tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post2452042598623737989..comments2024-03-29T09:03:34.140-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: MORE Truth about Cats and DogsJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23219488600051579262016-09-11T12:19:06.689-04:002016-09-11T12:19:06.689-04:00Hank, I initially toyed with the idea of retelling...Hank, I initially toyed with the idea of retelling the Aaron Hernandez story as fiction but decided against it because there are still too many loose ends. Although he has been convicted of one murder, he's still awaiting trial for two others and is also under indictment for intimidating a witness -- by allegedly shooting him, costing him the sight in one eye. <br />But the way I see it,the Hernandez saga should make the Patriots extra careful about who they bring into their locker room from now on. So in "The Dread Line," the team decides to hire an professional investigator to check the background of a star college player they are thinking of drafting. Enter my crime-fighting hero, Liam Mulligan. By all indications, the player is a choirboy, so at first the job seems routine. But as soon as Mulligan starts asking questions, he get push-back. The player has something to hide, and someone is willing to kill to make sure it remains secret.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16834036388779962596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-20820658288005360942016-09-10T13:54:37.219-04:002016-09-10T13:54:37.219-04:00Oh, so funny, Debs, about using charity auction pe...Oh, so funny, Debs, about using charity auction pet names--It's surprisingly difficult! I wonder if that's because we don't know the pets? But no, we don't know the people, either. In SAY NO MORE, there's a dog. ONE dog. But the auction name was Rocco, and that dog could not have been named Rocco. How did I solve it? It's one of my favorite ideas I've ever had...and actually turned out to be part of the theme. Who ever can predict this stuff?<br /><br />The Aaron Hernandez story is so tragic. WHat a waste. Bruce, did you do it as fact? Or tweak?Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86019318352676439852016-09-10T13:33:29.612-04:002016-09-10T13:33:29.612-04:00Lucy, I haven't heard from the Patriots -- at ...Lucy, I haven't heard from the Patriots -- at least not yet. Maybe I will since the book was just published this week and since my oldest son is friends with Joe Andruzzi, a former Patriot offensive lineman and cancer survivor whose foundation raises money for cancer research. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16834036388779962596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30399322819844060822016-09-10T13:31:02.744-04:002016-09-10T13:31:02.744-04:00Perhaps my favorite dog ever, aside from mine, was...Perhaps my favorite dog ever, aside from mine, was Solo, a German shepherd who Cat Warren, a former journalism colleague of mine, trained from puppy-hood to be a world-class cadaver dog. She wrote about him, and about dog behavior, in a wonderful non-fiction book, "What the Dog Knows," which you can find here. https://www.amazon.com/What-Dog-Knows-Science-Perceive/dp/1451667329<br />My favorite fictional dog is Maggie, another German shepherd. This one was injured in Afghanistan, where her army handler was killed, and ended up being retrained as a police go by LA PD officer Scott James in Robert Crais's wonderful crime novel, "Suspect." Some of the tale is told from Maggie's point of view, which is a difficult thing to pull off, but Crais does it brilliantly. You can find that one here: https://www.amazon.com/Suspect-Robert-Crais/dp/0425264696 <br />I highly recommend both books.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16834036388779962596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50235597742866006382016-09-10T13:20:13.907-04:002016-09-10T13:20:13.907-04:00First off, thanks for the kind words about my post...First off, thanks for the kind words about my post. In the earlier books, Mulligan lived in squalid little apartment in Providence's Federal Hill section and sorely missed his Portuguese Water Dog, which was in the custody of his soon-to-be ex-wife. But when he moved to his new digs on the Island of Jamestown in Narragansett Bay, he finally had the room, and the time, for dogs again. Edith, yes caring for them can be difficult given Mulligan's crazy hours as an investigator, but in "The Dread Line," he brings them along with him when he meets with some sources, including a mobbed-up fence. But on the eve of a showdown with some thugs who were gunning for him he briefly put the dogs in a local kennel for the night. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16834036388779962596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-63291986530250134052016-09-10T13:10:34.886-04:002016-09-10T13:10:34.886-04:00Bruce, your book sounds irresistible. I love dogs ...Bruce, your book sounds irresistible. I love dogs (and cats) in stories, especially when they reveal character or move the plot. And I love big dogs, so will be a sucker for yours, I'm sure.<br /><br />I've written all sorts of dogs and cats into my books. My primary characters have two dogs, a terrier of unknown origin and an English cocker spaniel, and now three cats. I've had fun giving German shepherds (our own dogs) to various other characters. But my favorite dog to write was Mo, the mastiff who plays a part in Where Memories Lie. Mo was a charity-naming character. The real dog was called Big Mo, and his owners bid at a charity auction to have him included in the book. I had no idea how hard it would be to work this enormous dog into the plot, or how I would love him.<br /><br />My favorite dog in fiction is Rowdy, the malamute that belongs to Susan Conant's character Holly Winter in Conant's Dog Lovers Mysteries. (And I've just discovered there's a new book!)<br /><br />Congrats on the book, Bruce, and I'm looking forward to reading it.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-75197307245374620292016-09-10T12:55:10.873-04:002016-09-10T12:55:10.873-04:00Feng shui for pets? What does that mean? How do y...Feng shui for pets? What does that mean? How do you choose the right one? Or were they should sleep or be? That sounds intriguing :-) Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56358916191565572482016-09-10T11:53:03.523-04:002016-09-10T11:53:03.523-04:00Bruce, I've been running across your name ever...Bruce, I've been running across your name everywhere on the Internet lately, which I am taking as a sign that I must look for your books!