NISKAYUNA -- Karen Lombardo has always felt that dogs have a certain kind of soulfulness.

That's maybe especially true for Miss Tillie, her 5-year-old brindle English bulldog, who gave her comfort in the wake of her husband's death in 2021, and inspired Lombardo's released children's book "Silly Lily Saves Miss Tillie."

"She has no sense of personal space, so she lays on you, and there's always that sound [of her]. It's never quiet," Lombardo said. "I think she really did save me because I don't think I could have handled it."

Three years ago, she and Anthony "Chip" Lombardo Jr. had just retired and moved from their longtime home in Niskayuna to the Finger Lakes when he had a heart attack coming back from the gym one morning. They were married for more than three decades, with two children, Amelia and Jack.

Lombardo and Miss Tillie soon moved back to Niskayuna to be closer to family and friends. A professional copywriter, Lombardo has long kept a blog called Pasta on the Floor, where she's written about everything from family recipes to funny stories, and -- since Chip died -- about grief.

Friends suggested she compile the posts and put them in a book.

"I don't have the bandwidth to do that right now. I don't think I can emotionally read all of those and go through that," Lombardo said.

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However, it got her thinking about writing a children's book.

"My mother always bought the kids books," Lombardo said. "And I love to read. I read all the time. And so I said, 'I think I can do this.'"

Miss Tillie took center stage in the book. The family adopted her in the spring of 2021, after losing their beloved pug Izzy. Miss Tillie was in rough shape when they adopted her, with fur missing from her back, but she slowly healed and settled in.

"Dogs have a special soul," Lombardo said. "I think they connect . . . with kids in a way that a lot of adults don't."

The book follows Lily and Miss Tillie, who are both learning to face fears. Published through Troy Book Makers, it's illustrated by the London-based artist Sarah-Leigh Wills.

"She just totally captured it," Lombardo said, adding that having a British illustrator bring Miss Tillie to life seemed especially fitting.

The book, intended for children ages 4 to 8, was published in early December and is available online and at the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza and Market Block Books in Troy. It's the first of a four-book series that Lombardo plans to publish.

A portion of the proceeds will go toward the Anthony "Chip" Lombardo Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, providing college scholarships and human services.

Chip, who owned and ran the Bajan Group in Schenectady, had a giving spirit. One year, the family held a Christmas party where they had guests bring donations for the Schenectady-based Things of My Very Own instead of food or gifts.

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"I'd like to be able to continue what he did," Lombardo said. "Hopefully we'll get enough money where I can really help a kid pay for college. That's the goal."

Outside of writing the book series, Lombardo is also a volunteer writer for The Juliet Club in Verona, which inspired the 2010 movie "Letters to Juliet," starring Amanda Seyfried. The club responds to thousands of letters, usually from people suffering heartbreak, addressed to one of literature's most famous heroines.

"So the people in Italy send me the letters, and I answer," Lombardo said. "It's been very interesting to do that, and I enjoy it."

Sometimes she gets responses from the letter-writer, including one woman who was afraid to get married again. Lombardo encouraged her and the woman thanked her for her advice.

Lately, Lombardo has been mulling over the rest of the book series with Miss Tillie by her side. When the Gazette spoke with the author, the pup was peacefully snoring away right next to Lombardo. Beyond inspiring the books, Miss Tillie does have another important job: assisting with autographs.

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"I had a stamp made of her foot, so I inked her foot and sent it to Etsy, and they made a stamp for the books that says, 'Love Miss Tillie', so she can sign the books," Lombardo said.

To order the book or for more information, visit chipandtilliebooks.com.

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