Getting there....

I am, of course, excited but terrified - my editor loves it and so do the friends that have read it, but what about everyone else? What if they hate it, or just don't get it? Gulp....

I gave a talk last Saturday as part of the Penryn Fringe Festival, which took place at the Terrace Gallery. I was interviewed by Pauline Causey, who’s worked for the BBC for 30 years, so I was in safe hands, and she asked me about The Rescue.

Actually Pauline’s idea that I should write this book. Shortly after dear Moll departed this life, I had a drink with Pauline and she wanted to know what had happened, and also a bit more about my life with Moll, starting from when Pip was alive. Life had been quite eventful, and Pauline’s eyes grew wider as I told her what had happened. ‘You have to write about this,’ she breathed, taking a sip of wine.

‘I can’t,’ I said, ‘It’s too personal.’

‘Well, make it up,’ she said. ‘And Moll should write it.’

To be honest, I thought she was bonkers. Then, after a few days of mulling over this idea, I came to the conclusion that she was a genius. Well, she is anyway, but…. How should I write this story, the beginning of which would be true, but make the rest up? And how on earth could I write it from a dog’s point of view?

I did a lot of thinking, and observed my new rescue, Lainy. I read a lot about how dogs communicate, and of course the obvious difference is that while we use our eyes and speech, dogs use their noses, which are 100 million times more sensitive than ours. Their hearing, also, is way more effective than ours, but it’s their noses that do the brunt of the work. Then I had to think how things would smell. For example, dogs must identify their owners by their smell, but what do they smell like? And what does happiness smell like? Illness? Fear? Grief? Joy? Embarrassment? Pauline had just got the new edition of National Geographic which supports the theory that dogs do empathise, grieve and show joy just as we do - well, anyone with a dog knows this, but at least it shows that I’m barking up the right book. Well, no one knows for sure, other than dogs, of course, so I had to use my imagination. One thing I did know was that Moll was extremely greedy, so food features largely in this book. Ironic, given that I’m not very bothered about food! I might have got this completely wrong, but after 15 years I knew Moll pretty well. She was opinionated, stubborn, greedy and her love was given very conditionally. But I loved her, and although she wasn’t an affectionate dog, I like to think she loved me, too. If you’d like to find out, it’s available for pre-order now www.suekittow.com.

And also, after three weeks of limping, this is Lainy's fourth day (I hope) of not limping. Fingers crossed she's on the mend!

More progress but a lame Lainy

The good news is that everything is going ahead with publication of The Rescue. The corrections for the final proof have gone through and then publication should be (fingers crossed) end of October/beginning of November. There's been a huge amount to organise but it looks like it's all coming together, and I'm giving my first talk this weekend as part of Falmouth Book Festival, to publicise it, and arrange pre-orders, then the book launch date will be decided next week. I hope.

This was taken last weekend at Kynance Cove, where we visited with Twig but no Lainy as she is on house arrest. Or at least, rest.

Poor girl became lame when we were in North Devon, where we had a much needed break, made more relaxing by not having brilliant weather, and by Jac not feeling wonderful either. We went out every day, but poor Lainy couldn't walk for and we didn't feel like long hikes in the rain, so we had a wonderful week pottering about with some good walks while Lainy was OK and all in all it was a wonderful week.

Lainy went to the vet on our return who advised slow sniffy walks on lead for a few days, but for the rest of the week she was absolutely fine, until she ran down a steep hill and by the bottom she was limping but on the other paw. The vet advised 3 x 10 minute walks to make sure she rests, then as she wasn't getting better, we had to go in again. She appears to have damaged her shoulder so she's still on the very short walks per day but actually seems quite happy with that, as it's obviously too sore to walk further. So we have to leave her behind when we walk Twig or when I walk with my friends, and she must wonder why we're leaving without her. However, she appears to bear us no ill feeling, and is as loving and cheery as ever.

This has to go on for at least another week (we've done 10 days so far) and then, hopefully, she can begin to extend her exercise, but very gradually, so she doesn't wrench her shoulder again. Poor girl, it's not the same without her.

But think of me next Saturday, and if you'd like to come to the talk it's at 5pm at the Terrace Gallery, Penryn this Saturday 22nd October. All are welcome!