Contributed by Sharon Aubrey
Relevant Publishers LLC is excited to announce the release of Me-Now, The Adventures of Mickey the Mushing Cat by Leon S. Mensch on February 17, 2020. Leon lives in Kasilof, Alaska, with his wife, Beth, and 22 sled dogs at the Winds of Time Kennel. Inspired by a real stray cat named Mickey, Leon’s debut book is a memoir told from the cat’s perspective and combines details from Mickey’s early life with the fictional twist of him learning to mush dogs.
Leon’s attention to detail brings a unique vision to the story, as he includes events from Mickey’s real life and integrates his knowledge of dog sledding. Readers experience the wonder and excitement of dog sledding through the eyes of a cat. Additionally, 2020 Iditarod musher Kristy Berington inspired a character named Kristy in Leon’s book, who is not only an amazing dog musher but saves Mickey’s life along the trail. Written in a humorous style, kids ages 9 to 90 will enjoy Mickey’s adventurous spirit and struggle for survival.
Leon Mensch will be signing Me-Now and available to greet the public at Barnes & Nobel in Anchorage on Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 1pm to 4pm.
Book Synopsis: These are the memoirs of Mickey who was born a stray cat. Alone and hungry, Mickey tries to brave the world in search of food and shelter but is thwarted at every turn. Mistreated by cruel people and attacked by other animals, angels find him starving and injured. They rescue Mickey from the rough streets and place him in an adopted home in Vermont. After years of enjoying Vermont, he travels across the US to move to Alaska, where his owners start a dog sled kennel and begin learning the art of dog mushing. Mickey hates snow! He isn’t very fond of dogs either, but he’s determined after his childhood never to be left alone again. One day, Mickey sneaks out of the house and into a dog sled loaded on top of the family truck. There he accidentally drifts off to sleep. Later, he wakes up on the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, a world-famous race from Anchorage to Nome. Can Mickey and his team survive the 900+ mile journey in bitter cold with many frozen rivers, deep gorges, and thin ice, not to mention the other dog teams on the trail that want to eat him?
