Today I’ve finally allowed Grissom my
dog and writing inspiration to share a little about the part he played in my
latest novella- Crash and Burn in the book bundle- Crashing into Love.
Grissom has been my writing partner
for the last year. He likes to lay next to me in bed with me while I write.
Here’s a photo of him. Can you find Grissom among the covers?
Take it away Grissom…
Grissom: Thanks Mom. You know, readers, this story wouldn’t be here
without me. I lay next to Melissa each night and help her write. She sometimes
stops to ask me for help with her characters. In Crash and Burn, I told her to
add a fun little dog to the manuscript. Hence, Gris was born. Yep…I made her
name him after me. What other name would be as interesting?
In Crash and Burn, at the beginning of the story, the heroine Keira
Matthews is a spoiled woman-child, much like Paris Hilton. Every Paris wannabe,
must have a small purse pooch. While, I’m not a purse dog, I do enjoy being
carried around, snuggling in the chair next to Melissa and begging for treats.
So I was the perfect inspiration for Gris. The furbaby in Crash and Burn
is more heroic than I am though. He warns Keira about dangers, while I only
warn mom about the UPS man. I swear that man is going to try getting my cookies.
Here’s a little excerpt showing off Gris’ courageous nature:
The sound of rushing water came from her left.
Skirting through the trees, the thick forest gave way to a small clearing. The
trees were broken and littered the ground.
Still unable to see the rushing water, she stepped
carefully over a fallen tree. Ahead lay a pond. As if the water called to her,
she set the dog down and scrambled around another tree. Her mouth felt dry and
dusty. She wept at the sight of the water and dropped to her knees at the edge
of the pond. Her spine tingled. She had a bad feeling about the area.
The flowers’ fragrance became the smell of jet fuel.
The animals had fallen silent. Only the sound of distant running water
remained. Remembering her husband’s words about fresh water found inland in
spring-fed ponds, she ached to quench herself on the fluid in front of her.
She reached out with her cupped hand to scoop out
liquid but paused at Gris’s deep-throated growl. His hair stood on end as he
bared his teeth at the small pool. “Baby, what’s the matter? What do you see?
Is it a snake?”
She whipped her head around, searching for the danger
or animal. Yet, she couldn’t see anything other than the water. Licking her
lips, she reached out once again. Gris’s growls turned to barks. Sharp, loud
calls as he approached the pond.
She stretched her palm out toward her dog. “Here, boy.
It’s okay.”
Something pale rose to the surface of the pond.
Startled, she jumped to her feet
but fell backward on her butt.
See…Gris warned Keira. But she didn’t
listen. Just like mom doesn’t always listen to me. Thankfully I have kisses for
her, even when she’s very crabby. That happens about once a month. She spends a
lot of time in the bathroom then too. Wonder why she’s always crabby?
Alright
Grissom, you’ve shared enough. Thank you for telling all of Liza’s readers
about your part in my book. Now to get back to writing my next book, let’s head
off to bed for writing time.
Crash
and Burn Blurb:
Can
Rob and Keira's second honeymoon lead to romance, or will it crash and burn?
On the verge of a divorce, Rob and
Keira Matthews book a second honeymoon at the urging of their counselor. Unable
to conceive, they've pushed each other away in an effort to protect their
hearts. Will a romantic holiday be the ticket to love or a plane crash in
disaster?
BUY LINKS:
Crashing Into Love:
Seven planes lift off…seven planes
crash…seven stories of struggle, passion and love in the barren Canadian
Wilderness, the coast of England, or the steamy heat of a tropical island.
Romance hangs in the balance between survival and death.
Brace
for Impact by
Daryl Devoré.
What
could be simpler than a routine plane trip from Toronto, Canada to Caracas,
Venezuela for rookie flight attendant, Lori, and sexy R.C.M.P. officer, Guy
Lapierre? But Fate had other intentions.
