Do you like dogs? 

Do you like dogs?  I love slipping favorite horses and other pets into my novels when it works for the story, and this new release is no exception. Read on to find out why our Schipperke Cinder became known far too well in our rural area!

LETHAL PURSUIT, a Christian Romantic Suspense novel, is out now!

It’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited, and only $3.99 to buy.  Click the book title to find out more about it on Amazon.   Here’s a quick description:

What happens when a woman loses nearly everything–her husband, her home, her reputation, and is suspected of a crime she didn’t commit?

A legacy, her late aunt’s small-town cafe–is Beth’s chance to rebuild a secure life for her little girl far, far from Chicago, though little Lone Wolf, Texas, might not be quite ready for the sort of ruffles and lace café she has in mind. That can all be sorted out.

But when a dangerous stranger from her past follows her there…

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Cinder, our Schipperke from years past, is a part of LETHAL PURSUIT under the pseudonym Viper.  Are you familiar with this breed?

Cinder was nine pounds of fierce, dauntless canine independence with a dense black coat and a lion’s mane of bristly hair. With her pointy ears and an impressive array of sharp teeth, we all thought she looked like a fruit bat when snuggling peacefully upside down in my husband’s arms while he watched television.  She was totally dedicated to him. The rest of us, she tolerated.

And about that independence….

She was a house dog, like all of our dogs before and after, and seemed to have a brain abnormality from birth, given the two-plus years it took for house training, her penchant for marching in tight circles to left (never, ever to the right) and her unpredictable snappishness.

But the worst:  She would lurk behind the unwary (especially visitors) when they opened the front door, and then shoot out of the house and down the road.

It might have been amusing to see this supersonic black bowling ball rocket down the road. But it wasn’t so amusing when she couldn’t be caught.  She would linger near our yard (and the neighbors) at night, barking madly, though we could only see the glitter of her eyes because the rest of her was like a black hole in space, her dense black coat absorbing any light and reflecting nothing.

In the wee hours, I would then sit outside in my nightgown, trying to lure her inside with all manner of leftovers–bits of steak, pork chops, ground beef. Nothing could entice her until she was ready to resume her cushy life as a house dog. She would come close just so far, then take off, barking endlessly

It always took about forty-eight hours for her to be hungry enough to come home.  Back then, we used a long tie-out cable for letting the dogs briefly go outside to do their business and didn’t have an Invisible Fence to keep our dogs at home. But now we sure do!

 Once, someone caught Cinder (an amazing feat) and even tried to keep her despite her license tags. During one of my daily calls to the humane society, we learned she had been turned in. The “new owners” said they had to get rid of her ASAP as she was an impossible dog. LOL.  We already knew she was, but our pets are cherished and have forever homes with us until the day they die.  Even if they’re a bit naughty!

I would love to read your comments about your own pets!  Leave a comment, and you will be entered in a drawing for a free Kindle copy of COLD CASE DANGER, the first book in my Wyoming Courage series.

Another very memorable animal in my life, was my childhood horse Cherry. He was the ultimate equine escape artist and is a  part of CHRISTMAS DANGER, a Christian romantic suspense novel released in February.

Wishing you all the best for a wonderful spring!

Roxanne Rustand
USA Today Bestselling author