The animals in my stories—Tricia McGill

 

You can find all my Books We Love books here on my authors page

Most of my stories have at least one animal, be it a dog, cat or horse. I probably do it without conscious thought. Horses of course are essential in any story set in the past, without them or oxen to assist the pioneers how would most continents have been opened up for the settlers. On going through my backlog of books it even surprised me that almost every one of them contains at least one animal that played a vital part in the plot.

In Mystic Mountains, book one of my Settlers Series, horses and bullocks were essential for assisting the pioneers across large expanses of the Australian bush, and in this case across the Blue Mountains, which was a treacherous journey in the early 1800s. Then there were young Tim’s dogs who were his constant companions. Tim and his dogs appeared again in Distant Mountains, book two in the series and of course there were the much-required horses. In book three, Challenging Mountains, the month-long journey from Bathurst to Melbourne required sturdy horses and then there was Tim again with his trusty dog Bracken. Not so many animals featured in book four, Annie’s Choices, but the dogs and dingoes loved by the natives got a mention.

In The Laird, book one of my Wild Heather series, the Laird’s dogs play an extremely large part in finding the lost Andrew. And in the sequel, Travis, the laird’s ever-present hounds were still around.

Lonely Pride, book one in my Beneath Southern Skies series features Pixie the horse that brings the young lovers together. Sam fell in love with Mac when he let her ride his horse early on in the tale. This story is set in Tasmania so other small creatures such as a platypus crop up now and then. In A Dream for Lani, book two, Lani’s horse Matilda causes conflict with Ryan. Lani also has a poodle named Tootsy. Then there is Ruff, a large shaggy dog owned by the family she becomes friendly with. Leah in Love, book three features a dog Josh that accompanies Leah in her work as a landscape designer.

When Fate Decides, book one in my Challenge the Heart series has Tess who owns Velvet a spaniel, who is her constant companion. In book two, A Heart in Conflict, Georgie adopts a stray dog she names Spot. Book three, Kate’s Dilemma has dogs but not of huge significance to the story line.

My Time-Travel, A Call Through Time, is set in 450 AD, so of course there were horses galore. There were no saddles about, and the bridles were fashioned from plaited leather thongs. Brys had a horse called Arthur, which he had to leave behind in his old life. The men back there in the past respected Brys’s knowledge of horses after he saved one from a bout of colic.

Ah, Amethyst. This one tickled my fancy as it was the sort of menagerie I seem to end up with. Amy has two adopted animals, a dog Jess—a cross between a wombat and a corgi, and her cat Goldie that travels about in the basket at the front of Amy’s bicycle.

In Laurel’s Gift, Laurel becomes the caretaker, then owner of her great aunt’s King Charles spaniel Charlie and the two cats Marmalade & Plum named according to their colours. Hanno, the large dog belonging to Rolf came in close to the end of Powerful Destiny. A terrier sheepdog cross called Peggy got a mention in Crying is for Babies, my story based on my sister’s life. Tiger, the big black dog was a constant in When Destiny Calls and even appears on the cover.

Sweet Bitterness contains another dog called Peggy, a kelpie Jake and a cross breed dog Spike. For the Love of Faith has a dog called Bob and a horse, Matilda, both appearing throughout the tale. A Troubled Heart features Danny Boy, Esther’s horse. And believe it or not the as yet unnamed book I am working on definitely has horses, but expect a dog or two to pop up somewhere along the line, I can’t seem to leave them out.

Just as a footnote, my current companion is a cat of many colours called Mitch, but I have had many dogs, horses and a cat or two over the years and cannot imagine life without at least one of them there to depend on for a smile or companionship.