Morning dearlings! We've got Sandra Dailey taking over the blog today! *waving hi to Sandra!* I hope yall will give her a nice welcome. She's a great lady and just had her second book published, Twice the Trouble. So come on and check out her guest post and then enter the giveaway down at the bottom for an ecopy of one of her books!
~Anna
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Lacey Carlyle has worked for years to create the perfect blend of home, business and family. Now she risks losing everything when the land she farms is bought by the man who abandoned her thirteen years ago.Alex has never understood why Lacey walked away from him. Now, he holds the deed to her farm and intends to make her pay. The only problem - two kids weren't part of the plan.
Jenna and Jarrod may not see eye-to-eye but they are both determined to find happiness for their mom and keep their home safe. Can Lacey and Alex put their pasts behind them and embrace a future together?
Those Furry Characters...
I’m honored to be a guest on the blog today, but like all blog posts, I had to decide what my topic would be? This one was a no-brainer. The title of the blog made me think about the roles our pets play in our lives and what great characters they are in our books.
I’ve found there are animals that have more personality then some people. Each of our pets have been as quirky as the rest of the family.
When my daughter, Myriah, was in her teens she had a little black and white ‘attack cat’. Her name was Tag. We named the cat Tag because she’d hang from Myriah’s shirt or blouse the whole time she was home. When Myriah was away, Tag would hide under the porch steps. If a stranger came to the door she’d jump out, encircle their ankle with her claws and sink in her tiny little fangs. Hence, ‘Tag the Attack Cat’. I’ve seen her bring grown men to tears. Our friends learned to visit wearing boots.
Personally, I’m a dog person. My best baby-sitter was my old red Chow, Waki. I know it seems weird to have a Chow as a farm dog in Florida, but we’re not the typical family.
When my first granddaughter was a baby, I’d often watch her during the day. Still, there was a lot of outdoor work to do, (farm). I’d put Emilee in her little carrier and sit her within view. Waki would take charge from there. He would sit watching her and a fly couldn’t get within three feet without being devoured. The only problem was, if she cried, he would too. But, that’s how he came to be known as ‘Waki the Nanny’.
In each of my stories I write at least one furry character. In THE CHIEF’S PROPOSAL my hero, Brett, had a dog named Bear:
In TWICE THE TROUBLE my heroine, Lacey is the owner of two Border Collies:I’ve found there are animals that have more personality then some people. Each of our pets have been as quirky as the rest of the family.
When my daughter, Myriah, was in her teens she had a little black and white ‘attack cat’. Her name was Tag. We named the cat Tag because she’d hang from Myriah’s shirt or blouse the whole time she was home. When Myriah was away, Tag would hide under the porch steps. If a stranger came to the door she’d jump out, encircle their ankle with her claws and sink in her tiny little fangs. Hence, ‘Tag the Attack Cat’. I’ve seen her bring grown men to tears. Our friends learned to visit wearing boots.
Personally, I’m a dog person. My best baby-sitter was my old red Chow, Waki. I know it seems weird to have a Chow as a farm dog in Florida, but we’re not the typical family.
When my first granddaughter was a baby, I’d often watch her during the day. Still, there was a lot of outdoor work to do, (farm). I’d put Emilee in her little carrier and sit her within view. Waki would take charge from there. He would sit watching her and a fly couldn’t get within three feet without being devoured. The only problem was, if she cried, he would too. But, that’s how he came to be known as ‘Waki the Nanny’.
In each of my stories I write at least one furry character. In THE CHIEF’S PROPOSAL my hero, Brett, had a dog named Bear:
A huge hairy beast barreled into the room, growling and snarling. His thick fur looked like it had been patched together like a quilt with several colors. Its snout wrinkled back to show off deadly fangs. Its ears were pulled back, causing its eyes to look monstrous. This was it. This was how it would end. She was destined to be dog food.
“Bear. Friend,” Brett barked back at him.
The beast suddenly sat at attention. Now that it had become a stone statue, Ginny realized it was in fact a dog, mixed breed, definitely with some mastiff blood, maybe some shepherd, and possibly a little bear. He had called it bear. It looked like a bear.
Alex joined her on the top step. The female Border collie stayed against Lacey’s side. The male moved off the steps and sat on the ground, as still as a statue in front of him. He eyed Alex suspiciously. Were all the males on this farm going to give him a hard time?
“I forgot you had dogs until they showed up this morning. I hadn’t heard a single bark before that. Where’ve they been?”
“Working of course,” Lacey replied. “They usually stay with the cattle. You being here made them a little off their game, and then the pigpen escape made them more nervous. They’ll be fine after a little loving.”
Alex wanted to tell her that he could do with a little loving, but he held his tongue. Her nerves were still too raw. “You were serious about everyone working for their supper.”
“Buck and Bella are the best herders in the county,” Lacey bragged. “They’ve won several ribbons for their skill with cattle.”
“No kidding?” Alex held out his flat hand. Bella came around to sniff it, but Buck just blew out a huff.
Lacey stood up and brushed the dust and dog hair from her skirt. “I guess I’d better get started on my chores.”
Bella walked down the steps and toward the side of the house. Buck remained in place staring at Alex.
“I’ll help,” Alex offered as he stood to follow Lacey inside. If that dog could handle a small herd of cattle without supervision, he didn’t want to be alone with him. Not until he had a change of attitude.Yes, my furry characters may seem unfriendly at first, but they grow along with the other characters and earn respect. Another plus, they don’t need a lot of dialogue.
~Sandra Dailey
Check out Sandra's guest post and leave her some comment love!
Do you have a quirky real life pet or a favorite fictional critter? Tell us a little about em!
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