:00 to 4:00, the Nevada County Animal Shelter will host a Pet Adoptathon. The Adoptathon is a nationwide event sponsored by the North Shore Animal League.

Activities will include a bake sale, prize drawings, treats for everyone (humans and pets), dog trainers on site, consultants to help you select the right pet for you, music, and a dog "wedding." The community is encouraged to come and help reach the shelter's goal of placing all of the animals. "We want to find a home for every single one of our wonderful animals," says volunteer coordinator C.W. "So come on out to the shelter and have some fun and adopt a great new family member."

The shelter is located at 14647 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, near the county dump. For more information, call S.L. at xxx-xxxx or C.W. at xxx-xxxx, or go to www.petadoptathon.com.

I wrote this press release for a fellow copywriter:

Longtime RN Stands up Against Health Insurance Industry, Reveals Lifesaving Information

In the new e-book The Advocate, author Chris Landrum, RN, reveals valuable insider information about protecting our health. The essence of this e-book's message is that our health care is no longer determined by doctors, but by insurance companies--and that we must take our wellbeing into our own hands if we want to avoid becoming victims of "the bottom line." (For more information, visit [URL].)

We've all heard the horror stories--misdiagnoses, amputation of the wrong body parts, needless deaths. The statistics quoted in this e-book are shocking: for example, "adults fail to receive recommended health care nearly half the time," according to the Rand Corporation in a report published June 25, 2003.

The author is a Registered Nurse of 13 years, with experience in both a hospital setting and home care. While mincing no words about the insurance industry, she expresses a high degree of respect for doctors. "Most doctors are highly skilled, caring professionals," she says. "They are not the bad guys, but they are limited by what the insurance companies will allow them to do."

Ms. Landrum acknowledges that this report will not make her popular with everyone--the insurance companies don't want to be portrayed as heartless and greedy. "It could cost me my license," she says. She knowingly takes that risk in order to get this potentially life-saving information to those who need it.

Among the tactics she suggests are how to obtain and interpret your medical records; how to make documentation work for you; how to get coverage for costly procedures your HMO may deny; and many others.

America is definitely ready for this information.

Award-Winning Singer Cherie Adams Tells About Living "The Sweet Life" at Women’s Event

Cherie Adams, singer, songwriter, and speaker, formerly of the music group Avalon, will appear at the Women’s Fall Faith Lift at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Waterville. This special event takes place Saturday, November 3, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

An American Music Award winner, two-time Grammy nominee, two-time Dove award winner, star of two gold records and 11 number-one hits while touring as a member of the Christian music group Avalon, Cherie has performed all over the world. She has sold millions of records and appeared with such well-known artists as Martina McBride, Ce-Ce Winans, Aaron Neville, and John Tesh. Hidden behind that glamorous and exciting life, however, was a time of shattering loss and complete brokenness. "I know what it is to be broken and hurting, and I know the hopelessness associated with that," she says. "There was a time when I didn’t think I could live another day."

Cherie knew she needed to tell her story; she decided to leave Avalon and move on to the next chapter in her ministry. After years of living what most would consider the "sweet life," Cherie realized she had a greater calling. She and her husband and manager, Kevin Adams, started their own record company, Dolce Vita Entertainment, and recorded Cherie’s first solo offering, "The Sweet Life." She now sings and shares her story at churches and women’s conferences.

"Cherie is multi-gifted," says author and "Matlock" actress Nancy Stafford. "She has an amazing voice, a wonderful testimony, and a hysterical presentation! She will touch your heart, minister to your soul, and make you laugh out loud. She is authentic and real, and God uses her in a powerful way."

Faith Evangelical Free Church is located at 250 Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville, Maine.

Tickets are $22 per person; pre-registration includes a bag lunch. To register, call....

I was also a contributor to the book this one announces:

New Book about Sons Is a Local Project

Two Roseville writers have recently completed an uplifting new book about raising boys. Jamie C. Miller and Jennifer Basye Sander, with six sons between them and a total of more than two dozen books to their credit, now present The Miracle of Sons: Celebrating the Boys in Our Lives. In this, the latest book in their "Miracle" series, we find the contributions of fifty people, including some local writers.

"It was an affirming experience to be a part of this project," says Lisa J. Lehr, of Alta Sierra, who wrote a story for the section entitled "The Journey." "We parents of boys are kind of a special group of people, and no one outside of this group really has a clue as to what this job is all about. Joining with other moms (and a few dads) in making this book a reality has renewed my confidence in being the parent of a boy, and I hope it will do the same for all who read it."

The Miracle of Sons (Perigee Trade Paperbacks, $13.95) is available at The Book Seller and Odyssey Books in Grass Valley.

...and this one, about a proud accomplishment:

Area Writer Tapped for Book

Lisa J. Lehr, a Grass Valley-area writer, has been selected for inclusion in Who's Who in America 2005. She specializes in personal history.

"As far as I know, I'm the only writer in the area doing this kind of work," says Ms. Lehr, an affiliate with Turning Memories into Memoirs (tm), headquartered in Maine. "A client recently told me she was prepared to work with a writer in Reno, until she found me."

Ms. Lehr also writes for businesses, and is completing coursework to expand into corporate communications and marketing.

In recognition that September is the designated month for many reading- and writing-related activities--including "Be Kind to Editors and Writers," "Read a New Book," "Library Card Sign-up," and "International Literacy" month--she is offering a discount to all new clients who sign up for any services during the month of September.

Ms. Lehr has taught "Writing an Autobiography" for Sierra Emeritus College and is available to speak to your club or organization about personal history writing. You may contact her at xxx-xxxx or view her website.