A golden retriever named Hurricane inspired his owner, Tracy A. Currier-Spaine, to describe his antics in a blog she had started. The 3-year-old dog seemed to be more than an ordinary pet. She wrote about his obsession with socks, his trips with the family to the shores and mountains of North Carolina, and his response to the death of an animal companion. The stories attracted many readers who wanted to know more.
"My son and my husband said, 'You need to put the stories of Hurricane in a book,'" Spaine said.
With their encouragement, she produced "Life Through the Eyes of a Hurricane."
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PHOTO BY MARYANN KROMER
Tracy Spaine was in Tiffin Saturday to sign copies of her book, “Life Through the Eyes of a Hurricane: Doggy Dog” at Paper and Ink.
The 94-page soft-cover book was released in October by Strategic Book Publishing. It can be purchased online at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com for $12.97.
The author's son, Nicholas, also came to a book signing Satuday at Paper and Ink in dowtown Tiffin. There, he stamped a footprint next to his mother's signatures.
A 1978 graduate of Hopewell-Loudon High School, Spaine said her interest in writing was nurtured by her junior high school English teacher, Mrs. Stoner.
Students had to keep their writing assignments in a folder, and Mrs. Stoner gave feedback in the form of notes, Spaine said.
At the time, the student could not have known she would write a book more than 30 year later.
"She provided the forum for me to write," Spaine said. "And she came to my book-signing in Columbus."
Now a special education teacher near Raleigh, N.C., Spaine said she keeps in touch with a group of family and friends from Bascom through Facebook. She said she also posts events and markets her book through social media.
The book signing in Tiffin served as a reunion, as Spaine's family members and friends turned out for the event. A former basketball coach, Barb Justin, came to offer congratulations, as did former classmates Teresa Miles and Kelly Brickner.
To learn more about the book, visit sbpra.com/tracyaspaine.
One dollar from the sale of each book is to be donated to Golden Friends Rescue (golden
friendsrescue.org).
