Far From Burden Dell

Amy, a pampered young Golden Retriever, is stolen by ruthless smugglers from her home in rural England and taken to a grim London prison. A bold escape with her fellow prisoners--a weepy but learned King Charles Spaniel, two stalwart Dobermans, a vain Afghan, and an ingenious Yorkshire Terrier takes the friends through the perils of London--from crossing busy streets, escaping a vicious pack of rats in the pitch black London Underground, being chased from Harrod's Food Court, running over London Bridge, hiding in Hyde Park, to racing from the guards at Buckingham Palace, always pursued by their criminal captors.

     "Penned from the ingenious imagination of first-time novelist Chris Coppel, "Far From Burden Dell," is and action-packed thriller, replete with heroes, villains, spies and undercover agents. Coppel incorporates kidnapping, torture, a daring breakout, spectacular chases, and a dramatic rescue operation into this page-turner that is sure to grip readers from start to finish. The principal characters in this exciting, humorous tale are a pack of lively, colorful canines, a refreshing change from the stereotypical humans in most adventure stories....
     Rich with comic dialog, an entertaining and extraordinary cast, and a spellbinding storyline, "Far From Burden Dell" is a delightful and rollicking read. Targeted at middle graders, aged ten years and up, this adventure is guaranteed to its readers."
                                                                                             --BookWire Review
                                                                                                      June 29, 2005

"...Coppel weaves an entertaining story of adventure, friendship, loyalty, and even love."
--School Library Journal, .-Carly B. Wiskoff, Great Neck Library, NY
June 1, 2005

Chris is also an accomplished drummer and guitarist. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife Clare and their very own scaredy-cat Samantha.

If you'd like to write to Chris, his e-mail address is amyathome4@aol.com.  

"Rex, what is it?" Amy asked feeling the beginnings of icy fingers on her spine.
"Shhh!" His voice was tense "Angel? Are you there?"
There was no reply.
"Angel, I know you're here. Come on, speak up." He tried to make his voice sound as casual as possible but Amy could hear his tension.
They stood silently in the darkness waiting for some sort of response. After what seemed like an eternity, Amy was about to ask again what was wrong when their missing fried finally replied.
"Yes, I'm here." Angel's voice was quiet and definitely that of a scared dog.
"Are you all right?" Rex tried to sound calm.
"Yes, thank you."
"Where are you?" Rex, asked, not sounding interested.
"It doesn't matter," came the strained reply.
"Yes it does. Tell me, where are you?"
There was a long silence.
"You're not alone down here are you, Angel?" Rex asked casually.
There was another long pause during which Amy was convinced she heard quiet movement all around them.
"Angel," Rex tried again, "I asked if you were alone down here?"
They didn't have long to wait for an answer this time.
The bottom level suddenly lit up, blinding Rex and Amy with brightness.
"No, she's bloody well not alone," said a velvety voice in a superior tone.
It took Amy a long time to be able to open her eyes to the bright lights. Finally, keeping her lids half-open, she peered out and was stunned by the bizarre vision that met her eyes....