Janice explained her publisher chose the title, focusing on the theme of recovery from grief and trauma, through the characters’ love of, and connection to, the stray dog, Amigo.
For Love of a Dog was inspired from a magazine article Janice read. “Several years ago I read a magazine article about a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan who befriended a stray dog while out in the countryside. When the unit returned to base, the dog turned up later, having followed the soldiers for several days. The soldier decided to adopt the dog and take it back home with him,” Janice said. “I liked the idea of the bonds of friendship, commitment and love that inspired this soldier to go to the trouble of taking the dog home with him.”
The theme in For Love of a Dog is about grief and its effect on a family and a soldier’s recovery from the consequences of war; the hope of better days through love and acceptance.
Taking place on a soybean farm outside Lima Ohio Ohio (pop. approx..37,000), For Love of a Dog is set in a small city just south of Toledo and sits in the heartland of farm country. “The soybean farm has been in the heroine’s family for generations, but is now in decline due to the economy as well as the family tragedy.”
In For Love of a Dog we’ll meet, Kai Westfield. “As a teen, Kai could hardly wait to escape her family farm outside Lima,” Janice said. “Once she left for college, she never really went back. Eventually she realized her dream of being a freelance photographer, traveling the world on assignment. She is independent and, in spite of her aversion to farm life, has a deep, strong love of family. Her nomadic lifestyle has had an impact on that family life – she was absent for times of both celebration and grieving – as well as on her love life. She has always put her career ahead of her romantic relationships.”
The hero, Luca Rossi, is the only child of a wealthy, urban family. “He enlisted in the army to escape the confines of over-protective parents who wanted to control his future. His father’s death while Luca was serving in Afghanistan brought a deep sense of guilt, along with grief. Then his unit was hit by an IED and his best friend killed. His discharge and recovery back home is brightened only by the return of a stray dog he’d befriended in Afghanistan. Luca – a proud and contained man unwilling to compromise – is shaken by these events. The peace and tranquility of rural life has a profound effect on him. His recent experiences lead to an empathetic understanding of Kai’s young nephew and Luca’s mother. His new determination to communicate with others and willingness to show his feelings parallel Kai’s own realization that only love and trust can heal.”
We’ll also meet secondary characters: Margaret Westfield, Kai’s mother. She is coping not only with the tragic loss of her son, but the recent stroke of her husband. She learns to accept her situation rather than fight against circumstance. She is a strong woman with a sometimes cynical outlook who eventually accepts her daughter as someone with different hopes and dreams. And Thomas Westfield, who is the 8 year old orphaned son of Kai’s brother, killed in a farm accident. His post traumatic grief has resulted in elective mutism – he refuses to speak to any adult – that is finally ‘broken’ through his love for the dog, Amigo, and also through his bond with Luca, also suffering the consequences of tragedy.
There are also two older, stubborn men: Harry Westfield, Kai’s father, and his neighbor, Bryant Lewis, whose friendship faltered after the farm accident that killed Kai’s brother.
The key elements Janice would like readers to take away from For Love of a Dog are: That grief can be overcome through empathetic communication and understanding- and especially love. That family – with all its complicated ups and downs – binds and bolsters us, enabling us to accomplish our dreams. That place is never as important as the people you share your life with. “I hope readers will be able to connect with the Westfield and Rossi families coping with grief and finally learning acceptance of their loved ones.”
To learn more about Janice and her books, visit: heartwarmingauthors.blogspot.ca
janicecarterbooks@gmail.com
@JaniceGCarter
Let’s get a closer look at For Love of a Dog.
Army captain Luca Rossi hasn’t forgotten the dog who saved his life in Afghanistan. He just didn’t expect to be reunited with him on an Ohio soybean farm. Kai Westfield. The photojournalist who agreed to transport Amigo back to the States, has a different future in mind for the mutt that’s bringing her orphan nephew out of his grief. This tranquil, beautiful place is also healing the wounded soldier…and Kai deserves credit, too. But she’s only holding down the fort here until her dad recovers his good health; she can’t wait to get back to the big city. Can Luca summon the strength to stop Kai – and the peaceful life he envisions with her – from slipping away for good?
Janice Carter books are available at:
www.amazon.com
ww.goodreads.com
www.indigo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment