Most readers and writers of my acquaintance are uncommonly fond of their pets. Be it the furry feline who curls up next to us while we’re reading or tries to lie on the keyboard while we’re typing, the beloved bird who fills the house with chatter and song, or the dog who lies at our feet speaking with his eyes, saying, “Me, me!” they are a huge component of a cozy and well-balanced life. Why shouldn’t they invade the stories we love?

I adore a book that includes a great non-human character. I believe the presence of animals in stories adds not only to the tenor of a tale, but to its truth. I can find out more about a character by how he or she treats an animal companion (Does he speak to it as to a friend? Does she put it first above her own needs?) than in a thousand-word description. Our pets are such a part of what makes us who we are.

The hero and heroine in my latest release, White Hares and Midnight Dares, both have pets. The heroine, Diana’s is quite ordinary, if a beagle can ever be considered ordinary. Anybody who’s owned one will surely attest otherwise. The hero, Reg’s pets are of the wild variety, a cherished family of hares who dwell under the shed in his back yard. These two start out being at odds over their pets. Reg doesn’t want the beagle worrying his critters and Diana is offended by Reg’s objections to the dog that was her late father’s companion. But hearts that can love pets can love otherwise also. And love isn’t always where we expect to find it.

I have been blessed to have a number of wonderful dogs in my life. If they add so much to our lives, why not to our stories also?

WHITE HARES AND MIDNIGHT DARES

Diana Gendarme has spent her life doing for others, so when she moves into her dream cottage, she’s ready for some “me” time. But the cottage is shabby and her new neighbors quite close. One of them makes a din in his blacksmith’s forge all day long yet has the nerve to complain about her beagle’s yodeling. He’s the last sort of man who should attract Diana. So why can’t she resist the absurd dares he persists in issuing?

Reg Coltsfoot doesn’t plan on falling for his neighbor. A lifelong charmer, he’s used to women falling for him instead. There’s just something about Diana that has him longing to draw her out of her staid life and into his. Maybe it’s the magic of spring, but Reg will do all he can to persuade Diana she needs his laughter and his love to light her days.

Buy links:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/White-Hares-Midnight-Spring-Things-ebook/dp/B0C24KZ1VH/ref=sr_1_1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/white-hares-and-midnight-dares-laura-strickland/1143338204?ean=2940161064214

iTunes:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/white-hares-and-midnight-dares/id6447569762

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/white-hares-and-midnight-dares

About Laura Strickland:

Laura Strickland enjoys researching interesting new settings for her books. Married, with one grown daughter, she has also mothered several rescue dogs and is intensely interested in animal welfare. Her love of dogs and her lifelong interest in Celtic history, magic and music, are all reflected in her writing.

Website: www.laurastricklandbooks.com
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Twitter: Laura Strickland Author @LauraSt05038951
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