Bert is one of my favorite characters in “Appalachian Abduction.”
He’s a black Labrador-retriever mixed dog who moves the story along when the human characters can’t quite get it together. For example, when drone operator Hunter Payton nearly walks past the camper where a kidnapped woman is bound and gagged, Bert senses her presence and barks. Not a lot of dialogue for Bert, but important nonetheless.
Hunter is a retired Marine who adopted Bert after coming home from Afghanistan. He carries some emotional baggage, and Bert also has a wariness that hints at hidden wounds.
The fictional dog was born after my friend Roberta asked how the book was going. I told her I was stuck at a spot where I wanted Hunter to locate the kidnapped girl.
“Does he gave a dog?” she asked.
Are you kidding? My books always have dogs.
“Then have the dog help him discover the girl,” Roberta said. I liked the idea so much, I named the dog for my friend.
Here’s the thing: I enjoy writing scenes that include Bert and I hope readers will also like them. Thinking about Bert and imagining his body language in different scenarios is fun. I relax when I’m writing about a dog or thinking about one.
And it’s not just dogs that comfort us. If you haven’t cuddled a kitten lately, I suggest you go find one. My neighbor’s cat had a litter last month, and I run across the street every chance I get to visit the little fur balls.
Holding one of these bundles of furry cuteness takes my mind away from deadlines and responsibilities for a few minutes. There’s some legit science to the sense of reduced stress when a cat is around. A 20-year study found that cats significantly reduced their humans’ levels of stress and blood pressure. As a result, the cat owners’ risk of cardiovascular diseases was lower.
Go pet something four-legged and furry. Now.
If you don’t have any cuddly pets on hand, then read a book about one and see if you don’t sense the tension leaving your shoulders.
Just like when I write about Bert.
Thinking about black bears
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