National Dog Day!

It's National Dog Day!  As the owner of two dogs—or probably as the person two dogs own—we're celebrating here.  These are my dogs, Ethel Merman and Ella Fitzgerald.  We rescued Ethel first.  She's been abused before languishing in the shelter for weeks.  But the kids fell in love with her, and we brought her home.  She was not without issues.  Separation anxiety was a real thing.  So we adopted Ella Fitzgerald to keep her company.  It's been ten years and they're inseparable.

They're also my writing companions.  When I decided to end the Everything But...series with Everything But a Dog, I used them as the models for the dogs in the book.

If you haven't ever tried the series, it's about a Hungarian grandmother, Nana Vancy, who spends three books trying to break a family curse...yes the family was cursed to bad weddings.  After she's finally broken the curse in Everything But a Groom, Everything But a Bride and Everything But a Wedding, she finds she's bored.  So she tries her hand at matchmaking in Everything But a Christmas Eve, Everything But a Mother and Everything But a Dog.  That last one is Ethel and Ella's book.  Not to give too much away, Nana Vancy discovers that she's very good at matchmaking dogs to their proper humans.  (Better than matchmaking human couples!)

Ella

When it came time to put together a cover for the book, I sent in a picture of me and the dogs.  They did a great job of capturing Ethel and Ella!!  Yes, my dogs had their fifteen minutes of fame.  And because readers kept asking about Nana Vancy and crew, I went on to do three short Nothing But stories and the Everything But group had cameos in the first book in my new Cupid Falls series, Christmas in Cupid Falls and if you watch closely, you'll see Nana Vancy again in Carry Her Heart.

Ethel

Today, for National Dog Day, let's celebrate our pets.  And if you're looking for a new pet, don't forget to check out your local shelter.  There's a chance one of Ethel or Ella's friends is waiting for you.  And who knows, if a tiny Hungarian grandmother points you in the direction of a certain dog, maybe you should listen???

Holly