Samantha Evans is a dog. It wasn't always this way. In fact, she once was a normal human: a college graduate, former homecoming queen, and the possessor of a six-figure income. But she was in the mood for a change-and she got more than she bargained for (much more) thanks to a gypsy's spell. Daniel O'Brien never needed anyone or anything until he finds a stray dog . . . not just any dog . . . Sam. Sam changes his life by turning it upside down and inside out. Can the unconditional love shared by dog and master lead to true love between a man and a woman?
Purveyor of the written word, Nancy Loyan Schuemann has been writing ever since she began composing picture books for fellow students in elementary school.
After graduating with a BSBA degree in marketing from John Carroll University, she pursued a career in sales and marketing. She has incorporated those skills into a professional writing career. She is a freelance writer specializing in construction, design, architecture, histories, profiles, antique safes, dance, travel and special interest in local and national publications. She has taught writing at the prestigious Chautauqua Institution in New York State.
Nancy is a Cleveland, Ohio native who shares her knowledge of the city as author of Cleveland, Ohio: A Photographic Portrait and On the Threshold of a New Century: The City of South Euclid, 1967-1999. Her love, however, is writing women’s fiction. Her first novel, Paradise Found, a multicultural romance set in the exotic Seychelles Islands was published in 2011 with electronic book publisher, InnerVision Books and, later self-published. She has since contracted with Crimson Romance, an imprint of F&W Media (Writer’s Digest Books, Cup of Comfort among others) for six novels. Three are currently available: Lab Test, Hearts of Steel and Wishes and Tears.
Travel has taken her around the world, including trips to Europe, Great Britain, South America, Egypt and the exotic Seychelles Islands. When she’s not writing, Nancy teaches and performs, Middle Eastern dance as “Nailah” (www.NailahDance.com) She shares her life with her husband, Bill, and her Pointer/Labs, Amber and Topaz. Her web site is www.NLSScribe.com
What would you do if you suddenly woke up to find you've been transformed into a dog? That's what happened to Samantha Evans when she trusted a fortuneteller with her destiny. Now stuck as a chocolate Lab, she sets off to find her new master and the only man able to lift the spell. But it's not going to be an easy task for Samantha - who is now "Sam" the dog. She literally has to let go of the person she was and learn how to be completely selfless. In this clever twist and reversal on the Beauty and the Beast dynamic, Sam discovers the true meanings of life, happiness and love. Lab Test is a whimsical tale that will leave you with a smile and the desire to find your soul mate - no matter what it takes.
If you're looking for a nail-biting, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat type of book, this isn't it. If you're looking for a fun read, then Lab Test is just right. It's obvious that the author, Nancy Loyan Schuemann, loves and understands dogs. Ms. Schuemann handles Samantha's point of view as a dog wonderfully, and with great credibility. Lab Test is the perfect book for a dog lover who want entertainment. A nice, light summer read!
The writing was Articulate as well as tantalizing on many different levels, I was not able to put this book down until I finished. I didn’t want to leave the house on a bright & sunny day anyway. 👍
The Hook: Thanks to a gypsy's spell, a woman looking for a change in her life finds herself trapped inside a dog's body -- and falling in love with her new "master."
Love It: Lab Test explores themes common to romance novels -- learning to love unconditionally and overcoming fear of commitment -- with a truly original premise. As a dog lover, I laughed out loud Sam's canine antics and felt Dan's pain when he lost her.
Leave It: Wanted to see more of human Samantha and Dan's developing relationship.
Read It If: You love dogs. Although this is a romance, it's also a love letter to dogs, who are represented with with heart and wit.
Skip It If: You can't suspend disbelief. This is story requires a leap of faith -- but one that pays off for those willing to take the journey.
This hooked me on the first paragraph. A delightful read from beginning to end.
Samantha Evans goes looking for something more in her life and finds herself turned into a dog, by a Gypsy Fortune Teller. Daniel O'Brien didn't know he needed a dog until he found Sam. They both find what they are looking for in each other, even if one of them is a dog. But when Sam turns back to Samantha, all bets are off and chaos ensues. Before too long it's clear Samantha realizes what a keeper Dan is but can she convince him that she is exactly what he needs before time runs out and she back to being a dog?
The author has done a fine job of crafting this fun read and I look forward to more from her.
Lab Test by Nancy Loyan brings you into a dog's life. Or at least a human turned into a dog by a gypsy with a bad sense of humor. We meet Sam right after her transition. She finds her soul mate, Dan in her altered form. As much of a connection he feels for the dog, it's just a dog, right? Ms. Loyan gives us a dog's view of the world and what's really important. Someone to love. We all need that.
This was such a radical concept of a story, I didn't know what to expect. It was a funny and provocative view of the human world from a canine/human perspective. The doggie love,people antics and relationship disasters were hillarious. Nancy Loyan mixed humor, magic, love, and romance into this entertaining tale of two people who learn that the deepest kind of love is unconditional. I loved the dogs, the characters, and especially the strawberries and whipped cream.
Nancy Loyan's Lab Test is a fast-paced and imaginative novel. I can't believe how real she made her heroine's experiences after she found herself living in a dog's body. I cared for her, and Ms. Loyan made me realize how scary, wonderful, vulnerable, dangerous, and great a dog's life can be. Then the plot twisted again and again, with a perfect "happily ever after" resolution. A truly original love story!
I really enjoyed this fun paranormal from Nancy Schuemann. Having the heroine turned into a dog to understand what and who is most important in her life was a wonderful premise. Her characters are beautifully written, vibrant and so human (even when they aren't).
If you believe there is someone out there for everyone or that there is not stronger bond than that between a dog and his person, then Lab Test is for you. A charming tale that takes the reader on an imaginative and loving journey.