by Anna CampbellIt's my great pleasure to bring back to the lair witty and wonderful Aussie contemporary romance author Kandy Shepherd. Kandy is carving quite a niche for herself in the market with her romantic comedies featuring gorgeous heroes, heroines...and dogs!
Kandy's latest release is HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS (great title, huh?). Here's the blurb:
Love, Unleashed.
Former model Serena Oakley will take puppy play-dates over glamorous parties any day, which is one reason why she’s swapped her stilettos for Birkenstocks - and opened Paws-A-While, an upscale doggy day care and spa in San Francisco. When a ruggedly handsome client walks through her doors, clutching a purse-sized Yorki-poo and only barely convincing when it comes to canine credentials, instinct tells her to be wary - despite her instant attraction to him.
Undercover investigator Nick Whalen has followed a series of identity frauds to Serena and is determined to dig up the secrets he’s certain she is hiding. Despite their mutual distrust, Nick and Serena find themselves bonding over an injured, orphaned dog with a serious junk food habit. And soon they’re arousing more than just suspicions.
Undercover investigator Nick Whalen has followed a series of identity frauds to Serena and is determined to dig up the secrets he’s certain she is hiding. Despite their mutual distrust, Nick and Serena find themselves bonding over an injured, orphaned dog with a serious junk food habit. And soon they’re arousing more than just suspicions.
Nick begins to wonder if one gorgeous, possibly criminal woman and one sad-eyed mutt could show him what he’s been missing out on all his life, while Serena longs to let down her guard. But when Serena’s safety is threatened - and their future together put in jeopardy - the pair must trust in love and loyalty to thwart a danger that’s circling too close to home.
HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS is currently available at a really great price on Amazon ($3.89!) - just click on the cover in this blog and it takes you straight there.
For more information on Kandy and her wonderful books, please check out her website.
ANNA: Kandy, welcome back to the lair! The cabana boys have been barking with excitement at the news of your visit! Congratulations on the release of HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS. By the way, that’s another great title! Can you tell us about this story?
HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS is currently available at a really great price on Amazon ($3.89!) - just click on the cover in this blog and it takes you straight there.
For more information on Kandy and her wonderful books, please check out her website.
ANNA: Kandy, welcome back to the lair! The cabana boys have been barking with excitement at the news of your visit! Congratulations on the release of HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS. By the way, that’s another great title! Can you tell us about this story?KANDY: Thanks so much, Anna, for having me here, do hope you can keep those cabana boys on the leash until after the interview!
It’s a fun title isn’t it? HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS is a tale of romance, mystery and dogs.
Serena Oakley owns an upscale doggy day care and spa in San Francisco and is suspicious of her hunky new client with his purse-sized Yorki-poo. Serena is right to be wary as Nick Whalen is an undercover PI investigating an identity fraud, and Serena is his prime suspect.
But when Serena’s safety is threatened they have to trust in each other enough to thwart the danger.
Serena is the best friend of the heroine of my first novel LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD.
To help her best friend Maddy out on her magazine, Serena posed semi-nude in a bathtub of chocolate and the photos ended up as an ad campaign. I liked writing Serena and kept thinking about her after I typed “The End”. I wondered how that kind of publicity would affect her. Then when I was visiting San Francisco, I drove past a new doggy day care center. What a great job for a dog nut like Serena! What if I wrote Serena her own book where she had given up modeling and owned her own upscale doggy day-care? And what if I created a gorgeous hero who was scathing about the idea of pooch pampering? I fell totally in love with former FBI agent Nick Whalen when I was writing him. I had an image of James Bond actor Daniel Craig in mind when I first created Nick but, as is the way with fictional characters, he soon developed into his own individual person.
There’s a cast of quirky canine supporting characters too, of course. The “hero” dog is a very big, very sad rescue dog named Mack. Brutus the millionaire mutt from LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD also “guest stars”.(BTW, Anna, important as my doggy characters are, I never lose sight of the fact that they are secondary characters in my stories. I’m careful that they don’t distract from the developing romance between the hero and the heroine. But the reactions of the human characters to the animals can give great insight into the human’s personality—I have a lot of fun with that!)
ANNA: Yes, you always include such wonderful animal characters in your stories. Will you tell us a little bit about the real-life pets that inspired the four-legged participants in HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS?KANDY: I’ve had dogs and cats since I was a small child. As a writer, I’m a “people watcher” but I’m also an animal watcher and have borrowed aspects from many of the dogs I’ve met over the years to help create my fictional canines. The kernel of Mack came from my friend Melinda’s dog Mate who lives in far northern California. Mate is a large, friendly mixed-breed dog who thinks he’s still a tiny puppy. Seeing this outsized animal trying to snuggle onto her lap is quite a laugh-out-loud sight! (I borrowed that sight for a scene with Serena.)
Mack grew further in my imagination after Melinda and I took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Ashland, Oregon for the annual Shakespeare Festival. In a gift shop we encountered the most enormous black dog I have ever seen. This gentle giant was sweet natured and graciously allowed my friend and I to pet him. But I noticed other people in the store skirt around him, obviously nervous. That got me thinking further about a dog with a lot to give that maybe no-one wanted.
A few favorite dogs have been “borrowed” for supporting roles in BARK including a beautiful, very old golden lab named Freya who belonged to historical author Isolde Martyn. Coco, the miniature black poodle, is a canine character in both my books.
After the first book was written, I met Lily my new neighbor’s poodle and knew I had met the real-life Coco so Lily became an influence on how I wrote Coco in BARK.
ANNA: We hosted you in the lair last year when your brilliant debut LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD hit the stands. As someone who’s been published now for around eighteen months, I wondered if there was anything you wished you’d known before you sold that you definitely know now.KANDY: I think being published gives you a greater confidence when you write. Knowing people—total strangers, not your friends and family!—read your books and love them enough to write to you and tell you, gives you a boost of faith in your own ability that I certainly struggled with as an unpublished writer.
ANNA: What else has been happening in Kandy Shepherd’s world since we last hosted you in July 2009?
KANDY: Visits to the Romance Writers of America conference in Washington DC and Orlando were very exciting and gave me an opportunity to meet many of the Banditas and visitors to the Lair face to face—that was a real thrill!
