Welcome to another edition of Open Book Blog Hop. This week’s question is: “Do pets (or other animals) play an important part in your books? Tell us about them.”
Absolutely! I love dogs. I remember plenty of them when I was growing up. Now, I don’t want the responsibility of caring for them, but I enjoy incorporating them into my stories.
In my first novel, We Shall Overcome, my heroine’s boyfriend has an Irish setter named Molly. Last year when I was blocked on my novel-in-progress, a Great Dane puppy named Squeakers saved the day. Now, here’s an excerpt from my latest novel, The Red Dress, in which we meet Ginger, the family’s Black Lab.
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The clicking of Ginger’s nails on the floor in the hall and the jingling of her collar interrupted Eve’s thoughts. She turned as the dog loped into her office and to her side and placed her head on her knee.
“Oh, Ginger, I wish the kids would take more responsibility for you,” said Eve, stroking the dog’s head. “I’ve finished the proofs, now, so all I have to do is check email, and then we’ll go for a walk. Okay?”
Ginger flopped onto the floor at Eve’s feet and looked up at her as if to say, “I’m holding you to that.”
Eve smiled and turned to her computer, where she clicked the Accept button on Charlene’s friend request.
“We’ll see what happens,” she said.
In answer, Ginger wagged her tail, thumping it against the floor.
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What was Eve doing when Ginger’s jingling collar interrupted her? Who is Charlene? Read the book and find out. To participate in this week’s Open Book Blog Hop, click here.
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By the way, for those of you who use the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. No matter how you read it, please be sure to review it wherever you can. That goes for all my books. Thank you for stopping by. Stay safe, happy, and healthy.
New! The Red Dress
Copyright July 2019 by DLD Books
When Eve went to her high school senior prom, she wore a red dress that her mother had made for her. That night, after dancing with the boy of her dreams, she caught him in the act with her best friend. Months later, Eve, a freshman in college, is bullied into giving the dress to her roommate. After her mother finds out, their relationship is never the same again.
Twenty-five years later, Eve, a bestselling author, is happily married with three children. Although her mother suffers from dementia, she still remembers, and Eve still harbors the guilt for giving the dress away. When she receives a Facebook friend request from her old college roommate and an invitation to her twenty-five-year high school class reunion, then meets her former best friend by chance, she must confront the past in order to face the future.
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My Corner 
What a good questions, and I enjoyed reading your response, Abbie. I am an animal lover and would never want to be without them in my home. We have 6 cats and 2 dogs at this time. We have had just about everyty sort of pet from skunks, to snakes, and lots in between. Our home has always be a safe haven for people and creatures.
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Goodness! You’ve had quite a menagerie, haven’t you? I applaud your dedication in caring for all your animals. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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I was suprised Ginger was a black lab. With a name like that, I would have guessed an Irish Setter! 🙂
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Well, I wants knew a black lab named Ginger. Hence, the name. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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