Melinda Curtis…and her new writing partner, with paws

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger Melinda Curtis

You’d think that as a writer when all your children leave for college, you’d revel in the abundance of spare time on your hands.  No more after-school activities.  No more team dinners to host.  No more sleepovers where no one sleeps.  It could be all writing, all the time.  I was free, except for my husband, of course.

BonnyHalloweenI wrote a lot in 2013 – 5 books and a novella.  I didn’t do much else.  And then my son’s dog won my heart over.  Bonny is a mini Australian Shepherd.  She learned commands quicker than any dog I’d seen before, which also meant she easily outsmarted everyone who didn’t pay attention to her (yep, she’s young).  She cuddled with cats.  She created a route in whatever house she was in – checking up on every person inside.

Bonny reminded me of the Australian Shepherd mix I had growing up on a sheep ranch.  Tippy was the extra pair of hands my mom didn’t have with three kids on 50 acres.He herded kids as easily as he did sheep.

I was about to write a book and decided I had to feature an Australian Shepherd –

Tippyenter Abby, a licensed therapy dog, who burst onto the page with the smarts and enthusiasm of the breed.

I finished the book and moved on to writing the next one.  But I was restless and tired.

When my daughter came home for a visit before starting the fall quarter, she pointed out that I might be writing too much and might be using writing to fill the gaps left by my kids leaving.  And then we saw a picture on Facebook of a puppy in need of a home.  Writers under deadline have been known to do crazy things.  I brought home a 3-pound, 8-week old puppy.

TallyRevisionNow Tally is 6 months old.  She naps beneath my desk during the day and reminds me I’ve got to get up frequently to enjoy the out of doors.  We work with a dog trainer since I’ve known small dogs to get nervous and yappy (who wants to come to Grandma’s house if she has a cranky little dog?).  “Trainer Tom” finds Tally very amusing.  He used to train dogs for the military.  To him, at seven pounds, she’s practically a cat, but they’ve grown to love each other.  I didn’t plan on becoming a pet parent again at this point in my life, but like most pet owners, I can barely remember what life was like without her.

Dogs were bred to serve, but today most are family.  I’d love to hear how a pet came into your life for the most unexpected reasons and made a special place in your heart.

Here is an Amazon link for Melinda’s new book!
Summer Kisses (A Harmony Valley Novel)

Summer KissesSummerKissesFront
A Harmony Valley Novel
by Melinda Curtis

Rebecca MacKenzie’s career as a caregiver for the elderly suited her perfectly. Ease their suffering, hop back in the motor home and move on. Caring without commitment. It was ideal for someone trying to outrun her memories…and mistakes. Someone determined to stay detached. Flynn Harris, her new patient’s grandson, is weakening her resolve in every way. His scrutiny, his suspicion—and worst of all, his kisses—are more than distracting. They’re dangerous. Because she’s teetering on the edge of caring. And revealing her secrets. And…staying.

EXCERPT

The truth pressed at Becca’s throat.
She swallowed it back.
Took a breath.
Risked looking toward Flynn.
Beneath his black ball cap, his reddish-brown hair glinted in the afternoon sunlight, almost as blinding as the rippling river. His jaw was a hard line. She couldn’t look him in the eye.
The truth pressed on her once more.
Becca swallowed it again.
She and the truth had an odd track record. Like the time her father walked out after learning Becca’s mother had Stage Four cancer. Or the first time Terry asked her to marry him. He’d walked out when she said she was scared and needed time to think.
“You have two choices if you want the job.” Flynn’s voice was as unflappable as his jaw line. “You can tell me what you’re hiding, or I can do a background check.”
Tell him the truth? Which version? No one ever really wanted to hear the unvarnished truth. They wanted a massaged answer tailored to their expectations. Telling Flynn about the lawsuit placed her odds of landing the job near zero.
But it was a definite zero if she walked away without saying anything.
“I want this job.” She swallowed and rephrased. “I need this job.” To repair her reputation before it fell from somewhere near barely employable to no-way-in-Hades employable.

