The Dog Stays weaves diverse narratives of love, loss, and self-discovery, expertly painting the human condition amid the pandemic, and offering readers an engaging literary journey through an eclectic range of characters. What inspired you to write and publish this book?

I was a Registered Nurse in Critical Care Unit. (now retired) and never had time to write fictional stories. But I always had an interest.  And once I started to write and submit my short stories to flash fiction sites, the positive feedback, and the sheer enjoyment motivated me to continue.  And eventually, I chose some of my favorites for the book.

The stories in ‘The Dog Stays’ offer a balance of dialogue, vivid descriptions, and introspection. How do you maintain this balance when writing short stories?

I want to engage the reader on an emotional level and keep them interested, so I try to incorporate description, dialogue and introspection into my short stories.  Sometimes this is a difficult task and the balance between the three elements shifts.  For instance, if I have only one character, I necessarily won’t include dialogue but may use introspection. This will encourage the reader to draw their own conclusions about the characters.  Although my ultimate goal is to create a story that captures the reader’s imagination and makes them hunger for more.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this collection?

LOVE:  I had witnessed humanity at its most vulnerable in my workplace and in everyday life.

Love was such a powerful emotion and universally relatable, I wanted it to appear in some of my stories.  

 “A Blue Baby Hat.” James displayed his love, vulnerability and devotion as he waited by his wife’s bedside.  

“Frailty of Life.” The Love of a daughter for a mother who had dementia.

HOPE:  Barbara sat by her husband’s bedside in “Please Stay.” She hoped and prayed that she would hear his voice, one final time. 

LONELINESS: “George.”  George waited by the door in the nursing home for his family.  And he hoped they would visit that day.

But loneliness was also present in some of my stories after a family member lost a loved one to death or dementia. 

BELONGING:  “Rudolph.”  The reindeer felt a need to be one of the ‘gang.’ 

POVERTY:  “The Shelter.” The sad and lonely life of a homeless gentleman who had become invisible.  

FORGIVENESS:  “Flame.”  The dragon (flame) and film director (Cedric) who eventually learned to work together.

HUMOR:    A few of my stories made me laugh.  And if I could make my readers laugh, giggle and thoroughly enjoy themselves then that was a good thing. 

SUFFERING:  Some of my characters were subjected to grief and suffering through loss.  I felt it needed to be addressed in my stories. 

In summary, I tried to apply one major and a few minor themes to my stories.  But it all depended on their length.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available? 

I am contemplating a second anthology of stories.  Perhaps longer in length.  I may even attempt a children’s story.  I think my dragon “Flame” would make a wonderful subject.  But I have yet to make a decision.  

When is it available?  If my creative juices continue to flow, it should be soon.

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