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Bed, Breakfast & Beyond: Twenty Years of Kooky Guests, Gentle Ghosts, And Horses in Between
From the award winning author of the Lucky Foot Stable series, a memoir for all those who have ever dreamed of operating a B&B. This book will set you straight!
BED, BREAKFAST & BEYOND is set at Fairwinds Farm, a 52 acre riding stable nestled in Maryland horse country. In September of 1998, Ted and JoAnn Dawson purchased the property to fulfill their lifelong dream of owning a bed & breakfast. Little did they know what they were getting themselves into!
Restoring a filthy, dilapidated, nearly condemned Victorian house to a charming and welcoming country inn while raising two rowdy young boys was only the first of their challenges. Dealing with shady former owners, a string of ghostly events, and a wide variety of colorful guests opened their eyes to a whole new world.
With the fortitude and life lessons born of years on a dairy farm, the rare good fortune of choosing the perfect partner in life, and a boatload of humor thrown in to preserve their sanity, they have managed to keep Fairwinds Farm B&B running for nearly twenty years, fifteen years longer than the average B&B in the U.S.
JoAnn S. Dawson is an author, actress, college professor, and animal wrangler for film and TV when she has time away from the B&B. Her Lucky Foot Stable series has won numerous awards and she visits schools with her pony Butterscotch to promote reading and writing whenever she can.
BED, BREAKFAST & BEYOND is set at Fairwinds Farm, a 52 acre riding stable nestled in Maryland horse country. In September of 1998, Ted and JoAnn Dawson purchased the property to fulfill their lifelong dream of owning a bed & breakfast. Little did they know what they were getting themselves into!
Restoring a filthy, dilapidated, nearly condemned Victorian house to a charming and welcoming country inn while raising two rowdy young boys was only the first of their challenges. Dealing with shady former owners, a string of ghostly events, and a wide variety of colorful guests opened their eyes to a whole new world.
With the fortitude and life lessons born of years on a dairy farm, the rare good fortune of choosing the perfect partner in life, and a boatload of humor thrown in to preserve their sanity, they have managed to keep Fairwinds Farm B&B running for nearly twenty years, fifteen years longer than the average B&B in the U.S.
JoAnn S. Dawson is an author, actress, college professor, and animal wrangler for film and TV when she has time away from the B&B. Her Lucky Foot Stable series has won numerous awards and she visits schools with her pony Butterscotch to promote reading and writing whenever she can.
- GenresNonfiction
221 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2017
About the author
JoAnn S. Dawson
9 books8 followersA horse lover since early childhood, JoAnn S. Dawson lives with her husband Ted at Fairwinds Farm stables and bed & breakfast in Maryland. They offer riding lessons, trail rides, summer camp, horse-drawn carriages, pony rides, and much more. Her farm has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, Baltimore Sun, and on Good Morning America. Visit www.fairwindsstables.com for more information.
Dawson's film and television credits include principal actor in THE SIXTH SENSE and 12 MONKEYS, and horse wrangler on Oprah Winfrey's BELOVED and AMERICA'S MOST WANTED, among many others. She is an educator and co-director of the Equine Institute at a local college and enjoys riding her American Paint horse, Painted Warrior.
Dawson's film and television credits include principal actor in THE SIXTH SENSE and 12 MONKEYS, and horse wrangler on Oprah Winfrey's BELOVED and AMERICA'S MOST WANTED, among many others. She is an educator and co-director of the Equine Institute at a local college and enjoys riding her American Paint horse, Painted Warrior.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 14, 2019
This book was a mixed bag. It started off very slow, but picked up as the story progressed and the B & B was opened for business. It had many stories an animal lover would appreciate, but also stories of how the author's grandmother made scrapple and how chickens are slaughtered and dressed. (JoAnn Dawson grew up on a dairy farm.) It had entertaining stories about B & B guests, but also stories where Mrs. Dawson does not sound like a particularly nice B & B hostess.
The most noticeable of the latter was the chapter on the Schwartzes. The Schwartzes wanted to arrive on Christmas Eve and leave early on Christmas morning. The author, new to the B & B business, never thought about someone wanting to stay on those two days, but went ahead and said okay. Well, the family arrived with pets other than horses, which greatly annoyed Mrs. Dawson, even though there were no stated rules that other pets were not welcomed. Plus, they arrived with grandmother Bubbie, who some readers will think is an absolute hoot. I did. The author did not. She was more annoyed by Bubbie than anyone and anything else. (Apparently, Bubbie was not the type of grandmother who made scrapple.)
The family’s biggest sin, however, was they did not leave as early on Christmas morning as stated. And Bubbie was sitting in the room with the Christmas tree on Christmas morning shaking presents to guess what was in them. The author walked into the room, startled her, and Bubbie dropped the present she was holding, apparently breaking what was in the box. Now the author was really seething. When Bubbie asked if Mrs. Dawson’s two young boys were going to be coming down soon to open the presents, apparently wanting to watch all the excitement, the author said they were too shy to do so with others around.
She adds in the story that her poor boys were upstairs in tears, because they couldn’t come down to open their presents until the Schwartzes were gone. “Obviously”, said JoAnn Dawson, the Schwartzes did not celebrate Christmas. Oh my, did no one suggest to the author, before the book was published, that she was coming across as sort of antiSemitic in that chapter? Or maybe she and no one else cared. This book ends with eight “tips” on how to be a good B & B guest, or, in other words, what not to do if staying at a B & B. The author obviously cares very much that B & B guests behave themselves in the manner in which she wishes them to behave themselves. Oh my.
