Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Guest Post w/ Sandra Dailey + giveaway

Morning dearlings! We've got Sandra Dailey taking over the blog today! *waving hi to Sandra!* I hope yall will give her a nice welcome. She's a great lady and just had her second book published, Twice the Trouble. So come on and check out her guest post and then enter the giveaway down at the bottom for an ecopy of one of her books! 
                                                                                            ~Anna

~~*~~*~~

Lacey Carlyle has worked for years to create the perfect blend of home, business and family. Now she risks losing everything when the land she farms is bought by the man who abandoned her thirteen years ago.

Alex has never understood why Lacey walked away from him. Now, he holds the deed to her farm and intends to make her pay. The only problem - two kids weren't part of the plan. 

Jenna and Jarrod may not see eye-to-eye but they are both determined to find happiness for their mom and keep their home safe. Can Lacey and Alex put their pasts behind them and embrace a future together?


Get Your Copy: Amazon


Those Furry Characters...
      
I’m honored to be a guest on the blog today, but like all blog posts, I had to decide what my topic would be? This one was a no-brainer. The title of the blog made me think about the roles our pets play in our lives and what great characters they are in our books.


I’ve found there are animals that have more personality then some people. Each of our pets have been as quirky as the rest of the family.

When my daughter, Myriah, was in her teens she had a little black and white ‘attack cat’. Her name was Tag. We named the cat Tag because she’d hang from Myriah’s shirt or blouse the whole time she was home. When Myriah was away, Tag would hide under the porch steps. If a stranger came to the door she’d jump out, encircle their ankle with her claws and sink in her tiny little fangs. Hence, ‘Tag the Attack Cat’. I’ve seen her bring grown men to tears. Our friends learned to visit wearing boots.

Personally, I’m a dog person. My best baby-sitter was my old red Chow, Waki. I know it seems weird to have a Chow as a farm dog in Florida, but we’re not the typical family.

When my first granddaughter was a baby, I’d often watch her during the day. Still, there was a lot of outdoor work to do, (farm). I’d put Emilee in her little carrier and sit her within view. Waki would take charge from there. He would sit watching her and a fly couldn’t get within three feet without being devoured. The only problem was, if she cried, he would too. But, that’s how he came to be known as ‘Waki the Nanny’.

In each of my stories I write at least one furry character. In THE CHIEF’S PROPOSAL my hero, Brett, had a dog named Bear:
A huge hairy beast barreled into the room, growling and snarling. His thick fur looked like it had been patched together like a quilt with several colors. Its snout wrinkled back to show off deadly fangs. Its ears were pulled back, causing its eyes to look monstrous. This was it. This was how it would end. She was destined to be dog food. 
“Bear. Friend,” Brett barked back at him. 
The beast suddenly sat at attention. Now that it had become a stone statue, Ginny realized it was in fact a dog, mixed breed, definitely with some mastiff blood, maybe some shepherd, and possibly a little bear. He had called it bear. It looked like a bear.
In TWICE THE TROUBLE my heroine, Lacey is the owner of two Border Collies:
Alex joined her on the top step. The female Border collie stayed against Lacey’s side. The male moved off the steps and sat on the ground, as still as a statue in front of him. He eyed Alex suspiciously. Were all the males on this farm going to give him a hard time? 
“I forgot you had dogs until they showed up this morning. I hadn’t heard a single bark before that. Where’ve they been?” 
“Working of course,” Lacey replied. “They usually stay with the cattle. You being here made them a little off their game, and then the pigpen escape made them more nervous. They’ll be fine after a little loving.” 
Alex wanted to tell her that he could do with a little loving, but he held his tongue. Her nerves were still too raw. “You were serious about everyone working for their supper.” 
“Buck and Bella are the best herders in the county,” Lacey bragged. “They’ve won several ribbons for their skill with cattle.” 
“No kidding?” Alex held out his flat hand. Bella came around to sniff it, but Buck just blew out a huff. 
Lacey stood up and brushed the dust and dog hair from her skirt. “I guess I’d better get started on my chores.” 
Bella walked down the steps and toward the side of the house. Buck remained in place staring at Alex. 
“I’ll help,” Alex offered as he stood to follow Lacey inside. If that dog could handle a small herd of cattle without supervision, he didn’t want to be alone with him. Not until he had a change of attitude.
Yes, my furry characters may seem unfriendly at first, but they grow along with the other characters and earn respect. Another plus, they don’t need a lot of dialogue.
                                                                                            ~Sandra Dailey

