Hi everyone, Pat Davids here.
In writing my newest release, The Farmer Next Door, I had to do research about an animal I'd never met. An alpaca. I learned that I would love to own one of these cute, soft, adorable animals.
I'm not sure my dog, Sadie, would like the idea, but maybe she could get used to one. I'm also not sure the city of Wichita would allow me to keep one in my back yard. Still, I adore these creatures and their wonderful antics. Other than occasionally spitting on each other and a hapless human or two, they don't have many bad habits. That is more than I can say for my sofa chewing dog.
My heroine, Faith Martin, owns a herd of alpacas. The first thing they do is get into the crops of the farmer next door, widower Adrian Lapp. Using the antics of these remarkable creatures to guide Faith and Adrian toward true love was more fun than a day at the county fair. Pick up a copy and see what trouble is brewing in the Amish town of Hope Springs, Ohio.
Besides alpacas, I've written about horses, a cat named Bonkers, Isabella the rabbit and a bull with pink nail polish on his toes. My daughter has a turtle named Stinky and a bass named Mr. Big. I like the humor and chaos animals bring to stories and real life, don't you?
If you could have any animal you wanted, what would it be? An elephant? A giraffe? My grandaughter would like a white tiger or a pony. Me, I want an alpaca.
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Now I have to read this book. I saw alpacas in person about a year ago at a sheep and wool festival. They truly are adorable.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, I'm sure you'll enjoy the story. I've tried to stay true to their unique personalites.
ReplyDeletePat
I'm fascinated by alpacas too. WI is trying to encourage their breeding. What I liked about them is that they have a place to poop and only poop there!
ReplyDeleteIm not sure what I would like but I think your grand daughter has it right a white tiger. I love tigers but they may be hard to control. also dont have a big backyard.
ReplyDeleteJenny,
ReplyDeleteOur local zoo has two white tigers and two new cubs. They have a twenty four hour webcam on them and you can watch them any time.
( http://www.kwch.com/news/kwch-rez-white-tiger-cubs-growing-up-at-tanganyika-20110610,0,3663089.htmlstory )
Hi Pat:
ReplyDeleteI like Alpacas, too. I’ve seen many such animals in Peru but I was not too good at telling Vicunas, Guanacos, Alpacas, and Llamas from one an other. I was always getting them wrong and making our guide laugh. Any local can tell them apart at 100 yards!
They should have put an Alpaca on the cover art of your book. An Alpaca makes the book an instant purchase for me. I now have it on my Kindle and you sure have a sympathetic heroine. I love her already. And it's so nice that the Alpacas enter the story on page one! No waiting for the Alpaca lovers. : )
My animal: I would love a Panda if they were just as sweet as they look. But they are not. I'll have to go to a zoo.
Vince
Thanks Pat will go look at it now.
ReplyDeleteIn Canberra they have a zoo which has a few tigers no white but I think 3 or 4. They use to have a tigon (i think or a liger) but it has since died. They also have cougers which I love and snow leopards and lions. Its actually a really good zoo cos it features the big cats.
Hi Pat:
ReplyDeleteI’m reading “The Farmer Next Door” and came across a passage so moving that I want to share it here:
The set-up:
The hero sees the heroine on her porch with her ancient spinning wheel making yarn from her Alpaca fleece. She does not see him. He stops and just looks at her. This is early in the story.
“It wasn’t so much the art of her work that caught his attention. It was the look on her face. The worry and pain he’d seen before were gone, replaced by an expression of serenity. A sweet, soft smile curved her lips. He caught snatches of a song she was humming. So this was how Faith Martin looked when she was happy.”
Wonderful!
This shows us so much about both characters.
I don't think I've gotten so deep into a book so quickly. Amazing.
Vince
Vince,
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see you and so nice to read your comments about my story. Thank you.