Credited Screenwriter & Published Author
Raising Artemis
Seeking Agent
Visionary Fiction • Spirituality • Anthropomorphic • Upmarket • Book Club • Contemporary Fiction
78,000 words
About the Book
Raising Artemis (78k words) is contemporary fiction that celebrates the extraordinary soul connection between pets and people—the inspirational story of a doctor on the verge of a nervous breakdown; her sharp-witted cat who knows her better than she knows herself; and how animals can teach us to be human. What if our animals could see into our souls, were meant to be our guardians, and we could hear what they were saying?
After Artemis Elizabeth Nicche experiences a string of panic attacks at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut—and makes two critical errors—she's suspended. Unable to work, Artemis confronts her emotional trauma caused by the pandemic, which dredges up memories from her tragic childhood buried long ago. The strained relationship with her best friend, Mel, due to her workaholic tendencies, increases her anxiety and isolation.
While suspended, Artemis realizes how empty life has been since her cat—a Birman with attitude who narrates the story—crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. The epiphany leads her to adopt a kitten and two Labrador retrievers, and the three animals rally around her. Artemis explores blurred memories from her past, discovers her true calling, and ultimately concludes that none of the events in her life have been by chance.
Raising Artemis will appeal to a broad range of readers, most notably fans of anthropomorphic works such as A Dog’s Purpose, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and Watership Down. People love animals and stories about animals: 68% percent of U.S. households—85 million families—own a pet, according to the National Pet Owners Survey; and Pew Research says approximately 80% of cat and dog owners consider their pets family members.
Synopsis
LUCY, a deceased Birman cat, visits her beloved owner, ARTEMIS, to comfort her during a turbulent time in the woman’s life. Lucy explains to the reader that other animals in the spirit realm connected to Artemis have tasked Lucy with telling this story, sharing the seminal moments in Artemis’s life.
Artemis is a doctor working on the frontlines at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut as the Covid-19 pandemic rages. Artemis is suffering a string of terrifying panic attacks, and reaching a breaking point, after losing a patient with whom she personally connected. Artemis makes two critical errors, alarming her colleagues and forcing her mentor and Chief, DR. CLIFFORD ANDERSON, to suspend her for two weeks.
Unable to work, Artemis is forced to confront the emotional trauma caused by the pandemic, as it dredges up memories from her tragic childhood that she buried long ago. The strained relationship with her best friend, MEL, due to her workaholic tendencies, compounds her anxiety and isolation.
Artemis blocked out the tragic death of her brother, Jack when they were children. Lucy shares this background with the help of Artemis’s childhood pets, SAM, a black Labrador retriever, and CHARLIE, a rotund Siamese cat.
During Artemis’s suspension, she realizes how empty her life is without animals. She adopts PHOEBE, a Burmese kitten, and two Labrador retrievers, MAGGIE and JESSIE. The three animals interconnect to form a group of compassionate and understanding guardians who rally around Artemis as she explores blurred memories from her childhood.
With the perceptive animals by her side, Artemis processes the memories of her brother’s death. She visits her childhood home and ultimately realizes that her inability to save her brother from dying was the impetus for her to become a doctor.
When Artemis returns to work, she suffers another debilitating panic attack and shares her feelings with her mentor, Dr. Anderson. Artemis is afraid that continuing to practice medicine may kill her. They agree Artemis should take additional time off, and Artemis begins to question whether or not she wants to return to medicine.
Artemis decides to take an extended leave of absence and volunteers at the local animal shelter. There she befriends RACHEL, the manager, and other volunteers as she begins to heal and connect with what makes her truly happy. Not long after, Rachel offers Artemis a job as Executive Director. Artemis accepts, choosing peace over practicing medicine. The animals in Artemis’s life celebrate as she finally settles into her true calling.
Several years later, Artemis has made substantial positive changes at the shelter. Her work has challenges, however, including a fire that burns the structure to the ground. No animals perish, and Artemis uses the devastation as a launchpad to expand the shelter.
On the day of Artemis’s retirement, Phoebe remains the only living pet by her side. Lucy shows Artemis thinking about her legacy and her life, how none of the events of Artemis’s life were by chance. Artemis has led a life of service to animals, as she was always destined to do. During Artemis’s retirement party, the shelter is renamed in her honor. Artemis passes the torch to the younger generation, deciding to return not as an employee but as a volunteer.
Finally, Lucy shows the poignant moment when Artemis dies, as she reunites with her beloved animal companions, her brother Jack, and her parents. At that moment, the culmination of Artemis’s life is laid out before her, showing what animals can teach us about being human.
