As I relayed in a previous post, at the tail-end of March I welcomed a tiny 5 lb. pup into our pack. Since then, she has quadrupled in weight and at four months she is just a about 20 lbs. It’s noted that if you double the weight of a 4 month-old puppy, you can estimate their adult weight, which is just about what I’ve thought all along. Winnie should be a mid-sized pooch.

I named her Winnie because we met in the parking lot of our local Winn Dixie. I won’t go into too much detail about how I found myself taking her little body into my arms and driving home to tell David that besides grocery items, I had acquired a puppy. 

I will save the details of what transpired that day as I’m currently in the process of finding a good home for my memoir, working title of FETCHING QUINT, that I started drafting in January 2024. I recently made the analogy that just like a sweet pup, dog, cat or other homeless animal, a good story and book deserves a good home, and the path to that home is often winding, convoluted and all at once magical. I hold out hope that my story, and Quint, Jackson’s and Winnie’s as well, will be read by many in the future and often publishers don’t want too much content shared before they get to present it.

Nowadays, there are so many options to getting published. The traditional route remains the most sought path, but in many cases, that is extremely difficult if you wish to be published by the imprint of the Big Five (or is it Four now?) publishing houses that require you to have a Literary Agent to even be considered. Obtaining literary representation is extremely difficult. I’ve had the distinction of being repped by four with differing results so I can attest. 

So many times while hanging out on sites for writers I read about authors who have joyfully celebrated getting an agent only to report that even their agent had ultimately succumbed to rejection, or a book has “died on sub” meaning it wasn’t acquired by an editorial staff at a publishing house.

 It’s a wonder anyone even dares to go that route. But, thankfully, there are smaller, independent publishers, hybrid publishers and even great new ways to self-publish and retain your rights, especially if you are going to offer an audiobook.

I wrote and rewrote my memoir. Had it kicked around. Revised and even had it an industry professional provide developmental editing (big picture feedback) even catching some typos! Yes. We all have ‘em. I’ve been hearing from Beta Readers (First Readers) as well and now I’m sending out my message in a bottle (what I lovingly call my queries). An article I wrote about this grueling process appears in the latest issue of Ruff Drafts, the newsletter for the Dog Writers Association of America. 

Which brings me back to the canines! I never intended to have four dogs, but I have to say it has been an unexpected joy. Each dog is so unique in looks and temperament, but they find a way to co-exist peacefully despite the energetic antics of a young pup. Jackson, who is officially still a pup at 80 lbs and a year and a half of age, and Winnie have become bonded and are rarely apart. It has been incredible to watch their friendship grow. The older two tolerate them well. 

 

There’s a great take-away point here. We never know what the day will present. Who knew that I’d find myself living in a farm town I’d never even heard of after purchasing a log home on a whim. Who knew that when I was sprinting into a grocery store for just a few items, one of those items would be a puppy?

Not too long ago, there was a campaign for the Winn Dixie grocery chain with the catch-phrase, “It’s a Winn Winn.” Having Winnie in our lives has been a “win win” situation and is one of my nick names for her. Winnie found a good home, she brings a new energy and lightness to our lives, and now together, my pack and I seek a good home for our story, and maybe we’ll even inspire others to tell their own. Please wish us luck!