This
edition of The Write Spot is all
about cats, dogs, raptors, chickens, and the memory of a very good horse.
"But
wait," I hear you asking. "What's with all the critters? Isn't The Write Spot about the many and varied
places where writers write?"
Why, yes. Yes,
it is. And I hope you've enjoyed meeting the twenty-four authors who've visited
so far as much as I have. It's been great fun getting to know the talented women
behind the books and I have more exciting guests lined up for the coming months.
(Why not subscribe to stillpoint by email to be sure you'll never miss a post.)
Meanwhile, the
cats, dogs, raptors, chickens, and horses are part of a celebration marking the first
anniversary of The Write Spot. You
see, beyond a mutual love of reading and writing, it soon became obvious that
my author guests share with me a deep love and respect for animals. Some of us keep
companion pets, others bring animals to life as story characters, while still others
take inspiration from animal encounters in the wild. I invited everyone back to celebrate this common thread in our lives with a three-part
series called Animals of The Write Spot.
So far, we've met a Santa-loving Maine Coon cat, a Husky with one blue eye and
one brown, a window-peeking mama duck, and many more! I've included links at
the end of this post in case you missed them but first, please enjoy Animals
of The Write Spot, Part Three:
This
winsome lad with the gentle brown eyes is Nico, the nephew-dog of Canadian author Joanne Guidoccio.
Here's
Nico's story as told by his Auntie Joanne:
"We’re
getting a Rottweiler, part Shepherd." My heart sank at those words, but I
couldn't say anything. It wasn't my house, and I wouldn't be taking care of the
dog. Having spent most of my adult life in condos, I have lived the life of a
pet owner vicariously through my brother Tony, who has owned dogs of different
breeds. I especially liked Fanny, the beautiful poodle, who is no longer with
us. As for the larger dogs, I tend to take distance.
I assumed
that would be the case with Nico, who has grown to his full height and weight
of 120 pounds. Definitely a force to be reckoned with and the best of guard
dogs. I was pleasantly surprised...
Playtime
with Zora, his Boston Terrier sister, can be loud and sometimes alarming to
watch, but they are the best of friends and have lived amicably for almost ten
years.
Nico has a
gentle, respectful side. Often, I will find him at my side, watching and
waiting to be acknowledged. When my mother was alive, he would position himself
at the side of her wheelchair, quietly standing guard and appreciative of the
food gifts she often bestowed. I marvel at his ability to plop himself down and
rest, amid the bustling noise of a holiday get-together. A Zen dog? Visit Joanne Guidoccio's Write Spot.
Meet
handsome Phil the palomino, out for a ride with a young Susan Fox – who hasn't
changed a bit!
"I
don't currently have a pet because our living and travel situation isn't
appropriate for it. As a kid, I had a cat and then two great dogs, but the
animals that have always held a special place in my heart are horses. Yes, I
was the cliche horse-crazy girl. I took English riding lessons and also rode
Western with my dad when we took family holidays. Here's one of the horses from back in those days – a
gorgeous palomino gelding named Phil. I've been
thrilled to use my love of horses in my Caribou Crossing Romances series from
Kensington. It's amazing how childhood passions can linger into adulthood and
have a significant impact." Visit Susan Fox's travelling Write Spot.
Author,
falconer, and professional animal trainer Rebecca K. O'Connor says her office
doubles as an animal overflow room. "If I'm raising a hawk, fostering a
parrot, or have any other strays, they come join me in my office as my temporary
muse. And of course, there are dog beds so that my Brittanny spaniels can stay
close to the action." Check out Rebecca K. O'Connor's Write Spot.
Meet Tiger
Henry, the cat who adopted author Karen McCullough and her family. (This photo
shows him snuggled up with Karen's youngest daughter.) Karen shared this
touching story:
"A few
years back (okay, quite a few), I noticed a cat hanging around our back yard.
