Next

As I mentioned last week, I'm busy with my writing.  I've mostly finished my changes to PROTECTOR WOLF, my upcoming Alpha Force Harlequin Nocturne paranormal romance.  I'm eager to get back to working on my new K-9 Ranch Harlequin Romantic Suspense book.   And in the meantime, there's something else I've been working on that I can't discuss, at least not yet.  It may go nowhere--but as the writer of the Superstition Mysteries I can definitely tell you my fingers are crossed!

The rest of my life besides my writing is going on, too.  Thanksgiving is coming, and I'm preparing for that.  I've been walking Mystie, my remaining dog, more than before.  I've also been looking for a companion for her--another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  Well, also as a companion for me, and for my husband.  We still miss Lexie a lot.  We've no intention of trying to replace her.  She was very special.  But the house seems emptier to us now, despite all the additional attention we've been giving Mystie and how much she's been demanding of us.

I've probably said here before how much of a hypocrite I am.  I cheer and applaud people who take in rescue dogs.  However, I'm very unlikely to do so since I'm addicted to Cavaliers, and they wind up with certain health problems, particularly heart issues, especially if they're not from breeders who have the parents checked often.  You often don't know where rescue dogs come from--possibly puppy mills--and it's not easy to find Cavalier rescues anyway, especially those whose health is likely to be good. 

I've therefore been contacting breeders I've found online who belong to reputable Cavalier clubs.  I'm not in a big hurry to find a puppy but wish the process was easier.  I used to have good breeder contacts but they're no longer having puppies.  So, I'm sending out emails. 

Some of the breeders respond fairly quickly, let me know when they're likely to have puppies and when to contact them again, and even make recommendations of others I can contact.  Others never respond at all, or at least they haven't yet.  I've filled out forms for a few who want to make certain that people on the waiting list for their puppies have good living situations for them and will take good care of them. 

That's us, of course.

Anyway, it's a good thing I'm not in a hurry since I've no idea when I'm likely to find the right breeder with the perfect puppy.  But I would like to have more optimism that I'll find a puppy sometime soon. 

If any of you reading this happen to know a good Cavalier breeder, please be sure to let me know!

I'm Home

I just took the whirlwind trip to New York City that I'd mentioned in my last post.  I flew there on Saturday, had a wonderful time at the Dog Writers Association of America's seminar and awards ceremony on Sunday, and flew back home on Monday. 

It was fast.  It was fun.  No, I didn't win the Maxwell Award for my first Barkery & Biscuits Mystery BITE THE BISCUIT, but I still had a great time.  The winner of that category was Sheila Webster Boneham for CATWALK, the third book in her Animals in Focus Mysteries, and I'm really happy for her. 

I left 80 degree temperatures in L.A. to brave cold that dipped as low as zero, I think, while I was there.  I took the opportunity to walk nearly a mile to a bookstore (what else?!) despite the cold.  And when my plane left Newark on Monday it had to be deiced before it could depart. 

I met a lot of other people who love, and write about, dogs--mostly nonfiction articles and books.  The timing was to coincide with the Westminster Dog Show, and the DWAA event was held in the Hotel Pennsylvania, across the street from Madison Square Garden, the dog show's location.  While there, I glimpsed members of quite a few different dog breeds preparing for the show.  Heaven! 

And before you ask--yes, I did see Cavalier King Charles Spaniels!  I'd seen other breeds in the hotel lobby but I think I was fated to see Cavaliers since the hotel had some problems finding me a room.  When I returned to the lobby I saw two Cavaliers, and one of the owners told me their initial showing would be at the penthouse level of the hotel early the next morning.  Of course I headed there and got a glimpse of some of them being groomed.   

Anyway, I'm home now and have a lot of stuff to do to even consider catching up.  Am I glad I went?  Absolutely! 

And in case you didn't catch it before, I'm really pleased and proud to be a finalist in the fiction category of the Maxwell Awards.

Another Release Pending

You may know, if you've been following my posts, that I have a release this month:  CANADIAN WOLF, the seventh book in my Alpha Force mini-series about a covert military unit of shapeshifters, from Harlequin Nocturne--a paranormal romance. 

Also, my second Superstition Mystery, KNOCK ON WOOD, will be released in a couple of weeks, in October, from Midnight Ink. 

