A fashion-loving New Yorker who is passionate about rescuing dogs. You think that’s why I connected with Dogs Have Angels Too, the irrepressible book from my friend, Sarah Cavallaro? If you said yes, you’d be right, but there’s more. I love smart, quirky people and characters, and Sarah’s book is chock full. Described as “A heart-warming comedy of errors for dog lovers of the twenty-first century,” I thoroughly enjoyed this read. From the fabulous star and voice of the story, Miss Pink (can you tell which is her favorite color?) to the cross-section of New Yorkers we meet through her eyes, this is not your typical book about rescue.
The test of a good writer is this: Can they make you care about their characters? As the unread pages dwindled and the story was coming to a close, I felt sad. I did care and I wanted my sequel! LOL. Fashion and rescue…does it get any better?
Come with me into the world of a down-on-her-luck, still cheeky, ever stylish borderline senior named Miss Pink who, unbeknownst to her at the story’s start, will find herself deep in need of a reinvention. That she finds it in an overcrowded animal shelter, amongst those with whom she never thought she’d fraternize, is just the beginning. As Sarah says, these characters “…are all ripe for recruitment in Miss Pink’s master plan – which she’s devising on the fly, by the seat of her favorite pink pants!” Hang on…here we goooo…….!
And, it’s a giveaway! Read on to find out how to enter!
Meet Miss Pink
First class travel, designer clothes, Fortune 500 masters of the universe; this was Miss Pink’s world, as an ad sales executive at a major fashion magazine. That is, until the company was purchased by a behemoth, downsized and she was unceremoniously dumped at the top of her game. And, her 401K was wiped out by Bernie Madoff. A rude awakening for a 57 year old, used to wielding influence and the finer things in life. What now?
Eventually homeless and living via her wits in shelters, hostels, even hidden bushes in Central Park, Miss Pink gets a part-time, volunteer job at New York’s Animal Care & Control, the high kill shelter from which we adopted Jasper. She has to overcome a childhood fear of dogs, but applies her signature can do, practical attitude, with the perfect dollop of impatient audacity. A dreary place, at best, Miss Pink finds she actually has an affinity for dogs, and she and shelter manager, Sheila, do their best to make life better for the animals there. Sheila, who’s taken a liking to Miss Pink, is affectionate. Miss Pink doesn’t like hugs.
Trying to help those who might be chosen for euthanasia that day, Miss Pink takes them to the park, asking strangers if they’d like to take a dog home today. And, she meets the darndest people: a man in a tutu and skates, two 11 year old skateboarders, one of whom, Lorne, will play a significant role in the story, and Mary, a hardened, cynical woman who believes rescuing shelter animals is a waste of time when there are people hurting, people like her.
When Miss Pink returns to the shelter after closing one day and is forced to take the dogs home, she gets kicked out of the rooming house. What seems at the time like yet another setback in a series, becomes something good. Find out who Leroy Brown is and why he makes Miss Pink’s life manageable. Who is the woman constantly mistaken for Ruth Madoff and what part will she play in helping Miss Pink realize her master plan? Who are Sally and Barbara and how will they impact Miss Pink’s life in a big way?
Dogs Have Angels Too combines adventure, activism, surprises and derring do, all wrapped up in a big heart. It’s the winner of the Indie Reader Discovery Award.
I highly recommend reading this book! There’s a little Miss Pink in all of us animal lovers, and for some (me, too), I aspire to have even more.
A bit about Sarah Cavallaro
I met Sarah in another lifetime and have known her for 30 years. Sarah is a very smart and talented lady. She’s married to renowned artist Cosimo Cavallaro. Sarah produces all of his art installations and they are pretty cool. Check him out. She is the former founder and president of award-winning Emerald Films in New York City, and is a published poet whose work has appeared in numerous anthologies. I’m honored to call her friend.
For more information on Sarah and Dogs Have Angels Too.
It’s a Giveaway!!
One lucky Bark & Swagger follower will win a copy of Dogs Have Angels Too!
The giveaway runs from Thursday, September 29 at 8am EST to Wednesday, October 5th at 11:59pm EST. To enter:
- Must be living in the U.S. and be 18 years of age or older
- Must be a part of the Bark & Swagger email list
- Like Bark & Swagger on Facebook
- Follow Bark & Swagger on Instagram
A winner will be chosen via GiveawayTools.com. Good luck!
Do you know someone who rescues? What’s their story?