Organizing the Romance Writers of Australia annual conference with author Cathleen Ross in August this year was a major commitment but a wonderful experience. As an organizer you get to schmooze with the guest editors, agents and authors—how good is that!
ANNA: Not so long ago, the word around Romancelandia was that the contemporary was dead. Since then I’ve noticed a real upsurge in contemporaries. Yours, of course, but also books from great writers like Robyn Carr, Kristan Higgins and Victoria Dahl. What do you think makes for the longstanding appeal of the contemporary romance?KANDY: While I love historicals—especially yours of course!—my bookshelves are also packed with contemporary romance and women’s fiction. I wonder if the appeal of the contemporary is that they are more a reflection of real life and readers can identify with the characters and the settings. Those wonderful authors you mention write warm-hearted stories with characters who face current dilemmas and win through. My readers tell me they enjoy a laugh and an escape into something not too heavy. Of course the best of contemporaries have the potential to stand the test of time so well, they become historicals. Look at Jane Austen!
ANNA: Hey, thanks for that lovely compliment! What’s coming up next for you?
KANDY: I’m working on a third, linked book with a “doggy focus” featuring one of the characters from HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS and hope to have some good news to share soon.
ANNA: Do you have any advice for unpublished writers?
KANDY: Be sure to nurture your own “voice” and be true to your own vision.That said, try not to fall in love with your own words. Be prepared to slash, rewrite and hone until your work is as good as it can be. Find critique partners you respect and be prepared to listen to them, while at the same time retaining confidence in your own voice.
Anna, I would love to give away some prizes to Bandits readers. While I love dogs, I also have cats, horses and even miniature bulls who I adore. I’m constantly amazed at how different their personalities are.
Do you know a dog (or cat, or any other animal) with a memorable personality?
Please leave a comment for a chance to win one of two prizes—a signed copy of HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS and a LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD T-shirt.Thanks, Kandy, lovely answers and they're great prizes! Good luck, everyone!
154 comments:
Obviously, I'm not working yet!
LOL! Congrats on the GR, Deanna! ;)
Kandy, thanks for the lovely interview! I haven't had much of a chance to have a four-legged pet of my own, but it's been fun to play with those belonging to friends, and I do love reading books featuring pets with personalities! Congrats on your success with Love Is a Four-Legged Word, and on Home Is Where the Bark Is!
I have seen dogs and cats with memorable personalities. Here are two of the cat ones I have experienced. I had one cat that was the sweetest thing and cuddly, I know how odd for a cat. But if he did something wrong his face was so innocent you really couldnt believe he did it. Now I have a different cat, that is getting sweeter but he likes to sit or lay in front of you and wait for you to tell him hes cute. You tell him that and he really gets fluffier. How I dont know but he turns into just a huge fluff ball when you talk to him.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
Fedora, thanks. It's a nice day today, so that's probably why he's visiting. :-)
Kandy, thanks so much for visiting. When I first saw your books I thought "what a lovely premise for a story" and immediately got them. They are in my TBR list / pile / mountain. :-)
I absolutely adore dogs, though as a young child I was attacked by a rather large German Shepherd and I was rather terrified of dogs for a while. It took me a while to get over my fear and now I just love them.
I've had a few dogs of my own and my favorite would be my Maltese cross Lhasa Apso. He's such a sweet and placid dog. The Lhasa Apso part of him bred by Tibetan monks to keep them warm on their laps while they meditate - my Joshua was so meditative, I'd occasionally have to poke him to make sure that he was still breathing. Makes for a wonderful lap dog for anyone who loves cuddling pooches.
I think I'm going to pull your books out of the mountain and put it near the top.
Deanna, people are starting to talk about you and the chook!
Wow, Fedora, talk about neck and neck!
Well done Deanna enjoy GR....
Hi Kandy I have your Love is a Four legged word on the TBR pile.... must put it to the top LOL
We had 6 dogs at one time and they certainly had there pecking order and they each seem to know where they came in the order.... one was a very good guard dog even though they were so little... if we were in the yard and didn't hear the front door bell... she would stand barking outside the back door and we would know that somebody had rung the bell
Fedora, unfortunately my lifestyle makes it impossible to have a pet right now. I'm away so much, for a start. But I love to share my friends' pets. My recent favorite is Toby, a beautiful light brown Burmese that my friend Amanda owns. He's a real 'people' cat! Loves company.
Donna, I smiled at your description of the fluffy cat! It was so vivid!
Daz, Kandy's books are as warm and lovely as a lhasa apso on your lap ;-)
Barbara, dogs become so much a part of the family, don't they? Love the idea of your dog playing butler and letting you know when you had visitors!
Well done Deanna and we do have a lovely day here today instead of the heat and then the rain LOL enjoy your day with him
Waving hi to Kandy and Anna I loved Love is a Four Letter Word and I have Home is Where The Bark is on the TBR both signed lucky me because I was at the conference in Coogee YAY what a fantastic time I had and I was there when Love is a Four Letter Word won the favourite contempary award at the ARRA Awards night in May Whoo Hoo Kandy.
Life wouldn't be the same without pets I have lost 2 of my dogs this year we only have Brandy left now and she has become a little bit of a sook since she lost her playmates and follows me everywhere I go she is sitting under my chair at the moment and any loud noise will scare her and she shakes little treasure but she does have a real personality and I often think she talks to me LOL.
Have Fun
Helen
Hi Kandy and Anna,
We've only had one cat but he was enough! His mom was a feral cat who
lived on the UH campus back in the 'eighties. He and his littermates
were born in a box of pompoms in a storage room in the Band Hall. Son
#1 and Daughter #1 were both in the band & brought the kitten home. He was named Gerald after a goofy (their term)friend. They
named him after seeing him try to nurse on his mother's paw instead
of the appropriate site.They said
that was pretty goofy behavior!
He was awfully wild and I still
have the scars to prove it! With
all the love showered on him over
the years by our family, he became
a sweet, cuddly "lap cat!"