(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)
The most noticeable of the latter was the chapter on the Schwartzes. The Schwartzes wanted to arrive on Christmas Eve and leave early on Christmas morning. The author, new to the B & B business, never thought about someone wanting to stay on those two days, but went ahead and said okay. Well, the family arrived with pets other than horses, which greatly annoyed Mrs. Dawson, even though there were no stated rules that other pets were not welcomed. Plus, they arrived with grandmother Bubbie, who some readers will think is an absolute hoot. I did. The author did not. She was more annoyed by Bubbie than anyone and anything else. (Apparently, Bubbie was not the type of grandmother who made scrapple.)
The family’s biggest sin, however, was they did not leave as early on Christmas morning as stated. And Bubbie was sitting in the room with the Christmas tree on Christmas morning shaking presents to guess what was in them. The author walked into the room, startled her, and Bubbie dropped the present she was holding, apparently breaking what was in the box. Now the author was really seething. When Bubbie asked if Mrs. Dawson’s two young boys were going to be coming down soon to open the presents, apparently wanting to watch all the excitement, the author said they were too shy to do so with others around.
She adds in the story that her poor boys were upstairs in tears, because they couldn’t come down to open their presents until the Schwartzes were gone. “Obviously”, said JoAnn Dawson, the Schwartzes did not celebrate Christmas. Oh my, did no one suggest to the author, before the book was published, that she was coming across as sort of antiSemitic in that chapter? Or maybe she and no one else cared. This book ends with eight “tips” on how to be a good B & B guest, or, in other words, what not to do if staying at a B & B. The author obviously cares very much that B & B guests behave themselves in the manner in which she wishes them to behave themselves. Oh my.
(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)
September 2, 2019
At times this book had me laughing out loud and attracting the odd glance or two during my commute to work. Although it was a relatively short book the author managed to pack it with a lot of entertaining stories involving people and animals.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys an easy read, stories drawn from real life, animals or just wants to laugh at someone else experiences of running a B and B come horse motel. This seemed like a really genuine story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading of the ups and downs of running a B and B.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys an easy read, stories drawn from real life, animals or just wants to laugh at someone else experiences of running a B and B come horse motel. This seemed like a really genuine story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading of the ups and downs of running a B and B.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.
July 30, 2026
Bed, Breakfast & Beyond: Twenty Years of Kooky Guests, Gentle Ghosts, And Horses in Between is a delightful and heartwarming memoir filled with humor, perseverance, and unforgettable stories. JoAnn S. Dawson shares the joys and challenges of transforming a neglected Victorian property into a thriving bed and breakfast, introducing readers to colorful guests, mysterious happenings, and life on a Maryland horse farm.
Warm, engaging, and genuinely entertaining, this memoir celebrates resilience, family, and following one's dreams. A wonderful read for memoir lovers and aspiring innkeepers alike.
Warm, engaging, and genuinely entertaining, this memoir celebrates resilience, family, and following one's dreams. A wonderful read for memoir lovers and aspiring innkeepers alike.
August 24, 2018
I loved this book written by a local B&B owner. The writing drew me in and I never wanted to put the book down. It starts with a condensed version of the author's background- which I think she should write a book about. Her parents and grandmother are honest, hard-working people who taught her what is important in life and the skills to survive.
The stories are delightful, filled with quite a diverse cast of characters. Human, animal and ghost. It's the kind of book men and women can enjoy. Highly recommend!!
The stories are delightful, filled with quite a diverse cast of characters. Human, animal and ghost. It's the kind of book men and women can enjoy. Highly recommend!!
September 17, 2021
Wow, Bed, Breakfast & Beyond was definitely a labor of love. This memoir was written in a way that was engaging and made you feel you were right there along restoring this beautiful property.
We find a dilapidated building set at Fairwinds farm during September of 1998. Nestled on a 52-acre property Ted and JoAnn Dawson begging the restoration process. They walk us through every detail and in the end, we find a remarkable beautifully restored building that can now be shared with others.
It's a great story and I really enjoyed reading this memoir.
We find a dilapidated building set at Fairwinds farm during September of 1998. Nestled on a 52-acre property Ted and JoAnn Dawson begging the restoration process. They walk us through every detail and in the end, we find a remarkable beautifully restored building that can now be shared with others.
It's a great story and I really enjoyed reading this memoir.
October 2, 2024
I LOVED this book. JoAnn is such a good story teller that I honestly forgot that this is her real life, these things all happened to her and her family. I feel like I've learned so much about these people and this farm without ever stepping foot at Fairwinds. JoAnn is inspiring for all young folks looking to make their dreams come true!
July 15, 2026
Excellent Book About Running a B & B
I'm so glad that I stumbled on this book and bought it on my Kindle. JoAnn Dawson wrote an honest, easy to read and humorous at times story about running a B & B on their farm and also providing lodging for horses in their stalls.
It was a very enjoyable book to read.
I'm so glad that I stumbled on this book and bought it on my Kindle. JoAnn Dawson wrote an honest, easy to read and humorous at times story about running a B & B on their farm and also providing lodging for horses in their stalls.
It was a very enjoyable book to read.
May 13, 2019
The memoir of a family staring a B & B was absolutely delightful.. It was an absolute joy to read of their situations and their ways of coping with the problems. Looking forward to any books that JoAnn Dawson will write
August 12, 2026
Stories of growing up on a farm and then running a B&B. I was a bit taken aback about the attitude towards sickness and injuries, but that might be a change in attitude over time. Plus, a bit is a bit more gruesome than I am used to as a city kid.
March 21, 2019
Great, fun easy to read! Wonderful insight into the B & B business!
April 27, 2019
This was a quick enjoyable read. The author has such a good writing style-it was so warm and homey. I liked how she started with her upbringing and how that influenced her career. The stories were well told and relatable.
May 7, 2019
I really loved reading this book. It's heartwarming with a lot of (sometimes a bit funny) stories about horses and running a B&B.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews