It was International Dog Day yesterday. As I was out I missed posting but it was lovely to catch up with all the doggy pics on social media. Seeing as I didn’t share pictures of my two hounds, I thought it might be a good opportunity (excuse!) to celebrate some of my fictional dogs.
There’s nearly always a dog in my books and they often prove to be as important a character as the humans. I’ve blogged before about how useful they can be here:
I like a visual notebook when I’m writing a book and pictures of dogs are featured too. And, as dogs became more important in my life, so they entered my fiction a lot more too.
In Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Cafe, Millie’s immediate family was wiped out in a terrible car accident so Trevor the cockapoo took their place, along with the wonderful community of Berecombe of course. I don’t think I really pinned down exactly what colour Trevor was – and cockapoos come in a wide range. I think I settled on golden brown in the end. Considering he lives in a cafe, surrounded by food, he really is remarkably well behaved!
Piglet the puppy had a tiny but vital role to play in While I Was Waiting. An ‘accidental’ pairing of a collie and a spaniel, he was messy, intelligent and greedy.
He turned Rachel’s life around when she was at her lowest. Something I truly believe dogs are always capable of. A lover of puddles, the muddier the better (in true spaniel style) he certainly challenged her finicky house proud ways.
Poor Benji the Westie! Spoiled and indulged, he ended up without doggie day care when Tash’s parents went on holiday in The Little Book Cafe: Tash’s Story.
It was up to Tash to juggle a hectic work schedule and dog care. She managed it most of the time and it was Adrian’s harsh treatment of Benji which really made her see her boyfriend in his true light. As I abhor any cruelty towards animals, I found that scene hard to write. Also in The Little Book Cafe is the enormous but gentle Kit. What sort of dog would he have? No question – it had to be an equally enormous but gentle Irish Wolfhound. I’ve known several of this delightful breed and they really are noble and wise. Merlin is a quiet presence in the book but you know he’s there. Just like a Wolfie in real life!
I love springer spaniels. Full of life, loyal, hard-working and clever. For the boat builder Matt in On a Falling Tide it was a natural choice, especially as he had easy access to an endless beach to run off Dolly the springer puppy’s exuberance.
Straightforward and devoted, springers are just like Matt himself. He’s one of my favourite heroes!
And then came Camilla the cocker in Janey Trelawney’s Year of Surprising Triumphs. I had great fun writing her. Beautiful but a bit dim, she twisted everyone to her bidding with judicious use of those huge soulful spaniel eyes. In this, I think I did the show cocker breed a disservice. I have one and he’s certainly not daft, especially when there’s food involved!
Before I moved south I knew a cute poodle deaf assistance dog called Elvis. His alter ego wriggled his way into the Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Cafe books and has an awful lot to put up with being naughty OAP Biddy’s companion. Poodles are an underrated breed. Extremely intelligent, clownish with a zest for life evident in their merry blackcurrant eyes. I like the breed so much I put another poodle in The Great Summer Street Party.
Brontë is a newly retired assistance dog and worms her way into Ashley’s heart straightaway.
I have a doggy dilemma though – Daisy, Arthur Roulestone’s sweet golden retriever was elderly when she first appeared in Millie Vanilla’s Cupcake Cafe back in 2014 or thereabouts. At some point I’ll have to face writing That Scene where Arthur and the town say goodbye to the gentle Daisy. I’m really not sure I can. Maybe time passes at a different pace in Berecombe? Let’s hope so!
If you’re a dog lover, or if any of the books mentioned above have caught your attention, you can check them out in the usual places.
Love,
Georgia x
