Second Chance Dog: A Love Story is about second chances in life – for Maria, an artists struggling to find her work and voice, for Frieda, an abandoned dog with a huge heart and a lot of prey drive, for me, a writer whose life had just gone to pieces. It is the happiest book I have ever written, the most writing I have ever done about love, the most serious experience with training an almost impossibly challenging dog I have ever had.

And yes, no dog dies (or even gets sick.) I like writing books with happy endings.

It is also a Christmas book, the story ends on Christmas eve, and I’ve never really written a book before that dovetails so nicely with Christmas – the cover is even green. There are other nice things happening around this book, which is due out next week – November 12 (The three of us will be launching the book at Battenkill Books, Main St., Cambridge, N.Y. at 7 p.m.) We have started a special promotion on behalf of Battenkill Books, my local bookstore, a statement about buying local, supporting bookstores, re-connecting reading with human beings, our own continuing version of Plaid Friday. Anyone who pre-orders the book from Battenkill will get it signed and personalized by me (Maria also if you wish) and the buyer will be eligible for a free bag of Fromm Family Food, photos of Minnie and the hens or some free books.

Maria didn’t realize until yesterday when we went to Battenkill how many books she was going to have to sign – her face was a lot of fun to see. (I told her she is a whineass.) So was her post about it – You Want Who To Sign Your Book?

Battenkill has already received about 400 pre-orders we are shooting for 500 or more by pub date. You can also call the store at 518 677-2515 to place an order, they take Paypal and ship anywhere in the world. This connection with Battenkill has become an important part of my writing life, it is a wonderful way to make a book come alive and do good beyond the story itself, which I am quite proud of. And a sweet way to promote a great bookstore.

I am also connecting this book with Plaid Friday, an important and growing effort to preserve individuality and community in the face of the great corporate onslaught on life in America. They shouldn’t take over everything.

And I am just beginning to grasp what a good Christmas present this book could be to anyone who is interested in love, dogs, family and second chances. This book also marks a seminal turning point in my life as a writer – it is a symbol of the new book tour, the new way of writers promoting their work, of controlling their marketing, of empowering themselves.

And then, there is the most important thing about the book – it is an account of the great light Maria and Frieda brought into my life, of how they saved my life really, and gave me the most wonderful second chance any human being could ever get – a chance at love. Do not ever give up on love. And do not ever give up on dogs. If you wish to pre-order or order the book from an outlet other than Battenkill, you can find the options here.

I well understand that many of you are purchasing the book on digital devices, and thank you – nobody ought to feel bad about that, I have one, they are quite wonderful – this book in paper form can do a lot of good for many things in many ways – for you, as a gift, for the holidays, for Plaid Friday, for the love of life. It’s time to take our country back, in all sorts of ways. I’m game.

The book is rising on a lot of online best-seller lists, it is in it’s second printing already,  you can check out some of the early reviews here.

I love the new book tour, it was waiting for me.