And now... well, the other release I'm working on isn't a new book, but one of my first published novels, a time travel romance first published by Jove Time Passages for which I got the rights back and will soon make it available as an e-book.  It's ONCE A CAVALIER, and it features--you've got it--Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  Actually, it features some Cavaliers and some small spaniels that were Cavaliers' ancestors, back in the time of Restoration England.  And of course it involves a romance... and time travel. 

One of my backlist books, the fairy tale THE GLASS SLIPPER, is already available as an e-book, and I'm also working on getting a third ready--THE BALLAD OF JACK O'DAIR, another time travel romance in which the heroine visits the time and location of the Alaskan Gold Rush.

But ONCE A CAVALIER should be available soon.  It's about a woman in the present day--well, if you count fifteen years ago, when this book was first published, as the present--who sees, in a haze on a roof, what she believes is a handsome ghost, as well as an adorable spaniel, and is soon transported back to their time--Sixteenth Century London.  The woman, Larryn Maeller, is a doctor who winds up helping to save children from the Great Plague of London, even though back then women couldn't be doctors.  She works with the handsome guy she first saw in a portrait--and of course falls for him.  Hard.  And he's a doctor in his day, Thomas, the duke of Seldrake.  There's intrigue and love and lust and, yes, the Great Fire of London, too. 

It was a fun book to write way back then and to work with now--and the fact that it's got Cavaliers in it helps a lot!

 

Anyway, I'm still not sure when it'll be available but my wonderful advisors and I have been making great progress, so it should be soon.

Books and Dogs

It’s been a week of ups and downs.

The ups include the launch date of two of my books on the same day--yesterday: OODLES OF POODLES, my fourth Pet Rescue Mystery, and UNDERCOVER WOLF, my fourth Alpha Force paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne.  As I mentioned last week, I’m doing a lot to let people know about both of them.  That’s fun, but time consuming!

The downs involved the health of my older Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexie.  Last week, she started wanting to go outside every five minutes, including in the middle of the night.  I rushed her to the vet and learned, not too surprisingly, that she had a urinary tract infection.  That was easily treatable with antibiotics, and we’re all sleeping better now.

However, it was a good thing she got the infection since, for the first time in her almost ten years of life, the vet discovered she has a heart murmur. 

Heart issues are very common in Cavaliers.  In fact, all of my other Cavaliers have had them in varying degrees from a moderately young age.  I’d felt a bit smug that neither Lexie nor Mystie, who is five years old, had shown any indication of a heart issue... before.  Both had other medical issues, but they weren’t heart related.

I next rushed Lexie to a doggy cardiologist, who took an electrocardiogram.  Sure enough, she has a problem but, fortunately, it’s only moderate in nature, at least for now.

Years ago, with my first Cavalier, I started cooking all his food when he was diagnosed with a heart issue.  I was told his diet had to be salt-free, and there weren’t any prescription or salt-free pet foods being sold in those days.

With subsequent Cavaliers, I was also told to put them on salt-free diets, but as time went on those kinds of foods became available.  We were additionally told to put them on Lasix pills to eliminate a lot of their internal fluid retention.

How things have changed!  This cardiologist was horrified about the idea of Lasix and what it could do to a dog with heart issues.  He indicated there were some meds that we could use but their testing indicated contrary results.  And salt free diet?  Well, we could do that if we wanted, but his experience was that most dogs wouldn’t eat if they didn’t have salt, and that was worse than having salt in their food.

I was warned not to go overboard in babying my baby.  Which is fine--to some extent.  I’m definitely reducing the salt in her diet but I didn’t make her go cold turkey.  And, in the past, most of my beloved Cavaliers lived for significant amounts of time after their heart issues were diagnosed.

So... right now, as I write this, Lexie is barking behind me, giving me orders, telling me she wants to go out.  That’s exactly what we’re going to do.

How do you react if your fur-kid has health issues?

One Wonderful Writing Distraction

I’ve had only a small amount of time to write over the past few days.  Why?  Because my grandson is visiting from Chicago!  His parents, too, of course--my older son and d-i-l.  And all three of them are keeping my husband and me busy.

I began writing this post early yesterday morning since I had a spare few minutes before they all woke up.  I continued it later in the day when little Elliott’s parents were away visiting friends and more, and my husband and I were baby sitting.  Elliott fortunately decided to take a nap. 

Elliott will turn six months old next week.  He’s adorable!  But of course, at that age, he’s still high maintenance.  I can remember caring for both of our sons during their infancy.  Yes, it’s time consuming, but it’s so much fun!

