Sometimes humans ask me what I do all day

Being part of a publishing operation requires hard work, lots of snacks, occasional day-time naps, and an ability to multitask. Needless to say, I am excelling!

Personally, when I am not devouring snacks, I believe the biggest, most important part of my job is placing a good, gentle paw on an author’s back and saying (with that oh-so-perfect gaze) “You’ve got this.” Being ever-present is also critical because I am keenly aware that humans find comfort in running a hand along my soft fur, putting a head on my belly, or taking hold of one of my paws. It’s a good thing I have four of them. Paws, that is.

Sleeping seems valuable to ensuring author success.

You might wonder if I enjoy my job here at Little Brown Dog Press. Of course I do! What’s not to like? I get to make my own hours. Being part of the work-at-home generation, if I need a quick walk to break the routine, I don’t hesitate. But I am a very responsible member of the workforce. I do not abuse this convenient opportunity. No, no, no. I am diligent. Unlike many humans, I spend little time on social media, so no loss of work hours there. I do, however, from time to time, find a few things to bark at out the windows. This could be considered unproductive time, I suppose, but I tend to consider it on task and essential.

Signaling lunch hour is one of the most important elements of my job description. I do this daily with gusto. I mean, an author without food is an author without words. Even I can spell “low blood sugar”. Do you find the thought of a wordless author as cringe-worthy as I do? I sure hope so.

Occasionally, I must admit I am tempted to put a paw on a laptop to see what happens. I mean, writing humans are always poking around on their laptops. In fact, I am occasionally so tempted to see what this laptop thing is all about that I actually do it. I put a paw on one. This creates human havoc - such an intriguing situation! Apparently, I am not supposed to touch the thing. I still have not figured out why I should leave it alone, but since it doesn’t dispense food, I feel no big loss doing so.

In general, I guess you could say I am the glue that keeps everything together. I feel good about this. And I work hard at being the best at what I do everyday.

Grateful for a Thanksgiving Rescue Story

Twelve years ago, the day after Thanksgiving, another beautiful rescue story had another beautiful beginning. That’s the day someone rescued the little brown dog - Quinnifer a.k.a. Quinn. It wasn’t the first home into which the little brown dog had been welcomed. It wasn’t even the second one. Quinn’s first year of life is a mystery to us all, but we know she was “adopted” and returned by at least one other family before she came to be our Quinnifer. Looking back, she almost didn’t make it through the first week with us.

Quinn’s earliest days might have been in Durham, NC. Or they might have been somewhere altogether different. We have no idea. She came out of a Durham shelter. We are most grateful for the work this shelter and so many others do to save the beautiful animals who have been given a rough lot in life - no home, abandoned, unwanted, or left behind by a loving family that moved, or an elderly owner who passed. The wonderful people working at shelters across the country, and around the globe, open up their hearts on a daily basis to make the lives of these wonderful strays whole again, and to help heal them physically and emotionally to the best place possible. Thank you, one and all.

As I said, Quinn came to us the day after Thanksgiving, and almost didn’t make it the first week. No one in the family had ever had a dog. Cats? Yes. Dog? No. Quinn came with a lot of anxiety, and did a lot of things we had never seen done by a cat. She needed a home and a generous, loving heart. She was given both as Quinn and family patiently came to know one another and worked to help Quinn become a family member.

Fast forward a few years, and Quinn moved again. How many of you reading this have “hand-me-down” pets from your children? It is wonderful watching adult children take the next steps, and it is a gift, albeit not a life plan, to receive your grown child’s dog or cat when your young adult takes flight and realizes it is best done solo, instead of with the responsibility of caring for another. That’s how Quinn became a “farm dog” at a flower farm in Connecticut.

When we say Quinn followed her new human everywhere as she grew and harvested thousands upon thousands of flowers a year, we mean she followed her everywhere. She was a star participant! Still is, but now it is a writing life that Quinn is learning. As a flower-farming dog, Quinn helped plant, dig, plant, dig, cut flowers, water flowers, assemble bouquets, and more. She was an expert supervisor, rising from the ranks of newbie intern very, very quickly. What a joy it is to have a loyal dog by one’s side. If eight trips back and forth with buckets of flowers in hand were needed, Quinn nobly walked back and forth from flower row to barn eight times. In fact, she often led the way with an occasional glance over her shoulder to ensure all was on track. When the farmer pulled out a hose to water new seedlings into their rows, there lay Quinn, within ten feet of the action, one paw slung over the hose, apparently monitoring. When time came to make bouquets in the barn, Quinn curled in a bed beside the assembly space and rose every so often to do a check-in before resettling in a beautiful dog-curl repose.

Quinn has been a significant life-lesson to the humans around her, as we know other dogs have been to many people. As we have now transitioned into our writing and publishing life, Quinn continues to diligently pursue the learning curve alongside us. As we awaken daily to the very happy heart of our little companion hound, we are grateful on a daily basis for this wonderful Thanksgiving Rescue story and for the work of the many rescue shelters and kind hearts far and near. They always say it is the person who is “rescued” and not the pet. We must say, we are very, very lucky human rescues. Without this gift of a dog, life would be far less full. Here’s to finding the love of others, both human and furry, feathered, or finned. Here’s to being thankful every single moment of each day, for all the wonder life holds. Here’s to gratitude for this good earth, and to the bonds we can make, rather than the ones broken.

Welcome to Quinnifer’s Book Club

Welcome to a blog with thoughts about dogs, books, and more inspired by Quinnifer, a.k.a. Quinn, the little brown dog behind Little Brown Dog Press.

Dogs are special members of many families. Other pets are too. Through many genres - mystery, thriller, literary fiction, nonfiction and dog memoirs - canines truly shine, whether they be big or small, speedy or more-inclined-to-lope, sneaky or transparent, working dogs or fluffy couch potatoes. It is fitting that “man’s best friend” is a part of so many stories. After all, aren’t dogs integral to many people’s real-life, personal stories?

Quinnifer’s Book Club hopes to provide interesting information and thought-provoking essays to bring special enjoyment to you, my many friends and readers.

You can expect a post every so often. Quinn has much to say, but she and E. B. Lee (aha, her ghostwriter is revealed) have a lot going on in life, precluding more frequent transmission of news. You, undoubtedly, have much going on as well.

For now, welcome to Quinnifer’s Book Club. If you wish to keep on top of E. B. Lee’s other writing life, please subscribe to the author newsletter here. You’ll be the first to receive publication news, stories behind the stories, and more. You will also learn when Quinn has okayed publication of another blog entry for Quinnifer’s Book Club.

Click the button to sign up for the newsletter. You can always unsubscribe if you wish.

Hi. I’m Quinn. Welcome to Quinnifer’s Book Club. Usually I dictate. Today, I’m tapping the keys.