Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss

Nancy Bush | THE BINKSTER’s BLOG

October 26, 2007

(with a little help on the keyboard from Nancy Bush):

Most of you know, I’m a pug and star of the Jane Kelly Mystery Series by Nancy Bush. You probably think I lead this glamorous life. Not so! Today, as usual, I woke up and thought about food. Then I trotted out to my bowl, which was empty, and thought some more about food.

This is a continuing problem for me, and you’ll see just how much when you read the books. I show up in the first of the series, CANDY APPLE RED. The truth of the matter is that Nancy actually wrote about the pug in the book before she bought me. (I’m sure there were MAJOR revisions to CANDY APPLE RED once I became flesh and blood.) In the story Jane is a reluctant dog owner. The Binkster is thrust upon her. Well, suffice it to say, I worm my way into her heart pretty fast.

But back to today–

After checking my bowl again, I climbed on the couch and waited for someone to feed me. Nancy came downstairs and headed out to the Coffee Nook—yes, that’s the same coffee shop featured in the Jane Kelly Mystery Series—which is what she does every day. Ken came down a few moments later and fed me. Relief! Then he put me in my little fuzzy bed in the passenger seat of the car and drove me to the Coffee Nook.

At the Nook, Nancy and Ken took me for a walk so I could use the facilities and then they carried me inside where Julie—owner of the Nook—gave me a crumb or two from one of the muffins. Blueberry are my favorite. We do this most weekday mornings. Personally, I think I could eat a whole muffin, but there’s this weight issue thing. (Sigh)

We all left the Nook, and Ken drove off to work. Nancy and I stopped by a local bookstore to see her new book in the window, ULTRAVIOLET, before we went home. It’s snazzy! And, of course, I’m featured in it. In UV there’s a dog who’s moved in next door to Dwayne. This dog’s totally bark-worthy, and I let him know. Not quite sure whether I like him or not. But It’s great being a central character, although Jane Kelly’s the real top dog. Boy, does she meet some kooks in that book. Wedding crashers! Botox babes! Rabid Junior Leaguers! And, of course, there is murder. Jane’s client is that beautiful, scary Violet Purcell, first introduced in ELECTRIC BLUE, who’s now accused of killing her favorite ex-husband by clobbering him with a tray on the day of his daughter’s nuptials. You can read more about the book at www.nancybush.net/, where you can also join the Binkster Fan Club and a chance to win cool prizes.

But I digress . . . you wanted to know about me, right? So after the trip to the Nook, Nancy wrote on her laptop on the living room couch, and I got to curl up next to her. Sometimes I put my head on the keyboard. This creates drama as Nancy sucks in a breath and says, “Wait, wait! That paragraph just disappeared!” She feels obliged to tell me—again—that she’s writing the book, not me. Like I’m missing that point. I would just like a chicken strip, or liver treat, or hey, basic dog kiblets are perfectly okay.

Nancy’s been a little distracted as she’s working on three books at once. She’s finishing the proposal for the next Jane Kelly Mystery, which she’s calling PINK CADILLAC. (I’m hoping I get to ride in it and hang my head out the window!) She’s also writing a romantic suspense novel with her sister, Lisa Jackson, AND she’s putting the final touches on the proposal for her own first stand-alone thriller, which should be out in 2009. Yeah . . . she’s a little crazed right now. I have to snort a lot to remind her I’m there. Sometimes she reads me a passage from her new book. I cock my head and pretend to pay attention, but if it’s not about me, I don’t really care. To keep Nancy on track, I’ll put my paw on her leg, just to remind her I could use a snack.

I worry sometimes that she’ll get so caught up in writing that she’ll forget about dinner. And I could expire before Ken gets home.

Maybe it’s time for that head on the keyboard again…..

The Binkster

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