Meet Brie and Pablo, my two little muses, who are my calming influence, lying lovingly by my side while I gaze out of the window, leisurely pondering my next chapter. All is tranquil. Not! It’s chaos around here. I have a deadline and I also have the terrible twins. They’re absolute reprobates. Okay, I am exaggerating a little. However, if you’re contemplating getting a calming little muse of your own, a Jack Russell is… Well, let’s just say they are spirited and pack an awful lot of personality into their small bodies. Apart from when they are asleep, they will provide you with plenty of entertainment (please see the evidence above). The truth is, I wouldn’t have them any other way. They are a challenge sometimes, particularly when they insist on climbing onto my bureau to gaze into my eyes while I’m contemplating how best to psychologically torture someone. It does tend to interrupt the word flow.

Seriously, I love them to bits. They are actually pivotal to my writing. Having fostered disabled dogs, everything from a three legged cross Rottweiler to a claustrophobic collie, I could never be without the companionship they provide. And, yes, I do bounce my ideas off them. Without them, who would I talk to while I’m taking a break from my pc? I do have a husband, but he tends to cock a deaf ear, sensibly. I think many a writer would also tell you that some of their lightbulb moments arrive whilst out walking their dogs. That’s true for me, too.

So, a little about the terrible twins. Brie is a Blue Cross rescue lass. Sadly, she was run over and came to me with four pins in her tiny legs. She’s since had one pin removed, and is thriving. She did need nurturing, lots of love and attention, but she is truly a heartbreaker. Pablo… Oh Pablo. How could you not love a tiny little pup rescued from a puppy farm? And when I say tiny, I mean miniscule. He’s a little Jack Chi (a JR crossed with a chihuahua) and, boy, does he have a big personality. He was very poorly for a while, and totally clueless. Brie took him under her wing and taught him all he knows, mostly how to pluck eyes from unsuspecting stuffed toys, which is how I came to be blue-lighting it to the emergency vet close to midnight last night. He managed to get a bit of the inside of a soft toy wedged firmly in his small throat. I am pleased to report he lived to tell the tale – and so did I after near heart failure.

So, these are my babies. They are a handful, but you can see why I love them. You can’t? Oh. I can’t go without mentioning my previous little JR, Snoops, who we lost just prior to Brie coming into our lives. Snoops was blind. He stole my heart completely. When he went, he took a little piece of my heart with him. I will never forget him. In fact, I dedicated one of my books to him. How could I not?

Would I be without the terrible twins? No, definitely not. Call me a glutton for punishment, but they are my family. I wouldn’t know how to be without them.

Right, I’ll just go and rescue the cat they’re terrorising in the garden, and then I’ll get on with that next chapter.

Happy writing all!

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Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has also obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath. Sheryl’s latest psychological thriller MY HUSBAND’S GIRLFRIEND comes to you from BOOKOUTURE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels, The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love.

To find out more about Sheryl (and her furry friends) go to www.sherylbrowne.com

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