November 10, 2009 – A very important day for me. My novel “Rose In A Storm” has been accepted for publication next Fall, and my editor had some wonderful things to say about it. It was quite a project, the toughest book I have ever written and the most challenging. Telling a narrative story from the point of view of a dog (and a farmer) was difficult, and quite exhilarating. I had to learn a lot about the mind of a dog, and canine consciousness. I’m proud of the novel. It is, to the best of my knowledge and ability, faithful to the way dogs really think. The fictional Rose, like the real one, is complex, a mixture of toughness, dedication, work, loyalty and vulnerability. In the novel, Rose is on a farm during a dreadful storm. Her plight is heightened when her farmer is injured and has to leave, and she is alone with cows, donkeys, sheep, wind, cold and snow and hungry coyotes and foxes.
  To me, it’s an awakening story, and the heart of it is the dog’s evolving emotional landscape. On this farm, I have seen my Rose evolve as a partner and decision-maker and she is definitely the inspiration for this book, and for the sequel, just getting underway in the Adirondacks.
  I have long wanted to return to fiction, where I began as a writer, and this message from my editor brought tears to my eyes. This was a long winter, and I was more into this book than any I can recall. I’m excited about it. I’m going to be meeting my editor in New York, and I’m much looking forward to having a drink over “Rose In A Storm.” I could not have done it without these two very determined women.
  The book also reflects some of my own emotional geography, as all books generally do with writers. Wow.