b'books, movies, music & more.I F OUND M Y F ICTIONAL P ROTAGONISTBy Gabi JusticeW e need more mercy in the world today. Turn welcoming nature and her social media posts. With myon the news and all you see are pandemics, book only months away from publication, I had beenshootings, riots. Its scary and heartbreaking. searching for potential readers on Instagram and stumbledBut, I saw hope in the hazel eyes of a rescued upon Mercy Full Project. When I realized it was right herePit Bull named Basil. For as cruel as humans had been to in my backyard, I hit follow and what I saw made me cryher, she still wagged her tail and nuzzled her nose up to happy and sad tears. Id found my protagonist in fleshme, a stranger. Why?and bone. Photograph by Jacqui SillaHeydi Acuna poses with Maria, who is themurals inspiration, painted by JR Creates.Mercy Full Project is a 501(C)(3)charitable organization.901 N. Fremont Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606Phone: 813.836.0711www.MercyFullProjects.orgHer name is Heydi Acuna, she co-founded Mercy Full I had to meet her. Project in Tampa, and shes the real-life version of Most of us love dogs. We get a puppy. We feed it,Kendall, the protagonist in my new book Dog Girl. love it, take care of it, maybe even write a book withWhen you create a character, theyre more than the color dog characters. But Heydis love for and commitmentof their eyes or the curl in their hair. Sometimes their to animals goes above and beyond. Her daily routineembodiment remains intangible. If youre lucky and your and years full of stories exhausted me. I honestly do notbook gets made into a movie or television series, maybe think she sleeps. the casting director choses someone that captures your Like Kendall, my books protagonist, Heydi fightsvision.to save dogs. Unlike Kendall, she grew up in Columbia.As I sat with my daughter, Julia, at Khawa Coffee in After years of volunteering, and with a little encourage-downtown Tampa, I saw Heydis wide smile and kind eyes ment from her husband Nash, shes now on the otherbefore I saw the Mercy Full Project logo on her shirt. I side. Only a year ago, she opened her own nonprofithadnt met her yet, but I knew Id adore her from her corporation, just in time for the pandemic.28 THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'