I’ve lived with pets almost all my life, and loved every one of them. Chickens, cats, dogs, and mice growing up. Chickens, cats, and dogs for many years when I lived in Australia before coming to England and getting married. Since being married, we’ve shared our home with cats, a rabbit, and guinea pigs. My husband would love a dog, and I’d love a big enough yard to keep chickens again. You may be noticing a pattern here!
I love animals, and am perpetually amazed and awed by God’s incredible creativity! He has a plan and a purpose for everything. In real life, and in stories animals often play big roles in either bringing a couple together or pushing them apart! From the meeting while each walking their dog, to the cat who bites and claws the heroine’s date if it disapproves her choice, to the bird lover whose home is like an aviary falling for someone with a feather allergy.
Yet for some reason, I haven’t written many stories including animals. Less than half my stories have even a brief appearance of a pet.
Catriona’s border collie Hector makes a brief appearance in A Model Bride, and plays a bigger role in More than Friends. In Love’s Healing Touch the hero’s mom has an aged Labrador, and also a temperamental ginger cat who I mentioned once then forgot to write into any scenes (oops!). In Imperfectly Proverbs 31, the heroine is caring for her twin nieces for the summer, along with their enthusiastically accident-prone Newfoundland dog, Bear. He’s the catalyst (dog-alyst?) for keeping Samantha and Daniel together long enough to fall in love.
And then in His Father’s Son, Anna and Luke have a son whose pet is an adorable piglet. I got the idea for the pig in this story when my husband went the garden centre to buy some gravel for our paths, and nearly gave home with a miniature piglet very like the one in the picture above!
Unfortunately the piglet in the story may grow a teensy bit too big for a skinny twelve-year old stuck in a wheelchair to manage as an indoor pet, but as a smart kid who loves his pig, Josh has plans for that. Though his mom might not quite agree with all Josh’s plans… especially the bit about her marrying his estranged dad so he can move in with them…
Anna has too much history and too many unforgiven hurts for that to ever happen. But as we so often find in our own lives, God has other, better plans!
God brings Luke home when Anna and their son Josh need him most, and also when he’s mature enough to work at creating a committed relationship. Though clearly, at the start of the story, God is still working on Anna – and Luke too. I love the way this couple finally allow Him to heal their past traumas and deep-buried hurts so they can commit to a lifetime together.
Originally published in the Cherish boxed set, His Father’s Son will release as a solo ebook on February 12, and is on preorder now, priced at just 99c until February 19. It will also be available to borrow in Kindle Unlimited.
And my next story, Dolce Vita (Sweet Life) Book #8 in A Tuscan Legacy, the multi-author series releasing from April you may have already read about on Saturday, will also have a less-than-usual pet in it. You’ll get to meet Henry, a very noisy parrot who loves to tease the little tortoiseshell cat, Pickles, and also has a habit of biting people he doesn’t like.
Pickles is based on a cat who lived with us for too short a time, and Henry is inspired by my niece’s African Grey parrot, who I’ve never met but who sounds quite a character! They’re also in the image above. Pickles is adorable, but I’m not so sure about that wicked gleam in Henry’s eye!
Which pets do you prefer – either in real life, or in stories? One comment posted here before January 31 will be randomly chosen to win an ebook copy of His Father’s Son, or your choice of my ebooks.
USA Today bestselling author Autumn Macarthur writes romances full of faith and hope, celebrating God's love as well as a man and a woman finding their happily ever after. She prays they’ll warm your heart and make you smile. An Australian transplanted to Britain, Autumn lives just north of London with her lovely English husband and three demanding cats, in a very small house with a teensy tiny garden. She loves talking to readers, so please get in touch! And get a free Christian romance novella when you sign up for her reader newsletter at http://bit.ly/Autumnsubscribe
Hi Autumn, I am not generally a fan of pigs, but the one in your photo is cute! When I was a kid, we used to have rescue joey kangaroos until they were old enough to be independent. My Nana had chooks, and I remember going to her house (she lived next door), and seeing a (obviously dead) headless chook waiting to be plucked! We then had dogs before our second son was born, but with the kids at school and us at work full time, it is not fair to keep a dog alone. Dogs would have to be my favourite.
Blessings:)
Hi Autumn. I enjoying reading about pets in romances. Especially unusual ones like Valerie Comer’s goat Pansy or in your romance His Father’s Son with Luke, Anna, Josh and their pet pig. I enjoyed the story. Looking forward to your next story, Dolce Vita (Sweet Life) Book #8 in A Tuscan Legacy which includes a parrot. As newly weds, we had a canary winged bee bee parrot. Our most unusual pet was Hermie, the hermit crab. We have had three cats and two Shelties. Penny, our deaf 16 year old anxiety driven Sheltie is the only furry pet at this time and probably our last. Best wishes and happy writing.
