Fearless: A Middle Grade Adventure Story

This timeless friendship story was just named a Finalist for the 2023 MiPA Book Award (Midwest Independent Publishers Association). One summer day, eleven-year-old Jessie bikes down a deserted country road and overhears frantic barking in the distance. She investigates and discovers a hot barn full of dogs in distress. She can't save them all, but she decides to save one. She knows her deployed Army mom would be proud of her for being fearless. But she's unsure if Dad will let her keep the dog, so she hides it until she can convince him otherwise. Jessie's biggest fear, however, isn't about the dog. She's most afraid because Mom's letters from overseas have stopped coming. Jessie feels helpless about Mom, so she focuses on what she getting the distressed dog to trust her amid its obvious trauma history. Will Jessie succeed with the dog? Will Mom come home? Or will Jessie's worst fears come to fruition?