There's a picture that my father took of his "children" sitting at the curb; it was me, my siblings, and the family dog. Since we were sitting down, we teens and the dog (a Golden) were about eye level to each other. That dog was a hoot and lent credence to the saying "stupid is good" when it comes to dogs (he was too smart for his, or at least our, own good). Never understood the appeal of the TV, he would wait, while we watch a suspenseful movie, until we were all tense and then he'd squeak his squeak toy to make us all jump. He also tried to convince my sister that he didn't understand any commands but he was found out when my sister switch to treat-based training (instead of praise-based - he was no fool; he wanted the treats). At times we teens thought he was smarter than our three-year-old cousin. However, having to out-smart the dog at every turn was good training for dealing with small children.
Hello, Anna and Kandy!
I'm so excited to see you starring at the lair today, Kandy. As you know, I'm a huge fan of yours!
My little cats have humongous personalities. Possum in particular is a barrel of laughs. She fetches, plays "tennis" with us, barks and chatters, disciplines our other cat if he's been naughty. She's the perfect antidote to a bad day.
Hi Kandy and Anna, great post:)
We have a half blind 9 yr old Black Lab/Staffi cross with epilepsy. She is terrified of our 3 chickens who love to chase her around the garden. One of which is a 'Houdini' and is forever escaping the coop to lay her eggs. So my kids have egg hunting contests to see who can find her latest hidey hole!!!We also have 2 cats one black and one Persian who looks like a possum and so has had many narrow escapes from the boys possum hunting nights (they're a pest here in NZ)
Never a dull pet moment around here!!!
Welcome Back Kandy!
Pets with personalities...my son has an American bulldog. She's really adorable, big and clumsy and dumb as a rock but so loving, and she idolizes my son. If you toss her a treat, she'll play with it a while, like a cat does with a toy mouse. She knocks it with her paw, then stares as if she expects it to start moving on its own before she "helps" it escape again.
We also have a snail, Killer, with a lot of personality. He scared us the last two days by floating on the top of the aquarium. We'd not seen him do that before and was afraid he'd died - especially when he let all his snaily parts dangle out of the shell. But alas, he's very much alive and is back to crawling around the glass and jumping on unsuspecting plants.
We have a (nearly) 1 year old affectionate Cavoodle called Dash (after Queen Victoria's King Charles Cavalier spaniel of the same name). We've been told he's too pretty to be a boy but he actually looks like one of those pretty restoration aristocrats and he's got about the same discrimination as the cliche too - he'll hump just about anything!!.
Kandy, it's terrific to see you here in the Lair again. Congratulations on both your books. You know I'm a huge fan.
I think the most memorable pet I recall is my neighbour's pony when I was a teen. Frisky (!) was about 15 or more and the most placid pony on four legs. A real character with a gorgeous temperament and a sense of humour too. On hot days he used to enjoy drinking beer from a can. I don't even want to know how that started! Or there was Toby, my own pony, who'd started life with the family of a local greengrocer. He loved nothing better than a feed of raw vegetable leftovers and peelings. The only thing was that when he ate pumpkin he'd carefully and rather daintily spit out the seeds. Amazing to watch. His paddock and the house yard were always sprouting pumpkin vines.
Oh, Helen, I'm so sorry to hear you've lost one of your dogs this year. That's really tough. A lot of people I know have lost beloved pets this year - sad all round.
Pat, interesting about Gerald (love the goofy story!) became a lap cat. We had quite a few cats that were originally feral or were the product of a feral/domestic tryst, and none of them ever really settled into the house cat mode.
Sheree, laughed at the dog too smart for his human masters stories. How gorgeous! We had a dog like that. A lassie dog - they're renowned for their intelligence and I swear he's still one of the smartest males (of any species!) I've ever known, LOL!
Vanessa, I had to laugh at the 'if he's been naughty' line. In my experience, in Pinky's case it's WHEN he's been naughty! If he wasn't so handsome, he'd be in trouble a lot more often! ;-)
Cath, sounds like you and the menagerie have wonderful fun. Laughed at the Houdini chook! Congratulations on winning Jeannie's book too! It sounds fantastic!
Donna, I had to laugh that your pet with personality was a...SNAIL!!!! I'll never be embarrassed to mention my bearded dragons again. Laughed at Killer having you on tenterhooks about his health. Your Snail is a Ham!!!!
Oh, Kaetrin, I'm cracking up at the idea of your dog being a real Restoration rake! Perhaps he's Charles II reincarnated. From what I can gather, C2 had similar habits when he saw anything he wanted to...uh, jump on!
You know, Annie, in all our discussions, I never had any idea that you'd had a pony! And how amazing about the pumpkin seeds! Frisky made me laugh. We had a lovely cat called Rover. Strangely, she was more like a dog than a cat anyway so the name was kinda appropriate.
Hi Kandy and Anna!
I love the title "Love Is A Four-Legged Word"!
I've only had one dog in my life. She's been gone for over twenty years and I still dream about her. Right now, we have two cats...one was a stray found in a dumpster, the other I picked up at the shelter to keep dumpster cat company. They don't like each other.
Great to hear contemps are making a comeback! Okay, now I'm off to Google "miniature bulls"...
Jen, laughed at you getting a second cat for the sake of first cat and first cat is NOT happy! Ain't that just the way of it? Thanks so much for saying you enjoyed the interview!
Yep. I felt pretty stupid. We flew dumpster cat back from NJ to CA. He hopped out of his carrier and attacked the shelter cat. But hey, he's got a frequent flyer number!
Jen, clearly he feels a cut above his new companion!
Hi Anna, thanks so much for having me here in the lair. Wow, I just got home from "day job" to find so many wonderful comments!
Hi flchen1 --there have been times in my life when I have been unable to have a pet of my own. Like you, I have certainly appreciated being able to play with my friends' animals--it's the next best thing!
Hi donnas--it's amazing how cats can have such strikingly different personalities, isn't it?
I have two very snuggly ones and one who is a little more aloof (she's a rescue so I have no idea how she was treated as a kitten) but who loves to go for a walk with us.
But I have never had one that gets fluffier as you praise him! That's really special...
Daz, I do hope you enjoy both my books when you get a chance to read them.
Your Joshua sounds so laid back and sweet! I had no idea that Lhasa Apsos were bred to keep the monks laps warm--thanks for sharing that!
I am in love with my chicken at the moment. She's very cheeky. I feed my dog and cats out the back and my rabbits and the chicken out the front. The chicken goes out the back to steal as much food as she can - the dog bowl had her feathers in it but she was still alive - then she goes to the front and eats there.
