"The story is heart-warming and heart-wrenching and should not be missed. [...] I recommend you pick it up and give it a read, especially if you love dogs/animals and wonder about the relationships/feelings they have toward those humans who interact with them throughout their lives. Oh… get ready to cheer for Coop, The Great!" Janet, Goodreads
Description:
Release Date: November 15th, 2018
Coop is an aging, cynical, down-and-out dachshund who faces the ultimate test when his new owner, Mike, and Mike’s grandchildren, Zach and Emma, run into trouble. Mike rescued him, but does Coop have what it takes to do the same?
Drawing strength from the stories about great dogs that Mike shares with him, Coop charts a dangerous journey to save his new family.
a deleted scene...
I wrote the scene below to provide backstory in the second chapter. I kept it through a few rounds of revisions, then decided at the end to cut it out entirely. The scene wasn’t really necessary. By including it, I was telling more than showing, introducing facts that didn’t really matter, and slowing down the pace of the material all at the same time..
Here’s the deleted scene:
At the front desk, Ruth pulled out a folder thick with sheets of paper. “Cooper is a wonderful dog, but he’s had a rough go of it.” She rummaged through the papers, took out a sheet, and passed it to the old man. “I’ll give you this. It will tell you more about his history – where he came from, how he got here.” Ruth looked at me, then at the old man. “You might want to read this before you make a final decision.”
My history? Oh god, no. Please don’t.
I had what humans call “a checkered past.” My first owners lived in a posh section of the city in a sprawling bungalow with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, gleaming marble floors, and a pervading smell of disinfectant. Visions of shoes chewed, floors peed on, house plants unearthed, and a dozen other of my misdeeds flickered into my mind. Faces of my previous owners popped into view, too - faces lined with disappointment and frustration.
After a few weeks of misbehavior, my owners tossed me into the red Ferrari, drove to Derby Animal Shelter and dropped me off like a sack of dirty laundry. They left in a hurry, laughing and giggling, free of the responsibilities that a dog like me demands.
I nudged the man’s legs and gave him my most pleading look. I’ll be better this time, I promise.
But the old man barely glanced at the sheet. “No need to read this. Thanks, though.” He passed it back to Ruth.
About the author:
Larry Verstraete (B.Sc, M.Ed.) is a Winnipeg writer and educator. A teacher for 30 years, his experience ranges from teaching university courses to teaching at the senior and middle years levels in public school. An author of books for youngsters, Larry has also written for writer’s manuals, science textbooks, and educational journals, and has conducted sessions in science and writing for youngsters and adults around the country. His writing career began as an off-shoot of his teaching one, and here is his story.....
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2 comments:
Thanks for the chance!
I like the book cover and the book description.
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