Brodie, my current furchild

Are you an animal lover like me? I’m a big supporter of animal rescue organizations, so for the first two weeks (July 24-August 6) after my new book, SECOND TIME AROUND, releases, I will be donating a portion of the purchase price to groups that help our critter friends. My New Book Alert subscribers nominated almost 50 organizations. Clearly, my readers also care deeply about our four-legged companions. By the way, international sales are included in the donation as well.

The three organizations I finally chose, after much debate, are:

Cat House on the Kings: California’s largest no-cage, no-kill cat sanctuary. (Multiple readers nominated this group.)

Funny Farm Rescue Animal Sanctuary: a New Jersey farm where over 550 rescue animals are loved and cared for.

Villalobos: an all-breed rescue facility–but with a focus on pitbulls–in Louisiana. (The featured rescue dog in SECOND TIME AROUND is a pitbull.)

Here’s where you can buy SECOND TIME AROUND:

Kindle:  http://amzn.to/2CyfIJR

Print: http://amzn.to/2DxgSrr

Audio: http://amzn.to/2FBfSTA

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-time-around-nancy-herkness/1127744129

I came by my animal-loving through both nature and nurture. My mother was the president of the local humane society while I was growing up in West Virginia. Our household held a virtual menagerie of five dogs, three cats, a pony, and various other creatures, including orphaned lambs, baby birds, and the occasional opossum. It was a marvelous way to learn unconditional love and responsibility.

The animal-loving gene was passed along to my daughter as well. She is currently a fourth-year veterinary student at Iowa State University and an invaluable resource for the animal-related scenes in my books.

Through the years I’ve had many four-legged companions. Of course, when they die, it breaks my heart. But the richness they bring to my life more than makes up for the occasional sorrow. To me, a house is not a home without a nonhuman inhabitant or two.