The Four-legged Characters Who Appear in My Mysteries by Susan Van Kirk

 

Over the last two weeks I visited my children, their spouses, and ten grandchildren in Arizona, arriving there from Illinois. When I flew back home last week, my body said, “Oh, thank you for the 60% humidity and Midwestern-recognizable pollen.” April in Arizona does not do wonders for my allergies and asthma with the dust in the air and the unfamiliar pollen on gorgeous shrubs that are currently blooming like crazy. But because of the pandemic and vaccinations, this was the first opportunity I’d had in fifteen months to see my family, so I took it, and through the wonders of multiple allergy medications, survived.

Spirit

I have a confession to make, and I know this sounds crazy, but allergies have put me at a disadvantage when it comes to mystery writing. You see, studies have shown that readers love to buy books with dogs or cats on the covers, and they can’t wait to read mysteries where pets are a big part of the story. Often I smile or laugh at Heather Weidner’s popular Instagram photos of dogs and cats in humorous situations or with hysterically funny messages. People simply love their pets.

Bo

 I have absolutely no experience with pets because I’m so allergic to them that I can’t be near them. They seriously affect my breathing. For me, there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat or dog. I react badly to more than their hair, so all my life I’ve had to stay away, even having to change my airplane seat on occasion if someone’s beloved pet is sitting or stored under the seat next to me. I don’t hate peoples’ pets; in fact, I love to watch them from a distance and take in their over-the-top cuteness.

 So when I go to Arizona, I’m thankful my family makes alternate accommodations for their three dogs. Each has a dog, and I’m happy the grandkids have both the joy and the responsibilities this brings. But when I visit, their cute dogs must go somewhere else for a few days. I’d like to think my younger son’s golden doodle, Bo, loves my visits because the doggie spa pampers him, featuring the luxury of being waited on paw and foot. Molly and Spirit, the dogs of my other two children, have had various arrangements with neighbors or other relatives. It’s all worked out.

Molly

So even without knowing much about raising pets, I’ve been able to include them in my mysteries. My Endurance series has featured Stella, the English cocker spaniel, who in real life lives across the street from me. I often watch her from my front window and smile at her antics in her yard. Her purpose in Death Takes No Bribes is to provide a neighbor an excuse to walk past Grace Kimball’s house and stop to talk. My detective, TJ Sweeney received a kitten named Eliot Ness from Grace. However, TJ is rarely home, so Eliot often stays at Grace’s house with Grace’s sister-in-law, Lettie. In fact, Eliot saves several lives in my second Endurance mystery, Marry in Haste. He is the hero. My current WIP features Skye, the charcoal cat with green eyes owned by a woman who is Wiccan (a follower of modern-day witchcraft.) It also mentions Angus as a minor character, a dog owned by one of the townspeople when she was a child.

 It is possible to write what you haven’t experienced, but it takes research, expert contacts, and patience. I’m eager to ask questions of pet-lovers so I can write truthfully about the animals featured in my books. Quite a few dog and cat lovers have come to my aid in describing their pets’ special talents, and this helps me write truthfully about them. I even do it without sneezing.