Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Hazy, lazy, quiet days of summer? Not with a canine summer camp in my house!

Roxanne Rustand, here, wishing you all a wonderful summer!  Honestly, it's hard to believe it's here already.  It seems like just a moment ago, when we were waiting for the trees to bud and thinking hopeful thoughts about packing away our winter coats.  Have you had any summer adventures yet? Any special plans for some fun?

Our daughter Emily and her husband recently sold their home along the Gulf and have moved in with us while they house hunt. We are completely thrilled to have them staying with us, though things were a wee bit crazy at first, with our two rescue dogs plus their two (Zane, a super tall Dobie and Ziggy, a brindle rescue dog who is mostly a southern breed you might not have heard of--Mountain Cur--and part who-knows-what.)

Just like characters in a book, each dog has a very individual personality, and it has been so interesting to see them all adapt to each other.  Playtime was pretty wild in our house, until the newcomers got their new radio collars and could join the other two out in the yard (kept in by an Invisible Fence.)  But as much fun as they all have with their dog toys and chasing each other around, Ziggy's world pulls to a halt with every squirrel sighting. He'll freeze. Stare up at the tree branches, and then actually try to climb the tree in pursuit. Wikipedia says these Curs were bred for treeing squirrels and other small game, and true to his DNA, he clearly knows his role in life!

He's a bit like good fictional characters, who are created by an author, but once they come to life in a book, then think and react according to who they are, or they will come off as forced and unbelievable.  Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Are there some who have stayed in your thoughts long after you finished a book?  What qualities made them the most memorable for you?

Have a wonderful summer!

Roxanne Rustand
USA Today Bestselling Author

FALLING FOR THE RANCHER
Love Inspired --out now!   June 2017

AN ASPEN CREEK CHRISTMAS
Love Inspired   November 2016

THE SINGE DAD'S REDEMPTION
Love Inspired July 2016


www.roxannerustand.com
www.facebook.com/Roxanne.Rustand






28 comments:

  1. What a fun post! I can see the dogs racing around the yard until a squirrel is spotted. Very interesting that it's something in that breed's dna.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I tend to have characters from books that I have read pop into my mind when something happens that reminds me of them. Some characters you relate more to and they tend to stay. All of the characters from Debra Clopton's books dealing with Mule Hollow have stayed along time with me especially the matchmaking posse. It maybe because I grew up from the age of 10 in a small community and can see some of the people that were there in the characters. Roxanne, I have read your books and enjoy them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ann, so wonderful to have you leave a comment. We LOVE hearing from readers!!!

      Delete
    2. Thank you, Ann! Debra does write great characters, doesn't she?!

      Thanks for letting me now that you have read some of my books. You really made my day!

      Delete
  3. Your dogs (and your daughter's dogs) are so cute! They must be loving all the fun--it's like summer camp for them! We haven't had any summer adventures yet, but we're spending a lot of time at baseball diamonds watching my son play ball!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Best wishes to your son on his baseball season! I miss the days when our boys were that age.

      Delete
  4. Fun post, Roxanne! And I SO relate! Our daughter's family of 6, also in the process of relocating, has been living with us since Thanksgiving--plus their snobby cat, who takes great delight in showing our two dogs who's in charge. All three pets have very distinct personalities, so it's been interesting to watch their interactions (or lack thereof).

    Some of my most memorable characters from Love Inspired romances are those created by Tina Radcliffe in her Paradise, Colorado, stories. I love what she's done with those small-town personalities!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree--Tina writes wonderful books!

      Sounds like your house is a busy place, too!!

      Delete
  5. Great post, Roxanne. We have a grand-dog named Luna who is part cur and she has a brindle coat, too. She is in Japan now with my daughter and her Air Force husband.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lenora, I lived in Japan as a child. Such wonderful memories.

      Your grand dog had to go into quarantine upon arrival, no doubt. How long was it? Two weeks? That's hard on a pooch. Maybe even harder on the dog's human family.

      Delete
    2. Wonderful that they were able to bring their dog along. What an adventure!

      Delete
  6. Roxanne, you are a great mom to have four dogs in the house at once. The most I've ever had is three and that was a zoo. We now have one little, very sweet, long-haired miniature dachshund named Sophie. Just right for us. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sophie must be so cute!!

      Yeah, our kids had literally every animal they could think off when they were growing up, so four dogs now is easy. I do not miss the pet snakes!!

      Delete
  7. Great post, Roxanne. I grew up with cats, but my husband is allergic. He's converted me to a dog person. lol Characters that stick with me are ones that are unique, sometimes in appearance but mostly in personality. I've never forgotten a Silhouette Romance nerdy marine biologist hero because he was different. I've actually got that book on my keeper shelf. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My SIL is allergic to cats, too, so we can only have them out in the horse barn. :)

      How interesting to hear about the hero who was very different, and memorable!

      Delete
  8. Roxanne, I can only imagine the excitement around your house these days. Do they all go on walks together? That's a lot of energy to control!

    Enjoy the canine fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Three of them do well going to the dog park, and really run off their extra energy with all of their friends. Which helps a lot. :)

      Delete
  9. I have to laugh. Our dogs are 85 lbs (Silky) and 65 lbs (Coco Bean). Yesterday my son brought over his 4-lb Pomski (Trixie). It was utter chaos until I made my "girls" lay down and let Trixie approach them. Bean was so very sweet with hyper little Trixie, and the two wound up snuggled side by side on the floor. Silky was insulted that we'd brought this tiny, lively pup into her world and ignored Trixie as best she could, though at times she was flapping her huge tail with Trixie literally onboard. We laughed and laughed, watching the three dogs interact, and the interaction DID make me think about characters in my books and how each one is different. I pray that I communicate that to my readers. Like books, dogs are a blessing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can just picture this tiny little dog hanging from the tail a big dog and flying through the air back-and-forth back-and-forth as the big tail wags.

      Delete
    2. Arlene, your house sounds wild too!! :) What fun!!

      Delete
  10. I laughed as soon as I started reading the title. So fun!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for sharing. I used to have dogs but now I have three rescue cats. Each animal had a different personality.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Okay I'm bringing Lucy the Dog to your house so she can play, Roxanne. I have the most social dog. She doesn't want to be an only child and Tyre the Cat refuses to stop discriminating against dogs.

    Arlene, you win. Those are some big dogs.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a bunch of cuties! I imagine your house is never boring!

    ReplyDelete

Popular Posts

Write for Love Inspired Romance?

Write for Love Inspired Romance?
If you do and would like to join this blog, please contact either Margaret Daley or Pamela Tracy

Total Pageviews

Blog Archive