Rawhide: Brodie, tell us about your adoption!
Brodie: My mom believes in adopting rescue dogs and she loves golden retrievers, so she contacted Golden Rescue of New Jersey. Before Mom found me, I’d had a pretty troubled puppyhood, going through two homes before I got returned to the breeder when I was still young. Mom says I’m not a typical golden because I’m kind of stubborn and not very good at following commands. Maybe that’s why the breeder handed me over to the rescue folks. I got very lucky when my mom adopted me because I was pretty difficult at first. I spent a lot of time ripping up her plants and bushes by the roots and shredding them. I eventually understood that she loved me and that calmed me down. Now she tells people that I’m a mellow blond surfer dude.
Rawhide: I know Nancy had some other animals who crossed the Rainbow Bridge fairly recently. Would you like to tell us about them?
Brodie: Well, there was this terrifying gray cat named Pie who smacked me across the nose when she arrived in my house. I was just trying to be friendly and say hello but she took it all wrong. Once she had made it clear she was the boss, she would lie down beside me to sleep, which made me nervous. How was I supposed to know when she’d decide to smack me again? But I got to like her and I was sad when she got cancer and left us.
My good buddy was Rocky, a Yorkshire terrier who came to live with us when his human mom died. He yapped a lot, which isn’t my style, but we would run around the yard together until he got older and couldn’t run so much. We used to trade beds too: I liked using his little bed as a pillow and he liked to curl up on my big one. I was very lonely after he crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Rawhide: What kind of books does Nancy write?
Brodie: Mom writes love stories. She’s a big believer in happy endings, like mine with her. She sees the best in both people and furkids and tries to highlight that in her books. Sometimes I wish she wouldn’t write so much because it cuts into our walking and petting time, but she likes doing it so I support her by sleeping in her office to help inspire her.
Rawhide: I know Nancy has a new series coming out featuring adopted dogs. Please tell us about the series.
Brodie: It’s called the Second Glances series because the main characters knew each other before the books begin. Mom’s editor calls it “billionaires with heart.” But what I like about the stories is the K-9 Angelz program. All the books revolve around an after-school care center for disadvantaged kids. But the cool thing is that the kids at the center get to adopt rescue dogs—the K-9 Angelz—who live at the after-care center. The kids learn responsibility and receive unconditional love while the dogs get a great home. Mom and I both wish there was a real place like that.
The heroines in the books are all involved with the after-care center in some way. The wealthy heroes are drawn into their lives by the women’s warmth and dedication. And by the dogs, of course!
Rawhide: What’s Nancy’s latest book? What is coming out soon?
Brodie: Mom kicked off her Second Glances series with a novella called SECOND TO NONE which came out in September of 2017. It tells the story of how the K-9 Angelz came to be. The first full-length novel in the series, SECOND TIME AROUND, releases on July 24th. It stars a pitbull named Shaq. His sensitive digestive system was modeled on mine; Mom’s vet told her to give me pumpkin and it settled my stomach down in a big way. So that’s in her book. Okay, there’s also a rich dude from a fancy Connecticut family and a feisty, blue-collar lady who get together in the story. But Shaq is the best part, in my opinion.
Rawhide: What other hobbies does Nancy have?
Brodie: Her best hobby is taking me on long walks. I’m less enthusiastic about her love of reading, although she can read and pet me at the same time, so that works. She’s big into traveling, also not my favorite thing, although her nephew hangs out with me when she’s gone so that’s cool. Mom also spends a lot of time at something she calls Jazzercise, whatever that is.
Rawhide: Nancy has a daughter who is studying to be a vet. Do you think you influenced her to go in that direction?
Brodie: Totally! Who wouldn’t want to take care of a handsome, blond guy like me? No, the truth is that Rebecca loved animals even before she met me. She thought about going into publishing because she likes to read and write too, but decided halfway through college that she was going to veterinary school, even though she was an English major. Mom says Rebecca had to really want to be a vet because it took two post-graduate years after college of nothing but science and math courses just for her to apply to vet school. But it was worth it because she gives Mom lots of good advice about taking care of me.
Rawhide: What’s a book that Nancy read and enjoyed recently?
Brodie: Man, she reads all the time so it’s hard to pick one. She’s been talking about how she’s gotten hooked on Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch series and even watches it on Amazon Prime. I also know she spent a lot of hours glued to her Kindle after she bought Barbara Delinsky’s BLUEPRINTS, so I guess she liked that one too. I got some good petting out of it, at least.
Rawhide: Anything you’d like to add, Brodie?
Brodie: Dogs rule!
Rolling With Rawhide 