Pat’s Lhasa, Buddy
As a writer with three pets of my own, I’m always interested in others with creative inclinations who have pets too. Do their pets help (interfere) with the process like mine try to? Do they feature them in their writing as I sometimes do?
The other day my fellow Pets Blogger Aimee suggested it might be fun to do a series of interviews with other authors we know.
Well, I don’t personally know Pat Remick, but we revolve in the same mystery writing circles. She was kind enough to answer the following questions about her writing, her dog, and how the two mix.
Courtney Mroch: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, subject matter, themes, what have you.)
Pat Remick: I write mystery short stories and am working on a cozy mystery novel. I also write non-fiction and have co-authored two professional development books. In addition, I have recently resumed doing freelance news article writing.
CM: What kind of pets do you have? (Or have you had.)
PR: We have a 3-year-old Lhasa Apso named Buddy. He is the first dog our family has owned, and the household now seems to revolve around him. We got Buddy when my oldest son, who is allergic to animal dander, went away to college. Our previous pets were fish, a hamster named Corny, and a laboratory frog named Nellie.
CM: Do animals appear in your work? Are they the focus of any of your stories or the main characters?
PR: Although Buddy is not a main character or the focus of a story, there is a Lhasa Apso in my novel in progress.
CM: Do you ever use your pets as the basis for any animal characters?
PR: Absolutely! Many of Buddy’s charming and not so-charming traits also appear in my protagonist’s dog.
CM: Do your pets contribute to your work methods and help with the process?
PR: Hmmm… that’s a good question! Buddy interrupts my writing schedule sometimes. But he also can be a good excuse to get up and away from the computer, giving me time to do some free thinking while I’m taking him for his long afternoon walk. When I get stuck, I also tend to reach down and pet him or play with him as he usually sleeps not far from my desk chair.
CM: What are you working on now? Any new releases?
PR: I am working on revising a couple of short stories and then I am going to get back to work on my novel, which is about a series of murders connected to City Hall in a small New England community. The latest release is the anthology Still Waters: Crime Stories by New England Writers which features my award-winning story “Mercy 101.”
CM: Can you list your works and how/where we can find or get them?
PR: [Besides Still Waters,] I also co-authored two professional development books with my husband, Frank Cook: 21 Things Every Future Engineer Should Know and 21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know. We also recently wrote a piece for the AARP Bulletin: Candidates as Caregivers.
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Photo credit: Photo provided by Pat Remick and used with her permission.