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A Day of Mixed Emotions

Today is Monday and because it’s the beginning of the week it means different things to different people. In our household today it is a sad day because we are waiting for the vet to come to the house to put our lovely dog, Lucy, to sleep. Lucy is thirteen years old, an Alsatian Cross and a dearly loved pet. We found her in the garden of a holiday home where she had been dumped as a puppy. I brought her to the house and gave her a bath. I can remember how she looked, how she smelt and how nervous she was. We had another dog at the time: a cross between an Old English sheepdog and a black Labrador. She was called Missy and took Lucy under her wing. Missy lived for another couple of years and now we find ourselves going through the same scenario: calling the vet in. Someone asked why we pet owners put ourselves through this each time, but I suppose there’s no answer to that. We love animals and having them as pets around the house seems a natural thing. Ironically today is our cat’s birthday. Not that he knows that. He is fourteen years old today. He loves the dog and we wonder how he will react when the dog is no longer here. Men can be more stoical about these events, and I am fairly relaxed about it. My wife will be in bits when it’s all over, and I can understand that. But my apparent indifference is really only on the surface: I shall be upset when it happens and will miss our Lucy when she’s gone.

On the book front, today I will be linking up with Peter Lihou of Acclaimed Books to begin a campaign whereby we hope to increase the sales of our own books, released through the Acclaimed Books website and through Amazon. I have worked on-line with Pete for about five years now, and have met him once. I will be promoting my latest paperback/kindle novel: SHADOW OF THE WOLF and Pete will be promoting his novel, RACHEL’S SHOE. It will be a ‘slipstreaming’ promotion and hopefully will lift us both up in the Amazon rankings. Naturally we also hope for a knock-on effect with our other titles. You can see these books at www.acclaimedbooks.com and also on Amazon.

So, it’s a day of mixed feelings for me: excitement at the prospect of beginning a campaign and sadness at the loss of a faithful companion.

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Comment by Michael on March 12, 2013 at 3:51am: Thank you, Thayer for your comment. It's as though there is an empty space in the house that was once filled by a loving pet. But life goes on and we have to adjust.

Comment by M. Thayer Berlyn on March 11, 2013 at 4:19pm: For the loss of your Lucy, I grieve. Our pets are the testament in the journey of our lives. Here, we lost the last of the house-cat Dalton Gang one winter ago. There were originally four, and over the years each grew very old and went into the quiet spirit world. For us, it seemed that Clover would somehow live forever, but after his last companion died, it seemed his heart broke. One day, he was just gone on his favorite blanket. He was 17. The loss runs deep and the house does feel silent and empty. One day, perhaps, another cat will find a way to our home and hearth, but until that day, it's been quiet, laced with a note of melancholy.

Best wishes on your book promotion.