Friday, September 23, 2011

A night of Mahjong

It’s Friday night and Daddy’s watching the Reds game. I love the Reds! Daddy’s written two books in a series about the Reds and the first female baseball player in major league baseball, Amy Perry. If you want a good read and love baseball, then Playing for First and Two for the Show are definitely “must read.”  Hopefully, this announcement on my blog will get me two extra crackers.

Yeah, I know you’re wondering what does this have to do with Mahjong. Well, Mommy was in the living room trying to play Mahjong. The following is a classic way on how to get what you want. So, all you fellow canines listen up. I love when both Mommy and Daddy are in the room together because I can be sooooo cute and I get more attention. This is for all you guys out there who want to be hugged and petted.

First, sit beside the mommy playing Mahjong, not the daddy watching the game. Second, tilt your head slightly and lower your eyes (by this time, Mommy is telling Daddy, “Isn’t he so cute?”) Third (remember the objective), is to sit on Mommy’s lap. Now, start moving your mouth as though you're talking and continue to look at her. By this time, Mommy has stopped playing Mahjong and is casting her loving eyes at you. Last, as she starts to pet you, begin licking her arm, gazing deeply into her eyes. Guys, trust me. She’s now yours and putty in your paws! Which includes lots of ear scratches and extra lovin'. You have achieved your goal for the night. Mommy is no longer playing Mahjong, but paying attention to you.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

just chillin'

I've not written in quite some time. My daddy has been hogging the laptop but I managed to sneak away with it when she wasn't looking. Let's see what's happened since I last wrote in June...

In July, Dad and Mom went to Wisconsin to visit with good friends and then to attend a reading/signing at Outwords Books in Milwaukee. Dad had fun with Cathy Rowlands, Martha Miller, and Anne Laughlin at the reading and enjoyed seeing Carl, the owner again. Mom was supportive as always. Me? I was stuck in the kennel AGAIN. *sigh*

I've managed to add another girlfriend to my harem. It's a long distance love affair with Clover, the schnauzer in Colorado. She's sent me goodies in the mail, like peanut butter treats and little biscuits. She's playing it just right since we all know the fastest way to a beagle's heart is through his stomach. And she most certainly has addressed that need. So schmooches and hugs go out to Clover, my loving pen pal.

Here on the homefront, Mommy thwarted my attempt to sample Grandpa's birthday cake. Damn. I was this close to making sure Mommy used all the right ingredients. I was just trying to help! Honest. I mean really.

On the book front with Daddy, I overheard her saying she'll be in Atlanta on November 5 to celebrate Charis Books and More's birthday with Blue Feather authors Jane Vollbrecht, Mavis Applewater, and hopefully Renee MacKenzie... maybe more. There'll also be other authors at the shindig. Then, she's flying to Dallas to attend the Jewel Lesfic Book Club on Tuesday evening, November 8. They'll be discussing Playing for First. She plans on announcing it on Facebook and on her own blog and website soon. But I don't think she'd mind me piping in here now. I think this weekend she's been on the Author's Hot Seat in the Yahoo forum, Virtual Living Room, to discuss Two for the Show.

Okay. I think she's getting ready to grab the laptop back, so I'd best sign off.

Until next time....

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Methinks I'm about to be ditched . . .

Lots of suspicious stuff's been happening:

Bad Sign #1: I overheard Mommy calling the vet's office about "Buddy coming in for a stay."
Bad Sign #2: Mommy and Daddy have been talking non-stop about "Orlando" and something called the "GCLS."
Bad Sign #3: They pulled out those big bags and have been stuffing their clothes in them.
Bad Sign #4: Mommy started getting my food and a couple of toys ready for my "stay," a/k/a prison sentence.

Again, I ask you, why can't *I* go on these trips?? I wouldn't be a problem on the plane. They wouldn't even have to shove me in a crate and put me in cargo. I'd sit dutifully by Mommy and Daddy. Granted, I might jog up to where the flight attendants have the snacks to, um, see what might be available. But that's all!

I did my best to deter Daddy from leaving. She left the suitcase open in the den and I took out a pair of her socks one by one when she wasn't looking. Not that I was being subtle or anything. She fussed at me, but I think I made my point.

