Planning a Book Tour with Katie & Spaghetti for "On Digital Advocacy"

While writing my debut book, On Digital Advocacy: Protecting the Planet While Preserving Our Humanity, I was so wrapped up in the words and revisions and character counts and rough drafts that I completely forgot about the best part: a book tour! After over a year of writing and waiting, my books are finally on shelves and in readers’ hands––and now it’s time to gather in person and talk about it all!

As scheming began, I quickly realized one important factor: my dog, Spaghetti, must be a central part of the whole adventure. After all, she’s on the front cover of the workbook––and every pre-ordered copy of the book came with an exclusive sticker of Spaghetti saying “don’t bust the crust!” It wouldn’t be a book tour without her.

My book is full of lessons I learned from Spaghetti, like being present and trusting each other to learn new tricks together. Being a dog and being a good outdoor advocate have a lot in common––mostly, that it’s all about respecting and caring for each other.

For humans living in a digital age, our dogs help remind us that life in analog mode has its perks too. The more I revisited the concepts and advice offered in my book, the more I realized that dogs are the perfect vehicle to deliver the messages I’m hoping to spread.

Spaghetti is part of my identity as an outdoorist, as an advocate, and as a human being. Going on a book tour without her just wouldn’t be right.

So I dug my big, old road atlas out of the basement, and started thumbing through the pages for the Mountain West. The concept for the first leg of my book tour took shape naturally: we’d visit outdoorsy towns and cities that could be easily reached within a day’s drive in our camper van.

We’ll start at home, in Salt Lake City, before exploring locally to neighboring towns like Park City and Ogden. Spaghetti loves being on the road, but can sometimes get a little overwhelmed in crowds (like me), so starting small near home will help us both ease into turning up our socializing vibes a few notches.

After bad experiences being stalked online, I’ve grown weary of interacting with strangers and attending public events––and Spaghetti has taken on an unofficial emotional support role to help me navigate the world. When I’m overwhelmed, overstimulated, nervous, unsure or simply need some stability, Spaghetti will be by my side to remind me that it’s not so scary out there, and most people just want to give you an encouraging pat.

Once we’ve gotten our social wits about us, we’ll start venturing further from Utah’s capital city.

Moab for the desert vibes.

Lander for a reading with my bestie, who wrote the foreword.

Colorado’s Western Slope, because she’s just so beautiful.

And if we’re feeling extra adventurous, maybe we’ll brave I-70 to visit Colorado’s Front Range too.

Perhaps a jaunt north into Idaho?

Is that Nevada I hear calling our name?

To be honest, launching a book, renovating our house, planning a DIY wedding, adopting chickens and getting my Master Gardener certification all in the same summer turned out to be a big of an unhinged life choice in 2023––but as we plow through the warm months and all the chaos that comes with it, I’m finding gratitude in advance for the coming season of hitting the road with my soon-to-be husband and our beloved pup.

Spaghetti is a practiced master in the art of sunshine basking, wildflower sniffing, and making new friends everywhere she goes, and I can’t wait to keep taking lessons from her.

Once our schedules allegedly clear after the wedding bells have rung and our house has been put back together, all our energy will focus on hitting the road to explore as a little family of three (well, four, if you count the book). I can already see Spaghetti’s tail wagging as we open up the sliding van door to start packing up for the next stop. I hope we’ll see you––and your pups––somewhere along the way.

If you’re interested in having an On Digital Advocacy event at your local library, dog park, bookstore, community garden or even in your own backyard, please reach out to kelli@fulcrumbooks.com––we’d love to see you in your town in 2024!

Katie Boué is a Cuban-American writer and outdoor advocate who lives in Salt Lake City. She and her adopted mutt Spaghetti love adventuring together in the desert. Katie is the founder of the Outdoor Advocacy Project, a community education initiative seeking to inspire and empower the next generation of outdoor advocates. Follow Katie & Spaghetti's journey at @katieboue.