Highland Heirs

As most of you know, I love dogs. I have six of them. I see your eyes bugging out. Six?? Yes, six precious tiny Chihuahuas and all together they weigh approximately 27 pounds. I've had dogs my whole life, big ones, little ones. So it's not surprising that I would want to write dogs into my books. This time I went big. 140 pounds of big.

In THE SEDUCTION OF AMELIA BELL we meet Grendel, an Irish Wolfhound mix, who along with our hero, Edmund MacGregor, wins the heart of our heroine, Amelia Bell. Grendel is the son of Aurelius, who some of you might remember as the puppy Colin MacGregor gave to Edmund, his step-son, in Conquered by a Highlander. Since this series is called Highland Heirs, I figured why not include the family dog heirs as well?

I loved writing a dog as a secondary character, and Grendel is an important part of Edmund and Amelia's story. Now, really, what's better than a big, brawny, sexy Highlander? Right, a big, brawny, sexy Highlander with a dog. Or if you live in NYC, you can settle for a hunky guy playing with his dog in the park.

My six babies all have distinct personalities. For instance, Riley loves to bark and be an all around pain in the neck. He's high-strung and loves it. Layla, my biggest girl, must mother all the others. She keeps them in line with a soft growl and a lick to the eyeball. Liam, my tiny three pound boy isn't sure if he's Don Juan or Napoleon. He'll drop and show you his package if you call him cute. They are all different and I wanted Grendel to have his own personality too.

Much like his namesake, Grendel hates music and powdered periwigs. He's faithful and loyal, and he loves to chase smaller things. like people. Even though Edmund is his master and Grendel does, of course, love him best, it doesn't take Amelia long to win his heart , or for Grendel to win hers, and he soon finds himself following at her heels. Some of my favorite scenes involve the subtle interactions between Amelia and Grendel, like how this big, seemingly vicious dog is always close by when Amelia is sad or afraid. Or the way things are going on all around them and Amelia's hand is resting on Grendel's head. We witness a partial transformation of ownership in the small, telltale ways Grendel remains ever constant at Amelia's side. He loves her, and it's clear to see.

Even when Grendel finds Gaza, his own love interest, (Hey, I?m a romance writer, what can I say? ) he is still faithful to his human lady. We won't get into doggy love, suffice it to say, there will be plenty of furry heirs living in Camlochlin for a long time to come. They might not be the prettiest dogs in Skye, but they are the most loyal. 

This was my first foray into writing a dog as a secondary character and I must say I fell in love with a big, slobbering mutt named after a fiend who killed men for singing. I wasn't surprised that Grendel filled his place so well in Edmund and Amelia's story. Each of my dogs does the same in mine and my kids' lives. That's what dogs do. They run headlong into our lives, barking, tail wagging, sharing wet, sloppy kisses, They love us with an almost supernatural, unconditional love. And we love them back..

I hope you get a chance to pick up THE SEDUCTION OF AMELIA BELL and meet Edmund and Amelia and of course, Grendel.

Happy Reading!