I can't believe it's day five already! And a very Happy Father's Day to all the dads!
My first guest today is Berkley Sensation author Kandy Shepherd, who writes fabulous fun, feel-good romances. Kandy won the Favourite Contemporary Romance 2009 Award for LOVE IS A FOUR LEGGED WORD from the ARRA (Australian Romance Readers Association) and was also one of the Conference co-ordinators this year for the incredible Sydney conference. Congratulations on your elegant award, and thank you, Kandy!!
Hi Christina, thank you for inviting me onto your blog. Having read the sample chapter of FORBIDDEN on your website and read the glowing 4 star review in Romantic Times I cannot wait to read it! Good luck with the launch!
Here is my blog about the “forbidden love” between two of the characters in one of my books…
Forbidden love
He comes from the wrong side of the tracks, and has tragedy and loss in his background. He lives by his wits. Of mixed blood, he is more ugly than handsome but the mix gives him a potent charm that lets him manipulate people into giving him what he wants. He’s a player, a ladies man, taking what he wants and moving on. That all comes to a screeching halt when he sees her. She is all he wants—but she is forbidden to him. Her family will not let him anywhere near her.
She is aristocratic, elegant, her petite frame, glossy black hair and aquiline profile giving her stand-out looks. Her parents guard her closely; years of good breeding make her a valuable asset. Her future is carefully planned. She is to be matched with her social equal—there is no room in her life for our disreputable hero. But when she sees him, she is smitten. She will defy her family to meet with him.
When an unplanned pregnancy and an unexpected inheritance are thrown into the plot, Brutus and Coco find themselves relying on humans to thwart a dastardly plot to murder Brutus with an overdose of dog-toxic chocolate. Will they—and their puppies—find their happy-ever-after?
Brutus, a Heinz 57 varieties mutt, and his forbidden love Coco, a purebred miniature poodle, are the canine stars of the secondary love story in my debut novel from Berkley Sensation, LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD. Poor Brutus even has Coco’s owner turn the hose on him to keep him away from her pedigree princess, Coco! But the human heroine of the book, Maddy Cartwright, and hero Tom O’Brien join forces to keep the doggy lovers together. Brutus and Coco also “guest star” in my new release, HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS.
Christina, if any of your readers would like to read about Brutus and Coco (and the human characters, too, of course!), I’d be delighted to give away a signed copy of LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD.
Thank you Kandy! Brutus and Coco are so adorable and I'm looking forward to seeing them again when I read HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS! So, to be in with a chance of winning Kandy's book, what's your fave book or movie that features animals?
23 comments:
Kandy, what a great forbidden love story! Can't wait to read it.
Favourite book or movie that features animals? There are so many! Most Jenny Cruise books have fabulous dogs, and the three dogs in Getting Rid of Bradley are especially memorable (and the dog who has a dog joke!).
Kandy, I love books that feature animals. I'm a big time animal lover.
My favorite book or movie that features animals would have to be Marly and Me. It's both a book and a movie and is absolutely hilarious though very sad as well. You really hit the emotional gamut with Marly and Me - which is why I love it so much.
Hmmm, favourite book/movie with animals. Where do I start? It's ahrd to pick.
With books I have to say all the James Herriot (Yorkshire Dales vet) and Gerald Durrell (Naturalist) books. I know they are based on the true lives of two very remarkable men, but the animals in their stories are characters all of their own, and the stories told with humour and compassion. Love them!
Movies... the first one that pops to mind is Turner and Hooch, with a very young Tom Hanks and a great big slobbery French Mastiff.
Rachel, you will love Kandy's books! I kept giggling out loud while I was reading LOVE IS A FOUR LEGGED WORD!
Becca, I've heard such great things about Marly and Me, but I've avoided it because it's so sad. Perhaps I should give it a chance?
Anita, OMG that movie has brought back memories!!! I loved it, but all that slobber... urgh!!!
Sounds a fabulous read, I love stories like this.
I agree with Becca, that Marly and Me is one of my favorite movies featuring a real animal. I say real because I was thinking of Donkey in Shrek! I LOVE him.
Turner and Hooch, I loved that movie and saw it again quite recently on TV. The slobber was gross but LOL funny!
I liked the book of Marley and Me but everyone said the movies was so sad when Marley died that I couldn't bear to see it.
Donkey in Shrek? Love him! I also like his forbidden-and seemingly impossible--love affair with the dragon!
Sara oh yes! Donkey is hilarious, and I loved that forbidden love going on with the dragon!!
Kandy - great post!!!! I love animals in books - especially Jilly Cooper books and I remember crying when I read that her own dog died just after she had finished one of her manuscripts.
Christina - Marley and Me is great but definitely sad!!!
Kandy, I am not sure it is my favourite but it was very memorable to me at a very young age...the book and movie of Ring of Bright Water....the man and his otter.ree
Amanda, the kids watched it quite recently and ended up in tears. So I'm still avoiding it at the moment!!
Fiona, I remember a movie about a man and his otter but no idea if it's the same one. I did love watching all the old Lassie movies when I was a child. Ended up crying over all of them, too!!!
Amanda, I love Jilly Cooper and she always has wonderful dogs and horses in her books-not to mention outrageously funny human characters.
Fiona, thank you for reminding me of Ring of Bright of Bright Water, I loved Watership Down as well.
And of course, Anita, James Herriot and Gerald Durrell's books were favorites. Must reread.
Kandy
I loved Love is a Four Legged Word whoo Hoo Brutus and Coco are adorable and I have Home is Where The Bark is on the TBR pile and I am soo looking forward to reading it
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, I'm looking forward to reading Home is Where the Bark Is, too! And I just love Kandy's titles!!!
I think my favourite movie that has an animal is Beethoven. I always wanted a St. Bernard when I was little after watching that movie. They look so cuddly.
I adore Take a chance on Me by Susan Donovan! Such a great story :-)
Hi Kandy,
I'm a sucker for animals and like to add them to my books when I can. I always adored the Doctor Dolittle books when I was a kid. An animal in a story is a great foil for a big, strong alpha hero.
Favourite book that features animals would have to be The Black Stallion, I also loved The Silver Brumby.
Not sure I've ever read a book with a canine character - sounds fascinating! =)
strange candy reviews, I love Beethoven too! So gorgeous!
Hi Chelsea! I haven't read that book, I must check it out!
Shelley, my latest book features a beautiful deerhound, I loved weaving him into the story!
Mel I've heard so many people talk about The Silver Brumby but I've never read it - perhaps I should!
I agree, strange candy reviews, Beethoven is gorgeous-I love big dogs! (And small dogs, and cats, and horses, and bunnies etc. etc.)
Waving to Helen-hope you enjoy doggy book two!
Shelley, I loved Dr Dolittle as well. How I wished I could talk to the animals-well, more they could talk to me!
Mel, my daughter is horse mad and we have shelves full of horse books, including of course The Black Stallion and The Silver Brumby.
BTW my doggy characters don't talk and we're not in their point of view. I leave that up to the human characters!
Wonderful forbidden love Kandy. I love animals in stories they are just such characters. Like Rachel I think Jennifer Crusie is great with dogs.
And Janet Evanovich has the character 'Bob' in her Stephanie Plum series - a dog who eats everything including the furniture.
I'm really looking forward to reading your books Kandy.
Post a Comment