I'm a dog lover, and many times dogs show up in my stories--and other pets--usually with attitude and unique gifts. In my Rock'n'Romance series, two dogs and a cat show up to take special care of their human companions.
The dog in THE ROCK STAR has been the heroine's companion for several years, and is totally devoted to her. He also has a wicked sense of humor and is smarter than most humans--kinda like the Border Collie mix who shared my life for about fifteen years (that's his photo to the left). Here's an excerpt:
"Jasper fixed a pot of coffee. Do you want to join me for a cup?" Shannon asked.
"Jasper is the dog," Lauren whispered to Geoff.
"Ah." She’s so tired she doesn't know what she's saying, Geoff thought. But when they arrived in the kitchen, a black dog with white and tan markings stood with his paws on the counter by the coffeemaker. Shannon patted his head and gave him a treat. The mutt looked at Geoff and seemed to grin.
Geoff blinked and focused on the dog once more. The canine sat on a rug watching attentively while Shannon filled his food dish. Just like any ordinary dog.
***
The dog from THE BODYGUARD is quite large. In fact, Mitch's first impression when he rescues the dog from the street is the canine is "…perhaps crossed with a shaggy, blond bear." Here's an excerpt after the dog has settled himself snugly into the lives of Julia and her children:
A look at the monitor chased a chill up Julia’s spine. A very large, very realistic devil stood in the entryway of the Victorian. Gabe’s ears perked up as he stirred from his usual spot between the twins’ beds...
Julia’s heart began to thump with the rhythm of the fear pulsing through her veins. The world tilted, taking on the distorted reality of a movie in slow motion. Gabe growled low in his throat, staring at the monitor, interrupting Julia’s internal insistence this was just a bad dream. The devil leered at her, as if he could see through the monitor to where she cowered while her friends faced the evil.
…Gabe whined at the bedroom door, urging Julia to hurry. As soon as the door opened, the dog shot out and down the stairs…A crash and a scream exploded at the back of the house, setting off alarms and flashing lights…They scrambled toward the kitchen, nearly colliding with a giant spider running toward them.
"Well, well," he said. "The virgin bride." His hand snaked out and grabbed Julia by the wrist. "We got business to attend to."
Nausea rumbled in Julia’s stomach as the man pulled her toward him, his fetid breath rolling across her cheek. Focusing her power, Julia kicked his knee as hard as she could.
The man’s stunned expression flickered briefly on Julia, then grew wider. "No--"
He crumpled as a growling, hairy beast flew through the air toward him. Gabe pinned the costumed man to the floor, ripping at the mask with his teeth.
***
The pet in THE LEADER OF THE BAND is a cat. Not an impressive looking cat at first--"Its coat was a dull orange and ratty-looking, with tufts of fur gone in places. One ear was jagged on top, as if a foe had chewed off part of it in a fight." However, toward the end of the story, the cat was sleek and as protective as any dog:
As Lauren tumbled to the floor, the poker ladies and the cat leaped into action. One of them threw a glass of soda in Bumbass' face. Another cracked her cane over his wrist, causing him to drop the gun. A third threw a sweater over his head just before the cat landed on him…Bumbass cursed and struggled with the hissing cat…
I love pet stories! Please share one of yours if you'd like to.
