What Animals Want Readers to Know
Welcome to Women Honoring the West!
This month’s guest is a gem. We are both part of Susan May Warren’s Novel Academy and Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers. We have mutual friends and have been wanting to meet for some time. Finally, last October at the FHLCW Conference in Phoenix, we met, hugged, and laughed.
She’s the treasure I’d suspected.
Let’s open the gate and meet Mary A. Felkins.
Although I was raised in the ever-expanding metropolis of Houston, Texas, my country boy father possessed extensive ranch experience, raised in rural Texas with chores tending the animals. Same with my grandfather and German-born great-grandfather. My mother was in an equine club in college, and my oldest daughter rode western and English competitively for many years.
But y’all, I have a confession.
Horses frighten me.
Now, in fairness to these magnificent creatures, I’ve rarely ridden on one that was properly trained.
Because Dad’s hearty German heritage and passion for animals run through my veins, it was natural for me to include animals in my books. When I was a little girl, I filled long, sweltering summer days writing children’s stories (when I wasn’t playing with the family dog), which often featured talking animals. Naming these characters was a satisfying part of the creative process.
But the animals in the books I write today are not page fillers. They serve the story.
They mirror the character’s flaws and give the reader a glimpse of what the character could have been if they let love have its way.
They have much to say to a reader willing to listen.
Ready to meet some of them?
The top cast members in my Wild Rose Ridge romance series are:
One Starry Christmas—Hephzibah or “Zeb”(the heroine’s dog). In Hebrew, the name means “My delight is in her.” The hero helps the heroine come to believe this truth about herself.
By Summer’s End—Abraham & Sarah (goats), Rocky & Adrian (guinea fowl), Cruiser & Luna (horses), and Cain & Passion (rescue dogs) present an array of male-female animal pairings meant to illustrate what the hero is missing by refusing to open his heart to love.
Fall for Me—Plutonium (a fearsome bull) and Faithful & True (horses). If the hero rides that bull, the heroine believes it will jeopardize her only shot at happily ever after.
In Ella, my historical romance book, the hero is James, a targeted deputy sheriff who works mounted patrol. The names he’s given to his sleek and swift Quarter Horses—Justice and Avenger—shed light on the condition of James’ heart.
Here’s a brief excerpt when Ella meets Avenger …
From the neighboring stall, a sleek black Quarter Horse whinnied, breaking the tendril of emotion.
Ella stroked the coarse hair on the bridge of his nose and spoke into his deep, luminescent eyes. “What’s your name, big boy?”
“Avenger.”
She snapped a glance at James. “Sounds like you have something to prove.”
“They’re my livelihood.”
“Why not something regal like ….” Ella circled her hands to stir imagination. “Sir Bruce of Heatherglade and Duke Winslow of Edenwood?”
“They’re warriors. Not dandified princes.”
Animals are one of God’s precious gifts to us. In exchange for being nourished and well-managed, they provide a safe place to pour out our hearts. They’re refreshingly incapable of casting judgment and provide an ideal way for writers to communicate essential truths in fiction.
What about you? How do you decide what to name your animals? What meaningful lessons have your animals taught you?
Thanks for reading!
About Mary
Mary A. Felkins is a multi-published, award-winning romance author whose stories deliver sass, sizzle, wit, and wisdom. She is a blogger and a member of ACFW, My Book Therapy, Novel Academy, and FHLCW. (Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers)
She can be lured from her creative writing space if presented with an unopened bag of Peanut M&Ms. A surprise appearance by her teen idol, Donny Osmond, would also do the trick—although she’d likely pass out.
If she likes your first or last name, expect it to show up in one of her novels.
Check Out Mary Book, Ella
Buy link for Ella: https://tinyurl.com/yvap69z3
Connect with Mary
To receive Mary’s author newsletters with family and exclusive author updates, subscribe via email at www.maryfelkins.com. New subscribers receive an opportunity to download a FREE novella.
Instagram handle: @maryafelkins
Mary would love to hear from you.
Go ahead, ask her a question or drop your thoughts in the comments.