Our dogs are fascinated by him.  They’re also demanding attention when Elliott is asleep or otherwise occupied.  They’re used to being our babies around here and keeping us at their bark and call.  At the moment, they’re pretty far down in our pack hierarchy and don’t really understand.  Fortunately, they’re Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and are extremely people oriented.  They’re curious but won’t do anything more than sniff the baby and increase their usual demands.

I’ve gotten some posts up online and done a little bit of writing, but not a whole lot.  Do I regret it?  Not at all!  I wish they were closer and I could see them more often, but for now everything else can wait.

How about you--how do family visits affect your household?

Collecting Dog Info

Does anyone reading this have any doubts about whether I’m obsessed by dogs?

Of course I’m here on Killer Hobbies because I write mysteries that involve pets, although I’ve always maintained that pets are not hobbies, they’re family.

Last week, I wrote about how my dogs missed me while I was out of town.

This week, I’m writing about how my obsession affects me everywhere, including at home.  When I’m at home, my dogs order me about, even when I’m writing.  Which is fine.  That’s their job. 

Mine is to love them, and take care of them, even obey them, sort of.  It’s also to enjoy other dogs, and figure out what I’m going to write about them next.  As a result, I collect a lot of things I find about dogs: newspaper and magazine articles, links to online sites, books, whatever. 

What do they have to say about dogs?  Anything.  Some are about dogs as pets, about service dogs, about how people have rescued dogs and dogs have rescued people. 

Some are about how people train dogs, or, yes, the dogs train people.  Others are about dogs’ intelligence.  And, yes, I collect anything on Cavalier King Charles Spaniels--books, trinkets, whatever. 

Who else is obsessed by pets?  Are they dogs, cats or something else?

Home Again with Dogs

I was out of town for a few days last week.

I had a good trip, partly writing-related... of course.

We left our dogs Lexie and Mystie in the care of our long-time, excellent pet-sitter.  She checked in with me often, and we also peeked in on them via our CavCam (short for Cavalier Camera, of course) now and then.  They were mostly sleeping when their sitter wasn’t around.

And then I got home.  You’d have thought I’d been gone for a month, not just days.  Both pups stayed right beside me, nuzzling and hugging me.  Lying beside me on the sofa.  And then, that first night, they awakened me at least half a dozen times.  I put them outside twice, in case that was what they were asking.  I helped them reorganize themselves in their bed, which is a standing obligation since Lexie won’t always obey Mystie when she wants to snuggle.  But there were a few other times that they just woke me up by pawing at my arm, apparently to make sure I was really there.

Since then, they haven’t been awakening me as much, but they’re nearly always beside me.  Hanging out while I’m at the computer writing--as they nearly always do.  Making sure I’m at their bark and call--telling me they need to go outside every hour or so, mostly because they want attention.  I know, when I’m gone for a while and the sitter says how good they’ve been, that they can hold what they need to do for much longer than they do when I’m around.

Am I complaining?  Heck, no.  I missed them, too.  They’re like my babies, and I don’t begrudge them any attention.

So, Lex and Myst, here are some more virtual hugs for you... and I’ll give you some real ones as soon as you wake up and tell me you want attention again.

Do your pets miss you when you’re gone?  How do they show it when you return?

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

This week marks Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee--her 60^th year on the throne. 

Most, if not all, of the Jubilee events are over now.  I found the excitement enthralling.  People all over the world have been celebrating.  Our U.S. news shows sent reporters there to film the celebrations and talk about them.  There’ve been flotillas on the River Thames.  Speeches.  Dinners.  Concerts.

I admit I’m not one of the people who watches or reads about U.S. celebs much.  Paparazzi aren’t my best friends, nor are they, or their stories, of particular interest to me.  So why am I so interested in what goes on in England?

Well, I admit it.  It’s largely because I met my first Cavalier King Charles Spaniels on my first trip to London many years ago.  I was hooked.  On the dogs, at least.  And I was impressed by the country that gave birth to the breed.

Now, I have to say I’m a bit put off by the fact that the queen’s celebrations didn’t seem to include her own dogs--her Corgis.  At least not publicly.  I haven’t seen any at the events marking the queen’s anniversary.  Maybe they’re celebrating quietly at home, treated well by their staff.  But I’d like to see them. Hear from them.  Get their take on what’s going on.

In any event, I’ve watched some of the celebrations on TV with my Cavaliers at my side.  I told them that their ancestors came from the place that’s being featured so colorfully.

Their reactions?  Mostly to demand that we play ball, put them outside, or let them watch out the front door... in other words, they’re not impressed.

