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The Beagle Who (Almost) Wasn’t
In the early stages of writing a book (and I’ve written more than 100), my brain goes through several processes, more or less simultaneously. If that sounds confusing, it is. I have to do a lot of organizing and backtracking as ideas come into focus.
There’s the premise or basic idea and how it fits into the genre, since I write both romances and mysteries. There are the characters, and why they do what they do. In a romance, what draws the hero and heroine together and what drives them apart? In a mystery, what crime was committed, by whom, and how do I build a trail of (sometimes misleading) clues?
An image of a setting or character may help to bring the story into focus. In the case of my latest romance, The Secrets She Learns, in which a major subplot involves the cold case disappearance of a con man, that image was a dog.
While browsing through a stock photo site that I use for cover and promotional images, I came across a really cute dog with a magnifying glass held up to one eye. What a perfect partner for my detective hero!
It wouldn’t be a talking dog, since this isn’t a paranormal, but a pooch who helps propel the romance while uncovering clues. Twists and turns sprang to mind in connection with this mischievous companion.
I immediately licensed the use of the picture. After featuring it in a mock-up cover, I got back to work developing the storyline.
In my mind, the dog became a beagle named Digger. He entangled my hero and heroine, won over the hero’s estranged stepdaughter, and showered everyone with his lovable personality.
Even after more than forty years as a novelist, I’m still in awe of how plot threads interweave, emotions develop and, almost miraculously, there’s a startling turn of events that helps build to a satisfying conclusion. And that’s what happened with The Secrets She Learns. Ultimately, questions were answered in surprising ways, and the heroine and the craggy P.I. discovered they’d fallen in love.
Then a problem arose. And it was a big one.
When I sent my completed draft and mockup cover to my Beta readers, they reported back that the cute dog with the magnifying glass wasn’t a beagle. It was a terrier.
Excuse me, what?
(In case you’re wondering, a Beta reader is a friend, fan, subject matter expert or other reliable person willing to do me the huge favor of poking through my draft and identifying its weaknesses.)
Should I make the pooch a mixed breed? Change its breed entirely? But I really loved Digger just as he was.
Back to the stock photo site I went. More browsing. More dogs with magnifying glasses. And there he was—my beagle!
Why do photographers create these funny pictures of pooches? I guess because they appeal to a lot of people who pay for the images, like me.
As for my fictional beagle... After a career of running away from various homes and being locked up in a shelter, Digger has found his forever family. I hope you enjoy his adventures!
A Sisters, Lovers & Second Chances Romance, Book 4
Shocking secrets, unexpected love, a cold-case mystery—and a nosy beagle! At age 50, nurse Anni discovers she has two half-sisters, both of whom were hurt by a con man who has disappeared. Determined to unravel the past, she hires a handsome P.I., and gets more than she bargained for. That includes his newly adopted dog, who isn’t shy about fostering a romance or digging up evidence.
Thanks for featuring my guest blog and cover! I look forward to hearing from readers.
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