I last blogged at Fresh Fiction last September--about
Animals, Novels and Me. Iβm
back. And Iβm still at it--obsessing and writing about animals, that is.
March 1 is the debut date for
BEAGLEMANIA, the first in
my new Pet Rescue Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. Itβs a spinoff
series from my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series.
Yes, both series contain animals. So do my Harlequin Nocturnes about
Alpha Force, a
covert military unit of shapeshifters.
The protagonist of my new Pet Rescue series is Lauren Vancouver. She was
introduced in the eighth Kendra book,
HOWL DEADLY, and she also
appears in the ninth,
FELINE
FATALE. She is the head administrator of HotRescues, a no-kill private
animal shelter in L.A.βs San Fernando Valley. She doesnβt have to worry about
funding, since HotRescues is under the auspices of Kendraβs new guy friend Dante
DeFrancisco, whoβs really rich. But she has plenty of other things to worry
about. Worrying, and doing something about it, is at the heart of pet rescue.
Itβs also at the heart of being a protagonist in a cozy mystery series. When I
tell you that, in the Pet Rescue Mysteries, βno-killβ means pets, not people...
well, Iβm sure you get it.
The first Pet Rescue Mystery,
BEAGLEMANIA, begins with a
rescue from a puppy mill. Some of Laurenβs later adventures will involve an
animal hoarder and a shelter that takes in unadoptable pets.
I have to say that researching and writing
BEAGLEMANIA fed my own
obsession with animals and modified it somewhat. I now volunteer at a local
animal shelter, where Iβm a dog adoption counselor. Iβm also the new L.A. Pet
Rescue Examiner for Examiner.com.
Plus, as part of my research for my Pet Rescue Mystery series, I visited a lot
of shelters, talked with a lot of people who also love animals, and even
observed training sessions with the wonderful Small Animal Rescue Team of Los
Angeles Animal Services.
Iβve researched a lot of books since I started writing, but I admit that the
research Iβm doing now, and the pet rescue volunteering that Iβm doing partly in
the name of research, is the most fun and productive research Iβve ever
conducted.
I spend a lot of time at home writing, and being at the bark and call of my own
dogs, two adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I keep telling them that
they donβt know how good they have it--after Iβve seen so many dogs in shelters
just waiting for the right person to take them home. And, yes, those dogs do
seem to understand that the people I bring through the shelter in my capacity as
dog adoption counselor may be looking for the right pup to adopt, judging by
their bright yet sad eyes and eagerness to please.
Okay, thatβs a bit of anthropomorphism, but I still think itβs true. Pets
understand a lot. And Iβm pleased to rescue them from peril even fictionally in
my new Pet Rescue Mystery series... along with putting Lauren into situations
where she has to solve a good murder or two.
Come visit me at my website:
www.LindaOJohnston.com You can also friend me on Facebook.
I additionally blog weekly on
KillerHobbies.blogspot.com on Thursdays, where my Killer
Hobby is supposed to be pets--but we all know that pets arenβt hobbies. Theyβre
family!
Linda O. Johnston
I lost my dog, Bandit, suddenly a little over a year ago, and miss her terribly. She was a wonderful dog, and lived a full life during her 12 years. I now have a cat, Bailey, who showed up as a kitten and now "adopted" us. One day soon I hope to get another dog, since Bailey did everything with Bandit. Anyway, anytime you combine animals with mystery, that book soars to the top of my TBR list!! That type of book always has a little extra something that tugs on my heartstrings. Good luck with your book, as well as the follow-ups, and give your babies a hug from me!!
(Peggy Roberson 4:06pm February 28, 2011)
You are so right; our pets are a member of the family for what could you d without them?
(Diane Sadler 7:49pm February 28, 2011)
Pets are fun to see in books. They can get in as much trouble as humans and be as comforting.
(Linda Pillow 8:23pm February 28, 2011)
Well, anyone who knows me knows I love my animals. I have three ferrets that are my laughter. I can't play with them without laughing the whole time. I never they were such lovable little creatures until my kid came home with one. By the time she moved back out she had three. I missed them so much that I now have three. I have a chihuahua that's breaking my heart with her health problems that have no cure. Then there's Missy, my almost a service dog. She has her own facebook page and I'm making her a quilt that is signed by over 150 authors (still collecting more) signing the pieces. The quilt goes up for auction soon so I can finish her training across country. I already depend on her for so many things and knowing she's going to be fully trained...can't wait. It's actually hard to let her go off by herself.
Can't wait for another doggy book.
(Christina Harrison 1:37am March 1, 2011)
Our little dog Chloe is a rescue animal and our baby. She has separation anxiety and is always so happy to see me when I
return. I get much tag wagging and hand kissing whether I'm
gone an hour or just minutes.
(Lisa Richards 5:07pm March 1, 2011)
I grew up with a part beagle dog who loved to chase the animals in the backyard and protect the entire perimeter of the yard. Doggie tales interest me, so thanks for writing an adventure with paws.
(Alyson Widen 12:28pm March 8, 2011)
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