Dean Koontz, most famous for his suspense thriller novels, dove head first into dog lover’s hearts this summer, when he released a memoir all about his beloved dog, Trixie. A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog tells the true story of the dog adopted by Dean and his wife Gerda. More than just a dog, this special family member helped them discover lots about love, life and loss.

Trixie was once a trained service dog, and the Koontz family adopted her after she retired at age three. It was then that she became a service dog of a different kind. She taught the family so much, and in the big world, she was only a little dog, but to the Koontz family, she was their world.

This memoir was out of the norm for Koontz, but he made it work, and work beautifully! We all know the power of a dog to inspire and impact our lives, but not all of us are able to write about it so eloquently. Trixie must have been a special creature to impact a man so much.

In addition to A Big Little Life, Koontz was inspired (or rather channeled) by Trixie for years prior to write more books, including some children’s books. Actually, Trixie Koontz “wrote” a few of the books, with the help of Dean, of course.

Here are some of the other titles that Trixie helped inspire (you can find them on Amazon):

• I, Trixie, Who is Dog
• Life is Good: Lessons in Joyful Life
• Christmas is Good: trixie's Guide to a Happy Holiday
• Bliss to You: Trixie’s Guide to a Happy Life

Not what you'd expect, these books might be a far cry from his usual best-selling novels, but whether or not you are a fan of Koontz’s previous works, you will enjoy the story of Trixie. I highly recommend these books to any dog lover.