Shannon here: Tonya B. Ashley shares life with her yellow lab, Jake and an excerpt from her Historical Romance, Of Faith and Dreams. I’m excited to host Tonya. I’ve known her for years and she’s been here before with her contribution to a novella collection. But this is her first full-length title. Squeal!!! Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for a print copy, U.S. only. Deadline: April 20th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Tonya:
To Pets That Keep Us on the Right Track
“No coffee.” A dark pinkish nose nudges over the edge of my desk, inching closer to my homemade latte. “We’ve been over this before. I’ll give you time, treats, and loves, but no coffee.”
A pair of soulful golden eyes blink back at me.
“One time. One time you snuck a sip from my coffee mug on the sidewalk while I worked in the flowerbed.” I narrow my eyes. “Do you remember how that went for you?”
Broad shoulders heave as an almost teenager-y sigh escapes. My 80-pound yellow lab leaves the mug, sidles up to me, and props his head in my lap. I give him a good scratch around the ears.
“We’ve got to get some writing done today. Then I’ll give you a treat.”
Raising his head, he circles my chair and slides into a laying position. He knows it’s pointless to argue.
I live in an all-male household, except for me of course. My guys are a cut above, but I occasionally feel like the odd woman out. Sometimes it seems they don’t quite get me. But Jake does.
Jake knows my love language is quality time. Never talks to me before coffee. Instead, he quietly nuzzles me. And he’s not a bad critique partner either. Lifting an eyebrow when a scene isn’t working, sighing heavily if it’s boring, and rolling his eyes during the mushy love stuff. He lets me know when my writing is on the right track.
Sometimes a cherished pet makes all the difference. That’s true in my latest novel, Of Faith and Dreams. Eliza Dawn makes some missteps and starts on the wrong foot with Justin Hogue. She struggles to find an “in” with him–until her beloved horse Bonnie enters the picture.
Excerpt from Of Faith and Dreams:
“Where is this horse of yours?”
“I tied her to a post in the alley on the other side of the house.”
“Why?” His eyes searched hers with an intensity that made her squirm inside. “You hiding something, Miss Dawn?”
“I am a woman traveling alone. I doubt I could fend off a horse thief, and I can’t afford to lose that horse.” She didn’t dare tell him the real reason she kept her horse hidden.
He slammed the ledger shut. “Let’s take care of your horse, and then I’ll show you the lost and found room.”
Eliza Dawn turned to Rebecca. “If you don’t mind waiting a bit, I’ll help you with those dishes.”
“No need.” Rebecca gave a reassuring smile. “Save some time for a chat later this evening once the younger siblings have nodded off, if you don’t mind.”
“That will be fine.” She smiled. “Thank you. For everything.”
Eliza Dawn led her horse from the alley to the stable. Justin worked the leather thongs loose, untying the saddlebags and dropping them on the bench. He removed the rest of the tack and showed Eliza Dawn where he stored the items in the stable. Then he scratched his head.
“I’m not fond of the idea, but I guess we can stable her in the old forge until I sell Dolly.” Justin brushed her. “It’s not a proper space for a horse. She might startle being in an unfamiliar place. I’ll clear the tools and things out so she won’t hurt herself if she spooks.”
Eliza Dawn reached for the brush. “Here, I’ll do that.”
“You’re paying for this service with those two dollars.” Justin held the brush out of reach. “In fact, how about you get those two dollars right now.”
She lifted a saddle bag from its resting place on the bench. A sachet of soap hung from one of the buckled closures. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Lavender. How had it gotten there? Who would have left her such a luxury? Tucking it into the bag, she retrieved the money and handed it to Justin.
As he brushed, his shoulders relaxed. “What’s her name?”
“Bonnie. I call her Bonnie the Beauty.” She smiled sheepishly. She loved how Bonnie’s chestnut face and socks faded to the lightest reddish-blond. “It probably sounds silly, but she is beautiful.”
“It’s fitting.” He grinned, lifting and inspecting the horse’s hooves. “You handle her hooves often? She’s fairly comfortable with me picking up her feet.”