Find Sandra Online!
Blog  Amazon  Facebook


Check out Sandra's guest post and leave her some comment love! 
Do you have a quirky real life pet or a favorite fictional critter? Tell us a little about em! 

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37 comments:

  1. I enjoy pets as characters. I think they play a big role in how the characters connect with each other, both good and bad. Plus they are so cute! At least the dogs are, I'm just not a cat person :)

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    1. Hi Nicki. I'm a dog lover myself as you can see.

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  2. My dog is more a nurse than a nanny^^... he check my bloodpressure and if it's too low he force me sit .. yesterday i was completely blocked and he refused to go on a walk to stay with me satying so i could lend on him^^ i LOVE him

    i also love pets characters, they can spicy things and often are funny

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    1. Thanks for coming Miki. You're so lucky to have a dog that takes care you you so well.

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  3. I have a huge rottweiler that is a huge baby. I work from home and if I pet her and have to stop to type something, she will put her paw on my arm that's on the mouse and knock it down so that I can pet her some more. She's a big baby! I love her though.

    I love when pets play an integral role in a book. I'm an animal lover too and their very important in my life.

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    1. Hi Ronda. Your baby sounds sweet, but how do you get any work done?

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  4. Good Morning Sandra .......hi Anna wherever you are! Sandra your book sounds like so much fun. I love pets in stories. No matter what other conflict is going on with the characters, the pet is a steadying factor!

    Our friends have a fifteen year old long haired Dachsund, who is deaf, and blind but eats like a horse and seems in no pain. She can't be left alone, she gets "stuck" in various places. So we co-parent her. She is a sweetie.

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    1. Welcome, Pat. I love that little Dachshund already. Bless her heart, and bless you for helping care for her.

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  5. I like pets as characters. I like dogs however don't care for the smaller dogs. We do have a beagle that was adopted into the family a few years ago luckily she's not a yappy dog. We've always owned larger dogs. My hubby is a huge dog lover. We also have 3 cats. I prefer a cat because they're not as demanding of my time with 6 kiddos I feel like my time is valuable to me, especially alone time :) All of our pets have their unique personalities and are a joy to watch. One of the cats purchased for one of my girls, likes me and will climb onto my shoulder or the back on my neck and lie there and nap. Infact he's always near me.
    We have owned a couple of Boxers and they are the best dogs for a family and have been so protective of our kids. Both of our Boxers would never let a stranger near our children and would place themselves between the child and stranger or with anyone they didn't feel comfortable with. It made us feel better about our younger children being outside without my hubby and me being right beside them. .

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    1. Thanks for stopping by BD. You reminded me of a dog we had who would watch over our boys when they'd camp at the other end of the farm. I never worried.

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  6. Sandra your book sounds like so much fun. I love pets in stories. No matter what other conflict is going on with the characters, the pet is a steadying factor!

    my dad (who is now passed on) and i use to own a husky mix who was his BEST bud. he was her favorite pet and she'd go everywhere with him. he also had aspergers and she was a calming factor in his life and i believe she made a difference in helping calm him down and providing a buffer against the world

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    1. Hi Laurie. So sorry for your loss. It seems you were very close to your father. That's wonderful. I'm glad he had such a great companion. Dogs are amazing creatures.

