THE WINNER IS...

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in yesterday's "Stop and Smell the Roses Blog Bouquet" sponsored by The Wild Rose Press.

You all had such wonderful comments, I wish each one of you could have won.

The winner was determined by a scientific process we use in the Whitaker household for making decisions.

I placed all your names on slips of paper, folded them in half, and scattered them onto the floor. Then I called my oldest poodle, Jolie, to pick one. Her mouth was wet from drinking water and one of the pieces of paper stuck to her lips. Or what passes for lips in a dog.

The winner chosen by Jolie Blon is.......Gwen.

Gwen, if you'll send your e-mail address to me at Ann@AnnWhitaker.com, I'll send your $10 gift certificate via e-mail from Amazon.com.

Congratulations! And thanks again to all of you who participated and to those of you who just read the blog.

Stop and Smell the Roses Blog Bouquet

Dog Nanny Meets Cat Scratch Fever


When my mother-in-law found out I was writing a book called Dog Nanny, she suggested I write a story about the cat quarantined in my garage. (see actual cat at left)

It all started when my two ferocious miniature poodles began a barking tirade, causing the cat to climb me like a scratching post.


But that’s a whole other blog. Suffice it to say that after ten days--and several photos of the cat’s hindquarters (an attempt to have friends help me determine its sex)--the stray cat I’d been referring to as Ted Nugent was returned to his owner. (In case you’re wondering, the real Ted Nugent lives nearby. “The Nuge,” as he’s called around here, is best known for his song, “Cat Scratch Fever,” from the late ’70s.)

But as is my wont, I digress.

Hmm. "Cat Nanny." Not sure. You see, I’m really a dog person at heart.

When I mentioned writing the cat sequel, my Maryland friend Lynn Reynolds (Thirty-Nine Again and blog #11 below), responded in her characteristically witty way.

“It could be a theme for you,” she said. “Your tagline could be ‘Animal Passion!’ I mean, if Janet Evanovich can milk Stephanie Plum for 14 books, what's to stop you???”

She even expanded on the idea for me:

Dog Nanny - young Texan chick must train feisty poodles and even feistier pilot

(OK, done that)

Cat Nanny - young Arizona chick must housesit for handsome and mysterious cat owner

Iguana Nanny - young New Mexico chick must care for her sick sister's Iguana, but what happens when she's trapped in a cabin with the Iguana's cold-blooded vet?

Coming soon - Ferret Nanny.

Also look for Elephant Nanny - when handsome vet Clint Hardiman travels to India as part of the new Vets Without Borders charity, his life is turned upside-down by a sacred cow and its beautiful owner.

"And I haven't even touched the Cruzan yet," she said, as I considered her offerings and pondered whether Bovine Nanny might be more appropriate for an Indian setting.

I’m not sure what Cruzan is, but it must be something alcoholic. As you can see, Lynn loves brainstorming and is into this fowl thing, though for some reason she didn't suggest I write a Chick Nanny.

Another Texas writer and member of my critique group, Sue L, had this suggestion: Rat Nanny—Bracing herself to play hostess to a feral predator, a young midwestern chick finds herself looking forward to spending time with her generous and compassionate charge.

This starts me thinking about Cowboy Nanny, since western and cowboy romances are hot right now. City chick tries to tame wild cowboy by offering him her custom-made saddle.

From California, my more practical friend, Sarah, weighed in with a different suggestion. “Couldn't Dog Nanny have a sequel—perhaps a younger sister who ends up with a near rabid cat that belongs to a handsome reporter who'd love to have a dog, but his weird hours prevent it?"

It’s great having such creative friends. But for now, I'm going to content myself with finishing my work-in-progress, in which Carl, a 190-pound mastiff, plays a minor character. If anything about a 190-pound dog can be considered minor.

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Don't stop now. One lucky person whose name will be drawn from those who leave a comment on my blog will receive a $10 gift certificate from Amazon.com. Be sure to check back tomorrow (June 23) to see if you've won.

And by all means, move to the next blog on the list below and comment to be eligible for more prizes.

http://annwhitaker.blogspot.com/
http://bethcaudill.blogspot.com/
http://blog.skhyemoncrief.com/
http://catemasters.blogspot.com/
http://christinecolumbus.blogspot.com/
http://donnamichaelsauthor.blogspot.com/
http://happyendingsblog.com/
http://kyannwaters.blogspot.com/
http://laurirobinson.blogspot.com/
http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/
http://lynnreynolds.blogspot.com/
http://marywritesromance.blogspot.com/
http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com/
http://missmaesite.blogspot.com/
http://nicolemccaffrey.blogspot.com/
http://plparker.blogspot.com/
http://romanticcravings.blogspot.com/
http://roniadams.blogspot.com/
http://sherilewiswohl.wordpress.com/
http://skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com/

FREE MONEY

Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 16) I'm being interviewed (yes, again) at The Long and Short of It. Their reviewer just gave Dog Nanny 4 1/2 books.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/interviews.htm

However, this one won't be a Q&A, so it should be interesting to see what they've done with answers I gave them to some rather unusual questions--like can I open a Starburst with my tongue. You may even learn about the time I was "really hot." Yes, moi.

Best of all, I'm also giving away ANOTHER $10 gift certificate from Amazon.com to someone LASR will choose at the end of the week. But you can't win unless you drop by and leave a comment on their contest page below.

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/contest.htm

DOG NANNY unleashed in Waco

I'd originally been told to allow three weeks, but it had been barely one.

It was Wednesday in Waco, and my copies of Dog Nanny were out for delivery. Had I been tracking them? You bet.

On Friday they'd left Nashville. From there they'd gone to Memphis and on to Dallas. Now they were in Waco. On the truck.

So we waited. At 6:27 it was my husband, not the dogs, who heard something at the front door.

As we opened one of the boxes, my own two poodles crowded around, excited about the paper and our mood. Food maybe? Nope, just a book with a picture of two foo-foo poodles on the cover.

Can an Abilene vet tech train two wayward poodles, while harnessing her desire for a handsome Waco pilot?

Get your copy of Dog Nanny now and find out. A romantic comedy set in Waco by local author Ann Whitaker.

Print copies now available at the Waco's Animal Birth Control Clinic, 1531 Wooded Acres Drive, Waco, TX 76710, 254-776-7303; and online at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. Electronic download available June 12 at The Wild Rose Press.

A portion of proceeds from sales goes to Animal Birth Control Clinic.