GUEST POST - T. A. WILLIAMS

It's a Dog's Life

by Merlin 

Hi. In case you’re wondering, I’m a dog.

You may already know me, under one of my many aliases, from reading the books written by my patron, T A Williams, aka Trevor Williams, the man who writes books for women. You see, he and I go way back and he always puts me in his books.

I normally appear as a pedigree black Labrador (my true persona) although in The Room on the Second Floor I morphed into an enormous, but utterly charming mongrel (apart from an unfortunate habit of drinking out of the toilet bowl). Curiously, on the cover of What Happens in Tuscany, the artist transformed me into a long-haired retriever. 

Now, I have nothing against long hair. Indeed, some of my best friends are very hirsute, although my patron (“owner” sounds so very demeaning, don’t you think?) is very definitely not of the hirsute variety. In fact, take a look at any photograph of him and you’ll see light reflecting off his bald head.

Anyway, I digress…

My most recent incarnation is in What Happens in Cornwall… as a young, very handsome (naturally) Labrador called Henry. I rather like that name. Henry has the great good fortune to live on an island with the famous film star, Ann Cartwright, described as “the most beautiful woman in the world”. There is no doubt that Henry has a good life, although having to travel to and from the USA in a crate is not my idea of fun. In this book, Henry plays a leading role, as it is he who makes an amazing archaeological discovery. I’d better not tell you too much.

Prior to Henry, I appeared in a charming cameo role as Dante, the Italian Labrador. In What Happens in Tuscany…, Dante is the undisputed capo di tutti i capi of a rather fine hillside overlooking Florence. He has style, manners and the remarkable ability, unusual in Labradors, to restrain himself from farting in the presence of refined company. Although he understands Italian, he is also fluent in English. No mean feat for a quadruped. Not as good as being able to type like me, but not bad at all…

His predecessor was called Danny. Danny is the eponymous hero of When Alice Met Danny. Now, it may surprise you to find that a Labrador knows the meaning of the word eponymous, but by now you’ve probably gathered that I’m a slightly unusual dog. In fairness Danny has a lot of competition in that book. You see, he’s not the only Danny. There’s a windsurfer, a baby, a writer, even the lord of the manor. In fact everywhere you turn, there are characters called Danny. But Danny, my alter ego, is the true hero of the book. And he gets the girl and keeps her, which is more than can be said for the rest of the cast.

The large mongrel incarnation of me in The Room on the Second Floor is called Jasper. Apart from his aforementioned idiosyncratic drinking habits, Jasper has an unfortunate habit of knocking things, and people, over. He manages to destroy a priceless grandfather clock, tip his mistress into a bush and chew up a perfectly good pair of shoes. On the plus side, he discovers a gold ring, is responsible for rescuing his master, and chases off a potential villain. I suppose you could think of him as a canine Schwarzenegger; not too hot on refinement, but a good friend to have beside you in a fight.

And last, or rather first, if you look at the chronology of the books, is Noah in Dirty Minds. Noah’s master, Tom, has had a tough time recently and Noah has been there all the way to offer canine company and support. He has a weakness for biscuits, an obsession with swimming. Although flatulence is a recurring problem, he’s probably the closest to me, the original and genuine canine inspiration for T A Williams, or the Old Man, as I like to call him.

Now, if you will excuse me, I can hear the postman at the gate. Woof, woof, woof… 

What Happens in Cornwall… is out on July 20th, 2015, published by Carina. Check out the other stops on Trevor's blog tour and be sure to enter his giveaway below:

 

Book Blurb

For a very British summer holiday…

 

When archaeologist Sam realises her relationship is as dead as the skeletons she’s exhuming, she knows it’s time to make a change. But with bills to pay her options are limited…until a discovery on Rock Island in Cornwall gives her a reason to escape… 

Head to the Cornish coast!

In Cornwall, questions are thrown up at every turn: who is the glamorous owner of Rock Island that the paparazzi are so interested in? How has the irresistible, but impossibly arrogant, history professor James Courtney managed to get so far under Sam’s skin? And will it ever stop raining so Sam can lose the cagoule and sip a cool drink in the sun? One thing’s for sure: there’s never been a holiday quite like this one! 

Enjoy a summer of surprises and romance with What Happens in Cornwall…, the perfect retreat for fans of Fern Britton.

Purchase What Happens in Cornwall

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Author Bio

Firstly, my name isn't T A. It's Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, "Dirty Minds" one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn't possibly comment. Ask my wife...

I've written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I'm enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.

I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.

I've been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she's right.

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