Let's Talk About Animals!

I was pondering what I wanted to talk about today--what element of writing or faith or
life in general that would be fun to share. And then I looked out my office window and saw
cows coming up to get a drink from their trough, and I had it!

Animals! Let’s talk about animals!

I love animals--my husband would quickly tell you--maybe a leetle too much! I’ve featured at
least one animal in each of my books so far. And I'm not a bit sorry, either--I think animals add a
fun sparkle to stories.

In my first book, A FAMILY FOR THE FARMER, I introduced Glory the world's bossiest
goose.

She even made the cover--no surprise--because she totally stole the show (and eventually the
wedding ring!) I loved writing about Glory--partly because I based her on our beloved “Goosey”
who patrols our barnyard to this very day.

Additional characters in that book pulled from our personal barn family included Beulah the milk cow

Beulah in the shade

and an assortment of Oberhasli 

dairy goats

Our youngest son loves goats!

In A BABY FOR THE MINISTER, another goat--an escape artist called Rufus--butted his way
into the heroine’s heart. While I don’t actually have a goat named Rufus, he is a combination of
numerous billy goats we have owned over the years.

   


      Goats are such gems--their unique personalities make them perfect for adding a dash of humor to any situation! (Whether you want it or not!)

Then in HOMETOWN HOPE (releasing tomorrow--woo hoo!) I added a puppy into the mix!
This is my daughter’s beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi “Nugget.”

The puppy in my story was actually a mixed breed shelter rescue, but his mischievous personality? That was one hundred percent Nugget!

And this week I’m wrapping up my final edits for my fourth Love Inspired, A RANCHER TO
TRUST, coming out in January 2020. The four-legged star of that story? Lucy Ball--Beulah’s very
curious calf. Check out this attitude:

                       See why I couldn't resist putting her in a book? Isn’t she adorable?

So tell me--what animal has its paws (or claws or hooves) on your heart? Extra points if you
share a picture in the comments!

Laurel Blount lives on a small farm in middle Georgia with her husband, their four children, and an assortment of very spoiled animals.

She divides her time between farm chores, homeschooling, and writing. She's busy, but at least she's never bored! Laurel writes inspirational contemporary romance, and Hometown Hope is her third title for Harlequin’s Love Inspired. Whenever she's not working, you can find her with a cup of tea at her elbow, a cat in her lap, and a good book in her hand. Stay in touch by signing up for Laurel's monthly newsletter here !

I want an Alpaca.

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.

Characters of All Kinds

This is Merrillee, and I'm thinking about characters other than human beings that can populate our books. I've only written a couple of books that feature animals. Mommy's Hometown Hero is set on a farm, and my upcoming January 2012 book, Montana Match, is set on a ranch. Farms and ranches are natural places to find animals.

Below is a photo of my cat Nomar. He's relaxing on the couch that sits near my desk. The heroine's daughter in Mommy's Hometown Hero gets two kittens for her birthday.



The photo below features a black and tan coon hound. The heroine of Montana Match gets a coon hound for her birthday.



This is a photo of a mourning dove that built her nest in the corner of the roof that covers the patio at my daughter's house. I watched this bird feed her baby until the day the baby left the nest. Maybe someday one of my books will include a bird leaving the nest.



What kind of animals do you like to see in a story? Does having an animal in a story make you more interested in reading it?

Also stop by the blog tomorrow and leave your comments for Lyn Cote who will be asking your opinion about why you decide to buy a book.