Hi Kandy and Anna
Gorgeous photographs! I love that one of the dog looking straight up into the lens - he almost looks like I could pat him on the screen and feel his wet nose!
Our pets have wonderful personalities, don't they, and it's great to read about the foibles of everyone's special friends! I had an ex-racehorse for a while and he had the sweetest nature. He'd dose while I was grooming him and every now and then his head would shoot up as though he was having a dream about being under starters orders again!
Congratulations on your wonderful books, Kandy. You have fab titles and the cover fairy has definitely sprinkled some star dust over the art!
:)
Sharon
Kathy i have had so many people rec your books to me and reading your interview has reminded me to add them to the top of my TBR pile :)
I love dogs i think my favorite "popular" dog would be bouncer from Neighbours lol
Oh I have two cats and they have very diverse and distinct personalities, I love the commercial that shows all the personalities of the cat. "The Snoop, The Instigator, The Troublemaker, etc." I have a Whiner and The **tch, for the record, her name is Angel, but she ain't. I did not name her. The other one, the whiner is called Shadow and my son named him well. He was a rescued feral cat and he stays close to the shadows as a rule and is a solid gray. He also whines.
I love the sound of both those books Kandy, I would be hard pressed to pick one.
Wow, barb, six dogs! That must have been fun--and the dogs must have loved living in a pack.
I spent some time in a doggie day care when I was researching for HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS and the lady who ran it told me the newbie dogs found their place in the pecking order of the existing pack almost straight away. Dogs are amazing animals!
I hope you enjoy LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD when it finds its way to the top of your TBR pile...
Anna, I have the bearded dragon who lives in your garden on the pet gallery page on my website. I guess he's what we might call a pet at a distance!
Hey Helen, lovely to see you here! I am so sad to hear that you have lost two of your dogs this year. Thank heavens you have sweet little Brandy still with you. It is heartbreaking to lose a beloved pet. I lost my precious Kira cat last year at 18 and I still miss her. Her brother Albert is still with me at more than 19, I am dreading the day I lose him...
It was lovely to have you cheering me on the night they announced my win for LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD at the ARRA awards. I was so surprised to win, hadn't even prepared a speech!
I was sharing the table with Anna's publishers who collected the two awards she won that night! We had a three-award table...
Hi Pat, what a wonderful story of your goofy cat Gerald. And how heartwarming to read that he was tamed by the love your family gave him. He was one lucky kitty to have been found by you.
Hi Sheree, I so enjoyed reading your story of your clever Golden--he sounds an absolute character!
I laughed out loud at your comment about outsmarting the dog being good training for dealing with little children.
They say a smart dog has the intelligence of a three year old human and I would believe it. I mean, my daughter took quite a long time to recognize her name while the dogs and cats in the family all knew theirs! (She has grown up to be a very smart kid, I'm thankful to say!)
Hi Vanessa, I'm so glad you called by. Your Possum sounds amazing and is so beautiful in the photos I've seen of her.
You're right, there's nothing like kitteh antics to cheer you up when things aren't going so well.
I have known many a memorable animal. But one time I was volunteering at a Koala Sanctuary and they had a goat called Ferdinand who lived in the Farm area. He didn't think he was a goat though and decided to follow a group of Japanese tourists nearly all the way to the front gate before anyone took him home
Hi Kandy,
Your books sound like fun stories and I do enjoy meeting animals in stories. We have two cats that we got from the shelter when they were kittens and they very distinct personalities. One is a force of destruction that you can't believe. The other one likes to be held like a baby, which is why we call him the baby cat.
Cath, what a lovely animal family you have! Your dog sounds so adorable--and the chickens such fun. I never knew what personalities chickens could have until we had some of our own--but ours sound very ordinary compared to yours!
Donna, if we were giving an award for most unusual pet your snail Killer would have to be a contender!
We used to have an aquarium but never had much luck with snails--we certainly never had one with personality (though the fish certainly had their own distinct characters.)
Your son's bulldog sounds enchanting!
Hi Kaetrin, I had to laugh at your description of Dash! He seems quite the aristocratic in every way...
Hi Annie--so nice to read about Frisky and Toby (BTW one of our horses is named Toby and he is the sweetest boy imaginable).
It boggles the imagination to think of how Frisky acquired his taste for beer--on a hot, thirsty day his rider might have shared his drink with his horse? I wouldn't want to be show-jumping on a horse who had been drinking beer! (Not that I jump horses, I might add, but my daugher does.)
I would love to have seen your Toby spitting out those pumpkin seeds...
Kandy, welcome to the Lair! We love dogs here, though it makes the Golden Rooster quite jealous (keep him leashed, Daz!).
Our cat, Chaps, is a revolutionary. He is forever trying to instigate a grassroots revolution (against the non-specific "The Man") among the neighborhood pets and wildlife. So far, no revolution.
I give him an A for effort, though I think he may just be trying to lure the squirrels and rabbits into the yard with talk about "the great Change" so he can prey on them. Yes, I'm afraid he may have ulterior - and unsavory - motives.
Still, he only weighs about 10-1/2 pounds, so we figure he won't be able to do much on his own. He needs the black labs next door to help out and I don't think he'll get them on board anytime soon!
If only I could get him to take off his Che Guevara t-shirt and stop smoking cigarillos. It does make the neighbors talk.
Hi Pink peony (one of my favorite flowers, BTW!)
Cats are funny creatures, aren't they? You think that wild cats live in prides so a lone cat would like company. But, like humans, it has to be the right company doesn't it?
Our older cats tolerated our most recent rescue cat Cindy, but the younger cat Tabitha makes it quite clear she can't stand her. All she does is hiss, though, as Cindy is twice her size and younger than she is.
My bully boys Squirt and Thimble are steers now. They are Dexters which I believe is a breed originating in Ireland. They are meant to keep weeds down but of course they think good quality hay fed to them by hand is more to their liking. They are as smart as dogs and more endearing than I could ever have imagined!
Hi Cathleen, I absolutely love that hen of yours. I think the term "rule the roost" was invented for her! I'll never forget the time you visited me and she couldn't bear to be outside with my chickens but had to sleep inside in a box in with the humans. I think she actually thinks she is a human!
LOL, Caren. I can just see your Chaps prowling the neighborhood fomenting revolution. He sounds like my kind of cat--with personality plus!