About the author:  Melinda Curtis writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet romances for the Harlequin Heartwarming line. Brenda Novak says: “Season of Change has found a place on my keeper shelf”.  Melinda also writes independently published, hotter romances as Mel Curtis. Jayne Ann Krentz says of Blue Rules: “Sharp, sassy, modern version of a screwball comedy from Hollywood’s Golden Age except a lot hotter.”  Melinda is married to her college sweetheart, and has three kids in college.  She follows the NFL because one young quarterback is from her hometown, and follows Duke basketball because Mr. Curtis has a man crush on Coach K.  Her latest release, Summer Kisses, comes out February 1st and is part of the Harmony Valley series and set in a small town winery.  You can learn more about her books at www.MelindaCurtis.net. www.MelindaCurtis.net

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Once upon a time there was a dog….

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger Shirley Raye Redmond

The slice-of-life essay is usually defined as a, “short piece intended to
realistically depict an interesting moment in everyday life.” Writers who
pursue this form of essay writing tap into their personal experiences and
memories for suitable subject matter. When writing fiction, I do the same.
My historical novel, Amanda’s Beau, is embroidered with real-life
circumstances or incidents.

For instance, my son raises chickens as a hobby, so it is no coincidence
that Amanda’s family raises chickens. The hero Gil Gladney takes his
pupils out to explore the old Anasazi ruins on the outskirts of the
village of Aztec. Years ago, I took my own youngsters out to explore the
same ruins. Even Bonita, the rag-tag Irish setter, rescued by Amanda’s nephew Rex, is based on a real dog that once belonged to my father.

As a boy in the 1920s, he owned a dog named Fly and loved her with all his 
young heart. Unfortunately, the dog succumbed to blood lust, attacking chickens and other animals on the family farm. When Fly ran off with my dad’s infant cousin, snatching the baby from a blanket on the ground during a family picnic, my dad was expected to go into the woods with a gun to shoot the dog and rescue the child. Later, when I married, my husband bought me an Irish setter puppy for my birthday. I loved her to pieces, but I could never look at Scarlet without thinking of the excruciating pain my dad must have endured when forced to put down his pet all those years ago. When I began writing this story, I vowed it would have a happier ending.

Sometimes I will use a real comment to enhance the dialogue in the story. Like a bit of lace on the collar of a blouse or a special ornamental button, a remark made by one of my friends, acquaintances, or family members adds an extra little touch to the story line.  A dog-loving neighbor once said to me, “I’ve always liked dogs. They have a peculiar sense of humor all their own. And most of them are more pleasant to be around than lots of people I know.” Again, it is not a coincidence that my hero repeats this opinion when he first meets Rex’s beloved pet for the first time.

Often, after reading a particularly interesting nonfiction book, I feel the need to add something I learned to my fictional story. While writing Amanda’s Beau, I happened to be reading, Rabid, A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy.  Grim reading, to be sure, and I don’t recommend curling up with this book before bedtime. Rabies is the most fatal virus known to science. The anecdotes recorded in this book made the drama in Old Yeller appear quite tame. However, I could not resist adding my own bit of drama (and trauma!) to my story by having my heroine encounter a rabid skunk.

It’s my hope that these bits of literary embroidery will enhance my tale and perhaps, make parts of the story memorable in a positive way for the  reader.


