Nick and Clancy: A Tale of Nine Lives

by C.C. Jirón

WINNER OF 2026 NM WRITERS BOOK AWARD CONTEST FICTION-FANTASY!
From Award-Winning Author C.C. Jirón
Also available in paperback and Audiobook (author recorded)

A Tale of Nine Lives Told by a Sheltie Collie and Her Quierly Courageous Owner

Must read 🏆5-star review by McKenzie Lynn Tozan (Reedsy Discovery)
NICK AND CLANCY is a beautiful blend of second and third and fourth chances, love finding a way, magical realism, and quirky friendships that imaginatively explores living life to the fullest and never leaving a shadow of doubt in our loved ones' minds that we do, in fact, love them..

5-star Review by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers’
Nick and Clancy by C. C. Jirón ... will have you laughing out loud in places ... This is a unique story, with plenty of heart and action.

Review from Thomas Anderson, Editor In Chief, Literary
NICK and CLANCY – A Tale of Nine Lives tells the story of Nick, a gentle and wounded man recovering from severe heart trauma, and Clancy, the sharp, funny, deeply devoted dog who enters his life at exactly the right moment. The narrative moves through years of shared life, illness, dreams, small victories, and fear, often told from Clancy’s point of view. At its core, the book is about survival, companionship, purpose, and the strange ways love shows up when life feels fragile and uncertain. The writing feels intimate and conversational, almost like someone sitting across from you and telling you a story late at night. I laughed more than I expected.. The dog’s perspective .... feels earnest and oddly wise ... There is a tenderness here that caught me off guard ... especially well-suited for animal lovers, people who have faced serious illness, or anyone who has felt unmoored and searching for meaning.

Sneak Nick is a quirky Sci-Fi fan who defies death on the operating table and emerges determined to live his dreams before he runs out of time. It's bad enough his ticker could give out any moment. His family wants him to change his entire life, and the woman of his dreams is already spoken for. The last thing he needs is a dog. But the runaway Sheltie collie pawing at his door has an urgent mission and she won't be ignored.

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2025

About the author

Greetings! I am corn-bred and corn-fed from America's heartland. But life's trails led me to reside in Washington, California, Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, with a brief stint in Austria. After 14 years in the travel industry, I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology, allowing me to work with neurodivergent individuals of all ages and train other professionals for the next 20 years. My formal career ended with 6 joyful years running elementary school libraries. Here is what keeps me going through thick and thin: For almost 60+ years, I have been a yogini, with ongoing study and practice rooted in traditions stretching back more than 7,000 years. Recently retired, I am finally writing the stories that have been cavorting in my head for decades. My goal is to add kindness to the world, as we sorely need it. May you find compassion, civility, common sense and a little magic on your own trails. All blessings!

Reviews

[Book Reviewer]

NICK and CLANCY - A Tale of Nine Lives tells the story of Nick, a gentle and wounded man recovering from severe heart trauma, and Clancy, the sharp, funny, deeply devoted dog who enters his life at exactly the right moment. The narrative moves through years of shared life, illness, dreams, small victories, and fear, often told from Clancy’s point of view. At its core, the book is about survival, companionship, purpose, and the strange ways love shows up when life feels fragile and uncertain.

The writing feels intimate and conversational, almost like someone sitting across from you and telling you a story late at night. I laughed more than I expected. I also felt a quiet ache settle in as the pages went on. The dog’s perspective could have felt gimmicky, but it does not. It feels earnest and oddly wise. Clancy’s humor, guilt, loyalty, and protectiveness landed hard for me. I felt protective of Nick, too, even frustrated with him at times. The writing is messy in a relatable way. It rambles. It lingers. That worked for me. Life rarely moves in neat arcs, and this book does not pretend otherwise.

The theme of borrowed time runs through everything. Illness hangs over each chapter like background noise that never fully shuts off. I felt the anxiety of waiting for the next medical crisis. I also felt the stubborn hope that keeps Nick moving forward anyway. The story made me think about purpose in small terms. Not destiny. Not grand success. Just showing up for someone else. Just staying. There is a tenderness here that caught me off guard. Some sections felt repetitive, and a tighter edit could help in places, but I did not mind lingering with these characters. I cared about them. That matters more to me than polish.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy character-driven stories and emotional honesty. It is especially well-suited for animal lovers, people who have faced serious illness, or anyone who has felt unmoored and searching for meaning. This book is reflective and heartfelt and sometimes sad. If you like books that feel personal and lived in, and you do not mind getting a little misty-eyed along the way, this one is worth your time.

[Julie Baker]

This is a fun read about the life of one man, Nick , told in two perspectives his and his dog’s, Clancy’s. You laugh and cry as the man goes through life with a weak heart, changing cities, starting over, looking for love, and living with remarkable friendships.