Drum roll please as I introduce my latest writing endeavor—A Dog Named 647! I plan to launch this middle-grade novel out into the world on September 20th, which happens to be National Puppy Mill Awareness Day.

Given that all of my prior published writing has been nonfiction, you may be wondering, why the foray into fiction? Here’s the back story…

You may know by now that puppy mills are a huge thorn (make that a jagged stick) in my side. While we adults have chipped away at the puppy mill industry, our efforts haven’t been nearly enough.

Time we educate the next generation, I say! Inspired by Greta Thunberg, I want to educate middle-grade kids about puppy mills. Children this age have a bourgeoning awareness of and curiosity about social issues, and many of them love dogs.

I tried very hard with multiple attempts to write a compelling nonfiction middle-grade book about puppy mills. Each version left me thinking, “If I was a middle grader, no way would I want to read this book!”

So… I opted to try fiction instead, and am thrilled with the result. A Dog Named 647 features a dog-crazy protagonist who comes face-to-face with the dark underbelly of the puppy mill industry. Here is the book’s back cover description.

I’m super excited to launch my book out into the world. My goal is to get it into the hands of as many kids as possible.

Best wishes to you and your four-legged family members for abundant good health,

Dr. Nancy