The Author’s Mic™: Carmen Leal on Rescue Dogs, Writing, and Finding Purpose
I welcomed Carmen Leal to The Author’s Mic™ thinking we were going to talk with a lifelong dog lover about her two books. Carmen quickly corrected me: those were books eleven and twelve, and she hadn’t always wanted a dog.
What followed was a conversation about writing through difficult experiences, finding purpose after life changes, and using stories to connect with people who might need them.
Watch the full episode:
Writing the Books She Needed to Find
Carmen explained that her books have grown out of difficult periods in her life. Part of writing was making sense of what happened. Another part was creating something for people who were going through similar circumstances.
Her late husband was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease three years into their marriage. She was raising children and trying to navigate a situation she hadn’t expected. She couldn’t find the kind of information about living through it that she needed.
So she began writing.
But Carmen didn’t want her experience to stand in for everyone else’s. Her approach became interviewing people and weaving their stories together with her own. She described the result as a mini memoir meeting Chicken Soup for the Soul.
That distinction matters. She brings her experience to the page while making room for people whose circumstances and perspectives differ from hers.
Her work has explored caregiving, grief, single parenting, faith, and other difficult experiences. She also wrote a book about internet marketing after repeatedly answering writers’ questions at conferences. Writing became a way to gather what she knew and make it available beyond those individual conversations.
“I Don’t Do Dogs”
When we turned to the rescue-dog books, Carmen made something clear: she had not spent her life wanting to bring home every dog she met.
She had been living in Hawaii, had remarried, and was enjoying her work as a concierge. Then a car accident left her with a traumatic brain injury. She could no longer do her job, and the changes brought severe depression and a loss of direction.
Carmen spoke openly about experiencing suicidal thoughts during that period. Her doctor had suggested getting a dog, but she resisted. She was struggling to care for herself and couldn’t imagine taking responsibility for an animal.
After relocating to Wisconsin, she eventually visited a shelter. Even then, she arrived with a list of everything she didn’t want a dog to do: bark, lick, shed, jump, or get on the furniture.
The shelter owner told her she didn’t really want a dog. Carmen agreed.
Then they brought one in.
He sat in front of her and stared. As Carmen described it, the dog seemed determined that he wasn’t leaving her. She decided he was the one.
How Daily Life Began to Change
Carmen described the difference through ordinary routines. Having a dog meant getting dressed, going outside, and walking through her neighborhood.
People stopped to ask about him. She began seeing the same neighbors and learning about their lives. Those exchanges became relationships.
She hadn’t adopted a dog because she expected to write books about rescue animals. The writing came from what she experienced afterward—and from her interest in people who were hurting.
Her books explore the relationships between rescue dogs and their humans, including the ways those connections can matter during difficult periods. Carmen’s focus is on the people as well as the animals.
She also talked about what happens when someone sees their own story in print. Contributors want to share that work with people they know. The book becomes a connection between the storyteller, the reader, and the people around them.
Putting Her Marketing Skills Back to Work
Carmen needed purpose beyond the roles and work that had previously defined her. She found another place to use her experience at a local rescue organization.
She approached the shelter with a direct observation: they were good with dogs, and she could help with marketing.
She started writing dog biographies. That grew into grant writing and event planning.
Carmen understood that caring deeply about a cause doesn’t automatically provide the money, communication, or visibility needed to support it. Organizations still need people to know what they do, understand the need, and respond.
The work gave her a way to contribute using skills she had built over many years. Her circumstances had changed, but that experience still had value.
The Books Behind the Conversation
Carmen introduced two books during our conversation:
I Chose You: Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and Their Humans
When Love Wags a Tail: Inspiring Stories of Love, Loyalty, and Laughter
Both bring together stories about dogs and the people connected to them.
When readers ask whether they’ll cry, Carmen doesn’t promise otherwise. Dogs live, and dogs die. But she described the overall reading experience as a warm hug.
If you came to this conversation expecting only a discussion about pets, there is much more here: caregiving, identity, writing, community, and finding somewhere useful to put the experience you already carry.
Guest Links
Website:
I Chose You: Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and Their Humans:
https://carmenleal.com/i-chose-you
When Love Wags a Tail: Inspiring Stories of Love, Loyalty, and Laughter:
https://carmenleal.com/when-love-wags-a-tail
Key Takeaways
Carmen’s books combine her lived experience with stories gathered through interviews.
Her rescue-dog writing grew from a personal experience she had not expected to have.
Daily routines with her dog helped her reconnect with neighbors and community.
Volunteering gave her a way to use her marketing, writing, and event-planning skills.
Sharing people’s stories can create connections that extend beyond the book.
Publishing With Bright Headed Publishing
Carmen’s conversation shows how much experience and intention can sit behind a manuscript. When an author is ready to publish, that work deserves a process built around the book.
Bright Headed Publishing provides hands-on publishing support for selected authors, including production coordination, interior formatting, ISBN assignment under our imprint, and distribution setup. We also help authors prepare the materials and foundation they need beyond publication day.
If you have a completed or nearly completed manuscript and want to discuss professional publishing support, reach out. We’ll talk about your project and whether we’re a fit.
https://brightheadedpublishing.com
Finley’s Journey Spotlight
Finley’s Journey by Jeff Hepner, published under the Bright Headed Publishing imprint, connects storytelling with authentic conservation experiences.
Part of The Classroom Creatures Chronicles™, the book follows a young trout from a classroom tank toward life in the wild. The companion Finley’s Journey Student Workbook extends the story into trout life cycles, watersheds, observation, and river stewardship.
It’s an example of how publishing and resource development can help a book reach into classrooms and communities.
Explore the book and companion workbook:
https://brightheadedpublishing.com/new-releases
Bright Headed Publishing Resources
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The Indie Author Toolkit
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Books From Bright Headed Publishing
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Free Guide: So You Wanna Write a Book
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Watch, Comment, and Stay Connected
Watch my conversation with Carmen, then tell us in the comments: has an unexpected relationship or experience changed what you write about—or given you a new place to use your skills?
Share this blog with a reader who appreciates rescue-dog stories or an author writing from lived experience. Follow Bright Headed Publishing for more conversations with indie authors and people doing meaningful work in the literary space.
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