But happy Diamond Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth, and may you enjoy many more celebrations to come.

Angry Birds

I have to admit that the only electronic or online games I play are things I could do without computer or phone, too: crosswords and solitaire games. Even so, I’m aware of the game called Angry Birds. I’ve no idea how to play it, but when we were considering buying a new TV some of the screens had Angry Birds playing on them instead of regular television shows.

I didn’t really want to experience angry birds, though.

I’ve mentioned this on Facebook, but since it’s continuing to concern me I’m talking about it here, too. As anyone who’s even vaguely aware of me knows, I love animals. That includes birds. But I eliminate from that list the birds that have been attacking my beloved dogs in our backyard!

Yes, I know it’s spring, and those mockingbirds undoubtedly think they’re protecting their nest. But they don’t have to intimidate my poor Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, especially Mystie, the younger one who, before, considered herself a bird dog.

Before, Mystie would run around our backyard chasing whatever birds happened to be there eating seeds or insects. Once, she even caught one, but I separated them before anyone got hurt.

There’ve been occasional buzz-bombings before, but this year it’s a constant problem. Two mockingbirds plant themselves on utility wires above the gravel area that my two pups prefer as a restroom. They make their chirpy noises--and then they swoop down. I’m fairly sure they’ve made contact with Mystie, and possibly with Lexie, too.

Good thing we keep a broom nearby. Yes, Mama Linda now goes out with the dogs and waves that broom at the birds so they stay away, at least most of the time.

And, yes, Mama Linda’s writing is getting even more interrupted by requests to go outside since I have to go with the pups and stay alert. I think the birds recognize me now, too, since they’re more inclined to stay on their wire and make irritated noises.

I’ll be glad when spring is over and the baby birds I assume will hatch--if they haven’t already--and fly away from their nest. Then the parents should, too.

By the way, when I did post on Facebook about the bird attack, I got a lot of comments. I learned that this isn’t at all rare. In fact, it’s fairly common, especially with mockingbirds and a few other species.

No one mentioned parrots, but I could have. I guess, in general, this isn’t a good year for me to associate with birds. We went to a dinner party a week or so ago at a home where a small parrot was the pet. He was cute and obviously spoiled--and when he decided to perch on my arm I let him. At least I did until he pecked his sharp little beak onto my skin...

How about you--what’s your relationship with birds this year?

Blog Block

I was sitting in my office yesterday with my chin in my hand, my elbow on my desk, when my husband Fred came in. He said I looked like I was thinking. Which I was. I always try to write my Wednesday blog post a day ahead, and I hadn’t come up with a topic.

He had a suggestion. We’d take the dogs for a walk to get my mind moving.

I’m in the middle of finishing my fourth Pet Rescue Mystery manuscript, OODLES OF POODLES, but I knew I’d not get into it as deeply as I should until I figured out what I’d be blogging about. So, we got the dogs ready to take a walk.

Which is fun, but a bit of an ordeal. Lexie and Mystie, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, love walks, and they also love telling us exactly what they want. We just had to clip a leash onto Lexie’s collar, but Mystie is small and daring so we always put a harness on her. With her excited wriggling, that always takes a while.

Eventually, we were ready. Since both dogs are lap size, we were able to carry them past our next door neighbor’s home to prevent their spending a lot of time conversing loudly with the two dogs who live there and bark when anyone goes by. Not that I object, since our two also talk a lot when anyone passes our place and our front door is open. They stand behind our closed front gate and defend their turf.

As we continued on our walk, we saw and heard other dogs out protecting their property. We saw which homes had “For Sale” and “For Lease” signs outside them. We kept our little dogs far from the path of cars on our narrow, winding streets.

And, we got to enjoy the signs of spring! That’s not always viable in Los Angeles, but we passed a lovely street-side garden full of tulips. We heard birds chirping excitedly all around us.

One of our neighbors always stops and gives our pups treats if they happen to be on our porch while she’s walking her larger dog. We ran into her, and Lexie and Mystie were treated royally.

Now I’m home writing about my dogs and relishing the walk all over again. On Monday night, I was on a chat night on Writerspace for Berkley Prime Crime authors. Only two authors were present--Dorothy St. James and me. We both chatted about our books and our themes, and I noted that some of the readers who were there chatting mentioned that they were cat lovers, or they weren’t wild about pets. Others also loved dogs. It’s fascinating to me to recognize the diversity of all people, even those who share an interest in something like cozy mysteries.