Hi Autumn,
I enjoy reading about fun animals, but I love cuddly ones to hold. We have had a dog or two while our children were growing up, but now we are without any and that”s okay. I realized they were a lot of extra work, food, and vet expense that we don’t need. Now we just get to dog sit for our daughter’s two dogs who are beautiful and quite the pair. They are both Blue-Healers, one is around 10 years old and deaf the other is around 3 years old and blind in one eye. She adopted/rescued them both at different times. They have two different personalities, and are loved very much.
I can’t wait to read the Tuscan Legacy, it sounds so good! I’m a bit bias because I’m part Italian. I love anything written in Italy!
Your animal pictures are adorable! I enjoy any animals in the stories, even the “less-than-usual” ones. I can’t wait for The Tuscan Legacy to be released! Have a great, blessed day!
No ebook for me please. I grew up on a farm and we had a lot of different animals. I was in 4-H and in that I did cattle, horses and pigs. With my cow, Burgundy Rose, we won a trophy that covered three states. With my horse, Goldie, we would do barrel racing. Never placed above 3rd place. That was ok, what a thrill just to ride. And with my pig, Petunia, we traveled all over showing how to take care of pigs and why. I have always lived with pets and so have my kids.
Dogs. In real life and in fiction.
I was born loving cats, and asked for one for Christmas when I was 3. My parents thought I was too young, so put a stuffed one in my stocking. I vehemently told them I wanted a REAL cat! They did get me one during the next year, and I’ve had cats ever since. I enjoy reading about animals in books too! We’ve had a few dogs along the way, but I love having a cat cuddle on my lap, sleep with me, etc.
Hi Wendy! I hope you’re not baking there – sounds like it’s been HOT!
Wow, raising orphaned joeys is a big job, would have been great to have them around. We lived on the outskirts of Sydney, backing onto the bush, and a few times as a kid I woke to see wallabies on the lawn. We always had dogs and cats growing up, and I love dogs. But for sure, they need company.
Maybe a retirement plan – get a dog?
Goodness, a lot of unusual pets, Renate!
Praying for your deaf Sheltie. It much be so hard for an animal to cope with hearing loss.
Marylin, I never knew you were part Italian till you mentioned it on Marion’s weekend post! A wonderful heritage.
Dogs give so much love, but for sure, they need a lot form their humans in return. That and our unfenced yard is why we don’t have a dog now, though I know my husband would dearly love a smaller dog. Blue heelers are great dogs, so intelligent. Taking in rescue pets, especially those with special needs as your daughter’s two have, can bring challenges, but is such a good thing to do!
I’m looking forward to the series too, Becky! We are all soooooooo excited by this project. The way it’s all come together is such a total God thing.
You sound like you and your animals were very busy, Lori, and very accomplished, too! All those 4-H trophies and ribbons must have been such a thrill. :)
They really are wonderful companion animals!
Oh, I love that story, Margaret! I’m so glad you did end up with a REAL cat!
Writing this with my little grey shadow, Jeremy Boxer Bear sitting on my lap. We now have four cats living with us, all rescues or strays.
Baby, the cat in the picture, was also a rescue, and one of the cutest cats I’ve known. Unfortunately, along with the cute, she came with loads of health problems. And big vet bills! But we did manage to give her a brief happy and symptom free time.
Dogs are usually in the stories i read I would love to read a paperback
I always enjoy reading a book with a pet dog in it! At the time, we have a border collie mix, and want to know more about bc. He is a very intelligent dog (l l/2 yrs. old) and affectionate as well.
First of all, I must say I love cats. But we no longer have animals. Because of allergies, we can’t have indoor pets. But for many years we had dogs and cats. We live on a small farm. We had trouble keeping cats and we are too close to the highway for dogs. Seems like wildlife love cats too. We thought it was coons for a while but recently found out hawks and volgers do too. We couldn’t keep them safe enough. So it’s not fair to get these animals and let them get hurt that way. However, I do enjoy reading about them and their personalities. I already have “His Father’s son”.
Hi Charolette! No dogs in this story, unfortunately. Just the piglet!
Your dog sounds wonderful, Jackie! When I was researching for Hector, the border collie in The Macleans series, I’m sure I read that they were the most intelligent of all dogs and could learn to understand a huge number of words.
Allergies can be a big problem for pet lovers. I’m going for allergy testing next month and don’t know what I’ll do if they say I’m allergic to cats. We share our home with FOUR! Worse, one of them follows me around like a puppy and gets anxious if he’s not near me.
But yes, keeping pets outdoors raises a whole different set of problems, unfortunately.
Pickles and Henry sound awesome! I can’t wait to read Dolce Vita! I love reading about pets in books, and the more, the better! :)
I love reading about cute quirky pets, too, Alexa! LOL, which is why I’m surprised I haven’t written many! I’m having fun with Pickles and Henry!
I love both dogs and cats. I currently have a cat and he is totally 100% spoiled rotten. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
LOL, our cats are spoiled rotten, too., Jessica. Cats expect it!