Feeling Off-Course?

There's a book for that.

Did you ever look up and think: how did I get here? Not after some dramatic collapse or crisis — just that quiet moment when you realize life has drifted somewhere you didn’t quite intend. And then comes the harder question: where do I go from here?

That’s the heart of Drift and Return, my new two-novella Smiling Dog Café collection, which officially releases today.

This is the fourth book in my Smiling Dog Café series, stories about people finding healing, connection, and sometimes unexpected second chances—with a little help from some very intuitive dogs.

If you’ve visited the café before, you’ll find familiar warmth waiting for you.

If you’re new, the door is open.

In Drift and Return, two very different people find themselves at crossroads.

Olympic medalist Tom Whitehead, in The Master of the Luge, has spent his life chasing a dream that’s now over.

Margaret Reed, in The Weight of Silence, built a career in intelligence that left little room for lasting human connection beyond the dogs she trusted.

Both need a reset—as so many of us do.

When the Covid pandemic ended, I had a choice. I could return to full-time teaching for two more years before compulsory retirement, or I could pivot to writing full time. It took me time, coffee, and the affection of my dogs to make the transition to sitting at a keyboard all day work. I missed (and still do) the camaraderie of colleagues and the stimulation of the classroom.

But as my life changed, I thought of others who needed the kind of direction I found inside myself. I wrote this book for readers who love stories about hope, rebuilding, and the quiet ways lives can change.

If that sounds like the kind of book you could use, Drift and Return is available now at Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited. The paperback is also available and can be ordered from your favorite retailer or independent bookstore.

Writing about people finding their way back to connection has made me think a lot about the communities that help us do that — at every age.

As I’ve been promoting After the Party, my book for Jewish teens post B’nai mitzvah, I discovered Sasha Lights the Way, created by a young mother to help parents raise proud Jewish kids through free printable coloring books and cultural activities. It’s a small, generous project doing something quietly important: giving families a way to pass on meaning and identity to their youngest children. If that sounds like something your family or community could use, the door there is open too.

If you read Drift and Return this week, an early review would mean a tremendous amount. Those first reviews really do help readers discover a new book.

I’d love to hear from you: What’s your version of a reset?

Is it a place? A ritual? A walk with a dog? A favorite comfort read?

Hit reply and tell me.

With love and gratitude,

Neil

P.S. If you know someone who could use a hopeful story right now, I’d be grateful if you shared this email with them.