TailsInc.com

In my comic novella, SHOW DOG SINGS THE BLUES, a pampered Australian Shepherd named Talisman is mistaken for a cowdog and must work on a ranch for the day. As she faces all kinds of dangerous situations, she finds strength in remembering advice she had received from her mother:

I remembered something my mother had told us girls before we were taken from her. She gave a pep talk on the subject of confidence and one of the things she said was, I want you to be tough bitches. You can’t ever let others see your paws sweat, or you’ll be flat on your back with your bellies exposed, having to grin submissively, and that’s just not our family’s style. Make me proud, girls.

And so Talisman makes her mother proud.

However, I am sure that what animals remember most later in life is the tender love their mothers gave them. It is this foundation of love that most certainly provides them the strength to deal with all the challenges thrown their way. Please enjoy this photo essay on the tenderness of mothers:

This is Rain and her daughter Sky. (Photo by Ashley Robak)

This is Poppy and her ewe lamb Flower. (Photo by Karen Jones)

Read the rest of this entry →

I have a lot of dog friends on Facebook and love seeing their photos. Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of smiling canine faces and wanted to share them with you. Please meet some of the happiest dogs in dogdom:

This is Chester. His person, Debbi Eschenbach, says he loves the sun:

This is Lydia Henke Trunnell’s Trace, who is famous for his smiles and also for sleeping while standing up!

Read the rest of this entry →

In my humorous novella, SHOW DOG SINGS THE BLUES, Talisman is a prissy, pampered diva dog who is mistaken for a cowdog and has to work on a ranch. By the time her adventure is over, Talisman’s stockdog instincts save the day, but she has a few mishaps along the way. Um, this includes her decision to use an unconventional technique to boost her self-confidence. Please enjoy this excerpt:

“We’re gonna move the bulls to the next pasture over,” Josh said.

Bulls? A whine escaped me.

He grinned. “Exciting, ain’t it?”

Josh and I had very different ideas about what constituted a good time.

We reached the rise of a low hill and looked down at the pasture below—and there they were. A sea of bulls. Omigod, it was like the seventh circle of bovine hell.

Josh pointed to a big gate on the far side of the pasture. “I’m gonna open that gate, and we’re gonna move them to that pasture yonder.”

Sure we are.

“What a good-looking herd,” Josh said as we headed down the hill toward the pasture. “The bigger ones look to be around a ton.” His grin widened. “I love a challenge.”

Read the rest of this entry →

In my Red Hot series of comic novels, Valentino DeMitri and his Australian Shepherd, Talisman, often dress up in flashy costumes. Val likes to call it “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” They do it just for fun and fancy. But there are other reasons dogs are called upon to dress up and “Put on the Ritz.”

Valorie Marks started dressing Tyler, her Australian Shepherd, in costumes when he became an assisted therapy dog. One of the things he could do was let disabled children who had problems using their fingers and arms help dress him as a form of exercise. Also the group Valorie and Tyler are in go to schools that have children in special classes. These students will work with the dogs and sometimes they will have races where the kids have a pile of costumes and they each get to dress up a dog. Plus, as Valorie says, “Tyler just looks so darn cute in the costumes, he always puts a smile on everyone’s faces.” And it’s true! Meet Tyler, therapy dog extraordinaire, and follow him on a typical workday:

First things first: Tyler must get ready for the day ahead:

Then he must walk the puppy before heading off to work:

Read the rest of this entry →

In my Red Hot series of comic mystery novels, there is a humorous subplot about two blue merle Australian Shepherds whose love is forbidden. Talisman is a fictional character based on my own Aussie. Her forbidden lover, Chance, is also based on a real dog. 2006 Crufts Best In Show – BISS MBIS AKC/ASCA Ch Caitland Isle Take A Chance AX AXJ RS-E JS-E GS-E STDs TDI* “Chance” was the first Australian Shepherd to win Best In Show at Crufts, the largest and most prestigious international dog show. Chance was more than a superstar. The Chance-man touched so many lives, and none so profoundly as that of his person—Nancy Resetar. Chance passed away on March 4.

I dreamt of Chance last night and woke up before dawn to write this eulogy. I would like to believe it is a message from Chance to Nancy:

* * *

God created me—for you.
A shooting star you wished upon,
I fell to Earth to make your dreams come true.

All I did, I did for you.
Person of my heart—I gave my heart to you.

Read the rest of this entry →

In my RED HOT series of comic mystery novels, the canine star of the show is a blue merle Australian Shepherd named Talisman. A humorous subplot to the series is Talisman’s star-crossed love affair with another blue merle Australian Shepherd named Chance. It’s a forbidden love because two merles should never mate or their puppies could be born blind and deaf. I included the plotline as a way to educate people, because the ignorance of backyard breeders has led to so much tragedy

In RED HOT LIBERTY, Talisman dons a scarf that says, “Just Like Romeo & Juliet.” She cons her person, nine-year-old Angelina, into writing Chance heartbreaking love letters. She moons over him. She refuses to date other dogs. It is a tragic tale of tailless tragedy.