Well, I hope they have a good time because I sure as heck won't while they're gone. They'd better suck up to me BIG time when they get back. I think this calls for a couple of extra treats, a new peanut-butter basted bone, and 5,432 ear rubs. And don't think I won't cash in on it when they bring me home.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

I read Daddy Chris's "Two for the Show" . . .

. . . and I loved the baseball part. Two paws up! The romance was good, but I'm a guy and loved the baseball play-by-play better. Daddy has turned me into a big baseball fan, although I haven't learned to cuss as much as she does when the Reds aren't playing well. They just swept the Cardinals, so she's purty happy. She took a photo of me after I read the book. This is my "Joe Cool" look. What do you think?



Daddy's been working on another romance, but might be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo, which looks like it'll take place in June. The National Novel Writing people are having a month in the summer for those writers who say November is too busy for them to write 50,000 words. She's thinking of writing the third book in the Playing for First Series. She just finished editing the first five chapters of this romance to see where she's at.

I'm not sure, but I think I overheard Mom and Dad talking about a place called "Orlando" and the GCLS Conference. I'm starting to get suspicious because they've talked about being gone for almost a week. You know what that means, don't you? Poor Buddy gets stuck in the kennel. Seriously... why can't I come, too? I would be a good boy.

Daddy's going to be on Lara Zielinsky's Radio Blog show this Thursday, May 19th at 10:30 PM. Here's the link: http://blogtalkradio.com/lara-zielinsky. She'll be discussing Two for the Show and reading a short excerpt. She'll probably talk about what she's working on and her next release, Survived by Her Longtime Companion. It'll be way past my bedtime, but I might get to stay up with her, only because I howl if Mom and Dad don't get to bed at the same time as I do. Not that there's a method to my madness.

On my next post, I'll direct my comments to my fellow canine brothers and sisters. I'll be giving you tips on how to scarf from the table when Mom and Dad aren't looking.

Later!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

An interview with my dad, Chris Paynter...

With the impending release of Daddy's latest book, Two for the Show, the second in the Playing for First Series, I thought it'd be fun to interview her for my blog. She rolled her eyes when I suggested it, but promised she'd sit down with me. We spent some time talking this past week:

