Coffee with a canine: Renee Swindle & Mocha and Nikki

The current featured trio at Coffee with a Canine: Renee Swindle & Mocha and Nikki.

The author, on how she and Mocha and Nikki were united:

Mocha belonged to a neighbor. She was extremely shy and never wagged her tail. My neighbor never took her on walks and I noticed she sometimes went without food. The guy also mentioned he liked to breed her and sell the puppies. I couldn’t stand seeing her mistreated so I very kindly asked if I could start walking her so that I could have company. (I didn’t need the company I just hated to see her so sad.) Over time, I started walking her and feeding her daily. Soon, she was sleeping on my porch. Now—I own her!

Oddly enough, Nikki came to me almost in the same way. My upstairs neighbor moved in with his dog, but he would leave her alone for days at a time. It was horrible. One day I asked...[read on]

About Swindle's new novel, Shake Down the Stars, from the publisher:

When you’re in trouble and sinking fast, whom do you call?

Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, who's immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?

When Piper’s ex-husband announces that his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one thing, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most and show her how to live and laugh again.

Learn more about the book and author at Renee Swindle's website and blog.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Renee Swindle & Mocha and Nikki.

--Marshal Zeringue