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Renley Nelson is struggling with midlife melancholy and fractured family bonds. Her marriage is crumbling, her sons are distant, and her mother's mind is slipping into places Renley can't follow. When her best friend begs her to join a dog rescue mission in Ontario's northern wilderness, Renley sees a chance to escape her failing life.
North of Broken & Furever Home is this Dogmama's love letter to her dogs, Cash and Sully. What began as a four-line stanza evolved into a story I hope readers will enjoy—because I had the time of my life writing it. The first draft came together in a flurry, but it took several years to shape it into a story worthy of my dogs' lives and one that I'm proud of.
I live for a good routine, but unfortunately, my writing routine is nonexistent. Full-time work impedes long writing sprints, so narrative comes in fits and starts throughout the day. I squeeze it in between work hours, dog walks, and gym time. I look forward to establishing a consistent routine when I retire, but for now, my novels get threaded together over time.
Despite the chaos, I've found that surrounding myself with a creative community makes all the difference. I joined a Friday night writing club months ago, and we're an eclectic bunch who share a passion for storytelling and art-making. We support each other throughout our projects, and that encouragement keeps me going when inspiration strikes in the wee hours.
This novel began as autofiction, but the more I wrote, the more I wanted to give my dog Sully his own voice so I could better understand where he was coming from and what he needed from me. That shift in perspective changed everything. The theme started as a rescue story—by the end, it became clear it was about acceptance all along.
The most emotional part of writing this book was confronting loss. In the first draft, I wrote the story through to the end of Cash's life. I wrote his obituary and cried through every draft and each time I read it. I removed it from the final novel, but I'm glad I wrote it. Reflecting on his life taught me to cherish the time we have left—a lesson that became the story’s beating heart.
Now I'm channelling that same love for dogs into something lighter. I'm currently working on a romantic comedy called Must Love Rescue Dogs, where the meet-cute begins at the dog park. Without spoiling the plot, let's just say the usual rom-com roles will be reversed in all the best ways—and there's dog cuteness overload.
Holly B. Gutwillinger
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About the Author
Holly B. is a heartfelt writer who was born and raised in a small town in northern Ontario. She is a proud dog mom to two rescue dogs and one cat, and she loves incorporating them into her stories, drawing inspiration from the animals she has had the privilege to adopt. She has completed creative writing classes through the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies’ Creative Writing program and received a certificate in creative writing from Sir Sandford Fleming College. She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in Fiction. customers. Find out more at
www.ramblingsfromthelittleshed.com and Instagram:
rambling_from_the_little_shed