Here is an Amazon link for Shirley’s new book:    Amanda’s Beau


Amanda’s Beau
Astraea Press
Shirley Raye Redmond
Now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Astraea Press

The year is 1905. It is autumn in the village of Aztec in New Mexico territory. Amanda Dale is burdened with the responsibility of caring for her widowed sister and Ella’s two children—one a premature infant. When
schoolteacher Gil Gladney and his pupils discover the relics of an ancient culture among the ruins outside the village, Gil contacts an old college friend. The possibility of an archeological excavation excites the community of cash-strapped farmers, eager to earn extra money working on the site.
But Amanda becomes smitten by the handsome schoolteacher and distracted by her growing fear that Bonita, the Irish setter so beloved by her nephew Rex, has succumbed to bloodlust and is preying upon the chickens from
which the family earns their living. One mishap after another convinces both Gil and Amanda that life is short and the possibility of happiness is fleeting. In the end, Amanda learns to trust God to provide the happily-ever-after ending she’s been praying for.

www.shirleyrayeredmond.com

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The Real Puddles ….by Amanda Cabot

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger   Amanda Cabot

It’s not unusual for an author to have readers tell her that they love her characters.  In fact, that’s one of the things every author hopes will happen.  It’s less usual, though, to get that kind of fan mail when the character has four feet, but that’s exactly what happened with Puddles, the dog I introduced in Summer of Promise.  He captured readers’ hearts as much as he captured mine.

When I’m asked whether I base my characters on real people, the answer is always a resounding ‘no.’  Oh, I might take a characteristic from a person I’ve met – a firm chin, deep blue eyes or even a stubborn heart – but that’s all.  The rest of the character comes from my imagination.  It was different with Puddles.  All the time I was writing about him, I kept picturing Bradford.  I even had pictures of him close at hand, so I could make sure I described him properly.

So, who’s Bradford?  The story started one summer when my sister decided that our brother Andy deserved a puppy for his birthday.  Caitlin was wise enough to know that our parents wouldn’t agree, so she operated under the ‘it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission’ motto and headed off to the local animal shelter, coming back with an absolutely adorable puppy she’d named Bradford.  As a side note, Caitlin was crafty enough to do this on an evening when our parents were attending a dinner meeting and wouldn’t be back until after the shelter was closed.  The wise girl was taking no chances that she’d have to return the puppy that day.

You can probably imagine Andy’s delight when he saw his birthday gift.  It was the classic boy-meets-dog moment.  Those of you who are parents, try to picture yourself coming home and being greeted with a sign on the door saying, “Be careful.  Bradford is sleeping.”  Of course, being a puppy in a new environment, Bradford wasn’t sleeping.  He was whimpering, seeking attention.  And he got it.  Our mother spent the better part of the night sitting with him, petting him and saying, “My, what big paws you have for such a little dog.”  (If you look closely at the picture, you can see those oversized feet.  Bradford was mostly Belgian shepherd and soon grew into those paws.)

By the time morning arrived, it wasn’t only Andy who’d fallen in love with the puppy.  So too had Mother and Dad.  Though he had been intended as Andy’s birthday gift, Bradford turned out to be a gift for the whole family, so much so that when I was married a couple years later, the now fully grown Bradford was included in one of the family portraits.  And when I wanted to create a canine character in Summer of Promise, there was no question what he’d be like.  With his sweet but occasionally mischievous spirit, Bradford was the perfect role model for Puddles.  Thanks, Caitlin!

 And here is an Amazon link for Amanda’s new book!   With Autumn’s Return: A Novel (Westward Winds)

WITH AUTUMN’S RETURN
AMANDA CABOT
January, 2014
Revell Publishing

Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to establish her medical practice thanks to the wooing of her two older sisters who extolled the beauty of the land. She’s certain she’ll have a line of patients eager for her expertise and gentle bedside manner.

However, she soon discovers the town and its older doctor may not welcome a new physician. Even more frustrating, the handsome young attorney next door may not be ready for the idea of a woman doctor. For his part, Jason Nordling has nothing against women, but he’s promised himself that the woman he marries will be a full-time mother.

Despite their firm principles, Elizabeth and Jason find that mutual attraction–and disdain from the community–is drawing them ever closer. And when the two find themselves working to save the life and tattered reputation of a local woman, they’ll have to decide how far they’re willing to go to find justice–and true love.

