Book info:
Author: Larry Verstraete
Publication Date:
November 15, 2018
Publisher: Yellow
Dog
Synopsis:
Coop is an aging, cynical, down-and-out dachshund who faces
the ultimate test when his new owner, Mike, and Mike’s grandchildren, Zach and
Emma, run into trouble. Mike rescued him, but does Coop have what it takes to
do the same?
Drawing strength from the stories about great dogs that Mike
shares with him, Coop charts a dangerous journey to save his new family.
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Guest Post:
The world of … (World Building)
The World of Dogs
Coop is the narrator
of his own story. He is an elderly
dachshund who has been shuttled between shelters and homes most of his
life. He experiences everything from a
dog’s point of view, and yet he lives with humans who do things for different
reasons and in different ways than he would.
To make Coop’s voice
authentic and believable, I had to learn how dogs function and then imagine how
that would translate into various situations.
In a dog’s world, senses play a key role. Of all the senses, the primary
one is smell. Dogs have many more smell receptors than humans do, and smell is
their main information-gathering tool.
They sniff everything – other dogs, garbage, dung, crotches. That led to some interesting and comical
scenarios.
Coop’s size and age
factored into the story in a big way, too. In his world, everything looks large
and challenging. Because he has a few
age-related issues like arthritis, even climbing up on to a bed is daunting. When
Coop faces threats and danger, his size and age heighten the challenges
confronting him.
To write as Coop,
first-hand experience paid off in a big way.
I’ve been around dogs my whole life, but even then I needed to do more
research. I read books about dogs, visited shelters, hung around with
dachshunds, and questioned owners about their pets. At one point, I crawled on
all fours to appreciate how a small dog like Coop might view life. I saw scratches in our hardwood floor and
dents in the furniture that I never noticed before. Try it yourself, if you want. You’ll see knees, chair legs, and the floor
in new and interesting ways.
About the Author:
Larry Verstraete (B.Sc, M.Ed.) is a Winnipeg writer and
educator. A teacher for 30 years, his experience ranges from teaching
university courses to teaching at the senior and middle years levels in public
school. An author of books for youngsters, Larry has also written for writer’s
manuals, science textbooks, and educational journals, and has conducted
sessions in science and writing for youngsters and adults around the country.
His writing career began as an off-shoot of his teaching one, and here is his
story.....
Giveaway:
- Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Coop the Great by Larry Verstraete (INT)
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