<br /><br />A few summers ago I helped my sister who is a sixth grade teacher reorganize her classroom library after her classroom was relocated to a different floor. I read some of the books that looked interesting. Some were non-fiction, some were fiction. I fell in love with a mystery series about some family pets, including an anxious, neurotic dog. I cannot remember the name of either the dog or the author! While trying unsuccessfully to google the information I found out that there's a book about Feng Shui for pets. Just thought I'd pass along that information!<br /><br />Deb Romano Deb Romanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01650858888197217258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71191852792198549202016-09-10T09:29:42.946-04:002016-09-10T09:29:42.946-04:00Aw, look at those babies!!! Beautiful and sweet a...Aw, look at those babies!!! Beautiful and sweet and how could you not love 'em?! <br /><br />I have had dogs AND cats always. <br /><br />And always will.<br /><br />Right now, it's just Harley and he's such a spoiled rotten only child that our plans to add to the family were scratched. But I thought he might want a Maine Coon Cat - he said no. Definitely no.<br /><br />I had a Corgi in my Whimsey by name of Fred. Fred was, of course, based on Harley except, as far as I know, Harley does not read the Wall Street Journal, nor does he wear glasses.<br /><br />Great post!!!!!<br />Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56773311889972740232016-09-10T09:04:59.458-04:002016-09-10T09:04:59.458-04:00Bruce, your "big guys" are adorable. I l...Bruce, your "big guys" are adorable. I love dogs - especially big ones. And I have heard that the cat behavior is a sign of fondness, but don't quote me on that.<br /><br />My protagonist has the dog I wish I had. Or one of the dogs I wish I had. A Golden Retriever. And yes, I think you can tell a lot about a character by the way he/she treats animals.Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-66877634286868346112016-09-10T09:00:01.979-04:002016-09-10T09:00:01.979-04:00So adorable! And I love how obvious it is that the... So adorable! And I love how obvious it is that the dogs are so fond of you.<br /> It's sometimes a problem, though, to give a main character pets, especially dogs. Because they always have to worry about whether the dogs are taken care of, you know ? My detective, Jake, has a golden retriever named Diva which I finally had to have his mom sometimes "babysit" so Jake could be away all night or go out of town. Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26611697653316587262016-09-10T08:31:54.727-04:002016-09-10T08:31:54.727-04:00Bruce this is the sweetest story!
I've been ...Bruce this is the sweetest story! <br /><br />I've been inspired by other people's dogs. Phoebe (in Never Tell a Lie she ends up saving the heroine) is based on a fairly ill-tempered dog owned by my elderly next-door neighbor. ("a dog of indeterminate breed with a fat sausage body, skinny legs, and the black jowls of a bull mastiff. The dog’s snout was studded with white whiskers and her fur was brown and threadbare in places, like a well-loved plush toy.")<br /><br />I'm a big fan of Roberta's Tonka, and I put a nasty (snapping, barking) rottweiler who belonged to ex-friends into one of my books, but I made him (her?) a big sweetheart. Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83851146430423072602016-09-10T07:35:09.004-04:002016-09-10T07:35:09.004-04:00Love this post Bruce! and your wonderful dogs. Now...Love this post Bruce! and your wonderful dogs. Now my Tonka wants to know why he only got the smallest cameo in one of my books. <br /><br />Have you ever gotten any pushback from the Patriots? Or hurrahs, for that matter...<br /><br />I remember writing the PGA tour back when I was working on my first golf mystery, to see if they'd grant me permission to use their name. I got a noncommittal reply, but later someone in the know told me they were quite intrigued...Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26077535997247997562016-09-10T05:41:26.268-04:002016-09-10T05:41:26.268-04:00I love this story of how your own dogs came into y...I love this story of how your own dogs came into your story, Bruce. Does Mulligan ever have to stay away sleuthing for a couple of nights and has to scramble to take care of the dogs? I tend toward felines in my real life as well as fiction, and only partly because my sleuths don't have to worry if they leave their pets alone for a while. <br /><br />I put one of our real cats, name and all, in each of my series. Preston and Birdy have both made the covers of the last couple of books! So fun memorialize them like (three of the four are still alive and quite well, but they're senior citizens so I know they won't be around forever).Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73445422883688666072016-09-10T04:41:29.251-04:002016-09-10T04:41:29.251-04:00So many things to love about this post. First, Br...So many things to love about this post. First, Brady and Rondo are magnificent dogs, and Rondo is named after one of my favorite players from my favorite college basketball team, University of Kentucky (also my alma mater). Then there is the cat bringing the offerings to the porch and the bonding of the dogs. And Liam Mulligan sounds like a fantastic character. I'm embarrassed that I haven't read him yet. I have actually had my eye on The Dread Line because of its cover. Now, I know that I can judge this book by its cover. <br /><br />I can't think right now who my favorite dog in a book would be, but I can imagine getting quite attached to Rhondo and Brady. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-31118162173259987272016-09-10T02:26:50.704-04:002016-09-10T02:26:50.704-04:00Ah, Bruce, Brady and Rondo are beautiful dogs.
I’v...Ah, Bruce, Brady and Rondo are beautiful dogs.<br />I’ve enjoyed other Liam Mulligan tales, so I’m looking forward to reading “The Dread Line.” <br /><br />Favorite dogs in books? Sheesh, picking one is just too hard; I’m going with Nana in “Peter Pan” and Big Red in the book of the same name. And I confess to having a monster-dog-sized soft spot in my heart for Clifford, the Big Red Dog . . . .<br />Joan Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06810313925049108163noreply@blogger.com