These Dog Stories Made Readers Cry
Reading reviews of The Smiling Dog Cafe
I don’t usually read reviews of my books. They’re done, and there’s nothing more I can do to make them better. But I cared so much about The Smiling Dog Café that I was desperate to know what readers thought.
And wow! “What an amazing book ! I enjoyed the stories and my heart got bigger and squishier.”
“I loved this book of 2 stories !! They have it all, heart tugging drama, life lessons and love!!”
“Reminded me what is important in living this sometimes unexplainable life.”
“Sweet stories that present full characters that come alive on the pages. And sweetened with glimpses of loving dogs. I can’t wait to go back to the Smiling Dog Cafe!”
My heart is full! I had two goals in writing this book, a creative one and a business one. The idea of creating something to make readers feel good caught at my heart and demanded to be written, and I loved the process of writing it more than anything else I’ve done.
For a long time, I’ve had a business goal of writing something that would appeal to the readers of the golden retriever mysteries. I want to satisfy readers—but I’m trying to keep the crime rate down in Stewart’s Crossing! So writing about dogs in a similar heart-warming way has satisfied that goal. I’m very excited that my golden lovers have opened their hearts to a good cup of coffee and an emotional ending.
“The dogs leaving their pictures on the café walls to go out and searching for people to help was absolutely wonderful. Can not wait for the next book in the series. I will probably read every one of them as I have with the Golden Retriever mystery series.”
But golden readers, don’t despair! Steve and Rochester return on the 31st of this month with an all-new investigation. If you want to find out what happens when Lili’s friend Yesenia arrives to teach a winter course at Eastern, you’ll be able to read all about it then. It brings together several things that fascinate me, including food, dogs, and the fate of Jewish immigrants who landed in the Caribbean when the US was closed to them.
Of course there’s murder, too, and plenty of suspects for Steve and Rochester to nose into. The print version is on sale now at Amazon, and the e-book will release on January 31. (I like to get the print up early so my beta readers can post reviews, which will then be visible when most readers see the listing.) You can also pre-order the e-book from Amazon or other e-retailers.
I’ve haven’t forgotten the people who love my gay heroes, either. The next Victorian MM romance, The Lord’s Gambit, is with my editor now for his second read. I don’t expect much feedback, because at the end of the first read he wrote, “Excellent book, Neil. Bravo!”
That’s what every writer wants to hear!
After that, I’ll be circling back to the café, where a brother and sister need to find their way back to each other. There’s a bit of my own family history in there, including the discovery when I was an adult that my father had a sister who died in childhood. The sad true story is that no one knows where this little girl was buried, so the only way we can remember her is in our hearts.
I hope your hearts are full this winter season, even if it’s cold outside. (We’ve been seeing unusual lows in the 40s and 50s here in South Florida.) And if you need a little heart-warming, I hope you’ll check out The Smiling Dog Café, and then Dog Grant Me.
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