For a lot of us, pets are a big part of our lives. Whether you own a dog, a cat, a bird, a horse or even a reptile, it’s so easy to fall in love with them and make them a part of your family. For me personally, I have always loved dogs. I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have one. I think the first dog I remember having in the family was a dog named Chiggers. I don’t think he was my dog, but more of a family dog. I was really young. I don’t remember a lot about him other than his name. But my first dog, that was my very own dog, was a little Poodle named Nicky. I believe I named her after my next door neighbor. I was maybe 5 at the time.
You know, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always had some kind of black dog in the family. Chiggers was black, Nicky was black. Later in life my beloved Cocker Spaniel, Heidi, was black. There was Rocky and Jesse that were Shepherd/Lab mixes. My two Rottweilers, Pistol and Sophie. And now, my precious Lola, which is the black dog in the picture, along with her not so black sister, Nori.
A long time ago I remember my dad also had a black dog. He was named simply Black Dog. I believe he was a stray. He just showed up one day, but he quickly became a part of the family. It was that dog that inspired me to create BD for our novel, Redemption. What do you think BD stands for? Hehe, Black Dog.
BD isn’t a major character, but he shows up through out the book quite a bit. He’s described as a Lab type dog. I’ve always pictured him pretty much like a Lab but with maybe a little something else mixed in. Our main character, Burley, is a recluse. He keeps to himself. Doesn’t have friends. To him, BD is not just a dog, he’s family. At one point in the story, Burley senses trouble is about to happen, and he immediately feels thankful that BD isn’t around.
Burley gripped the rake in his hands and watched the three men pour out of the truck. He glanced at his house, and suddenly felt thankful that BD had stayed inside. He didn’t want his dog to get in the middle of this. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to his best friend and companion.
I think all of us dog lovers (and pet lovers in general) can relate to that way of thinking in some way. I know I constantly worry about my two, and want nothing more than to protect them and keep them safe. Dogs are man’s best friend for a reason. When Burley felt like he had no one else, BD was always there for him. To give him company, to give him comfort, to give him something to keep his mind off of his terrible past. And I think that’s what our pets do best. They are loyal to a fault, and I really cannot imagine my life without them.
If you’d like to learn more about BD, and his relationship with his human master, Burley, feel free to check out our novel on Amazon.
-D
Born in Kentucky, Danielle currently resides in central Florida. She enjoys bringing to life a variety of different characters. One could be a lovable goof who never fails to make you laugh, and another might be a bitter, angry person, who hates the world and everything in it. Humor and anger come hand in hand. Happy and sappy? Not her cup of tea. She prefers the broken and the flawed, because as we all know, no one is perfect.
When not writing romance, you’ll find her laughing at her two dogs as they partake in a constant battle with the squirrels in the backyard. Much to the disappointment of the dogs, the squirrels always come out the victor. Danielle also enjoys coming up with way too many story ideas in the shower, rocking out to the 80s, playing video games, and watching horror movies all year long.