May 23, 2009 – Each day, I yell “photoshoot” and the dogs pose for their daily portrait. Frieda almost went off after a chipmunk, but I shouted at her to stay and, somewhat surprisingly, she did. Interesting how the two border collies always lie down next to each other to pose, and Frieda and Lenore find one another.
  Had an interesting night Friday at the Pawlet, Vt. library. I talked about my children’s books, my novel – redoing the first four chapters – and the deepening relationships between Americans and companion animals, especially dogs and cats. I talked about my next book, “Soul Of A Dog,” out in August from Villard (Random House).
  Looks like the book tour is growing a bit and taking me to Seattle, Portland, Cleveland, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Albany, Cambridge, N.Y., Manchester, Vt., Berkshires, Gardenworks in Salem, N.Y., and a few other places (Monson, Mass, too, home of the best little library ever).
  “Soul of a Dog” is centered on Rose and the animals on the farm, and explores the growing belief animal lovers have their animals have souls. I look at anecdotes from the lives of my dogs, goats, cows, barn cats and chickens. People seem to want to talk about this subject, and I am looking foward to this book. It is now available online, at Amazon and BN.com.