Crashing into You
by
Lisa Kumar
When
Ashlee Trent meets handsome businessman Kaiden West on a plane to Australia, he
eases her fears even as he sets her heart ablaze. But after their plane crashes
into the ocean and they wash ashore, will the secrets surrounding him send
their budding relationship into a nosedive?
Crashing
Through Time by
Jenna Jaxon
The most dangerous thing about time
travel is knowledge of the past: does she save him and change history, or let
the tragic events play out and lose the love of her life?
More than hearts can be broken when you crash through time.
More than hearts can be broken when you crash through time.
Love
Comes Crashing In by
Brenda Dyer
Best friends find love in each
other's arms, but can that love survive reality?
Falling
Hard by
D'Ann Lindun
He craves solitude to forget what a
woman did to him. She needs one last chance before her career ends. Can a plane
crash in the Canadian Rockies show them what really matters?
A
Splash of Romance by
Deb Julienne
Who knew a plane crash would lead to
romance? Hannah Parks is a trauma nurse on her way to a symposium at the Sister
Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. She just started her bucket list and a plane
crash definitely isn't on it. Oliver
Lawson's divorce is final and he's looking to start over. A tropical island, a
gorgeous woman. Romance is one thing, getting there as a result of a crash
landing...who knew?
About Melissa Keir:
For my wedding in Vegas, my books and computer came
with me but there wasn't enough room for my wedding shoes. It’s all about
priorities! As an avid reader, I was probably born with a book in hand. Luckily
my mom was also an avid reader, so it was easy to "borrow" her books
when my books were finished.
I was reading from an early age about dashing men
on horseback riding to the rescue of strong willed and capable women who didn't
really need rescuing. I came to expect that women in fairy tales should have
fought their own battles. When I was older, I found Margaret Atwood and
realized that women could re-tell history in their own way and I experimented
with changing those basic fairy tales.
Fortunately for me, my husband allows me the
opportunity to be myself (spend my salary on books) and still takes care of the
really important things for me like killing spiders and opening jars. As an
elementary teacher, teaching children about the many worlds inside of books is
a gift that I’m lucky enough to do for a living. Teaching the next generation
to love reading is a lot of fun! Reading the right book can make a new world
come alive!
Currently living in the suburbs of Ann Arbor,
Michigan with my darling husband, way-too-grown-up children and spoiled dogs, I
enjoy getting away through a book to escape the harsh winters or summer road
construction.
Thank you for having Grissom over today. I'll be sure to clean up those doggie piles in your yard before I leave. :)
ReplyDeleteLol, your furbaby is too funny. Melissa, I loved your story. Can't wait to read another!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rhonda! :)
DeleteMelissa, that was marvelous. Love the pictures and that was a great scene.
ReplyDeleteThank you Maris. You know how our furbabies just have to have the last say!
DeleteWhat an adorable *baby* you have, Melissa! And thanks for sharing your part of the story, Grissom.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lynda. Grissom likes to tell everyone he's the brains behind all my work, but my other dog, Calliegh begs to differ with him. She's the princess after all. :)
DeleteI was struggling where is nose was, I eventually decided it's hidden by the blanket along with the other eye. (Initially, I thought he was in profile looking to the right.)
ReplyDeleteYou are right. He is hiding under the covers. He likes to sleep under the covers next to me, curled into my stomach. :)
DeleteI loved the interview with your dog. And I love Grissom. He's adorable.
ReplyDeleteGood excerpt too.
Good luck with the bundle.
Thank you. I'm partial to him!
DeleteLoved your part in Melissa's blog today, Grissom. You sound like such a smart little dog!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Sometimes I do wonder how smart he really is... like when he does one of those naughty things that he knows is wrong.
DeleteGrissom is so cute! The fictional Grissom is a real hero. Great excerpt, Melissa.
ReplyDeleteThank you Diane. Calleigh, my other dog, is jealous now that Grissom got a part in a book.
DeleteEnjoyed your excerpt, Melissa and especially the doggie pictures. I too have a dog that helps me from time to time with my characters.
ReplyDeleteThank you Judy. Those Dog Memes were too cute not to use them!
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