Excerpt: The Puppy Diaries

My mama saved my life by carrying me for miles through the desert. It may not sound heroic to you, but to me it was everything. Mama knew that if she didn't save me, I would end up in trouble just like her. She knew dog fighting was illegal, but Mama made a lot of money doing it and that's why she did it her whole life.

Of course, that came to an end on January 18. And the beginning of the end was January 15, I know that because everyone knew the money was due on January 15 or else. Or else. And, now that I think of it, the whole month of January was a bad month because December was a bad month, too. I'd rather forget everything that happened before March when Casey took me in.

After Mama died, I lived in the desert on the edge of town and stole food from garbage cans. The last week of February I went to live at the homeless shelter. The homeless shelter was better, but not by much. Casey saved my life, too, but not the way Mama did. Mama did it because she had to. I don't know why Casey saved me, but just like Mama, she left me after awhile.

I know you think Mama probably got what she deserved when she died—I was born into a world of illegal dog fighting, gambling, and drugs. She never protected me from it, I didn't know there was any other way to live, I wanted to be a part of it and she wanted me to learn the business so I would be good at it when I was old enough to be helpful. She may have left me to fend for myself in the desert outside of town, but Mama saved my life. The only way you are going to understand that she did the right thing, is if I you know her whole story, from the beginning. At least, the beginning of what I remember.