Talisman ends up having to see a pet psychic for counseling.

It is funny, it is sad, and it makes a point I hope won’t be ignored.

Read the rest of this entry →

Talisman, the cultured, pampered Australian Shepherd from my canine chick lit novella, SHOW DOG SINGS THE BLUES, certainly is developing a reputation as, well, a famous fictional dog. She is famous for dancing, and her books dance on bestsellers lists, and she raises lots of money for animal rescue. Talisman is a well-rounded celebrity in her own right who has also developed a reputation for interviewing other celebrities. She has interviewed Victoria Stilwell’s dog, Sadie, and the pets of famous actors, singers, artists, psychics, and movie producers. Recently, she even interviewed a vampire-hunting dog. This week she decided she wanted to interview another one of my fictional dogs because, strange as it may seem, the two have never before met.

Wigglebutt is also an Australian Shepherd who was introduced in my latest novel, THRESHOLD, a paranormal thriller about a young boy named Cole who drowns, has a near-death experience, and returns with a dangerous mission. Wigglebutt is Cole’s dog and best friend, and her experiences in THRESHOLD have also made it onto Amazon’s bestsellers lists.

Wigglebutt is an uber-happy dog who has no tail, and so her butt wiggles shamelessly. She showed up for the interview with her favorite slimy stuffed wolf clutched firmly in her mouth. She offered it to Talisman because she just loves to share.

Talisman, being the polite hostess she is, said, “Yuck! Seriously?” And so the interview began.

Read the rest of this entry →

As my readers may remember, last year I had a guest blogger here named Doc, who is a vampire-hunting Border Collie. In his blog he gave instructions to other animals on how to hunt vampires. It was fascinating! Now, Doc’s vampire-hunting adventures have just been released in a new novella: DOC VAMPIRE HUNTING DOG. I thought that the, ah, perfect individual to interview him about his chosen vocation would be Talisman, the prissy, seriously-pampered, dancing dog from my canine chick lit novella, SHOW DOG SINGS THE BLUES.

* * *

Talisman: Why do you hunt vampires?

Doc: They smell funny. Dead things shouldn’t be walking around. Oh, and several have tried to hurt my human.

Talisman: Do you receive any blue ribbons for your accomplishments?

Doc: Sometimes I get covered in goo. Does that count?

Talisman: That sounds really gross to me.

Doc: Getting covered in goo is gross. Then I have to get a bath. *flattens ears in disgust*

Talisman: Do you dance to celebrate a successful hunt?

Doc: Dance? Sometimes I get to herd sheep.

Read the rest of this entry →

I am a novelist who creates memorable characters, many of whom happen to have tails. The Rocky Mountain News said, “O’Branagan has skill in creating characters.” I love my characters, they are very popular, and yes, I believe they are skillfully created. As my greatest passion is a love of animals, I also find great joy in bringing my canine and feline characters into existence. Here is a summary of my most colorful animal creations:

Prissy, pampered Australian Shepherd Talisman is a former show dog with attitude. She likes bottled water, organic food, being groomed, and having her nails painted pink. Her Ellen DeGeneres crush is famous…so much so that the real Ellen began following me on Twitter as a result. Tali wears a neck scarf that says, “Call Me Ellen,” she has shaggy hair, loves to dance, and supports gay rights (as her rainbow-colored leash demonstrates). She is the canine star of the humorous RED HOT series of novels, and her spinoff canine chick lit novella, SHOW DOG SINGS THE BLUES, was just nominated for Best Humor Book of 2011 by the Dog Writers Association of America.

Read the rest of this entry →

My comic novella, SHOW DOG SINGS THE BLUES, has been nominated by the prestigious Dog Writers Association of America as the best humor book of 2011! My book is in fine company, and the grand prize winner will be announced in 2012.

SHOW DOG SINGS THE BLUES, a canine chick lit tale told from the dog’s perspective, is about an unfortunate case of mistaken identity. A seriously pampered Australian Shepherd named Talisman is accidentally switched with a cowdog and has to work on a ranch for the day. By the time her harrowing adventure is over, she is in desperate need of a massage, a session with her Reiki Master, a consultation with the pet psychic, a full grooming, and a pedicure. However, along the way she learns powerful lessons—including the discovery that she’s so much more than just another pretty face. Hilarious and touching, it is a tale for humans of all ages!

Please enjoy this scene where Talisman has her first encounter with bulls:

We reached the rise of a low hill and looked down at the pasture below—and there they were. A sea of bulls. Omigod, it was like the seventh circle of bovine hell.

Josh pointed to a big gate on the far side of the pasture. “I’m gonna open that gate, and we’re gonna move them to that pasture yonder.”

Sure we are.

“What a good-looking herd,” Josh said as we headed down the hill toward the pasture. “The bigger ones look to be around a ton.” His grin widened. “I love a challenge.”

Read the rest of this entry →