Me? Well, it’ll be interesting to see whether I have blog block next week. I’m sure that Lexie and Mystie hope I do. They definitely seemed to enjoy my remedial walk!

How do you get your mind in gear if it’s temporarily blocked?

My Dog Pack

My husband was out of town for a couple of weeks. He just returned on Sunday. As always, I missed him and looked forward to his return.

And our dogs? Well, his absence makes a big difference in our pack dynamics.

Our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels always hang out with me when it’s just the three of us. Sometimes they sleep on the couch in my office. Other times, they insist on sleeping on my lap while I’m writing--one at a time, at least. I love that, even if it is a bit disruptive. I’m less excited when they tell me they have to go outside every five minutes and paw at my arm to get my attention if I don’t immediately obey. Too often, they interrupt a train of thought and it takes me a while to get back into my writing zone, even when I tell them they have to wait. Which I don’t very often. They’re well behaved, but I don’t want to tempt them to have an accident.

When my husband is back and working in his separate office in our home, I see my pups less often. They consider him alpha and hang out more with him. That makes me jealous, even though I get fewer interruptions to my writing. When he’s around, I like it much better when they sleep on the stairway between our offices so they can keep an eye on both of us.

And then there are the occasions when my husband goes out to run errands while I stay home to write. It’s like old times! My dogs both sleep in my office, sighing and snoring while I enjoy their company.

Okay, I admit it. I’m an obsessive pet mom who’s gaga over her snuggly pups. They deserve it! I doubt they completely consider me a leader of our pack... but ask that again when they think it’s time for dinner.


What is the pack like with your pets?

Dogs and Other Milestones

The beginning of this month features some milestones with my pups.

First of all, March 1 was the fourth anniversary of the date Mystie came into our life. She’s my younger Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, our nutcase who chases sunbeams and reflections, and creates her own by licking walls. We adore our perpetual puppy!

Tomorrow, March 8, will be Lexie’s ninth birthday. Despite her health issues a couple of years ago, she’s also a puppy in her own way. She can communicate with us without language amazingly well. She, too, is greatly adored!

Of course I’m proud of my dogs, even though they’ve trained me better than I’ve trained them. I do know some of the tricks about training. I use them sometimes in my books. I’ve got a good imagination, and it’s fun to write about what I can’t do myself!

We have some other milestones to celebrate in March, too. The 9th is the anniversary of when my husband and I met. Later in the month is our older son’s birthday--and mine.

Things have been busy around here and will only get busier, I think. Lots to do this month. I have an April deadline for the fourth Pet Rescue Mystery, and April is also the publication month for the third one, HOUNDS ABOUND.

By the way, I blogged a couple of weeks ago about the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as well as the La Brea Tar Pits. Earlier this week, I happened to be in the area after dark, and the nighttime lighting at the tar pits helps to spotlight both the mammoth models and the bubbling waters. And in case you haven’t heard, a giant rock is slowly making its way by truck to LACMA to be used in a piece of art. I’ll be interested in seeing it, especially considering the millions of dollars it’s costing to bring it in and use it as a sculpture that will be called “Levitated Mass.” We’ll apparently be able to walk under it. It’ll certainly be an unusual kind of art!

Do you celebrate milestones with your pets?

The Pack is Back

In the past we’ve done our dog grooming ourselves, but this year our two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have received professional grooming. We tried it first with Lexie, the older dog, and then had Mystie groomed a couple of months later.

Yesterday, we had them both groomed at the same time. They look adorable and seem even more energetic, so it’s a good thing for all of us.

But having both babies gone from the house at the same time was definitely depressing for me. I missed their demands for attention every few minutes. I listened for their barking or panting, waited for one or both to paw at me to go outside. I waited for them to bark when I heard a package being delivered or neighbors walking by with their pets.

My husband Fred was out running errands for some of the time the pups were gone--and I felt lonely! It didn’t help that we’d loaned our other vehicle to our younger son. I wasn’t exactly housebound, and I did get some editing done... but I still felt bereft!

The pups are home now and of course remain amazingly cute. I always appreciate my dogs, but at the moment I appreciate them even more. They think they’re alphas in our pack, and maybe they are.


How about you? What’s your pack like in your home?

Inspired by Dogs

I was inspired by Monica’s post yesterday to think about all the dogs in my past--and to blog about some of them here.

