Allie Pleiter's new writing partner!

I have a new writing partner!

No, she’s not a collaborating author on some new series. She’s not a wise editor, either.

She’s a dog.

For fourteen years, my “writing partner” was a sweet Havanese named Bella. For an extrovert like me, the long hours alone in my house can feel lonesome. And any writer will tell you someone that reminds you “it’s time to get up out of that chair” is a great resource. So while Bella was a sweet and loving pet, I really did think of her as my writing partner. Her talent for cleaning crumbs off the kitchen floor was just a happy bonus.

When we lost Bella last November, I was heartbroken. The house felt so empty. While I adore working from home and being self-employed, I was lonely. Still, we knew better than to get another dog right away. I tried to wait patiently until the timing was right.

Three weeks ago, Bailey came into our lives. We’re still getting to know each other. She is seven—we prefer to adopt retired breeding dogs rather than go the puppy route—so there is a great deal of adjusting on everyone’s part. 

Already she has taught me about patience and starting where someone is “at” rather than where you “want them to be.” She is slowly learning what it means to be part of our family, and we are slowly learning what it means to be her friend and caretaker. 

Most of all, I am delighted to have a new writing partner while I sit in my office and craft new stories for you to love.

Chaz Walker adopts a dog—completely on impulse—in Wander Canyon Courtship. As Bailey has already done for us, Chaz learns new lessons about himself and love from his new dog Cecil.  

Tell me—what lessons has the pet in your life taught you?

Allie Pleiter on Getting What You Want...or Not

If you follow the Love Inspired Authors and Readers Facebook Group, you know that our family is “between pets.” Since losing our dear Havanese Bella after 14 years last November, we’ve taken our time before getting ready to add a dog back into our household. Now, we think August will be the month we are open to adopting. 

I believe adoption dogs “find us” as much as we find them. So I came up with the idea to let a few of our dog-connected friends and associates know that we’re in the market and what we’re looking for.

Here’s what our perfect dog would look like:

• No larger than 30 pounds
• Doesn’t shed
• No “yapping” - regular bark
• Housebroken
• Low to medium energy
• 2 - 5 years old (no puppies or seniors)
• Good with kids 
• Okay as a solo pet
• Crate trained or crate trainable

Now, I know enough to hold this list loosely. Life has taught me that God often sends us what we need rather than what we’re looking for. That’s certainly true of my hero Chaz in Wander Canyon Courtship. Chaz isn’t even looking for a dog when Cecil comes into his life. Chaz knows what he wants in life, and what God sends him doesn’t look anything like it. Watching this surly guy slowly discover what he really wants is part of what makes the story so special to me. Let’s just say it takes a while before Chaz and Yvonne figure out that what they truly need…is each other.

Not everyone has or can have a pet. But if you do or could, what two characteristics are on your “ideal pet” list? What do you love most about your current furry (or feathered or scaled or whatever) friend?

PS: if you want updates on how our search is going, feel free to follow my Facebook page or on Instagram

Puppy Power! by Deb Kastner

Deb Kastner here. After spending many years writing in my fictional town Serendipity, Texas (I believe it was 17 books altogether!) I just turned in a new proposal I’m super excited about and can’t wait to share with you.

You probably already know I’m a huge animal lover and they often appear in my books—everything from pigs, goats, llamas, cows and psycho roosters to kittens, puppies and horses. In my new series, which doesn’t yet have an official title, the focus is on dogs—lots and lots of dogs!

Welcome to Winslow’s Woodlands, a Christmas tree farm located in the mountains of fictional Whispering Pines, Colorado. Here, the six Winslow siblings work the farm and dog rescue. But the Winslow’s don’t just rescue these clever canines—they train them in all kinds of therapy work.

It’s been great fun for me to research all the many ways dogs contribute to the lives of the people they love—and I discovered far more than I can even use for my series, including avalanche dogs,

psychiatric assistance dogs, medical alert dogs, mobility assistance dogs

and social work assistance therapy dogs, who visit not only hospitals and nursing homes, but places where hurricanes or tornados have forced people into shelters.

Since I work at home, I have the blessing of having my own fur babies hang out with me every day. 

This is my “big dog” Sadie, who gives what I call “bully hugs” which always make me smile.

And this is our dear Gabriella, a little angel who has earned her nickname Gabby because she’s…yeah. And she'll tell you all about it.

And speaking of telling, I want to know all about your fur babies! I’ll be giving away a $5 Amazon card to one commenter!

