Marina Adair: There's nothing like furry unconditional love
Marina Adair, author of the recently released Sugar on Top, book two in her Sugar, Georgia series, finds unconditional love, and character development, in the pets that star in her romances.
Marina: By the age of 5 I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. A crazy cat lady. Yes, you heard me right. I wanted to open a hotel that catered exclusively to cats, kittens and everything furry and feline, and tried to convince my parents the best way to prepare was to get a kitten of my own. I knew that my dad was allergic to cats, so I went to the one person who could fix my problem. Santa. On my special Holly Hobby stationary, I wrote him a letter asking for a kitten of my own. She needed to be white, fluffy and, above all else, not shed. And come Christmas morning, I raced out to meet my new kitten and discovered Princess, sitting under the tree.
Princess was fluffy, white, friendly — and a chicken.
Not as in a scaredy cat, but as in wings, beak, and bak bak bak. Her favorite food was watermelon, she loved to play dress-up and watched Highway to Heaven with me every week on the couch. Princess was not only the best pal a girl could ask for, she sparked my fascination with unconventional pets.
The love that animals share with their owners is unconditional and never-ending. Sometimes animals have a way of understanding our needs before we understand them ourselves. In writing, animals are a great way to elevate the softness and humor in a story. Using unconventional pets can add a unique lightness to emotional scenes, and emotional depth to characters. Anyone can love a cute puppy, but it's the ones who are overlooked that my hero and heroines end up connecting with. I like to use quirky pets as a way to gain insight into characters, especially when used as on obstacle to the hero or heroine.
In Sugar on Top, the newest release in the Sugar, Georgia series, my heroine gets stuck pet sitting. Part dinosaur, part honey badger, and wearing more body armor than a gladiator, Road Kill, her grandmother's armadillo, has a habit of shredding Glory's panty collection when distressed. Roadkill not only adds one more complication in Glory's already complicated life, he adds a gentle understanding and companionship when Glory needs it most.
Nearly all of my stories have a cast of quirky pets that wreak havoc on my characters' lives, as well as give them the one thing we all crave — unconditional love. And let's be honest, when it comes to heroes and pets, there is nothing funnier than a big, rippling, alpha hottie brought to his knees by a two-pound kitten. Or nothing more adorable than him cuddling up with a furry friend.
As for sexy? Men who are kind to animals top my list. What about you?
About Sugar on Top (courtesy of Forever):
She's sassy and sweet
The last thing Glory Mann wants is to become chairman of the Miss Peach Pageant in Sugar, Georgia. Spending months hearing nothing but the clinking of pearls and judgment? No thank you! But when Glory is forced to take the rap for a scandal she didn't commit, the judge sentences her to head the committee. Even worse, her co-chairman is rugged, ripped ... and barely knows she's alive.
He's ready and willing
Single dad Cal McGraw can't take any more drama in his life. After a difficult divorce, his little girl became a boy-crazy teenager and his hands are full. The last thing he needs is to spend his down time with the town bad girl. Glory is pure trouble-tempting and tantalizing trouble. But he can't deny the strong chemistry between them-or how her touch turns him inside out. Now as squabbles threaten to blow up the contest and the town of Sugar itself, Cal must risk everything on the sexy wild card to get a second chance at love ...
Find out more about Marina and her books at www.marinaadair.com.