Thanks, Laurie Alice for stopping by today! It's great to have you and Nick here today!

Le: What is your favorite kind of a pet? Dog, cat, guinea pig? And why?

LAE: This is difficult, as I love cats and dogs both for different reasons. Today, though I’ll focus on my dog.

Le: And your dog is Nick, right? How many pets do you have today?

LEA: Officially, two. Unofficially, ten.

Le: Oh, I hope you explain that! Have you ever rescued an animal?

LEA: Yes, I’m rescuing animals right now. It started out with one stray kitten someone threw over our fence into our backyard. We fed it. Then we had two cats, then four. Now we have four adults and five kittens and are awaiting an appointment at the not quite free, but inexpensive charity vet hospital to get them neutered and vaccinated to maybe find homes for them. The kittens are totally friendly with people and live on my porch, while we foster them. My two cats are also rescue kitties, though I didn’t do the rescuing.

Le: Love that! Do you ever incorporate animals into your novels?

LEA: Absolutely. In The Glassblower, the kittens play a significant symbolic role and are comic relief and a bond between the hero and heroine. Those cats’ descendants make an appearance in the second book in the series The Heiress. I have a cat in my current work, too, out next year from Revell.

Le: What was your favorite character animal?

LEA: In one of my books? Something that hasn’t been published yet. A dog. A golden retriever. In other people’s books, I’m not sure. I’ve read so many it’s hard to pinpoint them.

Le: Has one of your own pets been the inspiration for a pet/character in a novel?

LEA: Yes, again, though, not yet published. A golden retriever, who I made a female in the novel and named for my dog’s litter mate sister.

Le: What is the funniest thing you’ve seen one of your animals do?

LEA: I’d moved into a new neighborhood, so didn’t know my way around. One morning, I went for a walk quite early—and got lost. I stopped and looked at my dog and said, “Colin, I am clueless. How do we get home?” He glanced around then took off running. I followed until he came to a screeching halt and sat down. I glanced up…He’d taken me to a bus stop.

Le: Hilarious! Is there a secret that only our pet knows?

LEA: Many, but I’m not divulging it here, or it wouldn’t be a secret.

Le: What is your pet’s pet peeve about you?

LEA: I don’t let him play outside enough. He’d run all day if I’d let him.

Le: What is your pet peeve about your pet?

LEA: He’s a little hyper. I really don’t want 70 lbs of golden retriever jumping on me every five minutes.

Le: Thank you so much for taking the time to be with us! Now, I’d love to ask Nick a few questions. Hey, Nick! You are beautiful! Glad you’re here! What would be the title of your autobiography?

Nick: Naughty Nick—How I got away with Breaking the Rules

Le: I like that! If you were to write a novel, would your friend inspire one of the characters?

Nick: Definitely. She’d be the heroine.

Le: Ah, that’s sweet. What’s your favorite movie?

Nick: 101 Dalmatians. I love puppies.

Le: Me, too! What musical instrument would you like to play?

Nick: The drums. That way I could use all my paws at once and be awesome.

Le: Good thinking. You’re a smart one! What do you think about cats? Dogs?

Nick: I think cats are…the cat’s meow. We have so many around here and they are better than cartoons.

Le: That’s great! Where do you sleep at night?

Nick: On the floor on a rug next to my person’s bed.

Le: Forget the floor! Jump on the bed! Oops. Your friend may not appreciate me telling you that. What do you do when your friend is writing?

Nick: Sigh a great deal and try to bug her now and again. When she really ignores me, I do naughty things like get into the trash or the cat box. Mostly I sit at the window and watch the cats and birds in the yard.

Le: What is your idea of bliss?

Nick: Riding in the car forever with my person petting me.

Le: What is your friend’s idea of bliss?

Nick: Going to the beach, which is pretty all right with me.

Le: Thank you so much for being with us today! You take care of your friend now, ya hear?