I was born a dog-lover, I think, even though the adults in my family were relatively indifferent to them when I was a child. When I was eight years old, my maternal grandfather took pity on me and bought me a puppy at a pet shop. I assume he checked with my parents first, but I’m not sure.

We named that puppy Cuddles--and we had her all of one day. My mother took her to the vet while I was in school the day after we got her, and he diagnosed Cuddles with distemper. We returned her to the pet store that evening--and it was my understanding that all the puppies there were sick.

These days people who know better generally don’t buy puppies from pet shops because they so often come from puppy mills, but back then I don’t think anyone believed the worst about some pet stores selling pets. I learned my lesson, though.

Plus, we were faced with a quarantine for a while. We couldn’t bring another dog into our house for three months, for fear of it catching distemper. I spent that entire three months studying dog breeds, including reading DOG WORLD MAGAZINE, to decide what breed would work for us. My grandfather again came through, and we adopted an adorable brindle Boston Terrier we named Frisky. Frisky was with us for thirteen years.

A few years later, I happened to be visiting London, England. I saw a woman on the Underground carrying adorable red and white puppies. I asked what they were and she told me they were Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

The rest is history--my history! I fell in love with the breed. Cavaliers were rare in the U.S. at the time, but I found a breeder coming to my area who could bring a male puppy available for adoption. That was Azorese Pandaemonium--Panda--my first Cavalier, and that breed has been my favorite ever since!

And of course my older current Cavalier, Lexie, starred in my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mystery series and sometimes has cameo appearances with Kendra in my new Pet Rescue Mystery series!

How did you happen on your favorite kind of pet?

Mystie and the Bird

Our younger Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Mystie, has a wonderfully unusual personality.

I’ve been owned by Cavaliers forever and adore every one of them, with all their quirks. Mystie’s quirks just happen to be way different from any others I’ve had in the family.

We call her the nutcase, since she likes to chase sunbeams and reflections. It’s not just chasing laser beams or flashlights, although she does that, too--and starts talking to us if she even just sees a flashlight. She lies in the sunny spots on the floor that enter from our skylight. She talks to us about reflections from the skylight that shine and move on our high ceiling. She observes as I walk past an area in the house where the sun is shining, just in case I’m wearing a watch and its reflection shines against the wall. She also creates her own reflections by licking walls and the tile floor.

Mystie is additionally a bird dog. Well, she is a spaniel, but Cavaliers were bred from the first to be lap dogs, to be held by courtiers in the time of King Charles II of England so fleas would jump off the people and onto the dogs.

We have a good-sized backyard, and birds often land there to eat grass seed or seeds from the large tree in the middle that fall to the ground. Once, when she was hardly more than a puppy, Mystie actually caught a bird! Neither she nor the bird seemed to know what to do about it. I fortunately got there in enough time to get Mystie to back off so the bird could fly away.

Now, there are a couple of gray birds in our yard that might be sparrows or wrens, although I haven’t identified them yet. The fatter of the two loves to torment Mystie, landing in front of her on bushes, then soaring off to perch on the utility wire or tree overhead, or on the neighbor’s fence, and cheep at her.

I suppose it’s a game for both of them, although in leaping to try to catch the bird once Mystie fell onto her back. That worries me, since she’s had some health issues and I’m concerned about her.

Yesterday, Mystie insisted on bringing a bird feather into the house. Was it from her friend? I couldn’t tell, but wouldn’t be surprised. My husband also saw that bird and its usual companion sitting on a nearby branch taunting Mystie.

Later, near sunset, when Mystie was outside for her last romp of the day, the bird perched on a nearby bush and chirped till Mystie looked that way. Then it flew low along the pathway, only rising up to land on the neighbor’s fence when Mystie began chasing it. Then it sat there and chirped its taunt.

Do your pets play with wildlife? If you have cats, I wouldn’t be surprised--nor with many dogs, too. What’s their story?

Today's Blog Courtesy of Facebook

Last week, I blogged about how I’d asked my Facebook friends what to write about here on Killer Hobbies. The consensus was that I should propose more specific topics than just asking a general question.

So, this week, I asked if I should blog either about how my dogs run my life, or how my writing does. More people posted about wanting to hear about my dogs’ being in charge than my writing.

As a result, Lexie and Mystie are my main topic this week.

First, let me say that my Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are adorable, lovable lap dogs. They’re always around during the day, and in fact as I write this Lexie is lying on the floor beside me. Mystie, to my surprise, is sleeping in their crate (almost always with an open door) in the kitchen. She often chases sunbeams and sleeps where the sunlight reflects on our floor through our skylight. Otherwise, she sleeps under my desk when I’m writing.

