Author Megan Rix on being a writer’s pet

"I've
got two dogs, both golden retrievers, called Traffy and Bella. Traffy's a
therapy dog and loves
people and coming into schools with me.We can't go for a
walk without Traffy stopping every few minutes to greet people. Bella on the
other hand quite likes meeting people but what she really loves is her
ball. Even on the snowiest, rainiest day chasing a ball (especially if there's a
river nearby to swim in) is her idea of Heaven.

I find both dogs endlessly entertaining
and inspiring and they’re continually cropping up in my books.They were even the designer's muses for the front cover of 'The Victory Dogs'!

In 'The Victory Dogs' the way Heggarty climbs
on the sofa and makes herself comfortable between Amy and Jack is exactly like
something Traffy would do.

While in 'The Great Escape' Bella is just like Molly. Molly would rather
chase her ball then round up sheep,and the way she pushes her head under Charlie's hand for a stroke (not very convenient when
you’re trying to type – Bella!) is just like Molly too. She's also very good at a slow paw-handshake.

It's
not just my own dogs I find inspiring. While researching ‘The Victory
Dogs’ I met Harvey, a Labrador rescue dog, who lives with a retired train driver,
and has been on more train trips than probably any other dog in the country.

I've
met people who've taken on dogs that had to be rescued by the wonderful RSPCA
from unhappy homes. It's amazing to see a dog blossom from a shy mistreated
animal into a happy, playful trusting pup once again when it's placed in a
loving home.

Currently
our tiny house is overflowing with prizes for the ECGRC Fun Day where all the
money raised will go to help golden retrievers that need rehoming. Traffy liked it very much because she got to meet lots of
nice people.

Bella liked it even more because there was a large lake and she
got to jump in and out of it all day long after her ball  . . . " Megan Rix

A huge thanks to Megan Rix for taking the time out of writing, touring and dog walking to share a little of her own story.

If you have pets, do you ever find them inspiring? Megan's book 'The Victory Dogs' is based during the blitz. It's often said that you should look at a situation through another's eyes –  now do that and imagine you've got four-legs, fur and a tail and suddenly you've got a whole new perspective, which is why we love reading animal stories. Which are your favourites?