Hi Sharon, I have been lucky with my covers, haven't i? And grateful that I was allowed to keep my titles.
We have an ex-racehorse, too, with the very unaristocratic name of Spud who has a sweet nature and will do anything for a carrot. In fact we can't say the word "carrot" in front of him but have to say "long orange vegetable".
You say your horse dozed while you were grooming him. It amazes me how horses sleep while standing up. It was very warm on the weekend and all four of ours were dozing under trees in the middle of the day and looked so peaceful.
Hi nikkicuz, how nice to hear that people have recommended my books to you! I do hope you enjoy them when you get a chance to read them...
I don't know Bouncer, will have to watch Neighbours to see!
Hi Dianna, cats really do have distinct personalities, don't they?
I know what you mean about cats being whiners. When my Ancient Albert (19 and a half) was younger he was always complaining about the service in our house--I just know he was telling me he was going to report me to animal welfare if the standard of the buffet did not improve!
If you get a chance to read my books LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD comes first but while there are some continuting characters in HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS, they also happily stand alone..
Hi Keppers, our neighbors have goats but I have never really got too well acquainted with a goat, though I believe they are wonderful characters.
Maureen, both your cats sound adorable. I must admit I have a weakness for snuggly cats. My Tabitha likes being cradled like a baby, too. When she was a kitten my daughter used to dress her in dolls clothes, strap her into the Baby Born stroller and wheel her around so I guess she got used to it!
Hi, Kandy! Thank you for the wonderful post & photos : ) I wish you much continued success! Many years ago, I could not resist bringing home a puppy from a box of "free puppies" that were headed for the animal shelter if not adopted. My mother was a great animal lover, and she instilled in me her care for living things. My mother soon named the pup "Stuffy" because of the young dog's love of food and some nonfood items! Stuffy was really beautiful. We thought she was a perfect Yellow Lab. Not quite--evidently one of her parents was a Basset Hound. While Stuffy had the coat, face and ears of a Yellow Lab, she was built like a Basset Hound--long and low! She was an incredible dog, very soulful, and more "human" than most humans! She was remarkably intelligent, often amazing us with her behavior. Stuffy was Mama's dog from the beginning. She loved everything about Mama--which may explain why she used to take Mama's things and chew them up. Shoes, mail, and things from Mama's purse were favorite forbidden treats! Once, my mother had tucked a hastily wrapped ham sandwich in her purse to eat later at work. When she went to eat the sandwich, the bread was there...but the ham was gone! Stuffy struck again! The most amazing thing about Stuffy, and I do have witnesses, was that she always knew when Mama was calling our house when she was at work. When our phone would ring, and it was Mama, Stuffy would go and sit beside the phone and whine. I would have to hold the phone down to her ear, and Mama would talk to her. Stuffy never did this when anyone else called--ever!
Good morning, Kandy! I've thoroughly enjoyed all your books, & am looking forward to your next project! I hope you have that good news to share with us soon!
One question--how do you get any writing done while you're caring for all these animals?? I have two kids & I'm up to my eyeballs. We're thinking about getting a puppy after the holidays & I'm already missing my undivided writing time. What little of it I have, that is.
Wow! Sixty-three comments already! Anna and Kandy, you sure know how to draw a crowd! :)
Kandy, you already know how much I adore your books and all the characters within, two-legged and four-legged alike. Mack, especially, stole my heart. I wanted to bring him home!
I'm currently owned by two of the sweetest, most laid-back shelter dogs you'll ever meet. They bring laughter and joy to my life on a daily basis. Cassy (a lab-shepherd mix) knows she's not supposed to bark at the UPS and FEDEX delivery men so, at first sight of the truck, she'll run to her toy box and pick up her favorite stuffed green banana squeaky toy then run back to the sliding glass door to chomp down like crazy on the toy. It kind of sounds like "Wo..squeak..Wo..squeek!" LOL!
Hi, Kandy! I love pets in books, most especially dogs. I have two rescue pups, and they are a delight. Rufus is a 75+ pound Golden Retriever who thinks he's a lap dog, and Frodo is a 30+ pound dachshund/something or other (LOL) mix who is my shadow. They love to play with each other and anyone else who's game, but they are happiest sprawled out on the sofa next to me.
Their true weakness is peanut butter. I swear they can hear the jar being opened even when they're in another room. There is nothing funnier than watching a dog licking peanut butter off a spoon! We call Frodo "giraffe tongue" because his is soooo long. :-)
Do you know a dog (or cat, or any other animal) with a memorable personality?
Oh yeah, several. Like my sister-in-law's cat "Crook". He had earned that name. At first they called him "Minnie", before they found he's not a girl and it was too sweet name for him anyway. Every time he came here for a visit he immediately started to hunt. You could tell by all the dead rodents where he had been. If it would have been up to him, he would have stayed here at countryside. More than once we had to chase him when my brother and his wife were going back to the city. He definitely didn't want to go in the car and back in the city where he had to be on a leash.
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I enjoyed this lovely interview. I have an adorable Maltese, who thinks that he is a human. He is also royalty and believes that he is superior to all. But he is sweet, a wonderful dog and we adore him.
I enjoyed this wonderful post. I have a dog whom I rescued and he is a devoted and great companion. He is fearless and has limitless energy and strength, although he is small. But he has his favorite cuddly toys and would be lost without them.
Great post Kandy!!
I love dogs. I have two labs. I know each day when I get home from work at least somebody is glad to see me!
Great interview! We don't have any four legged pets, my husband is into fish! At one time we did have a couple of birds and they are very sweet pets if you tame them. I had one bird that would come through the house and stand on my foot until I pick her up and played with her. She was a very sweet bird and wanted me to hold her all the time.
Your books sound really good!
Many moons ago I had a huge yellow tom cat named Sunny. His name had nothing to do with his disposition - he had it when I adopted him.
Sunny was a very loyal, loving kitty - to me. My exhub - that was another story altogether. Exhubs worked nights all the time leaving me alone so Sunny slept curled up next to me. First thing exhubs would do when he came home in the middle of the night was throw Sunny out of the bed, then spend 30 minutes yelling at me about whatever he could come up with. One night he made me cry and the war began.
