Corgi Capers 3: Curtain Calls and Fire Halls

I’m happy to reveal the cover for the upcoming book Corgi Capers: Curtain Calls and Fire Hall. The book will be released soon through DWB Children’s Line. The story takes place in the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving and continues the adventures of Sapphie, Zeph, Adam, and Courtney. Once again, Leia and Yoda Corgi were happy to model for the cover.

Inspiration in Unexpected Places

Adam’s favorite comic book detective knows that a mystery can appear anywhere. This is a lesson Adam learns when money disappears from the Stoney Brook Fire Company, where he volunteers. But who would steal from the firefighters? Can one of his new friends be the culprit?

Meanwhile, Courtney tries to make things right after the mess she made on Halloween. She balances her time between volunteering at Willow Lakes Retirement Community and taking her wild pup Sapphie to obedience classes. But inspiration strikes in unexpected places, and Courtney finds herself captivated by an acting group that visits her school. Does Sapphie have what it takes to earn the canine role in the play and perform alongside Courtney?

Sapphie and Zeph add their own capers to the mix as they find new ways to escape and discover what exactly is hiding in the chilly autumn woods near their home. In this inspirational chapter in the Corgi Capers series, Adam and his friends discover exactly what makes the heart of a hero.

Related Posts

I’ve already blogged about the winners of the Name that Cat contest and about the inspiration of one of the winning names. Being inspired to enjoy life is a constant theme in Corgi Capers, as Zeph (inspired by my own fraidy-dog Yoda) is afraid of most things. I’m pleased to be working with Yuming Cao to bring this bravery to life through illustration, and this illustrated corgi book will also be available soon.

I’m so excited that my person is finally letting me write a blog post! I get to write about my brother, too. He’s too scared to write about anything. See, this weekend, we got to celebrate our birthday. It was a busy time but so much fun.

My brother doesn’t even know what “Happy Birthday” means, but every time our person said it to him, he wagged his tail and howled. Silly boy. I, on the other hand, know full well that “Happy Birthday” means treats.

First, we got to chase our absolutely favorite thing in the world–the green dot! For those of you who don’t know, the green dot is sneakier than a squirrel, faster than a rabbit, and smellier than a deer. We haven’t caught it yet, but we sure keep it in line:

Here’s another video our person took because Yoda wasn’t being chasy enough in the first one;

We kicked off the weekend with a rare treat. Our person gave us CANNED DOG FOOD! We love it so much, but when we eat it, we are super focused and growl at each other a little because we’re so excited. So our person was a little preoccupied making sure we weren’t going to try to eat each others’ food that she didn’t get to snap a picture. Our person is sitting here as I’m writing and told me to tell you that if you saw a picture of us eating canned dog food, you would think it was gross. Our person says we look like snakes eating prey. Whatever that means.

Anyway, after eating our canned food (our person says it makes us stinky–hee hee!), we were lucky to enjoy perfect weather for our birthday weekend. I got to sneak around, and I rolled in several unique smells.

This is me being sneaky.

My brother is so boring. He just likes to sit under a tree and watch things. He always has to make sure our person is in his sights. How boring.

This is my brother being attentive and boring.

I like to hike around and see if I can lose my person!

This is me sneaking under the pine trees, where I’m pretty sure a family of skunks live. They haven’t sprayed me yet, and I don’t know why my person always yells at me when she catches me here.

This is me showing my brother the bestest, stinkiest place to roll.

But the very best part of the weekend was that my person left the gate off the stairs. Me and my brother aren’t supposed to run up and down stairs on account of us being short-legged corgis. Usually, we obey the rules, but if my person is upstairs for too long, I like to sneak up a few steps to be closer to her. But sometimes, if she’s upstairs sleeping, I sneak all the way up and hide in the hallway. She never even suspected that this weekend, I took a nap in the hallway right outside her room! Though come to think of it, I’m not sure where this picture came from…

We wrapped up the weekend with one final treat, and now that we’ve enjoyed all that, we’ll sleep well. Luckily, our person has to go to work tomorrow, so we get to have a nice long nap!

Until next time my person lets me write a blog post, take care and send me treats!

This is a picture of my brother, not me, because when I eat treats, I don’t sit still long enough to snap a picture!

I’ve written many times about my “fraidy-dog” Yoda, who is afraid of almost everything. In fact, for fun, I’ve compiled a list of his fears here. I’ll have to update that page with two new additions, one from last night.

The front cover, illustrated by the talented Yuming Coa.

