Charlie
Charlie started life as a black Labrador. Then he became a brown and white Spaniel. He finally ended up as a cute brown Mongrel. The joys of deciding how to portray a character, even a doggie-shaped one.
He nearly didn’t get his own book, but one day, I was seeking inspiration and ideas to complete the 3rd book in my adult ‘Never Look Back’ series. I was struggling (still am) with Jack’s story. I chucked my teddy out of the pram, because words evaded me, and went for a long walk in the woods. While I was out wandering, meditating and tree hugging, an idea popped into my head. “Why don’t you write Charlie’s story?” it said.
Talk about a lightbulb moment. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Probably for several reasons. 1. It wasn’t the right time before that moment. 2. My mind was so full of ‘I have to write Jack’s story or my world will implode,’ that there was no room for anything else.
Once I’d had the lightbulb moment, I re-read the relevant chapters of Katie and Tom and started to build Charlie’s story. Once I’d started to write, it only took a month to get the first draft on paper. It’s taken 12 months to get the story finished, then…
Oh, to Find an Illustrator
…came the challenge of finding an illustrator. I learnt my lesson from Sedrick’s Adventures in Hopeland, so I didn’t search for an illustrator.
I used to do a bit of amateur modelling, and at the last session I did, I met David Wilcox. After meeting for coffee and attending one of his exhibitions, I asked him if he drew dogs. I couldn’t contain my excitement when he said yes! I was even more excited when he agreed to illustrate Charlie.
The Storyline
Meet Charlie Gold, a cute mongrel whose story begins at a rescue centre. He’s busy trying to recover from being mistreated by his previous owners.
When Charlie finds a loving new home with a soldier called Tom and his grandfather Maurice, he embarks on a new journey. Tom goes off to war, leaving Charlie and Maurice to bond. But when Tom comes home injured and Maurice passes away, everything changes again.
Charlie begins seeing himself as a therapy dog. His goal is to help Tom recover and find love. They meet Katie while out walking and Charlie instantly knows she’s the one — even if Tom doesn’t.
Will Charlie’s attempts at matchmaking succeed?
A heart-warming, inspirational story suitable for younger readers (10+). Charlie Gold tells the story of my two grown-up novels, Katie: A New Chapter and Tom: The Next Chapter, as seen through the eyes of their canine companion.
As there are no children in Katie’s or Tom’s stories, I decided to tell the story through the eyes of a pet. I don’t have children or pets, but I have friends who do, so I drew on some of their comments and experiences for things like training days and Charlie’s injury. I hope I’ve captured Charlie’s emotions well. As our canine companions can’t speak, it’s hard to tell.
Charlie is suitable for anyone aged 10+, and I hope you enjoy reading his story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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