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Ray Petrolino didn't start writing until his dog told him to (and who then immediately instructed the slow-witted man not to end a sentence with a preposition). Up to that point, Ray had just been a guy walking around for some odd number of years with a lot of ideas in his head (some rather strange, admittedly).
One day when this man was teaching his bichon a new trick, the animal became rather bored with the affair and began speaking. His first words were that his human was an "abject failure" and followed that up with "anyone can walk around and claim to have good ideas" (the quadruped went on to explain that he himself had wonderful storylines and that it was only because he lacked opposable thumbs that he had not already put them to paper).
And so the dog struck up a partnership with his previously inert owner: the dog dictated and the man wrote.
The results have been surprisingly positive, with both the fantasy/family feature screenplay A Leap into Darkness and the horror/comedy TV pilot A Zombie in the Attic both placing in several screenwriting competitions.
A follow-up novel A Leap into Darkness finally came out in 2022 (not surprisingly, the hero of the story is...wait for it...a talking dog). The dog insisted that the book be released in no more than four months. The man balked, the dog bit the hand that feeds it, and the two finally compromised on four dog-months instead.
Reviewed by Jessica Barbosa for Readers' Favorite
Jake is a Bichon Frisé that Rose and Chris found when he was a pup. He had been bathed in a golden shimmer--the Shine--and Rosie believes he is one of the Sculptor’s “wise ones”. Jake does not believe he is anything more than an ordinary dog who has been through his share of love and loss. One day, like a fairytale, his poor life is transformed by the grace of the King of Gorseland. The King took an interest in him and just like that, Jake’s life is changed forever. He has a new family that loves him and a happy and warm environment to grow up in. One day, while the Royal Family was out, they come across a sorcerer and his raven. Most people and even the royal family’s dogs are drawn to this mysterious sorcerer, except the queen and Jake. Little do they know that their suspicion and association with the sorcerer Beezeldorn and his raven would bring nothing but harm. Will Jake be able to protect his family from this threat? Read Ray Petrolino’s A Leap Into Darkness and find out!
A Leap Into Darkness was a charming fantastical tale that features sorcerers, anthropomorphic animals, a beautiful kingdom, and a sweet familial storyline. Ray Petrolino has crafted a warm-hearted tale with unique twists that kept me flipping through the pages. I was fascinated by the distinctive characters who leave an impression just from their interactions. Jake was a sweet, loyal dog that would bravely do all he can to protect the ones he loved. It took a special person to see who he was and Rose was one of those special people. Her care, love, and sacrifice for Jake left a deep impression on me. I was hooked by this story from the very first chapter. A Leap Into Darkness is a tale woven with care and love. It is a tale of betrayal, trust, family, love, loyalty, friendship, and adventure! The deeper I got into the story the harder it was to put the book down! The map at the start and the illustrations of the characters whenever they were newly introduced into the story made it easier to visualize the story and how everything played out. Overall, this was an extraordinary tale I could see myself reading again in the future. Outstanding work!
