Holding My Breath... and Two Great Books

      While I'm holding my breath and waiting for an editor to read my manuscript because she asked for it at a writing conference and said she was going to read it last week when in reality she should have read it immediately it is that good and then she would have felt compelled to send it over to Random House so in reality I am holding my breath to see how big the check will be that'll flutter onto my lap along with the publishing contract I'm going to slobber about a couple of books I just finished.

         Any decent dog book ends with the dog dying. Old Yeller. My Dog Skip. Marley and Me. Knowing that, I figured I could resist crying. 

          I couldn't.

          Julie Barton's memoir is so much more than a dog tale. It's a story of sibling physical abuse. It's a story of depression. It's a story of forgiveness. It's a story of emerging from a horrible abyss... with the help of a four-legged miracle named Bunker.

          However, Barton's abyss is always lurking nearby.

          

                After I finished sobbing over a handsome golden boy (Bunker was a golden retriever) I read Lisa Ricard Claro's most recent romance novel, Love to Win, which is the final book in this threesome. She's pulled off a hat trick. For the third time in a row, she's sucked me into reading a romance... when normally I stick my nose up in the air, above anything that has a whiff of sweet, fluffy romance.

                This story has Dante and Brenna at its heart. Brenna--in my opinion--is the strongest female character of this trilogy. She's competitive--she hates to lose--and she's not afraid to fight for what she wants.

                I won't give away any spoilers, but I will say that in the end, the cat saves the day.

                And not only is it a story that has a compelling plot, but it also has a rescued cat, a man who's haunted by his time as a soldier, some family dysfunction... and some well-crafted lines.

                These are a few I jotted down:

Why do gorgeous women always fill their tanks with gallons of Batshit Crazy?

The truth sluiced over her, a warm wash of self-realization.

Words died in his throat.

         And when you read a book, don't forget to write a review. An honest one. You liked the book? Write a review. You were bored to tears over a book? Write a review. 

         After all, most writers don't ever get applause. They rarely get packed auditoriums. The way you can clap for them, the way you can give them feedback is to write them a review.

        And hopefully soon, I will be able to exhale... 

        What is a great book you've read this summer? And/Or what do you still want to do before summer ends?

Dog Medicine

       Dogs can certainly make our lives better. But can they save our life?

       Julie Barton says yes. Yes, a dog can save a person's life, because a golden retriever puppy named Bunker saved her life.

       I am only half-way through this wonderful memoir, and to say it's compelling is an understatement.

       Last week Barton did a book event at the library headquarters. I was first in line (which has never happened before) and when some people in the audience (who had already read the book) said they cried when reading it, I scoffed.

Bunker and Julie

       That evening, when she read a chapter of the book, I cried (said she who scoffed way too early).

       This book is noteworthy for a couple of reasons. One, it is skillfully arranged and beautifully written. Julie cleverly uses flashbacks, along with pairing her healing with the newborn puppy's struggles. Barton was abused by her older brother, resulting in her becoming depressed. When she got a golden puppy named Bunker Hill, she started getting better.

      Also, this book was first published by a one-man publishing house (in his basement? in a shed in his backyard? I'm not sure). It had such high sales, Medicine Dog was picked up by Random House-Penguin, one of the big five in the publishing world.

      So. A young girl can emerge from the abyss that is depression (with a handsome blonde at her side). And a little book?

      Well, a little book can explode...

Julie Barton