I had done laundry that evening and left the basket of dried clothes on top of the dryer. The whole load was my stuff except for 2 t-shirts of hubs. Sunny dumped the basket, went through the clothes scratching them all aside, found exhubs' 2 t-shirt and laid them out as neat as if you'd taken a hand and smoothed them out. He then proceeded to have the largest bowel movement recorded in cat history! Each time my exhubs would do something to upset me, Sunny would retaliate - hide his wallet, keys, pee in his boots, etc.
Needless to say, Sunny was still curled up next to me while exhubs became nothing but a distant memory.
Welcome back, Kandy! It's always a pleasure to have a contemp author here in the Lair! They're still my faves. Must put your books on my to buy list!
All of my cats have had distinctive personalities. We always have rescue cats and they tend to be black or tuxedo as people are so cruel to them and/or won't adopt them because they're superstitious. My current two are no exceptions.
Jersey Girl is a sweetheart - very shy around people because she was abused and abandoned - but very loving to her peeps. She's a tiger when it comes to defending her territory!
CC is, we think, part Burmese. She talks and climbs and is full of energy.She's very friendly and loves to be petted. Her favourite welcome is to flop onto her back! But she's a chicken with other cats and will run and hide and let big sis sort them out!
They can't wait to meet Anna when she visits next year!
I love books with animals in them - especially cats with big personalities like Midnight Louie in Carol Nelson Douglas' series. But I like the dogs too. I just finished Maggie Shayne's RS Kill Me Again which had a lovely mastiff called Freddy. And Kristan Higgins does the doggy pals well too.
They all have personalities, one of my parents cats are such a hellcat, she is all sweet and suddenly she goes insane. The name Morrigan fits her. My cat who is gone now as such a sweetie, i honestly think she thought she was my mother. She never left my side when I was ill, not even to eat.
I love reading stories about any kind of animals. I have been lucky to have had and have many wonderful pets. I just lost my dearest cat who I had rescued and had to nurse with a babydoll bottle because he had been drenched in oil. He grew into my largest cat and never backed down (or backed up) from anything - a large dog - bring it on lol. I always said he had some dog in him too lol.
Yeah, Kandy, the guys decided comment early, comment often was the soupe du jour! Welcome!
My cat right now is a very quirky cat. He has a crooked tail and is jet black but going grey in patches! He loves to lay in the sun, kill rodents and birds even with a bell on his collar. He follows us everywhere and puts up the kids bugging him. I love our blacky is the greatest! Thanks for sharing with us today!
evjochum@aol.com
Cathleen, clearly your chicken is no bird brain! It was great fun to see you over the weekend!
Sharon, your racehorse who hadn't really given up dreams of the game made me smile. Pets are such a great thing to talk about, aren't they?
Goodness, Nikki, that takes me back! I hadn't thought about Bouncer in Neighbours in years!
Dianna, laughed at your Angel suiting her name, NOT!!! I think anyone who calls their pet Angel is asking for trouble. I think that's just how the universe works!
Kandy, I'm still so sad that I missed out on the ARRA awards night. It was one of those can't be in two places at one time things and I'd committed to doing the Romance Roadshow in Adelaide (which was huge fun!).
Keppers, the story about Ferdinand the goat made me laugh! We had a German shepherd who decided he was a horse. He used to hang around with the horses on the next farm all the time and he lost all identification with his doggy self!
Awww, Maureen, the baby cat sounds gorgeous! Rover, the cat I spoke about earlier, wasn't in any way or shape a lap cat. Plenty of personality but she really hated it when you tried to do the quiet sit in the corner and stroke her routine.
Oh, Caren, the thought of your Leninist cat fomenting revolution in your quiet streets made me hoot with laughter! You'll have to blog about him sometime. How funny!!!!
Wow, Virginia, Stuffy sounds amazing. I love the story about the phone. And the ham! How hilarious. I was talking to Annie West on the weekend (I went to see her for a few days) about a lovely golden spaniel that a friend of mine owns. Sasha is gorgeous - she's not terrifically big and will sit on your lap which is cute. But she HATES men. Something about the deep voice really scares her. The irony is my friend bought Sasha as a pet for her boys (she's the only woman in the house) and of course, she's ended up being Lisa's dog pretty much exclusively.
Susan, I think there's a similar sparkle in your books and Kandy's. And don't let your writing time get cut - I want to read more of your stories! Yeah, it's all about MEEEEEE!
LOL - we got the snail to help with the algae in the boring tetra fish bowl (fighting fish). The snail which was the size of a pinkie finger nail and bright yellow to boot - quickly grew...and grew...and grew. i think the fish was afraid it was going to become it's next meal. The snail - now the size of a full thumb - is far more fun to watch than the boring fish.
PJ, laughed at your dog and the UPS man! Squeaking him into a lather of terror, clearly! You and Kandy are a match made in heaven, aren't you? So glad you love the books!
Wow, Gannon, I didn't know dogs ate peanut butter! I wonder if it's the salt they like. Our collie LOVED avocadoes and he was smart enough to work out that they wouldn't ripen on the tree. So he used to bump the low hanging fruit until it fell off, wait until it ripened on the ground and then come back for his feast. Seriously, VERY clever dog!
Wow, Minna, Crook sounds like a killing machine. I bet they had a poster of him at the local police station with Most Wanted on it!
Petite, thanks for saying you enjoyed the interview! I always have fun when Kandy visits. Your Maltese sounds lovely - laughed at the fact that he's a cut above you all!
Traveler, loved your tough on the outside, marshmallow on the inside description of your dog. Sounds lovely!
Runner, that's one of the lovely things about dogs, isn't it? That unconditional love!
Wow, Virginia, what a great story about your bird. What sort of bird was it? I had a budgie when I was a kid but he was basically just a bad-tempered parrot.
Hi Kandy! A warm welcome to the lair. Anna, thanks for bringing Kandy back to chat.
Kandy, I love your books!!! And I think your covers are simply to die for. "Love unleashed..." Snork! I know you had fun with all the dog puns. I love the way you incorporate all the madness that is dog ownership in that particular area into the doggy daycare setting of HIWTBI. I was laughing at all the grooming etc.
We had a very memorable dog, sadly no longer with us. A Great Dane Mastiff cross we picked up as a puppy at the RSPCA. She was the biggest flirt. If she liked someone--particularly a man--she used to all but bat her eyelashes. I still miss her.
