Christy Tillery French claims she always loved writing but then “life got in the way (I got married and had two kids) and didn’t begin writing again until I started my own business and during unbusy periods would write to amuse myself. Before I knew it, I had written five novels….”
An interesting way to start on a track that has brought her many acclaims, including Who’s Who recognition on lists like Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who of American Women (just to name a couple), a 2006 Reviewers’
Choice Award, and a Maxwell Award nomination. Oh, and she’s also an animal lover. (In my opinion, the highest honor anyone can ever aspire to.)
Ms. French graciously consented to an interview about her love for animals and how they’ve come to influence her writing:
Courtney Mroch: For those not familiar with your Natasha Chamberlain series, can you give them a little background?
Christy Tillery French: Natasha is a young Southern woman who dreamed of becoming an investigator but stumbled into the bodyguard field and very quickly decided she had found her niche in life. However, her fiancé and former boss, Jonce Striker, who owns an investigative firm, thinks being a protection specialist is too dangerous for Natasha, and this presents a fun conflict between the two of them. Natasha is a bit of a quirky character, a young woman who sees herself as protector of others, including animals, and tends to be overzealous. I deliberately portrayed her as very young – in her early 20’s – so that she can develop and mature as the Bodyguard series continues.
CM: What inspired you to base your second book in the series, The Bodyguard and the Show Dog, on a championship pug?
CTF: First and foremost, I’m a dog lover, and this book was so much fun to write. I wanted a small dog to counter Natasha’s very large Weimaraner, Brutus, as well as one that could be obnoxious but with a lot of character. I have always liked pugs –their looks, their demeanor– so it wasn’t a hard choice deciding which breed to portray.
CM: Previously you mentioned to me that you have two cats and three dogs. Care to share their names, ages, breeds, etc.? Are any of them models for characters in your books?
CTF: We have a black Lab named Black Dog, who is six years old. Black Dog started hanging around our house about five years ago. It was obvious he had been severely abused and it took a month before he would let us touch him. At first, we didn’t expect him to stay so simply called him Black Dog. But we kept working with him and finally earned his acceptance and trust, and he’s been with us ever since. He’s a loving, gentle dog but to this day will not go into a dark place. I hate to think what he associates that with.
Aussie is our Australian Blue Heeler, and he’s two years old. Aussie came to us when he was four months old and we were his fifth owners. All previous owners thought he was too hyper, but after a month, he settled down and is such a wonderful little fellow. He “herds” our other two dogs and watches over them while they sleep during the day.
Black Dog and Aussie, photo courtesy of Ms. French and used with her permission.>
I am a volunteer with Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue, and Emma Blue is a two-year-old Weimaraner we adopted from this group. Emma was so traumatized in the past, she ground the enamel off her teeth. When she becomes anxious, she clatters her teeth together, which is stressful to hear. She’s so sweet and simply beautiful and likes to pose as if she’s on a runway. Emma has separation issues which we’re working on. We recently took her on a trip to Florida and she was the perfect traveling companion.
Emma Blue, photo courtesy of Ms. French and used with her permission.
Nikki is my cat, a Calico Persian. She’s 14 years old and a one-person cat. Nikki is starting to develop failing health, but still rules the house. All dogs respect her greatly and are very gentle with her.
Nikki, photo courtesy of Ms. French and used with her permission.
Felix is my daughter’s cat and he’s an orange tabby, also 14 years old. He was a stray that adopted us 13 years ago. He’s in fantastic health and loves to play. For some reason, Felix will not accept our other dogs but has always taken to the three Weimaraners we’ve owned, and has become buddies with them. He likes to snuggle up with Emma and take naps with her in our sunroom.
Felix, photo courtesy of Ms. French and used with her permission.
Most of the Weimaraners in my books are modeled after Boo Radley, our first Weim, who died two years ago at nine years of age. Boo was an amazing dog, more human than canine, and losing him was as traumatic as losing a child.
CM: Your protagonist, Natasha Chamberlain, owns a Weimaraner and a blind horse. You also mentioned that of the five books you published, a Weimaraner has been featured in all but one. I always like to ask authors who seem to favor one breed, “What is it about that breed that makes you gravitate towards it? Both in your fiction and life?” And in your case, I have an additional question: “Have you ever owned a blind horse? If not, how did you ever come to have such a unique animal character?”
CTF: I’ve owned three Weims so far, and if I could, I’d adopt many more. I simply adore this breed. They’re called the Velcro Dog because they attach themselves to their human masters and just don’t let go. They’re very loyal, protective, and loving, as well as intelligent. But they’re also manipulative, as my husband and I found out when we tried to train Emma to sleep in her dog bed and not ours. After four months without a full night’s sleep, we gave up and now Emma’s in our bed.
In the past, my husband and I have owned horses and did a lot of trail riding. I’ve never owned a blind horse, but Boomer, my American Saddle Horse, had an infection in his eyes at one point which was very painful. We had to bandage his eyes for a short while, which reduced his vision. It was interesting the way our other horses would guide him in the pasture with their sounds.
CM: Congratulations on your Maxwell nomination from the Dog Writers Association of America. How was the banquet? (Which, incidentally for readers who may not know, falls on the eve of the Westminster Kennel Club’s Dog Show.) Also, when we spoke before you left for the DWAA awards, you mentioned you’d get to attend the dog show. How was it? Had you ever been before? What was (were) the highlight(s) for you?
CTF: I was so honored to be nominated a finalist in their writing competition. I had planned to attend but due to my father’s ill health, we were unable to. I was disappointed that we couldn’t be in New York for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. But it was televised, which helped – a little bit. How exciting it must be to participate in that venue, and to be part of the audience. I definitely plan to make it next year.
CM: Thanks again for agreeing to do this interview.
CTF: Thank you very much, Courtney, for such great questions and allowing me to share a little of my life with my fabulous animals.
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About Sporting Group Dogs (Two of Ms. French’s dogs, her lab and Weimaraner, classify as sporting group dogs.)