His sister Leia loves to steal socks, but Yoda never does. Leia has so much fun running around the house with a sock in her mouth that I felt sorry for Yoda—he was missing out on the fun. Last night I tried to give him my other sock, but he just hurried away, hiding behind my chair. Since he was a small pup, he hasn’t really played with stuffed toys or anything soft—only rawhide bones or hard toys. If I try to play with him with a soft stuffed animal, he simply runs away. Sad!

It got me thinking that maybe he is missing out on some of the fun he could be having if he were less afraid. I thought about my own childhood. I definitely didn’t live life to the fullest; I was always cautious. My dad always repeated a saying to me: A coward dies many times, but a brave man dies only once. I understood what he said even as a kid, and I tried not to let fear of anything keep me down.

These musings inspired me to write a book in verse, an illustrated book that both children and adults would enjoy. It’s called Cora Cassidy and the Craven Corgi, and it will be available soon. I found an amazing illustrator at my alma mater, The College of William and Mary. Yuming Cao definitely captured the emotion behind each scene in the book.

The story takes us through a year in the life of Raven, a cowardly little corgi. Raven explains to her person Cora exactly what terrifies her about each part of the year, and Cora tries to dispel the corgi’s fears, looking with optimism at each time of year. Cora’s glass is always half full. For Raven, the glass is usually half empty (and full of something terrifying!).

My favorite line from the book is Cora’s: “Every month of the year keeps improving.” I love the optimism she shows when thinking about the world. Anyone who knows me knows how much I fear winter—I was trapped in a car during a snowstorm for thirteen hours once, and I’d much rather deal with a little heat and humidity than with crippling snow. I aspire, though, to look at the world the way Cora does.

Cora views each day as a gift, and she finds the enjoyable and the memorable in each time of year. Cora truly embodies my father’s advice, appreciating each day and all it has to offer.

I’m excited to share this guest post by the amazing C. Hope Clark, author of the Carolina Slade Mystery series and owner of two adorable dogs. You can check out her links at the bottom of the post:

Writers often love having a pet around the keyboard. Dean Koontz has his golden retriever. Virginia Woolf had Pinka, a red cocker spaniel. Like my host Val Muller, Stephen King loves his corgis. John Steinbeck had a poodle he’d walk or drive around to remove writer’s block. And I’m proud to say that E. B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, adored his protégé Minnie the mini-dachshund, because I’m a dachshund lover, too.

While I don’t have quite the acclaim of E. B. White, I write day in and day out, publishing The Carolina Slade Mystery Series, mystery novels that take place in rural South Carolina. And at my feet, or running up and down the hall to my study, or wrestling around the floor, or chasing each other around the sofa, are two dachshunds that my readers know well thanks to Facebook.

Roo and Winnie.

Simple names. We acquired Roo first. As the last of a litter, she was a smooth, red sable, an inch or two shorter than a proper, well-bred dachshund should be, which only made us fall in love with her more. But I wanted a distinctive literary handle for her, so I researched high and low for characters and authors with cool names.

Suddenly I heard down the hall, “Stop jumping! This dog is a dang kangaroo.” Worried about her dachshund spine so prone to injury, my husband fought to keep her from leaping in his lap, on chairs, on the sofa, but she ignored his pleas. “I’m calling her Roo,” he declared. And since Roo was such a wonderful little character in Winnie the Pooh, I agreed.

Roo turned into her daddy’s pup, though, preferring his lap to my study, coming to me only in his absence, so we decided a year later on another pup for me, as well as for Roo. On the way home, the tiny brindle pup in my hands, we searched on our phones for a solid German name for her. Agnes, Mathilde, Gretchen, we read down the list. Then we came to Winifred. Cool and unusual. Wini for short. It wasn’t until days later that we realized we’d unconsciously pulled out another Winnie the Pooh name, and we changed her spelling to Winnie. And as if to compensate for Roo’s shorter body, Winnie decided to be looong and lean.

“Come here, Rat Dog.”

As children of the South, our family has a deep supply of stories, metaphors and nicknames. Winnie was small and low to the ground, and soon learned that she could out-maneuver the more rotund Roo by scurrying under chairs, couches and beds . . . like a rat.

Then as Winnie grew long, and Roo grew more round, they became Mini-Winnie and the Mighty Roo.

When they needed to go outside, they were called Winnie the Poo (husband’s idea, I assure you) or the Poo Puppies.

At dinner time they were the Gorgeous Guts.

When they misbehaved, they were the Nasty Pups.

Roo slipped up behind you at times, earning her the title Stealth Puppy. Winnie, on the other hand, was Crazy Puppy. She couldn’t be quiet if she tried.