Wow, Cybercliper, that's an AMAZING story! That is one seriously clever cat!
Anna, I'm really looking forward to meeting the four-legged members of the family too. I love pets in books too. Love Jenny Crusie's dogs. There's a basset in Anyone But You that absolutely steals the show.
Blodeuedd, it's interesting the contrast in the personalities, isn't it? Love that your cat was so loyal and loving when you weren't well.
Catslady, I'm so sorry to hear you lost your cat. Hugs. It sounds like he was a major personality too.
Johanna, it's amazing to me that a really skilled hunter can still catch prey even with a bell on! Love the sound of your cat!
Donna, you and your snail stories crack me up! Don't go back into your shell and keep them to yourself (ho ho!).
Christine, I remember your dog and how she used to flirt. It cracked me up. It's wonderful to have Kandy back in the lair, isn't it?
Yay! I've been swamped lately and haven't made it to the Lair as often as I'd like. Had to come say hi to Kandy - her books are a real treat!
Anna, Crook was a killing machine, all right (he even killed a swallow once), but he wasn't the one who ended up in jail. It was my brother's dog who ended up there. He had started chasing a hare (very bad idea when you are not in countryside), but fortunately the cops caught him before he was run over by a car or something. He spent a couple of hours in jail before my brother came to bail him out. My brother told the dog had been so ashamed he hadn't even looked at him in the eye.
Welcome back to the lair, Kandy! Home Is Where The Bark Is sounds like a fabulous read *g*
Congrats on your latest release and thanks for visiting with us :-)
Hey, Becke, great to see you here! We've missed you (no pressure, you know, LOL!).
Oh, Minna, I could picture that jailed dog's behaviour. It's odd how they KNOW they've done something wrong!
Beth, it's always a party when Kandy visits, isn't it?
awesome post! i had a rescue dog named Wynx who was sooo soo smart knew how to do tricks before he was ever toatly house trained ai love him because he knew when i was sad when i was happy when i just needed a freidn even if it was teh 4 legged kind I had to give him up becaus ehe was abig dog and unfair to keep him cooped up in the city when he should been allowed to run doesnt mean he hasnt changed my life for the better along the way I love animals I also had a hampster who only r an his wheel when i was bored or in an emotional turmoil like he just knew and made me smile and laugh all the time
aweosme post sorry i ramble alot
SiNn, a super hamster? Love it! And your dog sounds lovely - how tough that you had to give him up. But sometimes that's the way of it, for their own good.
Kandy, I had the privilege of meeting you at this years rwa conf in syd and you all did a fab job.
my place has always been full of animals from Siamese fighting fish-sushi, quaker-steve (erwin), cat- bindi (another erwin), dogs-boo whose the size of a Guinea pig, gizmo- whom i call sir-pee-alot (the reason is obvious) he is a fluffball and bella our rspca dog. and yet the kids want more- eek
It was a great interview and i look forward to reading your book.
My sister had a dog named Hobo, who was a rescued Australian Shepard. That dog was totally crazy when she first got him, he chewed up her house, inside and out. Once he got older, he was the sweetest, most loving dog you could ask for, and I cried when he passed on.
I love romances that feature animals, they always add another dimension to the characters, the way they react to the animals.
Hey, Kerri, is this your first visit to the Banditas? Welcome! Pull up a cabana boy! Goodness, sounds like you've got a menagerie on the go where you are!
Barbara, I think you're right about animals adding another dimension to romances. It's something I always enjoy. Your Australian shepherd sounds like a sweetie!
G'Day Kandy !! So glad to see you back in the Lair.
You KNOW I love your books as does my Mom! They're funny, sexy, hysterical and sweet !!
I have had many memorable pets in my life. They have added so much to every day of my life and have kept me sane many, many times!
Of course, you know all about the legend FRODO THE HORRIBLE !! A chihuahua so mean he chewed off his own tail. He is quite recovered and has gotten used to the little nub he has left to wag. He is still terrorizing everyone he meets and loves only his Mama. He does, however, love to growl at his Nana over the phone every Sunday.
Pets add a whole new dimension to romance novels no matter what the genre. Each of my manuscripts has at least one and their roles have ranged from confidant to medium to a very unique way for my hero and heroine to meet.
Kandy, welcome back! I'm a dog person, and I love stories where dogs play a big role.
Daz, congrats on the bird!
I love the twist in the title Love is where the Bark is!
I like reading about pets with memorable personalities...it is enchanting! I have two cats, a cow and a calf..and I love them all!
Anna and Kandy - I had the strangest dream the other night. I was in Australia and these odd little birds kept dropping cane toads in my hair. God help me if someone analyses THAT one!
Louisa, I was really hoping you'd visit and share stories of Frodo the Horrible! Actually he has me quite terrified of coming to see you - not that that's going to stop me!
Hey, Nancy, lovely to meet another fan of pets in love stories!
Nas, sounds like you're juggling quite a menagerie too! You'll love Kandy's books! She has some of the best titles out there too! Wonder what she'll come up with next!
Bleuch! Becke, cane toads are seriously revolting. Honestly, they're ont of God's mistakes (clearly I'm in a position to say!). Horrible things. And they're poisonous to dogs which is even worse. Actually they're poisonous to everything, horrible things they are! What a yucky dream!
They were pretty nasty in the dream - very sticky! I don't want to know what triggered that dream ...
Nah, Becke, I don't think I'd want to know either!
Thanks, everyone, for a great day in the lair! Don't forget to check back to see who won the prizes!
I've been unable to get back online--how amazing to check in and read all these fabulous tales of pets with personality!
Virginia, Stuffy sounds so special, with a mix of lab and Bassett hound no wonder he had such a personality.We had a gorgeous Bassett hound/cocker spaniel mix when I was a kid and he was quite a character. In fact some of the characteristics of Brutus in LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD come from Copper.
Hi Susan, thanks for the nice words about my books. I've got MONEY HONEY about third down on my TBR pile (stacked in order of acquisition!) and can't wait to read it. Everyone tells me how wonderful it is.
Yes my animals are time consuming--just cuddling time alone for my Ancient Albert is quite a commitment. But care of one kid way outweighs all the animals put together! Time to write? I steal time from sleep, as many of us do I suspect, and TV watching time shrinks to nil.
