I used to call myself a "cat person" but after we adopted our five-year-old yellow lab, Suzy, in 2009, it became apparent that I could be a "dog person" also!

When I was six, my parents gave me a tiger-striped kitten who I immediately named Tiny . . . I know, not very creative, but hey, I was only six. She died my first year of college, and then I didn't have another feline until Jeff and I got together. Then came three in succession- Sasha, Scooter, and Minnie. After they all transitioned (last one in 2013), we adopted Louis who is still with us, and Seymour, who died in 2021. I had a uniquely special relationship with each of these cats.

Suzy was the perfect dog—gentle, good with the grandbabies, loyal, exuberantly loving and obedient (for the most part). She and I took the most wonderful walks together for nine years . . . until she couldn't do the walking and we had to say good-bye.

My love of animals also includes the myriad birds, squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks that frequent our yard and feeders. So far, I haven't included any of them in my novels, BUT I always intentionally add a cat or dog, or both, in my stories.

In Dragonflies at Night: More Than a Love Story, the main character, Savannah, has two Siamese cats named Chandler and Bing (any Friends fans out there?). Towards the end of the novel, a yellow lab comes into the picture (I won't say how or why, you'll have to read the book) and she is named Zannah, after Savannah's favorite aunt Suzannah.

There's a big gray cat in Feathers in the Sand (Seahaven Sunrise Book 1). Jasper belongs to eleven-year-old Eva and plays an important part in Eva's story. At the time I was writing this, I was exceptionally fond of our elderly ginger cat, Seymour, and I wanted so badly to make Eva's cat just like Seymour, BUT my imagination insisted that Eva's cat was large and solid gray like our cat Louis, so I bowed to my imagination.

A cat like Seymour (named Buddy) makes a brief appearance in Sea Glass Memories Seahaven Sunrise Book 2 which will launch this October. Buddy belongs to Leah St. James, a minor character who will play a major role in Seahaven Sunrise Book 3, tentatively called Wish Upon a Sea Star. Stay tuned for more details!

This month's give-away features a dog named Enzo (see below). I love it when cats and dogs appear in the novels that I read, and I love honoring the cats (and dog) I have known and loved by giving them places in my writing.

I'd love to hear from you about favorite animals from novels you've read, or about cats and/or dogs you've known and loved. In fact, in Seahaven Sunrise Book 3 (Wish Upon a Sea Star), there will be a few dogs and I'd love to hear suggestions for their names, if you have time and care to reply to this email!

 🏆 February Give-Away Winners 🏆

a paperback copy of Pieces of Happily Ever After, by Irene Zutell

Beth from Maryland

Jodi from Minnesota

This month I'm giving away TWO paperback copies of The Art of Racing in the Rain,

First of all, the entire story is narrated by a dog named Enzo whose person is Denny, a race car driver, husband and father. To quote one reviewer, “This old soul of a dog has much to teach us about being human.” Perfectly said. There is much in this book about love, life, loss, and moving through life with strength and grace when things get slippery. (PS The movie stars Milo Ventimiglia whom you might know as Jess from Gilmore Girls and Jack from This Is Us!)

To enter, just fill out the short form here and I'll do a random drawing THIS SUNDAY MARCH 19. I'll send you an email notice that you've won, and I'll ask for your snail mail address after that!

(NOTE: I use the random generator at random.org to choose the winners

In between newsletters, I'll be posting more often on Instagram, my blog, and/or my Facebook Author page, so please be sure to visit me there too.

I'd love for you to send a reply to this email with any questions about my books, or comments about your favorite dogs or cats, or maybe even a good book that you're reading. And don't forget to enter our March paperback give-away, a heartwarming story that will stir your heart and soul.