Questions and Answers
- What inspired the story? @TheMissus
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- I would l-o-v-e to hear more about the writing process: how long it took you to write the book; how long you've had the idea floating around in your head; how difficult it was to focus on getting it put together and finished...those kinds of things! @skeddy77
- The short version of the story is that the original idea for Van, the main character in Stay came from a writing exercise. The long version of the story is here.
- Is that your dog on the cover of Stay? @BellasMommy05
- Yes, that’s Argo on the cover of Stay! Argo was certainly the inspiration for Van’s dog Joe, even though he’s from the Catskills, not Slovakia, and we didn’t buy him off the internet. It was kind of a happy accident that he ended up on the cover, and I don’t think it could feel more perfect. I wrote a little more about it here.
- Well...since we'll learn about the origins of the dog on the book, it would be interesting to find out how you came to be a proud German Shepherd owner (2 times!). @Corinne_Bowen
- How long have you been a dog lover? Did you ever have dogs before Argo and Stella? Don't you have a cat too? @TheModernGal
- I grew up with cats, but I always secretly wanted a dog. I even had an imaginary dog (who actually looked a lot like Argo), when I was in first grade. When J and I moved from an apartment to a house, I became keenly aware of every creak, bump, and rattle on the nights when J had to work late. I think I used the excuse of wanting to feel more secure at home to start researching dogs. But as soon as I started reading more about different breeds, I fell in love with German Shepherds. And the first time I saw Argo, I was completely smitten. He was five months old, and in the dog equivalent of an awkward phase. He was a HUGE ball of fur with big tree-trunk legs, and he bumped into everything! When we brought him home, I sat on the floor with him. He put his head on my shoulder like he was giving me a hug and we’ve been friends ever since.
- Right before Thanksgiving of 2008, we got a call from a woman at the kennel Argo goes to. She knew of a German Shepherd who needed a home and thought we’d be a good fit. Stella was a holy terror for the first few weeks we had her, and to be honest, I didn’t think it was going to work. But she followed Argo around like she had a crush on him, and made my heart melt. Even when she chewed things, peed on the floor, tore around the house like a maniac, and barked at me like she was giving me attitude, the idea of bringing her back to the kennel was unbearable. So, I read every dog behavior book in the library, and eventually Stella and I worked things out. She’s a smart, sweet, funny little dog (she’s only half the size of Argo) and I absolutely adore her. I’ve learned so much about myself through working with Stella, and I think she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Argo.
- We also have a three-legged cat, who barely tolerates our presence. She and I have been together for almost 12 years now. She’s mean and crabby and I love her like crazy.
- What's your biggest source of distraction when you're writing? @easywriter101
- Twitter, blogging, my dogs, good food in the kitchen, phone calls from friends, whatever show I want to catch up on, the amazing book I just picked up. There are so many distractions! I think that's why it's important to love your characters. If I want to know what's going to happen with my main character more than what's happening on my favorite TV show, it's really easy to sit down at my desk and work. But the same things that keep me distracted are also the things that keep me happy and grounded. Working by myself all day means taking that break to chat with my Twitter friends or play with my dogs is all the more important.
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