by Sheryl Birch
A cookbook that began with neighborhood dog walks came full circle Saturday as Katy author CeCe welcomed neighbors, readers and plenty of four-legged friends to her book signing at Barnes & Noble in Katy.
The signing for Small Treats. Big Wags. — The Neighborhood Edition was well attended, with several of the neighborhood dogs featured in the book making an appearance.
Among them were Lacy, Madden, Larry, Toshi, Duncan, Mesa and, of course, Nox — CeCe’s German Shepherd and the dog who started it all.
The event offered visitors a chance to meet CeCe, have their books signed and get a firsthand look at how some of the treats featured in the book are made.
Treats for Dogs — and Their People
CeCe demonstrated how she makes one of her simple no-bake treats using banana, oatmeal, peanut butter and chia seeds.
The treats were made for both human and dog consumption, giving everyone a chance to enjoy them together.
CeCe also handed out treats to visitors who stopped by, along with a bookmark featuring additional recipes from the book.
For CeCe, seeing the book connect with people in Katy was especially meaningful.
“It’s honestly a little surreal — this book started on our own sidewalks, on ordinary dog walks, so to see it connecting with people right here in Katy feels like the whole story coming full circle,” she said. “I wrote it about our neighborhood, and now it’s bringing that same neighborhood feeling to people I’ve never even met — that’s everything I hoped for.”
A Neighborhood Story That Traveled
Since the book was published, CeCe said some of the most meaningful responses have come from much farther away.
“The most special part has been watching a little neighborhood book travel so much farther than our own street,” she said. “I’ve received messages of love all the way from California, and followers I’ve never met writing things like, ‘Can’t wait to meet Nox and the neighborhood dogs!'”
What began as a collection of neighborhood stories has connected with dog lovers well beyond Katy.
“It began as one street’s story — and now people across the country feel like Nox and these dogs are their neighbors too,” CeCe said. “Good dogs and good neighbors, it turns out, don’t stop at the county line.”
More Small Treats and Big Wags Ahead
CeCe isn’t finished.
She’s working on GLOW: Nourishing Your Senior Pup, a new edition focused on treats and nutrition for older dogs.
She’s also planning hands-on treat-making workshops where people can make treats alongside their own pups, including holiday treats that the whole family — four-legged members included — can enjoy.
“As long as there are dogs to walk and neighbors to meet, there will be more Small Treats and a lot more Big Wags,” CeCe said.
And Nox, naturally, plans to supervise all of it.
Small Treats. Big Wags. — The Neighborhood Edition is available through Amazon and CeCe Blue Ink.
Read our original story: Katy Author Turns Neighborhood Dog Walks Into Cookbook Celebrating Community
Photo Credit: Athena Moquete
