Author Guest Post - Deborah Blake

Please welcome the author of the Baba Yaga series, Veiled Magic series, and also the new Catskill Pet Rescue series.  

Series Inspiration by Deborah Blake

I am often asked where I get the inspiration for my books. The answer to this is different for every book, of course, but for the Catskill Pet Rescue Series, I didn’t have to look very far from home.

The series as a whole was inspired by a local rescue organization I’d done a little volunteer work for. It was started by one woman who was determined to help all the animals who fell through the cracks of the other shelters in the area. It started on a shoestring, and still is mostly a volunteer run mission filled with people dedicated to the wellbeing of cats, dogs, and the occasional something else. Two of my four cats came from them (including Diana, who was a foster fail—remind me that I am not a good fit for fostering, since I want to keep them all).

So the first book in the series, Furbidden Fatality, tells the story of how Kari, the protagonist, ends up buying a rundown shelter after she gets a freak lottery win and a bossy little black kitten. The second book, Doggone Deadly, follows Kari’s adventures with her best friend Suz, a six-foot tall, gay, lavender-haired dog groomer.

The look of the character was inspired by Megan Rapinoe, the dynamic Olympic soccer player, but the character herself was inspired (loosely, of course, since this is fiction, and she is neither six feet tall, gay, nor lavender-haired) by my own best friend, Ellen. Ellen is both a dog groomer and the dog warden of her local rural municipality, and has been my secret weapon for dog information throughout the series.

When I was looking for an intriguing setting for Doggone Deadly, I remembered that Ellen, as a member of the area’s Kennel Club, has taken part in a number of yearly dog shows. These events drew competitors and judges from all over the country and could be surprisingly cut-throat. What better place to set a murder? She was even able to lend me a program book from one of the shows, which ended up featuring in the story, as well as helping me figure out a number of plot points.

It turns out that if you are an author, it pays to have interesting friends. In fact, I might go so far as to say it is doggone vital.

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THANK You Deborah for that delightful insight into your inspiration for the newest addition to your Catskill Pet Rescue series.