Thursday 19 January 2012

GUEST BLOG: Julie Campbell

Friend of the blog, Julie Campbell is on a whirlwind blog tour and we were lucky enough to grab some of her time as its all about her new book available on Amazon (in the US, UK) as either an E-Book or a hardcopy.

So without further ado, we give you OWGer (one of the Kelley Armstrong Forum writers) Julie Campbell to take you on a journey with a different twist in its tail...


Gareth, thank you for having me here today for my blog tour.

My novella, Doc, Vampire-Hunting Dog is about a Border Collie who… hunts vampires. Bet you didn’t see that coming. Well, the second part anyway. You may not have guessed Border Collie unless you’ve already seen the cover. Then the breed of the MC is kind of obvious. Border Collies aren’t exactly known for being the most blood thirsty of breeds. Normally people think of Babe, the movie about a pig who herds sheep like the dogs do. They are cute, smart and a little grumpy with sheep sometimes, but not hunters.

Well, that’s true. But they do have that pretty cool eye. The Border Collie eye was developed early in the breeds history and they use it to control the sheep (and vampires). Yes, they literally stare at the sheep. It’s an intense gaze, and if you’ve ever had it turned on you, it can be intimidating. You can actually feel it even when you don’t know the dog is looking at you. They are also super smart. This is the blessing and curse of the breed. I won’t get on my soapbox here, but let me tell you, most people aren’t prepared to deal with a smart dog that might as well be a perpetual energy machine.

To me Border Collies make the perfect vampire-hunting dog. They’re smart enough, intense enough, loyal enough, and boy do they love to have a job and work with their human partner to get it done.

So what does my vampire-hunting dog in training do while I’m writing? A lot of the time she sits right under my feet. Sometimes I’ll come up for air and find I’m surrounded by her toys and she’s staring at me, hoping I’ll throw them. Sometimes she goes and sleeps on the couch. Poor dog. It’s a huge challenge to live with a Border Collie, especially since I also work 40+ hours a week out of the home, and write as much as I can. I have to keep her exercised and mentally occupied. If I lived on a farm she’d be outside working all day, every day, because that’s what BC’s do. They go and go and go. Since she’s a companion dog, I have to dedicate large amounts of time to doing things with her. I trail ride with her and my horse, play a lot of fetch, do a dog sport called flyball and we do herding. It’s kind of like having a kid… all her lessons and spending time with her. It’s wonderful though because a happy active BC means a happy active author – at least in my case.

Kira is my inspiration for Doc. Even Doc’s love for his lazy chair… Kira loves to sit in my lazy chair. So do the cats actually. Sometimes they even let me sit in it. She’s had a huge impact on this novella. I hope, if you decide to read it, that you’ll be able to see the real Border Collie behind the fictional one.

8 comments:

J.A. Campbell said...

Thanks so much for having me here Gareth!

Julie/Firewolf

Anne Michaud said...

Such an original talent, this Julie:) Great post, you guys!!

Angela Addams said...

This post made me laugh, Julie...I've always said it's better to have a stupid dog if you're looking for no argument. Smart dogs will give you a run for your money! I had a husky (she died a few years ago) and she was a very smart dog...drove me to insanity at times!

lol Great post!

Bea said...

I don't know much about Border Collies so this was an enlightening post. Thanks Julie!

T. James said...

My human has commented on the other entry this week... nice interview though Julie and Gareth...

Now will the stare work on cats... *squeak*?

Pat Hollett said...

I love reading about Julie and where she gets her ideas and how her stories come to life. Doc sounds like a great book.
The synopsis of Doc sounds like you've taken so much out of your life with Kira, except you've made Doc a superhero. Wonderful stuff Julie.

J.A. Campbell said...

Oh, gotta catch up on the comments. See what happens when you don't get online much during the work week? Gosh.

Thank you all for stopping in.

Angela: I'm so glad I could make you could laugh. Smart dogs rock, but they keep you hopping.

Bea: Border Collies are amazing, but a ton of work. Thanks for reading!

T.James: Usually the cats just swipe back with their claws.
-Doc.

Pat: Thanks so much! Doc is so much fun to write. I hope I get to share him with a ton of people.

T. Crosby said...

I have it, read it, loved it! Such a fun quick read with a lot more 'story' and plot in it than most would expect. Enjoy!