Julien's Journal March 2016 (Volume 41, Number 3) | Page 41

life,” said B.J., who also writes under a pen
name, Bret Terrell. “I wanted to write in a
way to bring kids back in time to a better
world. The books teach values from basic
life situations.”
B.J. explains that the books are written in
an ABAB rhyme scheme and 8-6-8-6 syllabic verse. His style emulates the works
of Dr. Seuss’ innocence and fun and Shel
Silverstein’s cleverness in many ways.
Unfortunately, Max died in 2012. Three
days later, the couple adopted “Lil’ Maxx,”
a 47 pound puppy and “Bear,” another pup
weighing in at 88 pounds. Shortly after,
the couple relocated to Dubuque when
Kim was transferred and promoted to site
manager with J.C. Penny. And along with
the move, B.J.’s landscaping business relocated as well.

are the books if they don’t understand the
character in the books?”
As a result, Plumery Tails was born. B.J. and
Kim opened the Mal-Amusement Theme
Park in April 2014, offering personal interactions and education about the Malamutes while visiting, hiking, and picnicking
on their grounds. For B.J. it’s the perfect
forefront for “B.J.’s Bookstore & Souvenirs,”
which often comes with B.J.’s numerous
stories and recitations of his works. The
business has a website, www.plumerytails.

com, and an active Facebook page.
B.J. insists that Plumery Tails has evolved
into something even more important for
him. “When I started writing, it produced so
much more understanding of my own life,”
B.J. concluded. “I am growing personally in
ways I never dreamed of and I have become
a much better person because of it. These
dogs have become an incredible therapy
for me. They are amazing in so many ways.”
But that’s a tale for B.J. Schwartz to tell at
another time. ❖

At this point, B.J. had already published his
first two books, The Adventures of Max & I
series and his Plumery Tails series. It was at
a book signing at Mangelsen Images of Nature Gallery in Galena that B.J. discovered
their soon to be new home. By the time the
couple moved into their Spring St. home in
the fall of 2013, three-month-old “Tundra”
had already joined the pack.
According to B.J., the move to Galena gave
them more room than they had in their
Dubuque home at a much better price – and
12 needed acres for the dogs. “It was just
going to be a book store here,” he said.
Then the pack grew. Blackie, Bear’s brother,
was found; then came Glacier, Lambeau,
Odin, and the newest pup, Nanook. The
boys are now nearly a half-ton of Malamute
fun.
Needless to say, the dogs soon became a
spectacle in their own front yard as people
stopped, trespassed, and ventured onto
the couple’s property on a regular basis.
“I didn’t want it to be a freak show,” B.J.
explained. “People were stopping, impeding
on my sanctuary – this was not a petting
zoo. I just wanted it to be a place to save
money for publishing, disseminate my writings and have a nice place for the boys to
run free of cages or leads.”
Then B.J. said a lady from Florida – who
had also been visually pulled in by the
Malamute attraction – helped him see the
perfect marketing opportunity by using
the dogs as his public relation spokes-dogs
to help him achieve his dream of being
recognized as a serious writer. He was already actively sharing the dogs with public
appearances at the local schools, at book
signings, and just overall public walks and
outings. B.J. soon realized, “What good

An Authentic Italian
Dining Experience
Family-owned and operated. Made-from-scratch
dishes prepared from recipes passed down five generations.
Italian Specialties • Homemade Sauces • Pastas
Sandwiches • Pizza • Salads • Garlic Bread
Outstanding Wine & Beer Selection

180 Main St • Dubuque, IA
Ph: 563.588.9600
www.VinnysDubuque.com

201 S. Main St • Galena, IL
Ph: 815.777.8100
www.VinnysGalena.com
March 2016  ❖  Julien’s Journal  ❖ 39