Have you hugged someone today (human or dog)?

Welcome to my newsletter which will provide updates on my forthcoming book, Dog Love Stories—The Canines Who Changed Me, out on March 18^th, 2025.

If you know others who might be interested, please forward and share.

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Thank you for the kind and helpful responses to my last newsletter, Welcome to Mercy Me, and for the preorders that have started coming in! Right now you can preorder a copy for yourself or for friends. (Preorders are very important for authors, and doing so means so much to me.) You can preorder the book from Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative, my local independent bookstore, or from any of the sites listed on Simon & Schuster. Also, please know that I love hearing from you even if you don’t hear back from me.

The Importance of Hugs

Who knew some dogs like to be hugged? Although Mercy has always stuck her head between my knees and loved being petted, I didn’t know of her propensity to accept a full-on hug until recently. Years ago, however, I do remember how a hug helped her distressed sister, Goodness Gracious, calm down when she came home with us from the Alamosa shelter.

Me, hugging Goodness Gracious, and Zero, a friend's dog, receiving a hug at the Rio Grande Farm Park

Years ago, either Bill or I read about how hugging twice a day for 20 seconds could benefit a relationship and the huggers’ health. We laughed and decided, why not? Soon we were hugging regularly and asking the other, did we hug today? Or, have we hugged twice today? Sometimes 20 seconds felt like an eternity, and sometimes it zipped by (yes, we usually counted). It was one of the best decisions we ever made, and one I think of often now and miss terribly.

One day when I wanted one of those hugs oh so badly, I called Mercy over, coaxed her in, and gave her as long of a hug as she would tolerate. I felt her breathe deeply and relax along with me. She liked it! Now I try to hug her (wanna guess?) twice a day. If I sit on the ottoman, she even comes to me, ready for her hug.

Me hugging Mercy Mercy Me

The ninth story in Dog Love Stories is about Mercy Mercy Me. Her comforting presence in my life has been monumental after Bill’s death earlier this year, which happened after my manuscript had been submitted for publication. (I was able, however, to add an Epilogue.) Talk about how a dog can walk her human companion through the fires; Mercy is certainly doing that. You can see one of our hugs in the video below.¹

The Advanced Reader Copy

The publication process is a lengthy one; writing the book is only the first of many steps. Recently, I received my Advanced Reader Copy, known as the ARC. This is the final opportunity to catch typos and other small errors before the book goes to press.

It felt good to hold the book in my hands, as I was quite delighted with the sketches of my dogs that are featured at the beginning of each chapter. In the video below,² you can hear more about the ARC and see the book in my hands.

Release date: Tuesday, March 18^th, 2025

My home bookstore, the Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative in Alamosa, CO, is hosting my release party on Friday, March 21^st at 6pm. We’ll have snacks, a reading, Q&A, and signing.

I’m currently scheduling readings for 2025 in CO, TX, NM, and CA at bookstores, homes, and book clubs, plus on Zoom (dates TBA). If you preorder a book then attend one of my events, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a copy of my book to gift someone else. If you have suggestions for locations such as bookstores or libraries in your area, or if you are open to hosting a home reading, Zoom, or know someone who might be, please let me hear from you. It will help give this book legs if I can connect with as many places and people as possible. I’d also welcome suggestions for interviews on radio stations, podcasts, etc. (a press release is available upon request).

I hope you’ll follow this book’s journey and stay tuned in for monthly newsletters. You can also find me on Facebook at Patricia Eagle Writes, and Instagram at @patricia.e.eagle, and my website.

May stories about loving dogs give our journeys a lift.

1. Video taken by Matt Struck of Struck Media

2. Video taken by Matt Struck of Struck Media