Bossy dragons...

If I'd known dragons were such nagging taskmasters, I never would've invited them to my home. Sigurd Castlebound and Fergus Greenscale just informed me stories do not write themselves while the author is frittering away her time looking at pictures of Scotland and bare-chested Highlanders on the internet. They even had the audacity to suggest installing a firewall to hinder my access to such sites!

Jasper is no help either. Apparently, the three of them have formed some strange dragon dog alliance to ensure I remain focused.

Well. I guess there's no helping it. Three against one are tall odds I can't overcome. So just so you know, I haven't disappeared. I'm being held captive by a dog and two dragons until I get my current series finished. By the way, you'll hear more about this series later on. It's contracted with Random House Loveswept!

Oh my. I must go now. Fergus just opened one eye and gave me THE look. *sigh*

Maeve said I could borrow her blog...

How’s it going? Jasper here. I asked Maeve if I could borrow her blog to personally thank all of you for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. I hadn’t really counted on her dragging out that stupid camera. But I guess it’s okay since the pictures show everyone how great I’m doing since I had my stroke a couple of weeks ago.

Can I tell you it scared the living crap outta me? I mean –seriously. All of a sudden nothing on the right side of my body cooperated. I couldn’t even lounge on my favorite pillow. I kept rolling off the silly thing. Can you imagine how humiliating it is to have your human set you on your perch and you roll over like a ball down a steep driveway?

And my mouth leaked! Now I admit, I’m not the neatest water drinker in the world but I couldn’t get ANY of it in my mouth. But Maeve took me to see Doc and even though the man had the shameless nerve to put this weird snout holder across my nose AND stick me in the butt with something really sharp, I have to admit he helped me out. Let me tell you somethin’ though, that nasty black junk he gave Maeve to squirt in my mouth tastes terrible. I made sure Maeve found out how horrible those drops were. I licked her right in the mouth when she didn’t expect it. If she had ears to flatten against the side of her head, I think she would’ve done it. She started spitting and mumbling something about liver-flavored. Take it from me; I have NEVER tasted a piece of liver that tasted like that. I guess Maeve is right about one thing though: when you’re ailin’, you gotta take your medicine. BLECH!

My paw’s gettin’ kinda tired now so I’m gonna wrap this up. I just wanted all of y’all to know that I really appreciate your friendship. Maeve read all the emails to me since I was too tired to read them myself. Those emails made me proud to say that I’ve got some pretty awesome humans as friends. 

I still keep a close eye on my land

Here's the pics Maeve took today. See how great I'm doin'? Thanks again, y'all!

This is my girlfriend, Yellow Dog

It's best to ease your way into a pile of dead leaves.

Did you know that sticks smell better after you lick'm?

Come down here and say that, you mangy gray furball

ENOUGH with the pictures, Maeve. Later y'all!

Warm Weather Wars

The exploding blossoms of the crabapple trees lace the warm spring breeze with a soft floral sweetness. Butterflies can't resist the delicious temptation waiting at the center of the flowers.

But don't let this soothing, birdsong-filled scenery fool you.  Don't let the tinkling sound of the wind-chimes lull you into a relaxed complacency. With Spring, with the first greening of the leaves, the warm weather wars begin.

Jasper knows it's time to track those irritating varmints.  He's watched them from his perch on the back of the couch through the winter-frosted window.  They're the ones who've hidden in the shed all winter long, teasing him when they skittered into unreachable corners behind the barrels and tools. The wood flooring reaks of their furry little bodies. He snuffled their tracks until he shook with the cold, grumbling with frustration when finally forced to abandon the chase and return to the warmth of the house.  He knew the enemy lurked in the shadows, snickering as he stomped out the door.

They've moved to the woodpile, tempted by the birdseed and corn scattered for all to enjoy.  He's forced one to dart into a rotted log of the wood.

The evil beast took refuge atop the woodpile and chittered victory from his safe perch among the logs. But Jasper is a seasoned warrior and didn't give up without scoring a final hit in this battle.  While keeping his gaze fixed on the squirrel, he sauntered over to the low-slung watering trough, hiked his leg and "spiked" the enemies drinking water. Let the warm weather games begin!

Shh...Maeve doesn't know I'm on her computer

Hi everybody. Jasper here. I’ve gotta make this quick. Maeve’s cleaning up the kitchen and she doesn’t realize I’ve commandeered her laptop. Dang it. I wish the keyboard on this thing wasn’t so freakin’ sensitive. Please excuse any typos. Toshiba obviously DID NOT take into account the size of a fella’s paws.


In case you don’t know, I’m Maeve’s writing partner and I REALLY need your help. You see, Maeve reads all her stories aloud to me and I let her know what I think. Old Maeve’s pretty perceptive and not half bad as a writer –for a human. But her tales have one problem that I just can’t seem to get corrected. Would you believe that woman doesn’t put enough dogs in her stories? It’s criminal!

BEYOND A HIGHLAND WHISPER (coming in February from The Wild Rose Press) only mentions a dog one time when Nessa (the heroine) says dogs are the only creatures capable of unconditional love. My Maeve nailed that one. Even though I’m sometimes forced to pee in her house-shoes to punish her for leaving me home alone, I’m doing it because I love her. AND I’ll always love her, no matter what. But she only mentions dogs ONE TIME in that story.

Her other story, ETERNITY’S MARK,  is a little better. Hannah (the heroine) is a vet with an uncanny ability to know an animal’s thoughts. There’s a few more dogs in that story but not nearly enough to do us justice. By the way, ETERNITY’S MARK is the one she’s entered in some kind of contest. I think she called it Writing With the Stars? If you go to this link: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/content/writing-stars-vote-best-back-cover-blurb  and vote for her, I would really appreciate it. Around here, if Maeve ain’t happy –NOBODY’S happy. She gets too quiet and wanders off into the woods when she's sad. Then I have to go find her and act like some sillly pup just to make her smile. You understand.

And one more thing, could someone please explain to me why it’s okay to pee on the trees in the yard but it’s NOT okay to pee on the fancy one that Maeve put in the house?

Whoops! Gotta go. I hear her heading this way. Remember, tell Maeve: MORE DOGS!