Buddy the Wonder Dog (BTWD): Can you tell us anything about the plot to Two for the Show?
Daddy Chris: Sure. The story picks up almost where Playing for First left off. Amy is playing for the Indianapolis Indians as she anticipates a call-up soon to the Reds. Lisa Collins is there, of course, along with her friend, Sarah Swift. Lisa gets the job covering the Reds for Major League.com right before Amy's called up. Frankie and Stacy are there by their sides. Lisa and Frankie go through a medical crisis, while Amy suffers her own personal tragedy. I won't go into detail on how the women handle the situations, but it's all wrapped around a season of baseball.
BTWD: Where did you first get the idea for the original story?
Daddy Chris: I'd maintained that I thought of all the professional men's sports, a woman could play professional baseball. My dad and I would have this discussion a lot. Playing for First started with a totally different opening scene that was from a short story I'd written. The book then went through two major rewrites before it became the book that was released.
BTWD: How did it feel returning to your characters? I know you released a romance, Come Back to Me, in between Playing for First and Two for the Show.
Daddy Chris: It was a comfortable feeling. I chose to start on Two for the Show with National Writing Month in 2009. I wrote over 50,000 words in November 2009 and finished up the rough draft afterward. Then submitted it to Em and Jane, my publisher and editor at Blue Feather, in January 2010.
BTWD: Did you have to make any changes in the editing process?
Daddy Chris:  Snort!
BTWD: Excuse me. Did you just snort, Daddy?
Daddy Chris: Uh, yeah, Bud, I did. No matter how good I think my manuscript is, there always has to be work done on it before it's ready for publishing. Always.
BTWD: How does that feel when Jane tells you what needs to be fixed?
Daddy Chris: You're beginning to sound like a therapist with these "how does it feel" questions.
BTWD: Just answer the question.
Daddy Chris: Listen, little guy, don't forget who feeds you.
BTWD: Okay. Please answer the question.
Daddy Chris: No matter how upset I may get with suggestions or changes Jane makes, I take a deep breath and realize she's right 99.9% of the time. Jane is one of the best in the business, in my opinion. If she sees something there that the reader will have a problem with, I may disagree at first. Then I step back, look at it from a strictly objective viewpoint, and then rewrite where I need to rewrite.
BTWD: You told me once that readers have been asking about Two for the Show. Does it bother you that they say things like, "I liked Come Back to Me, but when's the sequel to Playing for First coming out?"
Daddy Chris: No, not really. Come Back to Me was a personal journey for me, and it's one I hold close to my heart. But I love baseball, and I love returning to my sportswriting days when I wrote the game situations in the books. More than that, I loved meeting up with Amy, Frankie, Lisa, and now Stacy again.
BTWD: I heard you tell Mommy that you fell in love with the character of Stacy in Two for the Show. Why is that?
Daddy Chris: Probably because she reminds me of Mommy. She's kind, giving, generous, loving, and she's such a big support to Amy. She needed to be in this book, too.
BTWD: So what happens at the end?
Daddy Chris: (laughs) You're kidding, right?
BTWD: Hey, I had to give it a shot.
Daddy Chris: I'll just say that there will be at least one more in the series, probably more. We'll see where the characters take me in the third book in the series, From Third to Home.
BTWD: How's that coming?
Daddy Chris: I started it, but haven't gotten too far yet. I wanted to wait until editing was done for Two for the Show in case any major plot lines had changed.
BTWD: But you finished another book that's your next release, right?
Daddy Chris: "Finished" probably isn't the best of words since I know there will be rewriting once editing begins.
BTWD: What's the name of it? I know you've been secretive about this one.
Daddy Chris: Yeah, I have been. The name of it is Survived by Her Longtime Companion. It's a romance. One of the main characters, Eleanor, is the strongest character I've written, I think. She had control of that book from the get-go. If she didn't want to talk, I didn't write. The book is written in third and first person. It's a totally different book for me, but one I hope the readers enjoy.
BTWD: That's it? You're not going to tell me anything else?
Daddy Chris: No. Like I said, I probably won't say much on it until we get closer to the release date.
BTWD: Which is....
Daddy Chris: Sometime after the first of the year.
BTWD: Well, heck, that really narrows it down.
Daddy Chris: Buddy, sarcasm doesn't become you. Again, I remind you who feeds you.
BTWD: Yeah, but I've got Mommy wrapped around my paw.
Daddy Chris:  Bud, you have us both wrapped around your paw. The Dog Whisperer would be soooo disappointed with how much you run the household.
BTWD: Which is why you'll never call him to visit... I have spoken.
Daddy Chris: See what I mean?
BTWD: It's been fun talking to you. Now when are we eating?
Daddy Chris: Soon, Buddy, soon.

Monday, April 4, 2011

My heart is with the Butler Bulldogs tonight

I've been listening to Dad the past week or so going spastic about Butler in the NCAA Tournament. Well, I watched some of the game Saturday night--notice I said "some" because Dad and Mom got nervous and kept flipping it back to the Reds game. Tonight, I want the Dawgs to bring it home! Yes, because they're an Indianapolis team and the coach is nice and smart and the players are all respectful. Dad keeps saying Coach Stevens runs a clean program. I'm not sure if that means the same thing as me not making messes in the house, but it sounds good.

Mainly, I want them to win tonight because Blue II, the Bulldogs' mascot, seems like one cool dude. Someone I could hang out with and swap stories over a beer down at the pub. And, seriously, even though Connecticut's nicknames are the "Huskies," huskies just do not have the same coolness factor as a bulldog ... or even a beagle for that matter!

So tonight, if Mom and Dad can stand it, we'll have the game on in our household. And even if they can't, I'm taking control of the remote and keeping the damn channel right where it is.

GO BULLDOGS!!!!

Friday, February 11, 2011

We watched "Cats and Dogs" again tonight...

...and I must say I still love the movie and give it two paws up. I relate to the character of Lou the Beagle. He does our breed justice. I especially love how Mr. Tinkles gets his come-uppance in the end. Humph! A cat thinking he can rule the world. HA!