Oops. This took a little while to write. Now Mystie is in my office and Lexie is roaming. My pack is ever on the move.

So how do they run my life? When I’m at home, they want to go outside and romp probably every hour or even more often. They seem to take turns needing to do something while they’re there--what my husband calls “maximization of treats” since they both get small treats when they come in, if even just one has accomplished something. Lexie will bark to tell me she wants out. Mystie will jump onto my lap and hug my face. Either way, they’re hard to ignore.

Then there are play times. Mystie loves to have squeaky balls tossed or kicked for her to chase. Lexie, not so much--so when we’re playing with Mystie she wants the front door open so she can see the world pass by, or as much of it as there is on our street. Both tell us when they want their own form of nirvana.

Sometimes, they just want a snuggle. One at a time, they’ll sleep on my lap as I’m writing. Of course the one who’s not up there will often demand equal time.

Mealtime? Lexie has a built in clock, although she starts telling me it’s getting close to dinner maybe an hour before she knows it’ll actually happen.

Nighttime? They sleep in our room, mostly in two dog nights in another open crate, although they also have dog mats elsewhere on the floor. Should they need an outing in the middle of the night, they’re not shy about waking us to tell us so, but they usually sleep till morning.

Then, in the morning, they take doggy bets on my husband and me, trying to figure out which of us will be dressed first and into the kitchen to feed them, jumping around to hurry the one they’re banking on.

There are times I tell them that they’re just being pesty--but would I change their behavior? I’m encouraging Mystie to bark less in her shrill voice, but otherwise I wouldn’t change a thing.

Oh, and how does my writing run my life? Whatever time during the day that isn’t doggy-related, I’m on the computer, generally writing the stories for which I’m under deadline. And when I’m not engaged in that kind of writing--I’m often writing a blog post!

What occupies your time the most?

Weather, Whether or Not

It’s Groundhog Day!

Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow today there at Gobbler’s Knob, thus predicting six more weeks of winter? Or will no shadow be visible, indicating an early spring?

Having heard (but not experienced, thank heavens) this year’s weather horrors, I’m rooting for no shadow, but my druthers from sunny Southern California will make no difference. Phil, I’m eager to learn your shadow’s fate for the day. Many thanks for your predictions. From what I’ve read, they’re amazingly accurate. Can you hear my applause?

Yesterday, while my sweet daughter-in-law in Chicago was cheering about an upcoming blizzard there, I had friends visit my home to start planning a vegetable garden. Some discussion ensued about how the beaming sunlight would affect the growth, and where would be best to plant things. Yes, that sunlight was in force as they spoke.

I felt a little chilly, with the outside air in the 50s for part of the day, but, hey, I prefer being cold to feeling hot. On the other hand, there are limits. I definitely am glad not to be in the areas where temperatures around freezing feel balmy.

My Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are all fluffy with their winter coats--but they don’t really know what winter is.

I’m delighted to say that I’ve finished a very rough draft of my next Pet Rescue Mystery, regardless of the vicissitudes of the weather. Now, I have to edit it. My writing doesn’t rely on the weather forecast, but as I write this I’m looking out a window at the San Fernando Valley where, yes, that sun is shining and the trees are green.

Aren’t some of you reading this jealous? What’s your weather--and how does it affect what you accomplish. And will you join me in cheering Punxsutawney Phil?

Pet Expo

My fellow Killer Hobbyists sometimes blog about the fun-sounding crafts fairs that they attend now and then.

I had the opportunity last weekend to attend an event that incorporates my main subject here on Killer Hobbies: pets!

I’ve been going to the Pet Expo annually for several years. It is held at the Orange County, California, Fairgrounds, which has apparently been up for sale lately, but fortunately that hasn’t affected the Pet Expo.

It’s a huge event, and lots of different kinds of pets are represented--from potbellied pigs to birds to turtles and even ferrets, in absentia, since they’re illegal to keep as pets in California. And, of course, there are dogs and cats. There are booths featuring many breeds of dogs and cats, and a large number of rescue organizations also bring in animals in an attempt to find them a new home. I was especially interested in the variety of rescue groups this year, since I’ve been plotting the second story in my new Lauren Vancouver, pet rescuer mysteries. Some rescue groups are breed-specific. Others are related to the areas in which they’re located. Many are broad in scope, taking in whatever animals they can and trying to find them new, loving homes.

