Like many people, I had imagined writing a novel for years. Not the Great American Novel, but just a fun pulp adventure like I had grown up on. About 6 years ago, I finally sat down an did it, and then I faced, horror of horrors, how much work it was to get published! Heck, I already have a day job. Now, however, Inkshares looks like what the doctor ordered.

When we met, my wife had the smartest dog I’ve ever met, a Portuguese Water Dog named Rosie, and the pair inspired me to create their fictional counterparts. With a copy of Lester Dent’s master plot in front of me (I recommend it highly), I churned through a ridiculous number of idea variations until finally I had A Girl and her Neodog.

So, what’s the story about?

In the not-too-distant future, UC Santa Cruz student Kim interns at her uncle Ted’s bio-tech startup Sirius Bio-engineering. Sirius Bio has created neodogs, the ultimate helper dog. Neodogs have been genetically engineered to be as intelligent as 7 year olds, and equipped with cybernetic arms and voice boxes to serve as the ultimate helper animal; a boon to elderly and disabled people. Rosie, one of the very first neodogs, has been Kim’s beloved companion for years. With Sirius on the verge of receiving their final government approval, Uncle Ted is apparently killed by his missing personal neodog. To preserve her Uncle’s dream and prevent all neodogs from being destroyed, Kim must discover what really happened. In the process, she finds that there may be an even worse fate for the neodogs than destruction.

I hope that sounds like a fun read to you, and that you will preorder this book.