November we're going to the Dogs at B&N's General Fiction forum

November at your General Fiction forum we’re going to the dogs with a heartwarming, story of (wo)man’s best friend.

Our author Susan Wilson will be with us the entire month to chat, to answer questions, to let us pick her brain just a little. If you’re a frequent visitor to the forum you’ll remember that “The Dog Who Danced” was featured when it released in March, 2012. I fell in love with the story and especially with Mack, as “The Dog Who Danced”. So I’m pleased to be able to share this with all of you. Whether you have a dog, or a cat, or you’re just an animal lover you will love this emotional, sentimental and poignant story of the love that one special dog can bring to the lives around him.

The reading schedule, the author interview and more about the read will be upcoming, so please be sure and check out General Fiction often so you don’t miss a thing.

Here’s what I thought of “The Dog Who Danced”.

I hope to see you all in November!

An unexpected call has Justine Meade grateful for a shotgun seat on a semi heading towards a home she hasn’t seen since she left at seventeen because it means that her dog Mack is with her. Mack has been her salvation and made her look at life in a better way than the defeatist, betrayed way she used to when all she could think of was the loss of her childhood then later the loss of her son. The dog who learned to dance with her has been much more than a mere pet which is why she’s overwrought as she finds herself abandoned and dog-less by the trucker she hitched a ride with. 
Ed and Alice Parmalee have been imitating life for the seven years since the death of their only child, a child that was prayed for then delayed until neither of them thought it was ever going to happen and then took away at fifteen, it was a tragedy that shook them to the core and that has been an invisible barrier between them ever since until the day a stray dog comes into their lives and puts color and connection back into their world.
In the midst of a family crisis Justine frantically tries to find Mack with the help of a few friends and many strangers while the Parmalees are reconnecting with the help of one small furry miracle and who know nothing about the dog’s distraught owner.

There are many dog stories out there, those who heal, those who protect, those who comfort, what makes this story different is the poignant way that Susan Wilson brings it to life with her words. Her characters are all three dimensional, so realistic that I could smell the earth at Stacy’s grave and could feel the wind in my face as she takes Justine down the highway on the back of a Harley. The dialogue is a mesmerizing string of monologues that took me into the hearts and souls of the narrator, that made me a fly on the walls of their worlds and that gave me insights that I wish they would convey to each other. And then there was Mack, who Susan gave a voice to as well and who’s expertise in translating dog really shines through, it was amusing, it was touching and it was beautifully penned. This is the story of rejuvenation of forgiving of unconditional love. It’s the story of one woman’s best friend and the lengths she’ll go to get him back and it’s the unconditional love that one dog has for his human(s).
This is my first foray into the writing brilliance of Susan Wilson but I guarantee it will not be my last. 
Thank you Ms. Wilson for one of the most heartwarming and inspiring stories I’ve read for a while.

Buy the book here