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  7. I love it. I think of the book 'The Guardian' by Nicholas Sparks in which the woman's deceased husband came back as her dog. My dog does have a huge personality. He's part Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle, so you can see the whites of his eyes which helps him to emote more than most dogs. You can tell when he's sad as his eyes will tell you or that he's happy or that he's confused. He's a great dog!!

    mestith at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Meghan. Sounds like you have a terrific dog. Take care of each other.

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  8. I love pets as characters in books, they can really help soften a scene, or just make it plain ol hilarious :) I've even read some with witchified pets that talk, and that was a hoot too!

    I don't have any pets at the moment, but it wasn't too long ago that I did. That cat was so full of personality, everyone else in the room faded when he walked in <3

    I'm looking forward to reading your book, its going on my TBR :)

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    1. Hey Liz. I would love to find a cat like that.

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  9. Pets add so much to stories with their own little (or big) personalities. They are often the one who brings tons of humor into the stories which I love. Thanks for joining us here today! :)

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    1. It's great to be here, Leah. I hope you find your perfect pet.

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  10. I love pets as characters. My Australian Shepherd had a big personality and I swore he was a giant cat. :)

    smurfettev AT gmail DOT com

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    1. Hi Sheri. That sounds like an incredibly unique dog.

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  11. I'm a big animal person I have 6 rats right now. So I really love reading animals in the books I read.

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    1. Did you say rats? Alrighty then...! Thanks for stopping bye, Mary.

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  12. I love when pets play a part in stories.
    I love the way this story sounds. It sounds rather typical until you get to the two kids. Hmmm....that could make it very interesting!
    lisakhutson(at)cox(dot)net

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    1. Thanks for commenting K.M. The kids did spice this one up a lot.

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  13. I am fine with pets in stories. They can add to a story in a unique way.

    susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com

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    1. I agree Susan. My dog, Bear, in THE CHIEF"S PROPOSAL, turns out to be quite a hero.

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  14. I love pets as characters. All my kitties are characters. LOL. Each one is unique. One of mine named Tubby was a stray and he gets a bit wild in the morning. He will run down the hall as fast as he can and jump full force on my son's closed door to open it. And then he gets in the room and as soon as son looks at him he meows and runs down the hall. He will also meow at the door and wait for him to open it and then run like heck down the hall. And if you scold him for anything(cause he is into everything)he will scold you right back. It's the funniest thing. I love your book cover. So pretty. Both of your books sound wonderful.
    Sue B

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    1. Thanks for commenting Katsrus. The cat I use in the romantic/suspense I'm working on isn't the cuddly kind, but wow does he have character.

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  15. I think that pets can sometimes add a much needed element to a book. A means for a meeting, an indicator of if we should like or not like someone, comedic relief. I think pets in stories can be great.
    evanlea at gmail dot com

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    1. You're absolutely right, Josette. Thanks for commenting.

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  16. I have allergies, so we don't have any real-life pets, so in my writing I usually don't include them either. But in one book I did have the hero give the heroine a Black Lab puppy as a sign of his love and devotion and to convince her he'd listened when she spoke about her dreams.

    DebraStJohn

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    1. What a lovely idea, Debra. I can't have pets where I live currently, but I do have a goldfish named Clementine.

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  17. Interesting post! I couldn't agree more to how much pets add to both our real lives and to our stories. We've had a bazillion or so pets over the years (give or take a few) and currently have two very spoiled cats. Dot and Dash. (My hubby and I are amateur radio operators.)

    My WIP features both a dog and a cat. A chihuahua mix named Cuervo, and a cross-eyed cat named Ralph. I love 'em both.

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    1. It sounds like you have a lively household, Susan. I look forward to hearing more about that story.

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  18. I love animals as chacters. I think they are better judges of character than most people. I work for a vet. It is great to see dogs and cats all day they make you smile.

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    1. I would LOVE to have your job, Stephanie. Thanks for dropping by.

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I always enjoy hearing what YOU think so come on and leave a comment. Everyone's welcome :) And feel free to leave comments on old posts. I'll check in on you there too :)

Bloggers don't forget to leave your links!
~Anna

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