Animal Antics

By Carol J. Post

I’ve been a major animal lover all my life. From my earliest childhood, I can’t remember ever not having at least one pet. Over the years, the Post place has been home to a variety of four-legged friends—cats, dogs, rabbits, even an iguana.

After losing our 16-year-old long-haired dachshund last fall, we now only have two cats, both solid black. I live in Florida and North Carolina, driving back and forth almost every month. Midnight and Zorro love to travel, so I always take them with me. Regardless of where I’m going, they try to make sure they’re not going to get left. 

"If we're packed in your suitcase,

that means we're going, right?"

My cats are great company when I write, although they can sometimes be stinkers. Last week, my husband and I went to dinner with friends. When we got home, I found Midnight on the dining room table. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to close my laptop. While I was enjoying dinner, he was making changes to my current manuscript. He added several lines of gibberish, deleted some of the stuff I had written, moved chunks of text around, then did a “save as” (F12), naming the file “kkk.” (I’m pretty sure that stands for “kitty-kitty-kitty.”) Apparently, he thought my work needed some help. Fortunately, I had track changes turned on, so I was able to reject everything the cat had done.

“Hmmm, misplaced modifier, shallow

characterization, unnecessary backstory…

Still needs some work.”

Since I love animals so much, they often find their way into my books. My hero, Bryce, in Lethal Legacy has a black lab that he rescued from neglect. When he wants to loan him to the heroine as a guard dog, he’s pretty sure he’ll behave. But getting to that point has involved some hard work and a whole lot of patience. In Bryce’s words, “Six months ago, you’d have rather taken your chances with an ax murderer than share a house with him.” Fortunately, my two are pretty good. As long as I keep them away from the computer.

What about you? Do you have any furry friends who don’t always behave? I’d love to hear about them. And I hope you’ll look for Lethal Legacy, coming out September 1.

Someone wants her family secrets buried 

He's her only chance to survive

Andrea Wheaton thought her parents’ tragic deaths were accidental—until she’s attacked during a burglary at their home. Now she’s also being targeted. Her ex-sweetheart Sheriff Deputy Bryce Caldwell insists on protecting her, though she refuses to trust him again. But with a killer closing in, can she and Bryce uncover her family’s secrets before it’s too late for them both?

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Connect with Carol on:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/caroljpost.author

Twitter - www.twitter.com/caroljpost

Newsletter - www.caroljpost.com/newsletter/

Check out her other books: www.caroljpost.com/my-books/

THE GLAMOROUS LIFE OF A "FAMOUS" AUTHOR! by Valerie Hansen

😎The Glamorous Life of a "Famous" Author 

by Valerie Hansen

Ah, yes, the secret life of a published author. Who wouldn't want to step into those famous shoes? Why, she must live in a mansion with servants and a cook and a limo driver that looks like those models on the book covers. Hahahahahaha!

If those things were what God thought I needed to do my job and write about my Christian faith, I have no doubt He would have given them to me. But I don't. And my life in the rural Ozarks is so blessed, so wonderful, it sometimes takes my breath away. So does spring pollen but that's another story! 😜 As long as I don't run out of allergy medicine or bug repellent I'll be fine right here.

This is my desk and the place where I work. I used to write in longhand then type my manuscripts on a borrowed typewriter! Even after I finally switched to a computer I had it sitting on a sewing table and spread out the pages on my ironing board. (Why not? I never ironed!) My hubby finally insisted I needed a real desk and bought me this one. I love it! And it holds a lot more stuff than an ironing board.😄

Do I have a cook? Nope. And since I had not been practicing my culinary skills in years, when I suddenly had to start feeding myself it was quite an adventure. Note the paper plate? I don't have a dishwasher, either. I know, I know, there goes your image of my ultra glamorous life. I confess to blowing up the potato in my microwave. I had pierced it for the oven but when it wasn't done on time, I stuck it in to nuke it. How was I to know it had "healed over" in the oven?!

Life for me is one grand adventure after another, from a well failure in the middle of a winter storm, to being stranded by high water, to finding a neighbor's cows in my flowerbeds, to deciding I needed a third dog and choosing a puppy, (what was I thinking?) to running over a piece of sharp metal and killing 2 tires at the same time, to deciding to pressure wash my house myself and powering the painted layer off the disintegrating siding, to learning to mow the lawn on a zero-turn machine and running into a fence post that tweaked the deck out of alignment, to... Well, you get the idea.

I love my life. I love the place where God has planted me. I love the books I am still being asked to write on a regular basis. And I love and trust the Lord. What more could anyone ask? I have reissued books coming soon, then a new K-9 Christmas story for Dec. These are the covers. Bless you all and may you find the divine joy that underlies even the most difficult days.

New for February from Our Love Inspired Suspense Authors

Jean C. Gordon here with a new must buy from our Love Inspired Suspense authors. Just click on the cover to purchase it. And to learn more about Heather, click on her name.

Credible Threat
by Heather Woodhaven 

NO SAFE PLACE
Someone wants accountant Rebecca Linn—the granddaughter of a federal judge—dead, and it’s Deputy US Marshal Kurt Brock’s duty to figure out why and protect her. But her powerful family insists Kurt keep his relationship with Rebecca strictly professional…no matter how much he’s drawn to the feisty, fast-thinking beauty. Rebecca is sure the suspicious evidence she uncovered in her latest auditing case has put a target on her back. But staying ahead of those out to silence her is bringing her dangerously close to Kurt—and putting both their careers on the line. With the attacker closing in, can Rebecca and Kurt survive long enough to reveal the would-be killer’s secrets?

 

 

And Thursday, February 1, look for the start of our annual Valentine Serial.