When Roo became such a Daddy’s girl, and she tired some evenings of a new puppy’s gnawings on her ears, she became:

“The Sweetest Puppy in the World”

“The Smartest Puppy in the World”

“The Prettiest Puppy in the World”

“The Cutest Puppy in the World”

You get the idea. Winnie didn’t care. She was too busy being wild and carefree, wreaking havoc on the nearest shoe, sometimes piling shoes and slippers until she’d cleaned out the closet.

There are some days I wonder why an author is supposed to have a dog. It’s not like they politely pose at your feet, being quiet, helping the writer feel inspired. Instead they frolic, yap, scramble, rip and run, reminding us that we cannot live continuously at the computer. There’s a real life out there, and sometimes it takes a leash with a friend on the other end, and a day of sunshine to make a writer go outside, take a deep breath, walk and rejuvenate.

And that pup lets that author call her whatever name she wants. Because that dog knows that her main goal in life is to make her author healthy and happy, so that she can better tell her stories.

ABOUT C. HOPE CLARK

C. Hope Clark is author of the award-winning Carolina Slade Mystery Series. She is also editor of FundsforWriters.com, a website chosen by Writer’s Digest for its 101 Best Websites for Writers – a resource for career writers. She lives on the banks of Lake Murray in central South Carolina, with her husband and two doxies who love life. www.chopeclark.com

Smells and the Herding Instinct

After such a long winter, your corgi may have temporarily forgotten how many delicious smells there are in a back yard, especially at O-DARK-THIRTY. Three months of bottled excitement will bubble to the surface, so be prepared for explosive energy.

On the first real day of spring, you must open your back door as early as possible, preferably when the sun hasn’t even risen yet. This will provide the most challenging conditions for you, the person owned by corgis.

You want us to come in and stop herding whatever animal we smell?? We don’t think so!

When you open the door, the corgis will dash out, heading straight for a scent trail. The trail will meander around your back yard, and you’ll never be sure whether the corgis will end up halfway up a tree or halfway into the next zipcode. In these instances, a good, sturdy fence is highly recommended. An invisible fence may do the trick, but the herding instinct is sometimes powerful enough to overcome that temporarily.

You can try to call them back inside, bribing them with their favorite treats or toys, but good luck with that. Most likely, they will stay outside until the sun comes up. Even then, when you call them, they’ll give you that stubborn corgi look: I can’t come inside now. There is herding to be done!

What exactly they are herding, you won’t have a clue. But they’re herding, alright.

Leia’s on the trail!

My best success has been a green laser. Leia and Yoda Corgi love to “herd” the green laser. It’s both fast and elusive, giving them the corgi challenge that they crave. And the best part about herding  a green laser is that it can be done at all times of day—and they have the craziest tendency to lead the corgis right into the house!

Mud and Worms

Springtime. April showers and May—mud. Corgis have no qualms about tramping through mud, digging in mud, eating mud… Their low clearance makes their underbellies magnets for mud, dirt, leaves, mulch, and whatever other elements of nature the corgis encounter during their springtime adventures.

And worms. Don’t forget about the worms. Leia sure doesn’t.

A choice worm for Leia Corgi (yes, that’s 9 inches)

Not only do the corgis love the occasional worm-snack (yuk!); what’s even better is when the worms get all dried right there on the driveway. For Leia and Yoda Corgi, dried worms are choice rolling fodder. That’s right—there’s nothing better to roll in than a dried worm. Leia and Yoda will even have competitions for who gets to roll in the worms for the longest.

On the one hand, it does keep them busy so you can do things like gardening.

On the other, it’ll most likely end up in a dreaded b-b-b-bath. Baths occur at least weekly during the springtime here in the corgi household. And speaking of gardening, certain corgis (achoo–Leia!) like to eat manure and garden soil if you aren’t watching carefully enough.

Leia recovering from a b-b-b-bath

Proper Grooming

Speaking of grooming, springtime may lead to large furballs flying around the house like tumbleweed in the Wild West. That’s right, it’s corgi shedding season. Yes, I realize that EVERY DAY is corgi shedding season, but springtime is the absolute worst. The corgis will shed part of their soft white undercoats, the stuff that keeps them very warm during the winter. If you value your clothing, couches, and carpets, you must be proactive here. Grooming multiple times per week is a must.

Leia begrudgingly allowing her human to groom her.

Leia “escaping” with loose fur still stuck all over her. Enough of this grooming, already, I’ve got herding to do!

The first grooming is going to be intense and should be done outdoors during a windy day (the wind will help blow the hair away). And, hey—think of it as community service for the birds. When you’re done, you’ll be providing luxury bedding for all the birds in the adjacent zip codes.

A windy day is a MUST to help blow the fur away!

My tool of choice is a Furminator brush. The corgis were frightened of it at first, but now they actually enjoy it.

Yoda enjoying the Furminator…

…and staying for a little nap!

