Summer has arrived at our Denali kennel. The snow has finally melted; local lakes are almost ice-free. The shorebirds and migratory songbirds have returned—many pausing during their long journey to northern nesting grounds. The early blooming pasque flowers have shown their iconic faces. Sunlight lingers well into the night.

These days our twenty-six huskies are settled, lounging in the sun on top of their houses—and reveling in the summertime routine of going on walks, playing in the arena, and barking at the multitude of Arctic hares that hop very close to their circles. The hare population has reached its eight-year peak, and so has the excitement level in the dog yard.

While the onset of summer represents a new routine for all living things, this particular season is marked by a personal milestone. On June 5, the softcover edition of my memoir, Fast Into the Night, will be released by Red Hen Press. It’s been a privilege to collaborate with the fine people of Red Hen—and to know my book will live on in this world.

During the past two years, since Fast Into the Night’s original launch, I’ve learned much about being an author. I now know, firsthand, how the conversation with the reader is the heart of the writing experience. Maybe that’s why this new edition is particularly satisfying to me.

The softcover edition means that my conversation with readers will continue. And how these conversations have changed over the past two years! While readers have always been eager to discuss the many dimensions of the human/canine bond—and how traveling the long wilderness trail in the company of another species can inform us about what it means to be human—now readers carry additional pressing questions: What was it like to run Iditarod as a “woman in a man’s world?” And how is climate change impacting the sport of dog mushing and the people of Alaska? How are friends in the communities along the Iditarod Trail coping, particularly on the coast of the Bering Sea?

These are critical issues of this time and place. While I’ve always maintained that dog mushing is a gender blind sport, in hindsight I realize that of course my story is specifically female—as were my challenges along those long Iditarod miles. I’ve spoken with many women who relate to my wrestling match with daring versus doubt. I’m humbled and honored when they tell me how they look forward to sharing my story about the messy veneer of success with their daughters.

As for climate change, rising seas and melting permafrost are undeniable here in Alaska. It’s more than imaginable that one day our winter trails might be gone. That loss is nothing compared to social and cultural impacts from increased warming. Every living thing will be affected. Yes it all seems overwhelming. This country’s response feels particularly feeble right now. One thing is certain: the stakes are perilously high.

Today, as I anticipate my book’s softcover release, I look forward to the ongoing conversation about my story and its broader relevance. To connect with readers is to tap into a source of immense inspiration. Since the original publication of my book, I’m pretty certain I’ve learned as much as I did on the trail to Nome.

Thank you to Red Hen Press, for connecting me to you dear readers! I look forward to the next leg of this journey.