Do you like animals in your stories? I’m not talking about novels about animals, like
Black Beauty or
Beautiful Joe, although I did love
Marley and Me and
All Creatures Great and Small. I’m not talking about shape-shifters either, although Kathryne Kennedy does a fabulous job making you believe that people can turn into horses and lions in her Relics of Merlin series.
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I’m talking about animals as companions (or sidekicks, if you will) or even crime-solving felines like the ones Lillian Jackson Braun writes about in her Cat Who series. Dogs and cats, even horses and other creatures that bring something special to a story (I recently finished writing a novel where the heroine owned a sea-faring cat – or should I say the cat owned her as we all know, one never owns a cat-the cat decides you are worthy to be his/her companion). There is a dog in my current novel in progress, not a crime solving dog but a faithful friend and protector.
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Angie Fox has Pirate, the talking dog (granted, only Pirate’s owner can hear him) in
The Accidental Demon Slayer (I admit, I love this dog!). Lisa Kleypas has all kinds of critters in her Hathaway Series (which I love).
I’m an animal lover. Have been all my life – just can’t seem to help myself – and I love it when an author includes a furry, four-legged companion in a story. What are some of your favorite books that feature an animal as sidekick?
Happy Reading!
Marie
I love animal companions in books. In fact, one I have out on submission now has a dog as the companion.
ReplyDeleteDark Rivers of the Heart, by Dean Koontz is one of my favorites. I spent the whole book saying, "don't hurt the dog, don't hurt the dog." LOL!
I'm so with you on that, Jillian. If I'm watching a movie and there is a dog in it, I have to know the dog is okay :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Ladies! I always root for the animals and nothing makes me cry more than seeing an animal get hurt (the commercials for ASPCA choke me up and I want to adopt every one of them). Alexis, I love the pictures of your baby sprawled on the treadmill and laptop! Is he helping you write your next novel?
ReplyDeleteMarie
Hi Marie, I wouldn't say that Giz is helping exactly. Making me laugh, yes. Being helpful, no :-) Though I guess if I can't use the treadmill because he's "using" it, that does give a me a good excuse not to exercise, right?
ReplyDelete