Stella's Book (with an inevitable update)
A few months ago when I was casting around for something to write, my dear dog Stella developed a limp she couldn't quite shake. At first, the vet treated it like a sprain, but it never improved, only got worse. Then the swelling started, and the tumor came. Not a sprain at all. Osteosarcoma.That's a dire disease in a dog, aggressive and usually fatal. The only option was to amputate the affected leg and hope the cancer hadn't spread. So that's what we did.
The limp started in November, and the surgery was in March -- the stretch of time when I was writing Sleepaway. I was determined to tell a story about decent people making the right choices and doing the right things because that's the only kind of story I could live with, and I took my muse where I found her, often blundering through the surf or upside down on the bed.
From now on when people new to my work ask me which of my books they should read, Sleepaway is the one I'll point them to. Partly because it's brief and wistful and turned out very much like I'd hoped, but chiefly because it's Stella's through and through. This may not be a book about a dog, but it was certainly inspired by one.
As I write this, Stella is doing pretty well. She's frisky on some days, balky on others, but she still knows who she knows and barks at everybody else. About all I can do is hope for the best, not my usual calibration, but I'm giving it a go.
While people are all right in their way, there's not much that beats a dog.
So much for hope. Stella’s cancer spread into her lungs and made appallingly quick work of her. Early this July morning, Stella went out on her shield even if it looked like a patch of linoleum in an over-lit exam room. She was a great girl and a near constant companion, tough duty with a cranky old guy like me. I think I'll head for a dark corner and be heartbroken for a while.
The link for ebook preoders is below. The paperback edition will be available on or around pub date, July 21st.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SVVDXY7
And if you've gotten this far, here's something for your trouble:
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Jim
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Jun 18, 2019 03:48PM
Damn. I think I need to take my dog to the vet. Looking forward to the paperback release. peace.
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Hi Jim,Uh oh. I'm sure it's nothing, though I have found a miracle treatment for dogs (and I was very skeptical): CBD oil, but only the pricey high-test stuff. I think it's what's keeping Stella going.
Even in a short blog post, you can still make me laugh! I love the line "she still knows who she knows and barks at everybody else".And indeed, nothing much beats a dog.
I'm looking forward to the paperback edition of Sleepaway. I read Warwolf as an e-book but I didn't care for the format at all. I'll stick to print versions.
Well you made me cry. So looking forward to reading Sleepaway!
Hi Jon,She's a barker, selectively. No preorders for paperbacks, for some reason, so it'll be along about the 3rd week in July.
Thanks for checking in.
Didn't mean to make you cry, Nancy. At least not yet. Wait for the book.I'll probably be giving away some copies via LibraryThing in a couple of weeks, if you want to get in early.
I'm looking forward to it!T.R. wrote: "Hi Jon,
She's a barker, selectively. No preorders for paperbacks, for some reason, so it'll be along about the 3rd week in July.
Thanks for checking in."
Oh, poor Stella! I'm so glad she's doing okay - lots of good wishes for her to continue getting better and better. Now I am really looking forward to July 30, and I've just realized I never reviewed Serpent of Old, which I really really loved. Going to go do that right now.
Hi Beth,Thanks. I do need reviews, which I've found very hard to come by. I think you'll enjoy the new one, and I'm hoping I can push up pub date by a couple of weeks. Just not sure yet. I'm trying to be smart about all the details, and I'm not used to that.
T.R. wrote: "Hi Beth,Thanks. I do need reviews, which I've found very hard to come by. I think you'll enjoy the new one, and I'm hoping I can push up pub date by a couple of weeks. Just not sure yet. I'm tryi..."
Reviews are SO important, and I'm the world's worst at putting them off until I can magically write the perfect review. Never mind that any review is a whole lot better than no review.
Thanks, Beth, for the lovely review. I appreciate the words and the effort.
Hope it is well received! Equally important Stella is doing well.Bill
Thanks, Bill. Stella is having a rocky week, but she's hanging in there.
June 28, 2019Dear Mr. Pearson,
What a warm and beautiful story about Stella. And what a beautiful name for a dog, somehow more fitting, I think, than for a woman. Your story inspired me to tell my own dog story. We had just moved to Eastern Carolina from the Midwest. It was a few days before Christmas--almost 25 years ago now--and I was in the local hardware store frantically searching for this and that when I was accosted by a young boy who cradled two tiny pups in his arms, a brown one to the left and a black one to the right. “Hey mister,” he said, “do you want a pup.” I was so taken aback I was literally speechless. After a moment or two I replied, “I guess so,” while pointing to the black one. With the deal consummated and without even knowing the dog’s gender, I returned home, opened the door quietly and announced to my wife, “I’ve got a surprise for you.” Without hesitation she replied, “Is it a puppy?” We named the dog Rum Tum Tugger after T. S. Eliot’s Book of Practical Cats. Eventually we discovered that it was a female ane at least partially Blue Tick Hound. Full grown at 27 pounds Tugger was to us the most loving and beautiful creature on the planet. She was fast as the wind and could change directions on a dime like a linebacker. Now fast forward three years. We were up before dawn packing our van for a trip to Chicago. Tugger was barking and frothing through the surrounding woods like she always did. Then suddenly everything went still. It took a few minutes to process the erie silence but I knew instantly doom was upon us. I got a searchlight and trudged around until finding our precious little dog. Her throat had been ripped out. Tugger was so quick and fast, I could never understand how she became so vulnerable. Our next dog was also a black female who spent her entire 18 years trying to live up to Tugger. It was a valiant try, but she never quite made it. My mournful story now becomes a dirge with the news that my beloved sailboat J. E. Firesheets
finally succumbed to the deep. My universe seems to be shrinking. Write on, Mr Pearson. You’re the best there ever was. And give Stella a hug for me.
Joe Caravello
Hi Joe,You took me on a ride -- up and down. Sorry about your boat and certainly about your dog. I got a great dog about 25 years ago. Some fool put her out of a car. Many years later, she had a stroke and wandered off in a thunderstorm (she always hated thunder). I never did find her, still look for her a little.
Like I said, there's not much that beats a dog. Thanks for sharing.
Mr. Pearson, The words, "I'm sorry for your loss" aren't adequate, but I am, so there it is. Stella sounds like a wonderful friend and I know you miss her keenly. My husband and I tend to take in strays and rejects - he's a veterinary tech, so lots of opportunities. We currently have a motley crew of 4 and the numbers have gone up and down over the years. I wish their lives were as long as ours. I look forward to reading Stella's book.
Regards,
Charlee Griffith
Thanks very much, Charlee. Stella was a shelter dog, and we had a lucky match. She was the best possible buddy.I appreciate your kind words.
Oh, I'm so sorry about Stella - she was a lucky girl to have you. I' mglad she didn't linger in pain, at least. I know you miss her terribly.
Thanks, Beth. Yes, I miss her quite a lot and see her everywhere.
Hi Tom,So sorry to hear about your Stella. She sounds like such a sweet girl. At least she is not in any more pain....I am so sorry.
Bridget
Thanks, Bridget. She was a wonderful dog and a great pal but just unlucky, I guess. I miss her very much.