My next Love Inspired, Her Forgotten Cowboy, will be out the middle of August.

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?

Amazon                

Harlequin            

Barnes & Noble

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/

Military K-9 Unit off to great start!

https://www.harlequin.com/shop/brand/love-inspired-suspense.html?ms=Military%20K-9%20Unit&rg=previousRelease&pg=1&pz=12&ord=publicationdate%20DESC%2Ctitle_copy%20asc&vm=grid

Military Working Dogs

Good morning, Terri Reed here, off to a late start. That seems to be how my life is going lately. I'm knee deep writing a new book. But I want to talk about the new Military K-9 Unit continuity series from Love Inspired Suspense featuring Military Working Dogs and their handlers. This was a challenging series to be a part of because I'd never written a military set book. There was so much fascinating information to learn and all of the authors involved worked really hard to make our stories adhere to the codes and regulations of the military, while still providing a sweeping suspense plot, satisfying romances and happily ever afters.

And of course we all fell in love with the dogs.  Here are some fun facts about the first five K-9 heroes.  There are eight full length novels in the series, two Christmas novellas, and a short story online prequel that came out in March. Here's the link for the full collection

https://books.harlequin.com/search?w=military%20k-9%20unit

Do you have dog? A pet? 

I'd love to giveaway a signed copy of Mission to Protect to a commenter. And we'd love to see a photo of you pet.

Book 1 Mission to Protect by Terri Reed

Book 2 Bound By Duty  by Valerie Hansen

Book 3 Top Secret Target by Dana Mentink

Book 4 Standing Fast by Maggie K. Black

Book 5 Rescue Operation by Lenora Worth

It's Classified, but I can tell you--Lenora Worth

So I love writing about K9 officer dogs. I've always admired them and one of my early Love Inspired books (A Tender Touch) was about a police officer and his K9 partner. They were on leave after an accident and my hero, Clay, went home to Sunset Island, Georgia, to heal. But when a child goes missing, Clay and Samson help to locate him. I did research back then but little did I know that things would go even deeper with my K9 fascination. As of now, I've written books for seven K9 continuities and I'm working on number eight. So my research has gone way beyond that first book.

I love the research and I love working on the continuities with the other talented LIS writers who are my friends. We brainstorm, bang our heads against the wall, laugh, sometimes cry!!, but always respect the writing. We want to get things right while keeping in mind this is first a romance but always suspenseful.

So I'm happy to say that my next K9 adventure comes out in September. It's the last book of the Classified K9 series about an elite FBI team in Montana who are searching for an agent who might have gone rogue. My book brings the rogue agent face to face with the mother of his son and his half-brother (my hero) to bring the whole series to a climatic end! (Of course.) But meantime, I wanted to show off the covers again. They are always wonderful and suspenseful and hey, we love the K9s!

I hope those of you who love suspense will comment on this series if you're reading it and for those who haven't read any of the LIS K9 series, give them a try. Our dogs will woof at you! Leave a comment and I'll draw a name and send you a free early copy of my September release Tracker! Check back here next week for the winner!

The first four books, available NOW online!!

The next book out in August:

And my story, out in September:

This is Cheetah. He's an Australian Shepherd!

Tell us what you think!

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

Craftie Ladies Love Inspired Suspense Continuity Series

Craftie Ladies Terri Reed, Lenora Worth, and Dana Mentink have a treat for you: Rookie K-9 Unit, a new Love Inspired Suspense six-book continuity series. Terri Reed, the author of the first book in the series is here to tell us about it.

Are you a dog lover? Do you like action and adventure stories that feature the heroic efforts of dogs and their handlers? Then the newest continuity series from Love Inspired Suspense is for you.  In the northwest corner of Arizona sits the fictional picturesque town of Desert Valley. A prominent fixture in the small, rural community is the Canyon County K-9 Training Center. The center’s purpose is to train rookie officers and their K-9 partners for service. These lawmen and lawwomen along with their loyal and brave canines handled the tough cases.  When a serious of crimes shakes the tightknit community, it’s up to the rookies to uncover the truth and bring the guilty to justice. The investigation takes place over the course of the six books with each book having its own mini suspense plot that is resolved.

Protect and Serve 
Book 1 April by Terri Reed

PERSON OF INTEREST
When rookie K-9 officer Shane West and his German shepherd partner find the lead police dog trainer murdered, he's determined to bring the killer to justice. But then he discovers Gina Perry hiding nearby—a pretty junior trainer who had the motive, means and opportunity to kill her boss. Gina insists her troubled brother is the real murderer…and this isn't the first time he's killed. And when Gina's brother comes after her, Shane is assigned to protect her and uncover the truth. Suddenly, Shane—a cop who always hoped to join a big-city force—vows to stay by Gina's side as a murderer lurks in the small-town shadows.

