A Christmas Tail
Animal and Holiday Fiction
Date Published: November 16, 2023
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
It’s Christmas Eve in western Kansas and a snowstorm is gaining strength as Bear Bailey, a devoted Great Pyrenees, tries to comfort his beloved owner Mary. She’s in hot water with the local business villain, and Bear’s earlier altercation with this miser only seemed to make things worse. When Mary blurts out that she wishes for a different life, Bear blames himself for her despair and runs away.
Meanwhile Jiff, a Labrador patiently waiting for his own human to meet him at the Rainbow Bridge, sees Bear shivering alone in the blizzard. Knowing Bear won’t survive the night without intervention, Jiff agrees to act as Bear’s guardian angel on Earth. He is determined to show the Great Pyrenees what the lives of the humans around him would have been like without his presence over the years.
A holiday “tail” for those who love the season but feel the deep loss of loved ones (both furry and human), It’s a Wonderful Dog shines a light on the power of love and community, and reminds us that miracles do exist.
Is There a Message in
Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
The cover of It’s a Wonderful Dog –
A Christmas Tail reflects two aspects of the story, dogs and Christmas. But
there’s a third element to the story that I love and didn’t quite expect as I
was writing it. And that’s the power of community. We need each other more than
ever. Wonderful people coming together in times of trouble will change the
world. One of my favorite quotes is by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s
the only thing that ever has.” Small groups, accepting one another’s
differences, and coming together to help one another will change the world. And
that’s why I think the element of dogs works so well with that concept. They’re
pack animals and naturally operate as small communities, but even more so
they’re good-hearted acceptance of everyone is an excellent example of what us
humans should be doing.
Is there anything you
find particularly challenging in your writing?
I think
learning to tune out the outside world and being more devoted to the story I’m
writing than what might be going on in my head as I’m thinking about what my
day has ahead. I have found though, that it’s like a muscle. The more I
practice writing, the easier it gets to dwell in the story without distraction.
How many books have you
written and which is your favorite?
Over the years, I have written five books with remnants of half a dozen
still living in a couple of abandoned laptops. However, “It’s a Wonderful Dog –
A Christmas Tail is the first one I’ve published.
I love them all for different reasons. “It’s a Wonderful Dog” might edge
the others out right now because of its homage to my grandmother who passed
away recently and my beloved Great Pyrenees who followed later that year.
If You had the chance
to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick
and why?
Someone else asked me that recently and it stumped me!
Mary Bailey is in her mid-thirties during this first book and though I’m not
super familiar with a lot of actresses that age, I would say that I could see
Elizabeth Olson playing her.
When did you begin
writing?
I’ve always written, even before I
was in school. Serious writing however was when Martha Beck read some of my
writing and encouraged me to write a memoir. I’d always respected and loved her
writing and it was the best motivation for me to think someone like her thought
I could do it professionally.
How long did it take to
complete your first book?
Years ago, the first book I wrote
was a memoir. And I wrote that within a year. I decided not to publish it and
started a YA series that I spent over five years on. And I definitely, plotted,
sketched and technically choked the life out of the project. The next book took
me a year (I still hope to publish that one) and this book, the first one I’ve
published, took me fifty days to write! It was a complete joy to me to sit down
and write it every day. And then I had my genius editor, Shelly who was so generous
with her time and expertise. I think she knew how much I needed this book to be
off the launch pad for me.
Did you have an author
who inspired you to become a writer?
Joseph Campbell. I learned everything about how
stories are told through his “Hero’s Journey”. The structure of the “Hero’s
Journey” helped me to fall in love with storytelling.
What is your favorite
part of the writing process?
I’ve always thought of myself as a night owl but the
older I get the more I love early, early mornings. Just the quietness of my
thoughts and the magic of the words coming alive as the sun rises. I think the
metaphor of that I love so much – that in darkness of any sort, there’s the
briefest time to a beautiful start of new light.
Describe your latest
book in 4 words.
Wonderful Dogs Mend Hearts
Can you share a little
bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
Absolutely! There is a character within the book who was so supportive
to the main character, Mary Bailey that my editor pointed out and I agreed, she
needed her own book. I’m almost done
with her story. She’s really touching my heart because her background is
trickier than Mary’s and she still has a helping spirit with others. She’s very
noble even though she tries to hide it. There is also a lovely family in “It’s
a Wonderful Dog” who will be the focus
of the third book before the fourth finishes the series up.
Thank you so much for your interest in “It’s a Wonderful Dog – A
Christmas Tail.” I appreciate the generosity and time you put into the above
questions. If you need clarification or anything else, please don’t hesitate to
reach out to me. Wishing you the most wonderful holiday season!
Kind regards,
Keri
About the Author
Keri Salas grew up a small town girl with a sense of grand adventure. After marrying her childhood sweetheart and starting their first business on a shoestring budget, she went on to spend the last two decades as a life coach helping others reach their dreams.
The greatest joys in her life are exploring London, snuggling with her dogs (past, present, and future), and spending time with her husband David. Though not necessarily in that order. She believes that people will knock your socks off with their kindness, and life is filled with miracles and serendipitous events to rival any great fictional book.
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