Martha has lost her collar and ended up at the local animal shelter. It falls to her to organize a pound break for all her new doggy friends but she soon discovers freedom isn't much without a family. When Martha's owner finally comes to take her home, she realizes that she can't leave her shelter friends behind. Martha, Helen, and her friends cook up a spectacular plan--Wagstaff's first Top Dog Show--to find families for all of the pound pooches! The book will include a cast of characters introduction and two pages of word-fun activities.

A collarless Martha lands in an animal shelter and makes new animal friends on whose behalf she organizes a dog show to help them find families.

A collarless Martha lands in an animal shelter and makes new animal friends on whose behalf she organizes a dog show to help them find families.

Nothing makes author Peg Gould smile like seeing Duke, her iron hulk of a dog, bound into the enclosed fields of the dog park near home with true hound-dog swagger, tail held high and wagging wildly. His velvety black hair and droopy jowls often are noticed and appreciated by onlookers as though they were sighting Elvis himself. Hound Dog Blues follows much of her reflection about life and death after she learns Duke has a terminal disease. Over the next weeks and monthsin trying to serve Dukes needs for exercise, rest, stimulation, and purpose, but also for effective anxiety and pain managementthe author is reminded of the early death of her mother from heart disease decades before. Ultimately, she is persuaded that our pets, with their shorter life spans, show us the way and have much to teach us about love, acceptance, and graceful loss. This is especially so if you are willing to uncover the depth of an animals anchoring role in your lifeand mourn the passing of a true companion.

Mom wants to fix each of her children's problems--Jeff's gambling, Ida's promiscuity, Junior's drinking--and to create a normal family. She convinces Pop to sell the family land and give $500,000 to each child, believing the money will solve their woes. However, hundreds of prairie dogs and the City Council's animal ordinance stop the sale. The prairie dogs come up out of their holes and into each of the Corleys' hearts, mysteriously softening their hard edges, helping them to find healing deep in Mother Nature.

Sarah was an artist who lived in a big house with her partner. He was a restless man and he would often disappear with no word about where he was going or for how long. Her daughter became concerned that Sarah was lonely. She suggested that Sarah should get a dog for company. So they went to the local pound and found a beautiful black dog. Sarah adopted her and called her Lady. Lady and Sarah spent many years together and Lady was growing old. Then came the terrible day when Lady died. Sarah was very sad for many months. She realised that she needed the company of a dog, so she and her daughter returned to the shelter and Sarah adopted a black dog which she named Bo. Then she decided that one dog was not enough, so she went back to the dog shelter and adopted another black dog which she named Billie. Bo and Billie did not get on very well at first. Billie had an ambition to be an only dog and they were both jealous for Sarah's attention. Then one day intruders broke into the big house. Bo and Billy joined forces to frighten the man off. After that the two dogs became the best of friends and the house was happy and peaceful once again. Sarah decided that she should get to know the people in the neighbourhood. So she arranged a street party which starred her two black dogs, Bo and Billie.

Who says a Gen X hipster can't solve old-school mysteries? Harley Jean's a failed college student. Her brief career in corporate banking went up in flames. She can't find Mr. Right and might settle for Mr. Wrong. She's twenty-six-years old--staring down the barrel at thirty--and now she works as a tour guide in the whacko land of Elvis. She's named after a motorcycle. Her dad's an Elvis impersonator. Her Mom talks to spirit guides. Someone kidnaps her family's dog--named King, in Elvis's honor. There's a ransom note. And then, things really get weird. Memphis tour guide Harley Jean Davidson is about to enjoy a rare day off when her parents call with news that King, their border collie, has been dognapped. Harley Jean's mom insists the culprit is Bruno Jett, their next door neighbor. Harley Jean would rather run over her own foot with a motorcycle than talk to him. He's drop-dead gorgeous--with a dangerous attitude she'd like to avoid. But King has to be rescued, so she sets off to find him. Harley Jean gets more than she bargains for when she finds a body, as well. Bruno Jett is definitely involved, but how? The Memphis P.D. wants to pin the murder on Harley Jean's dad. Now it's up to her to clear his name . . . and avoid becoming the killer's next victim. Leaving corporate banking for a job free of stress had been a matter of survival. So here she was, in her late twenties and burned out, but finally in a job she didn't have to take home with her at night. It was a good trade-off--most of the time. At least, when she didn't have to deal with a very sexy possible murderer . . . The basement door opened. Looking up, she saw Jett through the cracks in the wooden stairs. For a moment he just stood on the top step, the door propped open with his foot, then he let it close softly behind him but remained still and silent. He knew someone was here. The lights . . . she'd left the lights on. She barely breathed, just shallow breaths to keep from passing out, afraid he'd hear her. Bruno Magli shoes descended to the second riser. She briefly closed her eyes, thoughts of O.J. and his infamous shoes reverberating ominously in her brain. Surely, it was coincidence. The shoes descended another step, then another, and she held her breath until her ears rang and her lungs ached. The shoes stopped on the second from the bottom stair. She saw denim though the gaps, dark socks, long legs--she looked up and her gaze locked with dark blue eyes peering at her through the risers. Oh damn. He smiled, but it wasn't a very nice smile. "Well," he said, "I seem to have an uninvited visitor." "I . . . uh, was just looking for you." "And now you've found me." He reached the floor and turned to look at her where she'd edged out from beneath the stairs to feel for an escape route in the concrete block walls. "Why yes," she said, aware she spoke too brightly, "here you are. Now that you're home, I'll just be going." "No, I don't think so." He moved a few steps closer, near enough she could see the cold, dangerous gleam in his eyes. Uh oh. "Oh, I don't mind," she said, "really. I think I hear my mother calling me." "They're not home." She stared at him suspiciously. "And how do you know that?" "Because that obscene, puke green van is gone from the driveway." "Oh." That sounded logical. After all, it had been Bobby's first clue. So maybe Jett hadn't done anything to them or was responsible for them leaving. Maybe. He loomed over her. "I don't like you being here, and I don't like my privacy violated. Usually, I tend to get nasty about things like this." Uh oh. Not at all a promising conversation. Virginia Brown is the author of more than fifty novels, most recently the bestselling Dixie Diva Mysteries and the acclaimed mystery/drama, Dark River Road.