Truth and Consequences 
Book 2 May by Lenora Worth

THE PROTECTOR'S MISSION
When Honoring a promise to a fallen comrade, former army medic David Evans heads to Arizona to check up on the soldier's sister. But as his train pulls into Desert Valley, David witnesses a drug run gone wrong and narrowly avoids the bullets flying his way. And when the police show up, he discovers the investigating officer is the woman he's supposed to look after. With a fiercely protective K-9 partner and a new badge, Whitney Godwin insists she can take care of herself and her infant daughter. But the criminals want both David and Whitney permanently silenced, so David will stop at nothing to protect the family he yearns to join.

Seek and Find 
Book 3 June by Dana Mentink

KILLER HEADLINE
When Reporter Madison Coles wants to write an exposé on the crime spree rocking Desert Valley, Arizona—but the small town's residents and police are tight-lipped. Even when Madison herself is attacked, the only help she can get is protection from rookie K-9 officer James Harrison and his trusty bloodhound. Suspicious of the reporter's motives, the handsome cop keeps her at arm's length. But the more Madison's life is threatened, the more focused she is on finding the truth—and the closer she gets to James. Can he help her find the story without them both ending up in the obituary pages?  

Terri, Lenora, and Dana are joined in the series by:

Book4 July Honor and Defend Lynette Eason  
Book 5 August Secrets and Lies Shirlee McCoy 
Book 6 September Search and Rescue Valerie Hansen

Rookie K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

Our Furry and Feathered Friends

by Jean C. Gordon

Who likes pets in romances? I do. So I was surprised last week when I realized that none of the heroes or heroines in my seven Love Inspired Romances (counting my Christmas 2015 Holiday Homecoming and the book I'm currently finishing) have pets. And only one of the five books I wrote for Avalon Books has a pet in it. Why am I surprised? Because we have lots of pets. Meet:

 
Xena, our seven-year-old lab-boxer, and we think some shepherd, too, mix.



 

Cat1 and Cat2, twin sisters who really belong to our daughter, but moved themselves over to our side of the house because of the dog population on their side.




Mr. Buttons, our grandson's six-year-old lab-boxer mix.


Appa, the terrier our granddaughter brought back when our daughter and her family returned from their year in Guam.

Zori, whose heritage is anyone's guess. She looks like a miniature chocolate lab. Someone abandoned her on the experimental farm our son-in-law managed in Guam. He couldn't find a home for her, so she came back with them.




Moving outdoors, I have Baby Rooster, who replaced my old rooster, the yellows, and a Guinea fowl that was given to me. I think it's a male because I haven't seen any Guinea eggs in the year and a half I've had him. Our son-in-law also has a small flock of Guinea keets (immature adults) acquired earlier this summer.

Do you have a favorite pet in a book you've read or written? I think the next book I write is going to need a pet or two.

Happy Monday everyone!

I've been enjoying the vacation photos that people have been sharing. They got me to thinking of one of my favorite vacation spots - the southern coast of Maine.

I remember years ago watching Angela Lansbury on Murder She Wrote and deciding I wanted to live in Cabot Cove, ME. 

Apparently Cabot Cove wasn't real, and the TV series was actually filmed on the West Coast in Mendocino, CA, but the fictional town was named after an inlet in Kennebunkport, ME.


We've been coming to Maine ever since my daughter chose a college here and I've found the real towns of Kennebunk/Kennebunkport and Ogunquit to be just as wonderful as Cabot Cove. They've also inspired quite a few stories that I'm working on.

I thought I'd share some of my pictures today and then maybe we can chat about what vacation spots you've been to that have inspired your stories.

 These are from the coast along The Marginal Way. (click to enlarge)

I took this short video along The Marginal Way.

These stretches of wild, rocky coast give way on one side to Perkins Cove with it's lobster boats and cute shops --

and on the other side to smooth sandy beaches in Ogunquit and Wells.

I was lucky enough to catch sunrise over the ocean back in April.

and snap this shot of the ocean just before twilight last summer

If you haven't guessed by now, this is one of my most favorite places on earth. Even my dog loves it here!

Summer

or winter

So do you have a special place that you love to write about? Or if you're not a writer, what is your favorite place to visit?