I had the crap scared out of me last week.. There's no easier way to put it. Neo, our 11-year-old, beloved therapy dog, became ill. One day he was fine, the next he was throwing up, lethargic, wouldn't eat, and couldn't stand up. 

His brother Ranger, who lived across the street, suddenly passed away last year, and my thoughts immediately went there. My husband Mark, whom I lovingly call the dog whisperer, was all over it. He immediately got him in to the vet, but our regular vet wasn't in and couldn't see Neo, so we had to go with an associate vet. She couldn't figure out what was wrong but suspected pancreatitis. 

So, after a full bag of IV antibiotics and a course of followup meds, we brought him back home. Still, the symptoms, minus the vomitting, persisted after 24-hours. So, back we went to the vet, this time to see Dr. Garcia, vet to our family of dogs. He went over Neo with a fine-tooth comb, doing an ultra sound and checking for blockage, tumor, anything unusual. Examining all the tests, he determined some type of intestinal irritation and said for us to persist with the meds for another 24-hours.

Under Mark's watchful eye for another 24 hours, Neo began to improve, finally standing without falling, drinking water on his own, and showing interest in snacks and food again. Now, after the weekend has passed, he appears to be back to his old wonderful self. 

I asked for my friends on Facebook to start a prayer chain, and they did. The support was overwhelming. Sometimes it takes fear of loss, a lot of love, and expert knowledge to find redemption. I don't think I could have taken another big loss this close to losing my beautiful horse, Aramis. So, I just want to thank all my friends who supported me and surrounded Neo Doggie with prayers and love. 

He's not just a dog. He's very special. He worked as a therapy dog at three different hospitals for nine years. He made a lot of sick and dying people's lives happier in the time they were with him. He has this gentle giant effect on all who meet him., and he certainly deserved all the support he received last week and this weekend. 

It's funny how art imitates life. I just finished the first draft of Snow Blood Season 5 that deals with loss, love, and redemption. The Snow Blood world is a chaotic one. So is the world in which we live. But, it's nice to know that no matter what our differences when something frightening happens to one of us that the many will support the one. 

So, thanks again for your prayers and support. I love you for your kindness.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

On January 26th, I posted a video featuring Nova of my Snow Blood Series. In it, Nova made an offer to my readers. The offer? If  anyone had an idea for a new character,  tell me.

So, that's just what Dina Bushrod did. She suggested a werewolf character. I already had a rough draft of Season 5, so I thought long and hard about it. Then it hit me. How perfect would it be to cast a female werewolf character controlled by Hades, the god of the underworld in the series. So, I did.

The werewolf foreshadows bad things to come from Hades. She interacts with Snow Blood and is a danger to all. Of course, I named her Dina, since she is the brain child of her namesake and a loyal reader of the series.

So, you see, reader input is critical to my process. I love to hear from you. Just last night my biggest Super Fan sent me a list of ten typos that he found in Season 2! I love it. I always want to hear when I have messed up something. I never like to disappoint.

Who is the Super Fan? Why, my husband, Mark! (Yes, I know. He just now finished Season 2 and is on to Season 3. I'm thrilled that he is now hooked! He's a busy guy, so for him to take the time to read me is quite encouraging.)

So thank  you, Dina Bushrod, for helping me to create a new character. And, thanks to Mark and all of you out there reading me. I would keep writing even if you didn't read because the stories are inside me, beating me up to get out. 

Until Next Time,
Carol

P.S. I started writing a "short story" about Kane (a leading character in my series), but my publisher told me "No way. This has at least to be a novella." So my daughter Stephanie (also a writer) and I are working on it together to expand it. Fun!

What is my point for presenting you with ten examples of creatures from different species developing close relationships? 

Frankly, I am disheartened by the animosity that I observe on a daily basis on social media. A divide almost as great as that during the Civil War has separated friends from other friends and family members from other family members. People are obsessed with getting their points across at the expense of insulting and hurting others. It breaks my heart to see the animosity in all forms of media. ​

As far as humanity goes, we can take a lesson from the creatures above. They could easily be filled with hatred or fear of each other.  Instead, they have looked past their differences to find qualities that they love in each other. 

Look at these pictures carefully and ask yourself: if they can find common ground, shouldn't human beings at least learn how to be civil and get along? 

The next time you start to say or write something hateful or that criticizes another, stop and think. How would you feel if you were the subject of so much hatred? Yes, yes, I get that we all have different opinions and have a right to express them... but do so in a civil, logical, unemotional manner. Stop the rudeness, the inconsideration, and trying to make yourself feel better by lashing out at others.

Til Next Time,
​Carol

This is Tiberius. Ty for short. He's a rescue. Can you see the notches in his ears? They were made from fly bites while he was living on the streets. He came to us as a rescue and quickly became a foster failure. That's when I foster a dog and help try and get him or her a forever home, and then I end up being the forever home!

But look at him. I fell in love the moment I saw him. I know he's a guy, but he really was who I had in mind when I wrote Nova in the Snow Blood Series. He's very wolf-like. Howls like one too. 

I have no idea how anyone who owned him before could have ever let him go. I suspect it wasn't intentional. He's an escape artist, you see. It took me a full year to keep him from jumping our eight-foot fence or trying to sneak out whenever I accidentally forgot to shut the door to the garage. I lost him twice, one time for a full day. The other time I just chased him down. Good thing I still have energy to run, right?

I suspect he's about five years old. At least, that's what the vet thinks. 

Anyway, how did I become a foster failure? Well, I was fostering him for the woman who rescued him. He was with me about two months, and then we found a man in Central California who wanted to adopt him. Well I was so in love with this dog that the day before he was too come and meet Ty, I called the rescue and said, "Tell him he's been adopted." The response? "Who?" The answer, "Me!" She thought that was great, so did I.

And why do I call him Cat Dog? Because honestly he sometimes behaves just like a cat. Cats will rub their heads against you, snuggle up and wiggle around for attention and generally act feline. So you guessed it. That's a ritual we go through whenever I sit down on the sofa. So, he's Cat Dog to me!

Dogs - all animals really - are fascinating to me. I love to watch them. Ty certainly had me figured out from the beginning. His attempted escapes were just to see if I really cared!

I don't know about you, but having dogs makes my life more complete. I think I've told you that I have three - Ty, of course; Neo, the 120-pound Labradoodle; and Thor, the big and blonde Labrador Retriever and another rescue.

So, let me ask you. Do you have a fun rescue story to share? Perhaps you rescued a dog or a cat or another type of animal? If you do, please share it with us in the comment section. I love to communicate with fellow animal lovers.

Til Next Time,
​Carol