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Taffy to the rescue! Guest blogger Carole Browne

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by guest blogger  Carole Brown

Does God Care About Us and Animals? Of course, he does! Why else would he mention in the New Testament about seeing even a lowly sparrow dying? Why else did he create an emotion (called love!) in our hearts for the animals in our lives? Why else would he create certain animals to react with loyalty and love in their little hearts toward humans?

And, so, that’s why I believe God cared about Shyenne, our horse, when her companion sister (Red) died. She mourned–yes, she did, standing over Red’s  grave, hours at a time. Until the day . . .

God sent Taffy.

She’s a mixed breed, but she looks a little like a Jack Russell and acts like one even more. We were all gone that day busy with things like humans often are. But when my husband and oldest son returned home, they saw the strangest sight: Big, beautiful Shyenne with a small tan and white dog sitting close by. What do you think they talked about?

Whatever it was, whatever Taffy said or showed to Shyenne, it did the trick. Could have been, Taffy said, “You’ve got a (new) friend.” or “I’ll be a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”

From that day on, Shyenne was over her mourning.

And sweet, wiry little Taffy was in our lives to stay. My husband called her Squirt. I insisted her name was Taffy. With persistence, the name I chose stuck.  How has this little creature affected our world? Let me list the ways:

She’s loyal and loving. Her humans are her responsibility to make sure their love for her is always present

She keeps all the other animals on our mini farm in line (or at least she tries!)

She’s company for us when either one or the other is alone.

She’s a great companion to our 21 month-old grandson. Teaching him to love and respect books is one great desire I have. When he enters the house and runs for a book, says “sit” and pats his leg for Taffy to join us, then hugs her neck and says “see” while pointing at the pictures–that’s a real delight for me. Not saying how Taffy feels about all that. LOL!

She’s obedient. When called she comes running with all the speed she can muster.

I’m thinking, God was considering more than just Shyenne when he sent Taffy into our lives. Could be he knew we needed a little more loving from another created being.

I like to think so.

Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

 

Connect with Carole here:
Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

And here is Carole’s new book:

How far would YOU go to avenge a daughter’s cruel death? Cara is considered rebellious and inappropriate to befriend. Dayne is the apple of Elder Simmons’ eye—until he takes a stand against their teachings. Can his prayers and love reach Cara and show her the way to redemption? Will Cara realize God’s love and forgiveness before she goes too far? 

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman is a novel of hope shining through the darkness with strong elements of suspense and romance. This novel was a semifinalist in the Genesis contest and is receiving raving reviews! Release date was October 21, 2013 from the Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

Here is an Amazon link for Carole’s new book!   The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman (Christian Suspense) (Women’s Fiction)

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A dog I’ll never forget….guest blogger June Foster

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

guest blogger June Foster

After my husband Joe and I moved into our new house in El Paso, Texas, we got a dog. And what a dog he was. We named him Samson because we needed a strong guard dog. Frequently, however, we called him Sam or Sammy, and sometimes “Hey Mutt.”

Sam turned out to be a dog with an amazing personality, almost human. Really. At least he seemed like our son, since our children were grown and gone.

One of my favorite Christmas memories was when my husband Joe decided to give Sam a present. Joe took a bag of treats and poked holes in the plastic around them—so the delicious aroma of doggie hors d’ oeuvres wafted through. He wrapped the gift with brightly colored paper and tied a bow around it.

After he put it under the tree, he called Sam over and pointed out the package saying, “Sam, this is your present. Now don’t touch.”

Our well trained and obedient dog never bothered the parcel—even when we weren’t in the room. Each time Joe would say, “Sam, where’s your present?” he’d run to the package and sniff it. He didn’t even push it around with his nose.

Finally on Christmas morning, Joe went through the usual routine of asking Sam to identify his present. Then he loudly proclaimed, “Sam, you can have it.”

Sam grabbed the package and within a couple of minutes unwrapped it and enjoyed a doggie treat. The memory of our precious dog lives on in our hearts. Even after ten years, we miss him.

