A Dog's Guide to Love A Literary Series by Candace Story

The Literary Series · Folio & Chapter Ledger

A Dog's Guide To...

A Dog's Guide to Love

Working title, taken from the close of the introduction (“A Dog's Guide to Marriage” in the series plan).

Fourteen chapters, one steady argument: the dog waiting at the door already understands more about a good marriage than most of what is written for humans. The full manuscript stays in Candace's private editor while she revises, and chapter titles are listed in the open folio below so the shape of the first volume is visible.

Volume I · Marriage & Home Folio I

A Dog's Guide To... Series

A Dog's Guide to Love

Book One: A Dog's Guide to Marriage

Love Lessons from the Best Teachers We've Ever Had

“This book is about looking at marriage through the eyes of our dogs—those faithful, goofy, wise companions who remind us that the best relationships aren’t built on perfection, but on presence, loyalty, gratitude, play, and love.”

Born at Candace and Ron's dinner table on Darby — when the dogs celebrated their evening kibble like a feast and Ron jumped up clapping, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” — Book One looks at marriage through the eyes of the dogs who share the house.

Every chapter turns an ordinary canine habit into a practical ritual for couples: how we greet each other at the door, how we thank the cook, how quickly we drop a grudge, and how we end the evening side by side.

From Candace's writing desk,

Candace Story signature
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Drafted Manuscript Ledger 3 sections on file

Table of Drafted Sections

Chapters remain marked private while Candace edits the manuscript with her early readers and literary agent.

  1. Opening

    Introduction

    Private draft

  2. Chapter 1

    Always Be Excited to See Each Other

    Private draft

  3. Chapter 2

    When Someone Cooks for You, Get Excited

    Private draft

Fourteen Chapters in Full Plan

The introduction and first two chapters are on file in the author desk. The remaining lessons mapped out in Candace's introduction appear below.

Mapped in the Introduction

Eight Marriage Lessons Taught by the Pack

Alongside doorway greetings and mealtime gratitude, Candace's introduction maps out the core habits of love that shape the rest of Book One:

Forthcoming Companion Volumes

What's Still Ahead in the Series

Each book in A Dog's Guide To... carries the same plain-spoken question into another room of life where dogs quietly set the standard.

Book Two · In Progress Volume II

A Dog's Guide to Caregiving

Dogs don't need a manual for taking care of the people they love when things get hard — they just stay close, pay attention, and keep showing up, day after unglamorous day. Book Two looks at what steady caregiving can teach the rest of us when life isn't easy or convenient.

Collecting true caregiving & dog stories now Share a caregiving story →
Book Three & Beyond Future Volumes

And After That... The Rest of the Path

The series doesn't end with two books. There is more of life left to walk through — grief, friendship, patience, starting over — and dogs have quiet, unmistakable wisdom on all of it.

In the spirit of Chicken Soup for the Soul, stories selected for a published book receive a $200 honorarium upon publication. Send your story →