Touring this week on the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit is Alison Pace, whose new novel, Pug Hill, takes a stab at the inner circle of the canine elite.

from the jacket:
For Hope McNeill, pugs are love, unconditional friendship, happiness, and freedom-all qualities currently in short supply in her own life. Though she doesn’t have a pug of her own, she does have Pug Hill in Central Park, where pugs (and their owners) from all over New York City convene.

She also has a serious crush on one of her co-workers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a flailing relationship with her squash-playing, cold-weather-loving boyfriend, and an unspeakable fear of public speaking. When Hope’s father calls with a daunting assignment–to make a speech at her parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary party–Hope is completely taken off guard. As a last resort, she signs up for a public speaking class, but can’t help wondering, will it be enough?

Some fears are so big that even all the pugs in the world might not be enough…

Praise:
A remarkably sweet and affecting tale of inner growth. –Kirkus

Pug Hill is all at once touching, witty, and so very smart…There’s a terrific comedic eye at work here and a tender heart—a most satisfying combination. – Elinor Lipman, author of The Inn At Lake Devine and My Latest Grievance

Alison Pace isn’t afraid to tackle serious subjects, even as she delivers a wry and witty portrait of a woman growing up and growing into herself at long last. The aptly named Hope has such charm and self-deprecating humor, I felt that she could be a friend of mine. – Joshilyn Jackson, author of gods in Alabama

To paraphrase Woody Allen, love is too weak a word to describe how I feel about this novel. I lurve it. I loove it!
– Melissa Senate, author of See Jane Date and The Breakup Club


about Alison:
Alison Pace is the author of the novel IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND and is a contributing editor at The Bark magazine. While she doesn’t actually own a pug, she has had twelve dogs over her lifetime, including a St. Bernard, an English mastiff, A Scottish terrier, a Corgi, and three Chinese Shar-peis. She lives in New York City where she is at work on another book. Check out her blog.