Then there are the many demonstrations that go on at the Pet Expo. K-9 teams from several different police departments demonstrated how they operate. A bird demonstration went slightly awry when one of the red macaws decided that flying back to the stage area was too difficult with the wind blowing the way it was, so the trainer had to go find him and walk back with the bird on his arm.

I of course visited the booth where Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were represented. I looked for a Puli booth, since my son and daughter-in-law own one of those adorable pups, but unfortunately this rare breed didn’t have a presence at the Expo.

I guess it’s a sign of these economically uncertain times, but the formerly free pet food samples are no longer free. The smallest packets now sell for twenty-five cents.

I’d dragged my husband along, and we both had an enjoyable time. Next year, we’ll do it again!

Have you ever attended a pet expo or other large pet-related event? What was your favorite part?

Writing Companions

I have to admit--as if I haven’t done so zillions of times before--that my Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Lexie and Mystie are my writing inspirations, especially since a lot of what I write incorporates dogs. Not always Cavaliers, though. I’m working on the manuscript for the first story in my new Lauren Vancouver, Pet Rescuer series, and not a single Cavalier appears in it. They may in future stories. But it does contain a lot of dogs, both purebreds and mixes.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about when I sat at the computer to work on today’s Killer Hobbies post, but when I looked down, I knew. Both of my dogs were on the floor at my feet, sleeping. Keeping me company. Keeping me inspired.

While editing my Pet Rescuer manuscript, I’ve been sitting at my kitchen table a lot. That’s Lexie’s spot. She knows that, when I’m sitting there and not eating, she’s always invited to lie on my lap. She gives me kisses on the chin when she first arrives on my lap, then settles down to sleep while I read and make notes on the page. Sometimes I sit on my sofa, and then she always snuggles beside me.

Mystie likes to leap up onto my lap when I’m working at the computer. I know that, if she doesn’t snuggle down right away, and instead hugs my face, she needs to go outside. Woe is me if I need to finish a thought first and not take her out immediately. By then, she’s really serious!

Then there are the sounds they make as if responding to my talking to them. Mystie sometimes heaves big sighs. Lexie will make an affirmative noise at times, or a sarcastic snort at others.

If this is repetitious, then I apologize. But I love to talk about my canine inspirations!

What are your greatest inspirations to writing and otherwise?

By the way, my thoughts are with those of you who’ve been pelted by yet another snow storm. I grew up in Pittsburgh and empathize--although I finally put down roots in Los Angeles. We had more thunderstorms and sleet in L.A. a couple of days ago. Our latest storms ended with two gorgeous rainbows--one brilliant and an entire arc, and the other parallel and misty. We also could see snow on the mountains beyond the San Fernando Valley but didn’t have to deal with any related difficulties. How are you dealing with the snow?

And an earthquake in Chicago?? Fortunately, my older son, who grew up in L.A., pretty much slept through it.

Cavalier Ball!

Last Sunday, I attended an extra-special and fun event in Santa Monica, California--the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Ball!

It was held by an absolutely charming pet supply store, doggy day care facility and spa, called Healthy Spot. Of course I brought my Cavaliers Lexie and Mystie--oh, yes, and my husband Fred came along, too.

What a wonderful bunch of Cavaliers were there! Somewhere between 25 and 35 attended, including mine. The pups were beautiful and adorable and clearly beloved.

I have to admit that my Cavaliers are not as socialized as they should be. When let loose in an enclosed area with many other pups, they seemed bewildered at first. Then Lexie started sniffing her temporary companions and seemed somewhat at ease. Mystie, though, kept hiding in whatever spots she could find--behind people, preferably.

The staff members at Healthy Spot were wonderful. They welcomed each Cavalier, handed out gift bags and helped to shepherd dogs and owners to the various venues within the shop, including a place where our Cavaliers had photos taken on a purple velvet throne while wearing a matching purple velvet cape. Very royal, as befitting a breed whose ancestors were the small spaniels in the court of King Charles II of England.

There were snacks for the Cavaliers and for their owners. For two hours, guests arrived, enjoyed, then left.

Since we live in another part of L.A., I was delighted to learn that we were invited because, when one of the delightful staff members Googled Cavaliers, I somehow appeared--probably because of Lexie, the Cavalier who looks just like mine, in my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries.

Healthy Spot also holds events for other breeds. If you happen to live in the L.A. area and your type of pup is invited, I urge you to attend!

Have you ever been invited to a special event for your pet?