Carolyn
J. Rose
When
I wrote NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MURDER I thought of it as a single story, a
standalone. Many readers, however, let me know they saw it as the beginning of
a series. They liked the characters, they liked the voice, but most of all they
liked Cheese Puff, the protagonist’s entitled dog.
Readers
got in touch to suggest things that could happen to the ten-pound orange mutt.
Those ideas got into my head. They grew. And more stories emerged.
Before
I knew it, Cheese Puff, although neutered, fell in love with a long-legged
Golden Retriever named Lola. He acquired a number of outfits, including
formalwear. He went on shopping excursions, to plays and movies, and out to
gourmet dinners with Mrs. Ballantine and members of the Cheese Puff Care and
Comfort Committee. He was even kidnapped by a drug dealer.
In
the latest book, NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MISTAKES, someone starts a cat-bashing blog
in his name, his life is threatened, and he tangles with a rogue duck. To his chagrin,
a cat comes to the rescue.
I’m
grateful to Bubba, the pound puppy we took in 15 years ago this month, for
providing the inspiration for Cheese Puff. She’s given me unconditional love,
plenty of attitude, and constant reminders that it’s not all about me. “Small
dogs,” Dr. Blair Ferguson told me when we took Bubba to his veterinary clinic for
her shots, “rise each morning with one thought in mind—I will bend you to my
will.”
Boy,
did he nail it. But, I have to admit, there’s a certain freedom to knowing I’m
not in charge.
Bubba
won’t be with us much longer, but she’ll live on as long as Cheese Puff has
adventures.
