For years now, I’ve been in the dog rescue business. I’ve fostered close to 50 dogs—some from the local shelter, some from an amazing dog rescue organization called Mustard Seed Farm, and some directly from the streets of Houston.
A couple years back, (just before I set out to write Every Dog Has His Day) I was given a tiny red dachshund to foster.
Now, if you know anything about me at all, you know that I’m head-over-heels in love with dachshunds, especially red ones. I had a female red dachshund named Sasha who lived with me for 15 years. She passed away in 2017, just after my mom died.
So, when this new tiny red doxie came to stay at my house a few years later, I somehow knew she would always be mine. I gave her the name Ginger because of her color. (Interesting irony: I’m allergic to ginger. Can’t touch the stuff!)
I love this little girl. She’s an absolute doll. Okay, she’s naughty as can be, but she’s a doll.
How Ginger Became a Character. . .
When I got ready to write Every Dog Has His Day, I decided to include Ginger as part of the story. Trust me when I say the real Ginger is a runner, just like the fictionalized one! If I opened the front door, she would run right out. And, just like the dog in the book, she probably wouldn’t come back.
Our Ginger doesn’t have a white patch on her paw. (Most doxies, other than dapples, are solid color.) But I needed to give my fictional Ginger a distinguishing mark so that the two characters (her rescuer and her owner) could end up squabbling over her.
As is the case in most of my stories, my characters end up romantically involved. Hey, dogs aren’t just great companions; they’re wonderful matchmakers, too! As of yet, the real Ginger hasn’t brought a love interest into my life. (Here’s hoping!)
I hope you enjoy Every Dog Has His Day. As you read about that tiny mischievous doxie, just know that she’s a very real little dog—one who climbed up on my kitchen island just yesterday and got into some carefully-wrapped treats I’d made for the grandkids.
Sometimes life really is stranger than fiction!
