DESPITE HIS NAME, RAGAMUFFIN IS A CLASSY DOG

Millie’s cell phone rang. She recognized the caller ID. “It’s that terrifying person again. I will not answer his call. He will only give me more fear and trouble! MAYBE IT’S TIME TO GET A DOG FOR MY PROTECTION.” Found in a wood pile, this rare Bouvier Des Flandres—named “Ragamuffin” or “Rags” for short—grows to be a protective and stately companion for Millie and eventually for Millie’s daughter, Regina.

Helen A. Bemis has enjoyed working with dogs all her life, and they have played essential roles in her novels. She grew up on a dairy farm in Upper New York State; she attended Albany Medical Center School of Nursing. She obtained a college degree at SUNY Adirondack, earned the Certified Professional Dog Trainer international certification, and has a successful business, K-9 Karing. She speaks to many organizations and teaches dog safety and other dog-related topics to schools as well as at her local college. She is widowed and has three children. She has published over twenty novels featuring the Riverview Animal Shelter, which combine romance, mystery, and information about dog training. She loves to hear people say, “Helen has gone to the dogs!”