And here is an Amazon  link for June’s new book!  Click here:  Ryan’s Father

Ryan’s Father
June Foster
Whitefire Publishing

A Young Man at War with Himself 

The rippling influence of Ryan Reid’s less than moral mother and absent father left a mark on his soul. Yet everything changed when the young teacher gave his life to the Lord…almost everything.  An earthquake hurls the beautiful Sandy Arrington into his life, tossing his world upside down. But when God calls him to build an annex for needy teens at his church, he finds himself battling an attraction toward his male partner in the project. His own struggles and Sandy’s growing feelings for him force Ryan to face the issue he’s long buried.   Can he dig his way out from under his secret to find Sandy’s love?

 

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Summer at Briar Lake…Roxanne Rustand

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Just thought I’d let you all know that my second e-book, Summer at Briar Lake, is available for Kindle and other e-readers.  I spend a lot of time featuring other authors here, and just realized that I hadn’t yet posted here about my own new book.  Oops!

Here’s  the cover–what do you think?   I had such a ball writing this one–as you know, I love animals of all kind, so in addition to being a romance with  definite thread of light suspense, I got to add in all sorts of quirky animals.  🙂

Here’s an Amazon link to click,  if you’d like to buy it…it’s just $2.99!   Summer at Briar Lake

Summer at Briar Lake
Roxanne Rustand
January, 2014

In Summer at Briar Lake, a disillusioned lawyer searching for a quiet life in a small resort town ends up sharing a house with a woman who has a dark past, a troubled daughter and a menagerie of epic proportions.

The situation is challenging enough, but add a miniature goat with a penchant for roses and adventure, and an unknown enemy who will stop at nothing to achieve his own goals, and life becomes even more…interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

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Brenda B Taylor and Toby, the Big Cur Dog

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger  Brenda B Taylor 

The Wades of Crawford County, Leann and Ralph, live on a farm five miles from the small town of Cuba, Missouri during the post-Civil War era. The farm’s livestock play an important role in family’s livelihood, but the most interesting animal, the one I really enjoyed writing into the stories, is the big cur dog named Toby. Jesse, Ralph and Leann’s six-year-old son in Through The Storm, claimed Toby as his special friend. Toby came out of the woods one day to take up residence under the Wades’ back steps. Jesse immediately fell in love with the big cur and the two became inseparable. Toby followed Jesse to school, but the teacher chased the dog away, much to Jesse’s chagrin.

Toby stayed close to Jesse when the little boy was sick and could not lift his head from the bed pillow. Leann relented and let Toby sleep in Jesse’s room, but only if Jim, the older brother, washed the dog so he wouldn’t smell and had clean hair. Jesse had a bad habit of nuzzling Toby’s fur and getting dog hair in his mouth.  Toby saved Leann and Jesse when they were lost in the cornfield during a heavy thunderstorm. He led Ralph to each one. Leann learned to love and appreciate the large dog, but she still scolded Jesse when he got dog hair in his mouth. Nuzzling Toby remained outside the limit of Leann’s tolerance.

Below is a excerpt from the third book in the Wades of Crawford County series, Through The Storm, when Toby helped save Leann and Jesse during the thunderstorm.

     Leann and Jim made their way to the cornfield in the now-pouring rain. The thunder grew closer, louder. She tried calling Jesse but was afraid her voice couldn’t be heard over the storm.
     A bolt of lightning flashed close by, right in front of her. With an earsplitting blast, a tree on the hill exploded in a burst of light. Leann screamed.
     Jim started running to find Jesse. Leann tried running to keep up with Jim. She tripped on her long skirt, now sagging under the weight of the water, and fell into the mud, losing sight of Jim and Toby in the tall corn. She wanted to scream for Jim, but he needed to find Jesse, so she sat in the mud, crying. She could do nothing but pray the Lord would help Jim get to Jesse and bring him to safety.
     Leann lost all perception of time. It seemed she sat in the mud crying and praying for an eternity. Lightning flashed around her. Thunder rolled. Her imagination saw Jesse lying among the corn stalks after being struck by lightning. Crying harder, she buried her face in her hands. Where were Jim and Jesse? Where were her sons?
      Suddenly, Toby licked her hands.
     “Where did you come from? You need to be finding Jesse,” she scolded the dog between sobs.
      Large hands reached out of nowhere, pulling her to her feet. Astonished, she looked up into her husband’s dark and troubled eyes under the wide-brimmed leather hat dripping with water.

