Jem

John Donald Middleton was no stranger to dogs. He and his family adopted, sheltered, and loved a variety of canines over the years. But from the beginning, he knew Jem was different.

The four-pound bundle of thick, fawn-colored fur tumbled into John's life during a tough season. After years of constant business travel and alcohol abuse, the husband and father of three grown children was in recovery and rebuilding his relationships. Jem's total devotion and firecracker spirit became his inspiration.

With honesty and tenderness, John chronicles their years together--a time filled with comedy and eventual tragedy, and seasoned with the loyalty of a small dog with a big heart.

John is a husband, father, native Texan, and pug enthusiast.A graduate of Texas A&M University, he spent more than thirty years in business, most of them on the road. He's a recovering alcoholic, sober since 2010. He is now semi-retired--if working two part-time jobs and volunteering for the DFW Pug Rescue can be considered "retired." He and his very patient wife, Denise, live in Hurst, Texas, with four rescue pugs, and their "grand-dogs" often come to visit.

Although John has always had dogs and various pets, Jem was the first dog that truly captured his heart. Jem: Lessons in Living, his memoir of their time together, is his first book.