GOODAVAGE, Maria 1962-

PERSONAL:

Born 1962; married Craig Hanson; children: Laura Hanson. Education: Studied at Northwestern University. Hobbies and other interests: Travel.

ADDRESSES:

Home—San Francisco, CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, St. Martin's Griffin, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010.

CAREER:

Journalist and author. USA Today, former staff writer.

MEMBER:

Outdoor Writers Association of California.

WRITINGS:

The California Dog Lover's Companion, Foghorn Press (San Francisco, CA), 1994, revised triannually, fourth edition published as The Dog Lover's Companion to California: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Golden State, Avalon Travel Publications (Emeryville, CA), 2002.

The Dog Lover's Companion in the Bay Area, Avalon Travel Publications (Emeryville, CA), 2002.

(With Jay Gordon) Good Nights: The Happy Parents' Guide to the Family Bed (and a Peaceful Night's Sleep!), St. Martin's Griffin (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS:

Maria Goodavage began her writing career as a correspondent for USA Today, a job that required her to travel throughout the state of California. After 1989 she chose to travel with her dog, an Airedale named Joe the Dog, and the process of learning the ins and outs of finding dog-friendly hotels resulted in both a list of places in California that accepted canines and the idea for two books. Goodavage's The Dog Lover's Companion to California: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Golden State and the spin-off volume, The Dog Lover's Companion in the Bay Area, have spawned a series of books dedicated to dog travel. Joe the Dog eventually graduated to a starring role in a popular children's film called Here's Looking at You, Kid! in 2001, with the voice of actor Ed Asner; Goodavage subsequently did her traveling with a yellow Labrador named Jake the Dog.

"Dogs have attained family status in many circles," Goodavage explained to John Flinn in the San Francisco Chronicle. "With more couples, families and individuals refusing to leave their dogs at home when vacationing, the California [tourist lodging] market has responded." Cheri Sicard, reviewing The Dog Lover's Companion to California for Fabuloustravel.com, exclaimed: "If you're planning to travel to California … you owe it to yourself and your furry friends to get this guide!"

Goodavage's interests include sleep research, a subject she studied at Northwestern University. She also had first-hand experience with sleep-related issues while parenting her daughter, Laura, and consequently undertook several studies on correlations on a child's sleep habits and social skills. Together with Jay Gordon, Goodavage coauthored Good Nights: The Happy Parents' Guide to the Family Bed (and a Peaceful Night's Sleep!). Annette V. Janes, reviewing Good Nights for Library Journal, wrote that "the authors conducted impressive research and present it convincingly. Though not for everyone, this book provides a good alternative to dealing with those difficult 'night nights.'"

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, August, 2002, review of Good Nights: The Happy Parents' Guide to the Family Bed (and a Peaceful Night's Sleep!), p. 132.

San Francisco Chronicle, February 16, 1996, Reynolds Holding, "Author Curbs Alleged Copycat," p. D1; May 19, 2002, review of The Dog Lover's Companion to California: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog in the Golden State, p. C1.

Time, January 27, 2003, review of Good Nights.

ONLINE

Dog Lover's Companion Web site,http://www.dogloverscompanion.com/ (July 15, 2003).

Fabuloustravel.com,http://www.fabuloustravel.com/ (March 24, 2001), review of The Dog Lover's Companion to California. *