“One of the prospectors showed me how. So, I try to do it regularly.” She rubbed Bonnie’s muzzle. “I can get her feet off the ground, but I don’t know I’d recognize if something were wrong.”
Justin summoned her to his side, instructing her on what to look for. The corded muscles in his neck smoothed as tension melted. His voice softened. His movements became more fluid. A gentleness replaced his harsh tone and starchy demeanor as he spoke softly to Bonnie.
“Tell me about you and Bonnie. What sort of things do you do together?” Justin patted Bonnie on the rump as he finished his inspection.
Question for Readers: What are some ways you relate to your favorite pet? Play, snuggles, full conversations? Does your pet help you connect to others?
About Tonya: Tonya B. Ashley makes her novel debut with Of Faith and Dreams, the Book One in the Lost and Found Series. Tonya enjoys a thread of adventure, whether in story or life. Fascinated with people, places, and nature, she loves to explore through writing, reading, hiking, and artwork.
She and her firefighter/paramedic husband are parents of a middle-school son who is teaching himself electric guitar and an adult son, a newly married firefighter. They’re delighted to add a girl to the bunch in the form of a precious daughter-in-law who is a nurse. Learn more & connect:
Tonya’s Facebook Tonya’s Scrivenings Page
About the book – Of Faith and Dreams
When Van Buren, Arkansas, is inundated with Forty-Niners seeking to outfit themselves with horses before heading west, Justin Hogue sees the perfect opportunity to step out of his father’s shadow to establish a horse ranch. The same influx of prospectors ushers in a competitive horse trader who wants him out of the way. Further complicating things, Justin is challenged with a new tenant at the Hogue family boardinghouse.
Eliza Dawn is an independent, headstrong seamstress who claims to follow the prospectors west to sell her garments. Justin believes she’s hiding something. So, he keeps his distance until a mysterious letter and ring unite them in searching for an unknown prospector.
Can they find one man in a thousand before the gold expeditions leave town? What will put Justin’s dreams at greater risk—conflict with the horse trader or Eliza Dawn’s secrets?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Tonya’s novella?
Get your copy/copies now!
Of Faith and Dreams Tonya’s Books
Come back April 12th for Rebecca Carey Lyles!
Shannon, thank you for hosting me today. I always enjoy talking about my fur baby!
I enjoyed hearing about your fur baby. I love your office.
I definitely talk to my cat. He’s eighteen and hard of hearing now. But I still talk to him. We have a routine. He stays in the sunroom at night, but can roam during the day. So about 7 am, my husband lets him out. By the time I get up at 10, he’s back in the sunroom. I open the door to my connecting office and we cuddle. Then he climbs onto my desk and curls up in the bed I keep for him by my monitor and I write while he sleeps or looks out the window. Sometime during the day, he gets in my lap again. And if it’s sunshiny, he’ll go outside again for a while. Then again when it gets dark. We get about 3 to 4 cuddles in per day. The last is before he gets locked up for the night. His curfew is 11 and I go to bed at 2 am.
I like talking about pets with others. It’s fun to discuss all the cute things they do with other pet lovers.
My office is still in progress. There are paint cans and boxes still unpacked. It’s still in a constant state of things being moved, so Jake doesn’t have “his” spot yet. Sometimes he’s annoyed by that and sometimes he’s okay with it. I know he can’t wait until he has a for keeps spot.
I don’t have any pets right now. We did have a dog when I was growing up. We got him as a puppy from the animal shelter when I was 5 years old and he lived for 17 years.
Childhood pets are so special. What a blessing to have him for so many years, Diana.
I’ve always had a dog in my home. I currently have two, an 15 year old man that is a Miniature Pinscher and a 5 year old miniature Australian shepherd. Love them so much!
Ellen, I bet they are adorable!
We are volunteering at the local animal shelter with my daughter and she is begging to adopt all of them – I wish I could…
Natalya, it is so hard to resist all the cute furry faces. What a great volunteer experience!
play
That’s one of my favorite things about pets. They help us remember to have fun and not take life to seriously.
I have a winner! Natalya won the drawing. I appreciate Tonya for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.
Wonderful! I can’t wait to send her copy.