He was a rather average looking orange tabby except that he had a strange
snaggle tooth that stuck out of the jaw. He was a quiet, gentle, sweet animal
who loved cuddling up to people, and didn't seem to want to be anywhere else.
My kids were already sneaking him dishes of milk behind my back, so I bowed to
the inevitable. His timing was good. Our beloved dog had died a few months
earlier at a venerable old age. We couldn't bear the thought of another dog so
soon, but we were ripe for adoption by a sweet-natured cat.
"We
learned a little later that Tiger Henry had belonged to a young man with
serious disabilities. He'd gone into a home that didn't permit pets, so a
neighbor several houses up the street had agreed to take him. They already had
several cats, though, who didn't take kindly to the newcomer and ran him off.
The neighbor was relieved and thrilled that we were willing to take care of
Tiger Henry and had no problem with his previous owner coming to visit him
occasionally." Lucky Tiger Henry! Visit Karen McCullough's Write Spot.
Banjo,
Sydell Voeller's little boy tuxedo cat on the left and Nutmeg, the sleek female
kitty on the right, are as different from each other as they can be – even though
they came from the same cat shelter in Oregon. Banjo is a sweet little
gentleman who likes to explore, but in a laid back way. Nutmeg loves to play
and is as quick as a bolt of lightning.
While
totally bonded to each other, they still have an occasional misunderstanding,
especially over who gets to spend the most time with their human mom. While
Sydell tries to keep things fair, the cats often have different ideas. "This is almost like raising my two
human kids all over again," Sydell says with a chuckle. Visit Sydell Voeller's Write Spot.
Author Tracey J. Lyons adores her chickens. "Now I know they are not the usual pet," she says, "but I take great comfort in listening to my hens clucking away in their coop. There's nothing more satisfying to me than collecting eggs from the hen house every day. What better pet can there be than one who actually gives you something in return for your love and affection?" (Very true, Tracey. I'm a chicken lover, too.) Visit Tracey J. Lyons' Write Spot.
Meet Gabby
and Poppy, two appropriately named Labs who make their home with mystery author
Cathy Ace. "Gabby has been with us for twelve and a half years, Poppy for
ten and a half. When we got Gabby, we already had a yellow Lab named Howie and
a black Lab named Winnie. Howie was a bit of a howler and Winnie a bit of a
whiner. I should have known when I named Gabby that she'd turn out to be a very
"talkative" dog who has many unique sounds (all of which I understand)
and Poppy? Let's just say she's hardly ever still, never walks but runs or
bounds... popping about the place like a bullet from a gun! It seems names
matter whether for dogs, or characters in books." Visit Cathy Ace's Write Spot.
"Keesha
and Mojo allow me to share a house with them, feed them, and cater to their
every whim," says cozy mystery author Linda Wiken, aka Erika Chase. "If
you live with a cat, you know what I mean. These two are the inspiration for Brie and
Edam in A Killer Read; they have
their own methods of 'editing' my work at the keyboard; and they offer
unconditional approval."
Linda also shared a photo of herself with her
grand-dog, Khloe, taken at the ocean in Victoria, British Columbia – a spot
Linda thinks is one of the most inspiring places in the world. (I agree!) Visit Linda Wiken's Write Spot.
Here with
the last word (as usual), is my own mostly sweet but sometimes sarcastic Sam the
Cat. He's been my faithful companion for fifteen years and, as you can see, he takes
his job as my writing assistant very seriously. Did you know he named himself? Here's Sam's story.
Want more
animals? Check out these lovelies!
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About The Write Spot:
I've always been fascinated
by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my
favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary
magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's
private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets
shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other
writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot' and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular
feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and
join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.
stillpoint
is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington
Labels: Animals, authors, Cathy Ace, Cheryl Cooke Harrington, Joanne Guidoccio, Karen McCullough, Linda Wiken, pets, Rebecca K. O'Connor, Sam the Cat, Susan Fox, Sydell Voeller, The Write Spot, Tracey J. Lyons, writing
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