Before there was a world of light, before there was a traveler from another planet, there was a bond—quiet, fierce, and life-saving. As I complete my upcoming book, Milagros and the Golden Light, many readers may wonder:
Why a German Shepherd? Why is this companion such a central force in the story?
The answer is not imagined. It is lived.
Years ago, during one of the most fragile chapters of my life—recovering from a near-fatal attempt on my life while pregnant, a difficult childbirth caused by a medical error that produced re-hospitalization with, according to the doctors, at most I had 8 hours left of life. Refusing Permission To Treat three days later I returned home to care for my baby daughter. Isolated, no phone, no car, no money except when my then husband granted me a stipend, I was given a three-month-old German Shepherd. He had already known distress, already carried fear. But so had I.
I named him Galt, inspired by the ideas of Ayn Rand—the belief that strength must be guided by integrity, that power without respect harms, and that true success honors the worth of others.
At first, there was caution. Pain. Survival.
But within days, something shifted.
When the only safe space I felt was when I was alone with my daughter and Galt. He became my daughter's bestie, and both were beside me day and night. Gil (then husband) would not let Galt be in the bed at night. The moment he left for work Galt would jump into bed and put his head on the waiting pillow next to me. He was beside me 24/7 until his life ended.
He never needed to be taught love. He simply was love..Galt was more than a dog.
He was a guardian. A healer. A witness to survival.
Though his life was tragically brief, his presence never left. Years later, a friend was visiting. We were looking at my garden, talking to the fairies we thought we felt around the flowers. She told me she saw a German Shepherd with me. She felt he was always present in my life. She confirmed what my heart knew:
He is still with me.
In my first fiction book for juveniles, Milagros and the Golden Light, the German Shepherd is not just a character. He represents something deeper—
A force of protection.
A symbol of loyalty across worlds.
A reminder that love, once given fully, does not disappear.
Even across planets. Even across time.
Some companions walk beside us in body.
Others remain in spirit—guiding, protecting, and loving us still.
Milagros and the Golden Light will be arriving soon.
If you believe in unseen guardians, enduring love, and the strength to begin again—this story was written for you.
With love,
Nancy