All the chasing and herding and grooming and washing is likely to tire out those corgis. The good news for you is that they’ll willingly take a cat nap while you catch up on all that non-corgi work you have to do!

Snoozing after exhausting springtime capers with his sister

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your springtime pups!

It’s that time of year again. The temperature is perfect; the snow is deep. That’s right—it’s time for the Corgi-lympics. This year’s stars, of course: Leia and Yoda!

Opening Ceremonies
The first part of the Corgi-lympics is the opening ceremonies. The most important part of these is to get a good spot on the couch. Leia and Yoda scored a comfy seat with lots of blankets to rest up before the games begin:

After the opening ceremonies, it’s important that each corgi understands the rules of the Corgi-lympics. Here are Leia and Yoda listening carefully to an official:

Synchronized Corgiing

The first competition in the Corgi-lympics is Synchronized Corgiing. Points are awarded for cuteness, level of difficulty, and amount of sync.

Leia and Yoda received a perfect score for synchronized snow-sitting.

They received an 8.72 for synchronized path hiking…

…and a 9.21 for synchronized corgi-butting.

Snow Angels

This competition awards points for style, level of complexity, and speed. Leia ran into a bit of trouble during this competition when she made a snow corgi instead of a snow angel, but she earned lots of points for speed:

Leia earned the most points for speed in the snow angel competition, but she lost points by making a snow corgi instead of a snow angel.

Snow Tiptoeing

This is the most complicated of the events at the Corgi-lympics. This event can only be held when the course is maintained under optimal conditions. Snow Tiptoeing can only be held when the snow is at least one foot deep with a thin layer of crusty ice on the top. This event is optimal for corgis under 30 pounds, so as you can imagine, Yoda had a harder time than Leia in this event. The goal is for the corgi to prance gracefully atop the crusty layer of snow without falling in. If the corgi falls in, he or she should pull himself up as quickly as possible and continue the rest of the program.

Leia taking a quick break after a near-fall in her second program for the corgi tiptoeing event.

Leia demonstrates mastery of corgi tiptoeing during her final program, earning her a gold medal.

An aerial view as Yoda hoists himself out of a bad fall during corgi tiptoeing. After several more attempts, Yoda withdrew from the event, citing the thinness of the icy top layer.

Even Leia fell during the first day of corgi snow tiptoeing. Icy conditions were not ideal.

Corgi Bed-Rolls

This event requires corgis to remove the remaining snow from a recently-exhumed dog bed. Points are awarded solely for speed.

Upon discovering the uncovered bed, the corgis fight for the right to compete first in this competition.

Yoda’s technique involved removing snow with his face.

Leia is more methodical, using her paws as well as her face to remove the snow.

Leia, the victor of the bed-rolling competition.

Human Following

Human Following is a new event at the Corgi-lympics. The goal of this event is to follow one’s human as closely as possible, almost—but not quite—getting kicked by the human’s boots as they trek through the deep snow. Points are deducted for getting too close to a boot, getting knocked by a boot, or crying as a result of getting knocked by a boot.

Yoda leads the way but is quickly disqualified for running underneath his person’s boot. Leia wins by default.

Cross Country Corgiing

The goal of this event is simple: cover as much snowy ground as quickly as possible. Yoda has the clear advantage here, as his legs are much taller, and he is bigger and stronger. Leia struggled to keep up, eventually appealing to a coach for help removing herself from the course.

Leia takes the lead briefly before being passed by Yoda.

Yoda finding a moment of peace before starting his gold-winning cross country corgi race.

Green Dot Hunting

Green dot hunting can only happen at night. The goal, of course, is to catch the green dot. Neither Yoda nor Leia were able to actually catch the green dot, though not for lack of effort. There was no winner in this year’s competition.

Here, Yoda *almost* catches the green dot before it disappears into a snow drift.

Derping

The goal of derping is to look frazzled and, well, derpish, for the camera. Here are Leia and Yoda, earning gold in a first-ever corgi double-derp:

Corgi Mountain Climbing

For Corgi Mountain Climbing, corgis must climb snow mounds of at least three feet. Leia performed moderately this year, but she won by default. Yoda was too afraid to attempt this event.

Corgi Snow Surfing

Winners of Corgi Snow Surfing will combine speed, cuteness, stamina, and snow displacement. While Yoda earned top scores for speed, Leia excelled in all other categories.

We hope you enjoyed this year’s Corgi-lympics. This year’s winner, of course, is Leia Corgi. She won more events than her brother, though most were by default (Yoda withdrawing from competition out of fear of various elements of each event). Until next year, stay strong and corgi on!

Leia, winner of this year’s Corgi-lympics, eats some celebratory snow.