Daddy Chris laughed a lot and kept telling Mommy, "Look at Buddy! He's watching this." <rolls  eyes> They still think I don't pay attention to what's going on, but little do they know that I watch BBC shows during the day when they're not home. Just because I'm a beagle, doesn't mean I'm uncouth. I'm quite couth, thank you very much. I especially love BBC America's On Demand and catch "Law and Order: UK" each week. Very fascinating how they do things over in Daddy Chris's birthplace.

After Cats and Dogs, I settled down on the floor between Daddy and Mommy's Lazy Girl chairs, gnawing on my peanut butter-basted bone, while Mommy watched "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on the Food Network. Daddy started writing and also is finishing her reading of Kim Baldwin and Xenia Alexiou's Dying to Live. She's reading it on her Kindle. Weird contraption, but I guess it works. She said she updated her website. I think she's going to post a synopsis to Two for the Show soon, plus add an excerpt in the coming weeks. She also said it's nice to unwind after working on a bear of a Law Review edit all day.

Well, that's it for now. I hope Mommy and Daddy are busy tomorrow so I can get my fix of BBC America. It's not that I don't miss them when they aren't here, but you know....

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Daddy Chris had her surgery Friday

I knew something was up when Daddy Chris drove me in the direction of the vet's office on Thursday. I thought I heard Dad and Mom discussing something about surgery for Daddy Chris on Friday morning. She had to stay overnight, so I figured that meant I was stuck at the kennel until Saturday.

When I came home with Mommy Phyllis, she told me to not jump up on Dad. I've been good. They should know by now that us beagles have a sense when our parents are hurt or sick. I overheard Mom telling Grandma and Grandpa over the phone that the surgery went well. The surgeon told Mom that she exc...exc...took out the lesion, plus some surrounding tissue. And something about the pathology report coming in early this week. I guess Mom takes Dad back to the surgeon on Thursday.

Poor Dad has been taking pain pills. She had a lot of trouble with the Anna something-or-nuther. It made her muscles really ache. She's having a hard time walking around even.

Anyway...I'm glad I'm home so I can help take care of Daddy Chris and Mommy Phyllis. Perhaps Mom's attention will be diverted enough that I can sneak a snack. Although I have to say I'm rather proud of the fact I lost 1.1 pounds. Heck! Mom acted like I won the Nobel Peace Prize. It's a good thing...I guess.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Please allow me to introduce myself...

And no I'm not quoting Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil."

My name's Buddy, obviously. I also go by the name of Buddy the Wonder Dog and Buddy Damn It, although I don't care much for the last one. I'm six years old and live with my adopted parents, Chris and Phyllis. My real mom and dad, Darla and Burt, still live on the farm where my adopted parents picked me out and brought me home.

When I came home with my new parents, I was greeted by Max and Murphy, two rather odd looking animals. I think they're called cats. I sauntered up to Murphy to say hi, and she proceeded to smack me in the nose with her paw. Hence, my brutal introduction to pet hierarchy. Unfortunately Max and Murphy passed away a few years ago. So, it's just me and the mommys now.

My one mom, Chris, is more like my dad. She's an author. I know this because she sits with this rectangular thing on her lap a lot in the room called the "butch den." I'm not sure what that means other than Dad goes in there for hours at a time, sometimes coming out for a drink or a snack. My mom sits with me while Dad works. Dad is always telling Mom how much she sacrifices in letting Dad pursue her dream. I don't know exactly what that means, but I do know how much they love each other.

I've recently been put on a strict diet. See, us beagles love to eat. Anything. You name it, we'll eat it. My doctor hasn't been happy with my recent weight gain, so now my food's even more closely monitored. Which means Mom and Dad are much more aware of my presence and are more careful as to the placement of food within my reach. Damn... I mean... darn! I still manage to move the tablecloth with my paws and drag things to the edge of the table within reach of my mouth. But I have to be quick. I can be lightning fast when it comes to scarfing.

Well, I think it's time for a nap. I'll write periodically when my moose hits me. I think that's what it's called. At least that's what Dad calls it. I don't get it though. Why would I want to be hit by a moose?

Later...