The Dinicola family of Scotch Plains, New Jersey is used to having lots of dogs around. They provide a foster home for dogs awaiting adoption, a specialized commitment that requires patience and a love of animals. One particular dog was a hard sell because of his skittish personality. So, they got special permission to adopt Jordan and he's now a family member. Their story is immortalized in the children's book Jordan and the Fosters, written and published by dad Joe Dinicola and illustrated with the help of AI. Joe, a software tester who works from home, juggled his full-time job, his three kids and four dogs and somehow found time to write the story and create the illustrations with the help of the Midjourney platform. The result is a sweet story with beautiful illustrations. Our conversation digs into the process of fostering pets, writing and using AI as a tool of story telling.

Video version

Find the book:

https://hfg.jordanandthefosters.fun (a portion of the sales price supports Home For Good Dog Rescue, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey)

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Joe's book website

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Tom Kranz Author & Podcaster

Tom is a Philadelphia native whose 40-year journalism expertise includes radio, television, print and online. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Temple University. He was a New Jersey certified EMT from 1999 to 2021 and served as a volunteer EMT on his local rescue squad in New Jersey answering more than 3,000 calls. He is still a certified CPR instructor and a life member of the squad.

He worked in Philadelphia radio and television from the mid 1970s until 1991. From 1992 to 2007 he was a producer and senior producer at CBS News. After retiring from the TV news business in 2007, he spent 12 years as director of communications for Chelsea Senior Living and two years as public information officer for the borough of Fanwood, New Jersey.

Tom has written seven books. He resides in New Jersey where he hosts a podcast on creativity and does freelance communications work.