The Wades of Crawford County series is a poignant tale of a love strong enough to survive the hard times in post-

Civil War Missouri, and woven with the cords of family values and faith.

“Truly captivating in the development of the entire cast of characters, each person is given a detail unseen in literature today. These are not just silly heroes and heroines prancing about on a page. These are real people, fighting real challenges, loving real loves. If you’re looking for a truly well told story, this is your book.” ~ Jessie

AMAZON LINK to buy the book: Through The Storm (The Wades of Crawford County Series)

Contact the author: http://bit.ly/KVDPYf

The desire to write historical fiction has long been a passion with Brenda B. Taylor. Since elementary school, she has written stories in her spare time. Brenda earned three degrees: a BSE from Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas; a MEd from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas; and an EdD from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; then worked as a teacher and administrator in the Texas Public School system. Only after retirement could she fulfill the dream of publication.

Brenda and her husband make their home in beautiful East Texas where they enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and working in Bethabara Faith Ministry, Inc. She crafts stories about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in her favorite place overlooking bird feeders, bird houses, and a variety of blooming trees and flowers. She sincerely thanks all who purchase and read her books. Her desire is that the message in each book will touch the heart of the reader as it did hers in the writing.

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Hip Hop—Donita K. Paul’s most unusual muse!

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by guest blogger  Donita K Paul

It is a known fact in my family, that if you sit me down on a park bench, I’ll soon have a gathering of children or dogs or both. My grown kids call me a dog magnet. When I taught the three year old Sunday school, my son intimated it was my peer group. And I got into mountains of trouble with a sensitive mom of a rambunctious and perfectly normal first grade boy by saying training kids and dogs were similar. She had just been admiring my dog’s repertoire of astonishing tricks.  She didn’t think behavioral modification should be used on human offspring.

I’ve had pets all my life, so when I moved into my daughter’s basement and didn’t have a dog because there was no back door and no cat because her husband was allergic and no bird because she was allergic, I began to show signs of pet deprivation.  This is the nicest place I’ve ever lived, spacey, airy, and modern. And petless.

Two turtles and a dog came to live upstairs, but they didn’t fill my needs.

Finally, a type of pet I’d never had caught my attention. Two years ago, I became the custodian of a house rabbit. His name is Hippity Hoppity Hare. (I’ve made up a song about him that has four verses and we plan to make a website picture book.) He shortens his name to Hip Hop when he’s rapping. And he’s most often called Bunzy or Bunzoid.

Hip is a Netherland dwarf lop-eared rabbit but his ears didn’t lop. They shamefully stand straight up. His breeder has won all sorts of prizes and if her husband had noticed my little fella it wouldn’t have been little bunny foo foo bopping field mice, but the money minded husband of the rabbit ranch who would have done the bopping. So essentially, I rescued Bunzy from being removed from the genetic pool. Instead of $150 or more, he was only $25.00 –a bargain bun.

He is the color of cinnamon toast. He sits in his cage on a table by the chair I spend most of my time in. And he keeps me company.  I never imagined a rabbit could be this much fun. He’s kind of limited on tricks. He comes for treats and to give kisses–sweet little kisses with much less slobber than a canine. He allows me to stroke his soft fur to lower my blood pressure.  And he even does a type of purring that will never win him honors in a purr-off with the poorest of alley cats but warms my heart.

