Welcome to the Midnight at the Shelter Blog Tour!
Follow along as we celebrate the release of Midnight at the Shelter (November 1, 2022) with behind-the-scenes looks from author Nanci Turner Steveson, plus 5 chances to win a copy!
Lifelong Animal Love
by Nanci Turner Steveson
The English Countryside, 1960. I was 2 1/2 and fell into a small tributary from the Thames River. My dad waded in and pulled me out, then wrapped me in his sweater and turned the heat on in the car to warm me up. I didn’t cry, but I do remember being terribly upset that I had frightened the ducks we’d been feeding. That is the first time I remember feeling attached to an animal.
But my real, serious, all-consuming love affair with the animal kingdom happened in August of 1961 when I was three. My family went on vacation to Donegal, Ireland, and for the first time I rode a pony. I remember everything like it was yesterday the color of the and the way his back swayed just enough for my brother and me to fit snuggly together. I remember that my sweater itched until I sat on the pony and suddenly the itch didn’t matter. I remember the sky was blue, the road was rocky, the hills were green and spilled down to sandy dunes by the ocean. I remember the scent of that sweaty pony, the hollow thud of his hooves on the path, and the way his mane felt like feathers twisted between my fingers. My brother was afraid, I was not. I was in heaven, exactly where I was meant to be, and from that moment on I was 100% horse-girl. And where there are horses, there are dogs and cats and an assortment of other animals and birds. Horse people are animal lovers, and my happiest place has always been when I was surrounded by them all.
I have had so many rescued dogs and cats and bunnies and chinchillas over my life, it is impossible to name them all, but every single one had a profound impact on me. There was a teeny calico kitten found on a freezing February day stuffed between two rocks in a stone wall. She fit in the palm of my hand and after I nursed her back to health, she went to live with my sister. Ashley only had Coconut a couple of years before my dad died and my mom moved into a senior living facility. Mom was lonely, so Coconut went to live with her. To say Coconut was spoiled is an understatement, but she kept my mom company and happy for the rest of her life.
And there was Quinn, an amazing cattle dog (who has a place in my book) who we rescued 24 hours before she was going to be euthanized. Clearly with a background in agility, we have no idea why she was dumped at a shelter, but she was a companion for my son after he had been in the hospital with a long, critical illness. I have no doubt that Quinn saved his life at least once. When Quinn went over the Rainbow Bridge, Tink, a golden retriever who had been abandoned when her family moved away (Holly in the book), and who I had taken in as a failed-foster, followed my son out the door of the vet clinic that day and has never left his side. She knew instinctively that he needed her more than I did, and she was right.
There was the older gentleman who was losing his wife to Alzheimer’s when their old dog, Lulu, died. He was crushed, and sure he would be alone forever. But in the oddest of coincidences, the very next day my vet got a call from a colleague in Texas who was trying to place a dog whose owner had just passed away. The little dog in Texas was the spitting image of Lulu. Even more profound was that the man who runs My Dog is My Copilot just happened to be flying to Texas that day to pick up some dogs from an overcrowded shelter and was able to meet up with the Texas vet and fly The New Lulu 1400 miles to the grieving man who held her in his arms within two days of his loss.
I experience these kinds of miracles and the love of animals all the time, which is why when the opportunity arose, I knew I had to speak for them. I had to tell their stories and write this book. I have captured only a fraction of what I could share, but I would truly love to hear from anyone about their own rescue story and how their beloved friends changed their lives. You can do this through my website on the contact page (with permission to post on my blog) at www.nanciturnersteveson.com. Can’t wait to hear from you!
About the Book
Written with a distinctively doggy voice, great humor, and plenty of heart, this novel from acclaimed author Nanci Turner Steveson is a perfect pick for readers looking for a touching animal story in the vein of Because of Winn-Dixie or Marley & Me.
Rescue dog MahDi is happy helping his human partner, “MomDoc,” with the important work at her vet clinic and the local animal shelter. The two of them make a good team, caring for the town’s pets and matchmaking rescue animals with the families who need them.
When the shelter is suddenly down a staff member, the animals have to deal with a new caretaker: Huck, an unpleasant man who seems to have no problem threatening the animals he’s supposed to care for. As more dogs crowd into the shelter than are going to new homes, MahDi begins to worry that if MomDoc isn’t around, there is no telling what Huck might do.
With three perfectly good legs, the heart of a true leader, and his pack mates by his side, MahDi is willing to risk everything to save his shelter-friends from an uncertain future.
Praise:
"Each dog’s story illustrates one of the many ways dogs come to need new homes and how wonderful rescue animals can be."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Alternating dogs’-eye views propel this immersive pack story from Steveson... Themes of love, hope, and belonging resound throughout, balancing the sometimes-dark content."
—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
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Nanci Turner Steveson grew up in Connecticut, England, and Texas, always with a book in one hand, the reins of a pony in the other. She wrote her first “novel” at the age of nine about a wild horse named Liberty. Nanci works with the Off Square Theatre Company as a stage manager and youth-performer shepherd. She is a reading fairy to book-hungry children and a riding instructor. The mother of two grown sons, Nanci lives in a meadow at the foot of the Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with her Arabian horse and a 100-pound rescue dog named Story. She is the founder of the Literacy for Hope project, dedicated to getting books into the hands of the homeless.
GIVEAWAY
- Five (5) winners will receive a hardcover of Midnight at the Shelter by Nanci Turner Steveson
- US/Canada only
- Ends 11/27 at 11:59pm ET
- Enter via the Rafflecopter below
- Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Blog Tour Schedule:
November 14th — Mama Likes This
November 15th — YA Book Nerd
November 16th — Pragmatic Mom
November 17th — Teen Librarian Toolbox
November 18th — YA Books Central
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