PJ, I love the way you admit you are owned by your dogs. Isn't it the truth? Your Cassy sounds both incredibly clever and incredibly well self-disciplined. How on earth did you train her to do that--though it sounds like she figured it out by herself.
I'm so glad you liked Mack in HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS. He seems so real to me I wish I could go visit him!
Hi Gannon, Frodo and Rufus sound delightful. Those big dogs who think they are still lap-sized dogs are particularly endearing! I have never known a dog with a peanut butter habit. My cousin's dachsund went crazy for--of all things--lettuce. A friend's cat would beg for rockmelon. My animals are more conventional in their tastes...
Hi Minna, Crook sounds quite a character. I love his name. Could be a case of a country cat being forced into the life of a city kitty. Lucky he had you to visit!
Hi petite, there's nothing like confidence in a little dog! They give us so much love and comfort they deserve all that love we lavish on them in return...
Hi traveler, rescue animals make such special pets, don't they? I'm sure they know you've saved their life and show their gratitude with special devotion.
Hi Virginia, we "inherited" a fish tank with a house that we bought. The previous owner couldn't take it with him. Once we learned to stop killing the fish with kindness (and the cats stopped trying to get into the tank and fish) we got really attached to those fish. They are way, way smarter than I had every imagined.
On my "wish list" for pets is a cockatiel. I would love to have a tame one like your bird.
Cyberclipper, you gave me such a laugh with your story of Sunny. Talk about having a loyal friend on your side! Nothing can show its displeasure more than a cat--as your wonderful story shows...
Hi runner10--you are never lonely when you live with a cat or dog, that's for sure. When I come home I my heart really warms at the reception I get from my furry family. Unconditional love is very humbling!
Hi Anna S-the lair is always such a friendly place to visit! I'm so glad you are a contemporary reader. As both a writer and a reader, I am delighted they are having a "revival"--they never went out of fashion for me. (Neither did historicals!)
Your cats sound wonderful. I knew black cats had problems getting adopted (and black dogs, I touch on that with Mack in HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS) but I didn't know tuxedos suffered as well. I can't comprehend it. The first cat I ever had was a tuxedo and I love them. I love black cats too. What the heck, I love all cats!
Bloeduedd, it's so true that cats can be quite schizophrenic in their personalities. I had an exquisite white cat named Eva who could suddenly turn on you. She had been mistreated as a kitten and I don't think her fear of humans ever quite left her.
Your cat who thoughts she was your mother sounds so beautiful, love like that is rare and special. My Kira who died last year at 18 was like that. She really, truly loved me above anyone and I miss her still.
catslady, I am so sorry to hear that you have just lost your precious cat. It's so heartbreaking and they leave such a gap in your life. We are so lucky to have them in our lives and it is one of life's sadnesses that we inevitably outlive them... I hope you have other kitties to cuddle and love.
HI Johanna, Blacky does indeed sound like the greatest. Isn't it amazing how much cats and dogs will put up with from children. I am sure they know they are babies. My cats were so long-suffering when my daughter was very young. They endured being pulled by their tails and carried around without so much as a hiss at her. She learned to care for and respect them and the love was (and continues to be) mutual.
Hi Christine, it's so lovely to be here again! Thanks for your kind words about my books. I must admit, they are a lot of fun to write.
Your flirtatious Great Dane Mastiff sounds like a dog with personality plus. Do you mind if I "borrow" her eye-lash batting ways for one of my stories one day? Just imagine a character who is nervous around big dogs being the object of her affections!
Hi Becke--so lovely you found the time to pop in and say hello!
Thanks Beth, the lair is such a fun place to visit. Aren't all the stories about pets with personality wonderful reading?
Hi siNn--isn't it the truth that even little animals like hamsters have distinct personalities? And they all respond to love and attention.
Hi Kerri, so nice to see you here! Wasn't the conference fun? It was so much hard work but so worth it to feel the buzz and meet so many like-minded souls! Your menagerie sounds fabulous -- the more the merrier, I say!
Hi Barbara E, Hobo sounds beautiful (I have a dog named Hobo in a story I am writing). Even animals who can be naughty and even destructive manage to find their way into your heart, don't they?
I love animals in books too--as you may have noticed
:-)
Animals are such an important part of peoples' lives, why wouldn't they be there in fiction, too? And you're right, the way characters react to animals--and animals to them--tells us a great deal about them.
Louisa! So great to see you here! I'm so glad that Frodo has recovered from the tail-biting incident. When I saw you in Orlando you had me in stitches telling me about it--though it really isn't at all funny that he should be in such pain! (Sorry, Frodo, so glad you can't hear me! )
I can't wait to read your novels--both the doggy and human characters.
PS, Louisa thank you so much for your nice words about my novels. And I'm glad to hear that your mom enjoys them, too.
Hey Nancy, I'm glad to be here. I will pick up a book just because it has a dog or cat on the cover.
Hi Nas--nice to meet someone else who considers their cattle to be pets! I love my little steers Squirt and Thimble to pieces--they have real character and are fabulous communicators. Bellowing to get attention always works...
OMG, Becke, I wonder what the Freudian significance is in that dream! Trust me, you would not want to have a cane toad on your head. They are hideous and poisonous. In areas where they live (and they are advancing right across the country) you can't leave bowls of water out for your pets. The toads get into it and if the pets drink the water they are poisoned.
Don't let that turn you off coming to Australia, though, because we would absolutely love to see you here!
Thank you so much Anna, for inviting me to the lair. It's been wonderful reading about everyone's pets with personality. As an animal lover, writer and reader, it is a treat to connect with others who share the same interests.
Thank you everyone for sharing your stories! (And a special thank you to the animals who inspired them. Yes, even Killer the snail!)
Hi Kandy, I loved LOVE IS A FOUR LEGGED WORD and am looking forward to reading Serena's story! As for pets, my daughter just rescued two six-week old kittens who were in danger of being put down... they are completely adorable. I just want to put them in my pocket and take them home with me! Except I'd never get any work done if I did!
Christina, it's so hard to resist a baby animal, isn't it? Kittens and puppies are adorable. So glad your daughter stepped in to save the kittens!
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