I spend a great deal of time watching him, and I might even claim him as a writing muse, since he never offers a discouraging word and patiently stays by me as I write into the night.

 

 

 

 

Here’s an Amazon link so you can buy Donita’s wonderful new book!  One Realm Beyond (Realm Walkers)

ONE REALM BEYOND
Donita K Paul
Harper Collins Publishing

My latest fantasy comes out this month on the 28th. It is a new world, with new characters, lots of adventure, amazing revelations, and satisfying relationships.  Benzoid has sat beside me as a young girl had her first dragon ride, a young man learned the value of friendship, and a not so young dragon was pressed back into active service for the good of her country.

One Realm Beyond is available at Christian book stores, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Cbd.com. Come by the website www.donitakpaul.com to celebrate with us.

To  connect with Donita, you can go to.
https://www.facebook.com/don.k.p
http://www.pinterest.com/donitakpaul/
http://dragonbloggin.blogspot.com/

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Ada Brownell…and a poodle named Macho

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

Guest blogger Ada Brownell

Our two youngest children always wanted a dog, but with asthma in the house we couldn’t have a pet. But their health improved and Jeanette started rising early in the morning before school to look at newspaper advertising about dogs.

“Great dane, free to good home,” she read to me one morning as I prepared breakfast. A few days later, it was “St. Bernard. Good with children. Free.”

Jaron wanted a dog, too, but three years older than Jeanette, he wanted to be sure we could afford a computer he and Dad were thinking about.

Being the eighth child in our large family, I’d never had a pet myself. My husband brought in a couple of outdoor dogs for our oldest son, but I never became attached to them.

Trudy, a lady in our church raised poodles and my husband heard that they don’t shed like other dogs and heard they don’t bother people with asthma. One day Trudy called. A poodle had been returned because he had grown larger than a toy poodle ordinarily grows and would be offered at a bargain price. So the kids and Pop went the Trudy’s house and came home with the apricot-colored poodle named Appy.

Jaron, a high school student, went to the library and checked out a book on poodles and the dog immediately went into training. He learned all sorts of tricks. In about three days, Jaron said he was changing the dog’s name to Macho. He was bigger than expected, but also Macho thought he was a big dog.

Yet, Macho always assumed people loved him. I’d be watching TV next to my husband and he’d jump up on my lap, then squeeze himself between us.

I finally got up the nerve to pet him.

“He feels funny,” I said, from a background of being chased by dogs baring their teeth as a kid. “You could put two dogs in his hide.”

Didn’t take me long to figure out that how the Lord made him, so he could dry his hair by flipping his tummy skin almost over his back and shaking it in place again.

When the kids went to college, he was ours. He slept on our bed and woke me up in the mornings staring me in the face so I’d let him go out. His was quite spoiled, going to the doggie beauty shop more often than I went to the hairdresser. Try to put him out with snow on the ground, and he’d give me a look that meant, “Are you out of your mind? I’m not going out there.”

He had a vocabulary of about a dozen words and the word “walk” could send him into a frenzy. We spelling it, and he learned that. So we spelled it backward. He picked up on  actions, too. When I put on my sports shoes, he’d run and try to put his leash on himself.

But his intelligence was retarded in one area–cats. We visited my sister, who had a cat and when we arrived, the cat sat on top of a plastic table beside a lawn chair not moving a whisker. Macho could smell the cat, but searched and searched below the table and never found the cat.

We had adventures with Macho, and when he was gone, I missed him. He added much to our lives and our family will never forget him.

Rocky the goat charged out of nowhere into my new historical romance, The Lady Fugitive, which I hope will be published soon. I admit I had to do some research on goats. Jenny, disguised as a man, purchased a farm and the animals came with it.  But it wasn’t Jenny but Stu, a homeless orphan, who loves the animal most.

 

 

And here is a link for another one of my  books!   Imagine the Future You (Dynamite Decisions for Youth)

IMAGINE THE FUTURE YOU 

By Ada Nicholson Brownell

 Will you be the person you dream of being—or someone from your nightmares?

