02 March 2011

Welcome, Linda O. Johnston!

Thanks, Marlyn for inviting me to guest blog.

Since I’m new to Marlyn’s blog, I had to take a peek at some of the posts--and I’m delighted and impressed to see the number of books Marlyn reads and reviews. Stacks of them, some written by authors well known, and others by those who are newer discoveries. I admit I was excited to see my new release Beaglemania in one of the photographed stacks. If you look closely at the spine, you can see the adorable beagles who also appear on the front cover.

I also noted that Marlyn has included Killer Hobbies among the blogs that she follows. That’s where I blog every Wednesday.

I was invited to blog at Killer Hobbies years ago, thanks to my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series. My fellow Killer Hobbyists are crafters, and their mysteries feature characters who share their hobbies.

My main topic was to be pets. But as I said then, and always repeat, pets aren’t hobbies, they’re family.

My new Pet Rescue Mystery series is a spinoff from the Kendra series--both from Berkley Prime Crime. The new series features Lauren Vancouver, a pet rescuer who is introduced in Howl Deadly, the eighth Kendra mystery, and also appears in Feline Fatale, the ninth Kendra book. Lauren is in a position that most animal shelter directors might envy: her no-kill shelter, HotRescues, is funded by a wealthy man, Kendra’s guy, so one thing she never has to worry about is money.

To Lauren, they’re also an obsession--in a good way. She’ll do anything to save animals.

The first Pet Rescue Mystery, Beaglemania, begins with a rescue from a puppy mill. Some of Lauren’s later adventures will involve an animal hoarder and a shelter that takes in unadoptable pets.

In the Pet Rescue Mysteries, “no-kill” means pets, not people!

I have to say that researching and writing Beaglemania fed my own obsession with animals and modified it somewhat. I now volunteer at a local animal shelter, where I’m a dog adoption counselor. I’m also the new L.A. Pet Rescue Examiner for Examiner.com.

Plus, as part of my research for my Pet Rescue mystery series, I visited a lot of shelters, talked with a lot of people who also love animals, and even observed training sessions with the wonderful Small Animal Rescue Team of Los Angeles Animal Services.

I’ve researched a lot of books since I started writing, but I admit that the research I’m doing now, and the pet rescue volunteering that I’m doing partly in the name of research, is the most fun and productive research I’ve ever conducted.

Do you enjoy doing research? What kind is your favorite?

Please come visit me at www.LindaOJohnston.com and at Killer Hobbies on Wednesdays. Friend me on Facebook. I’d love to hear what you think of pet rescue--and Beaglemania!

13 comments:

  1. Hi Linda,

    What fun, research with pet rescue! Rewarding, too, I presume. I conduct research for my series, mystery/suspense set during the Southern theater of the Revolutionary War, by being involved in reenacting and living history. Hands-on history is addicting.

    I'm glad you've written about beagles. They're cute little dogs. Many people who purchase them don't realize that they're also clever, quick, and curious. It's a real shocker when the beagle figures out how to stack furniture so it can climb onto the counter and eat that lovely cake that you spent 3 hours fixing. :-) That and the barking are why so many beagles wind up in Beagle Rescue.

    I got my first beagle at 2 months old from a breeder. She lived to be almost 17. I got my second beagle when she was 7. She was a rescue. She's now closing on her 12th birthday and is just as vivacious as a puppy.

    Suzanne Adair

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  2. Your experiences with beagles sound fun and rewarding, Suzanne. I've heard many times that dogs wind up in rescue most often because of behavior issues but I believe the owner's usually responsible for that. Reenactment sounds like a great way to do research!

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  3. I've also had a beagle and enjoyed him and his quirks very much.

    As for research, yours sounds quite rewarding. Some of my favorite research has involved learning more about forensics.

    gkw9000 at gmail.com

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  4. My research is definitely rewarding, Kari. I've done some research into forensics, too, such as touring law enforcement facilities--and that's fun, interesting and helpful. Glad to hear about your beagle, too!

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  5. Anonymous5:21 PM

    Wow, I have been reading all of your books ---- and if I don't win this one will gladly go buy it! Hope it's available on Kindle! Keep up the GREAT job!
    Lynn/MI lynn@tangledyarn.com

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  6. I've written about Abraham Lincoln and I have so much respect for him that I still enjoy research about elements of his time and life. It is also fun when I get a wild idea and research something I know little or nothing about. Writing is a great educator.

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  7. Anonymous6:18 PM

    I love the line "'no kill' means pets, not people"!

    Can't wait to read it and I'll be there on the 26th in Studio city for the book signing!

    Noreen
    whogirl01@yahoo.com

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  8. I've definitely found my research rewarding, Kari. I've researched forensics, too, by touring law enforcement facilities. Glad you had fun with your beagle!

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  9. Thanks for reading, Lynn. Beaglemania is available on Kindle --I've looked at the Amazon website!

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  10. Research does enrich our lives, doesn't it, Warren? I certainly enjoy all of mine.

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  11. Thanks, Noreen. It'll be great to see you there!

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  12. I volunteer for the local humane society by raising foster kittens. My two border collie mix (rescue) dogs both love kittens and assist with "socialization". Obviously I'm a fan of your previous series of books and can't wait to read the new series which I think will raise awareness of animal rescue as well as entertain.

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  13. Your fostering sounds wonderful, pennyt! Thanks for reading--and, yes, I had both purposes in mind for the Pet Rescue Mysteries!

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Thank you so much for dropping by and reading my blog. I do read all comments, and try to respond.

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