You don’t need a fortune teller to reveal your future. You are the person who determines who you will be, what your life will be like, and how your hopes and dreams will be fulfilled. This book will show how to make the right connections, how to grow your talents, and how to begin believing in yourself and things greater than yourself—for a wonderful Future You!

Ada Brownell’s author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06

 

 

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Dorothy Love: Carolina Gold, and Golden Retrievers!

Roxanne Rustand Posted on by

by guest blogger  Dorothy Love

Outside of a book, a dog is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.   Groucho Marks

I love this quote because it combines two of my life’s passions—books and canines. I’ve been a  book lover, and a dog lover all my life. My first book was a Little Golden Book called  Three Little Kittens,  and my first dog was a beagle puppy  Daddy brought home inside his jacket pocket when I was nine.  We named her Pansy because the markings on her face resembled the flower.  Like most hunting breeds, Pansy marched to her own drummer, running across the road that ran past our house to the empty fields beyond in pursuit of rabbits or squirrels, or, I suspect, often just for the pleasure of running flat out with the wind in her ears.

One morning Pansy darted across the road just as a car pulling a trailer crested the hill.  I called her back, but she ignored me. Until the car drew closer and she decided to chase it. She died in my mother’s arms.

After Pansy, there were two dachshunds who lived with us during my high school years but I didn’t have another dog that was truly mine until I was married. My husband and I adopted a Sheltie we named Brandy. For thirteen years she was our vocal and protective companion. She loved  long walks and hot dogs, and hated the hot air balloons that hovered above our North Dallas neighborhood on weekends. When Brandy died in her sleep I vowed that I wanted no more dogs. It hurt too much when they left us.

Six months later a friend who had recently adopted a golden retriever told us what great companions they were and the next thing I knew, a beautiful little golden fur ball with bright button eyes entered our lives and our hearts.  We called her Molly and she is the reason we have had nothing but goldens since.

A golden retriever spoils one for any other kind of dog. Beautiful, sweet -tempered, smart, eager to please and easy to train, they are simply the very definition of “canine companion.”

When Molly was four, we moved to Iowa for my husband’s job and we bought a new SUV, just to transport Molly to our new home. Six years later we moved to California  and Molly went with us.  When she died at age 12, again I vowed no more dogs.

But then we got Major. He was my millennium puppy, born in 2000 and he instantly became the canine love of my life. When he died of cancer this past May, I was glad we still had Jake, the golden we adopted when Major was seven.  Jake is now an “only dog” and like our other goldens, he’s gorgeous, and loving. Since Major left us Jake rarely leaves my side. I think he knows my heart is still broken.

The day we took Major to the vet for the last time as I sat sobbing, and saying goodbye, Dr Crowley said something that stuck with me: “If it didn’t hurt to lose them, it wouldn’t be worth  having them in the first place.”
All of my dogs have left their little pawprints all over my heart ( Not to mention  all over my furniture and my floors!)  But I wouldn’t trade them, or my golden memories of them— for anything.

 

 

CAROLINA GOLD
by Dorothy Love
Thomas Nelson Publishers

The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte’s struggle has just begun.
Following her father’s death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family’s rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold.  But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father’s former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.
To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt.  Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.  Inspired by the life of a 19th-century woman rice farmer, Carolina Gold pays tribute to the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry and weaves together  mystery, romance, and historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.

AMAZON LINK TO BUY DOROTHY’S NEW BOOK!  Click here: Carolina Gold

Dorothy is sponsoring a great give-away opportunity!
Just head over to:     www. Facebook.com/dorothyLovebooks   where she is giving away Carolina themed foods, books, Starbucks cards and a $100 Visa card.

She will also have an  author chat party on FB on Jan 14.  If you have any questions about these events, about her book, or about her beautiful dogs, you can ask here, and Dorothy will be here to answer!

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