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Buckaloo follows a couple opening a dog training academy and preparing for their wedding, who are navigating past traumas, the complexities of relationships, and the chaos of planning two major life events at the same time. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
When people find each other and choose to marry, they come with baggage from past relationships. Sometimes one partner is an open book, and the other holds close to their secrets. The story explores what happens when trust builds enough to share every truth. It’s about a couple with a relationship that can withstand whatever comes their way. That kind of maturity takes work but pays dividends. Offering two major life events, each with challenges, allows the reader to embrace the couple and cheer for their successes.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
Early on, the reader learns that Bill is a “still waters run deep” kind of guy. His concern, respect, and acceptance of others have clearly been a long learning curve. Once inside his cadre, he’d give you anything. It took a long time to let Harley inside. Harley’s charisma brings people together. As an introvert, she has longed for a village to call on. In the novel, she realizes that her friends and family village was her doing. She shows love and acceptance to everyone in her ever-growing circle, watching as each one embraces their talent. Harley aches when things don’t go the way her friends or family might want. Central to Harley’s circle are dog lovers, with many dog owners in her crew. Harley wants others to have the close, respectful relationship she has with Gemma. The reader learns that her maturity has grown from several challenges, and we find she can still struggle over life’s triggers.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Weaved throughout the novel are four key themes. The first of these is that mid-life relationships are essential. The people in these relationships can help your life flourish, even if they haven’t been lifelong friends. Another theme conveyed in the work focuses on the human-canine relationship and how deep those relationships can become, with love, respect, and training. Another theme is how momentous life events can happen in planned and unplanned ways, and what matters is how you react. The other theme is how we humans form communities or villages, and especially how those have lasting impacts on our lives in large and small ways.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Another novel with many of these characters and several new ones is planned. There will be continued focus on Bill and Harley, and their dogs Gemma, Blackjack, and their newest, Coda. Now that a few friends have become neighbors, there will be more focus on them, as well as the dog training academy. Additionally, Harley and Gemma are sure to find themselves assisting on a trail adventure.
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Throughout Harley and Gemma’s adventures, they have made friends in states as far east as Washington, D.C. and as far west as Oregon. Those friends and more have assisted Harley and her fiancé, Bill Harris, with their engagement and in their home designing and ranch developing endeavors. Those same friends gather once more to assist Harley and Bill with the academy opening. Since the friends have travelled far once again, Harley and Bill have agreed to have the academy opening one weekend with the wedding taking place the following weekend.
Before the events can happen, Harley and Gemma are called away for another dangerous adventure where Harley’s and Gemma’s skills are required. Before and between the life-changing events, friends and family arrive with their dogs, their own imperfect relationships, and their areas of expertise to help Harley and Bill. The story of Buckaloo revolves around excellent food, enjoyable conversation, especially those taking place at the fire pit, and dreams that might come true, though likely in unexpected ways.
Hurricane, twelve dogs, a training academy, glamping tents, and a black-clad stranger intertwine in this story of middle-aged friendships.
Buckaloo
Deborah J. Chavez’s Buckaloo is a warm and engaging novel that blends everyday joys and personal healing with a deep love for dogs and community. Set in the rolling foothills of Santa Barbara, the book follows Harley Fremont and her partner Bill as they open a dog training academy and prepare for their wedding. Alongside their dogs Gemma and Blackjack, they navigate past traumas, the complexities of relationships, and the chaos of planning two major life events. The story balances quiet domestic moments with emotional depth, creating a gentle but moving narrative about love, resilience, and second chances.
The story is unhurried, comforting, and full of small surprises. I loved the writing style. It was easygoing and heartfelt without being sentimental. Chavez has a gift for capturing the way dogs enrich our lives, and she writes with the kind of affection that makes you feel like you’re in the story. The dialogue is realistic and often funny, and I appreciated the strong sense of place. The natural beauty of California’s chaparral landscape is described with a soft reverence that made me want to lace up my hiking boots and head out with a dog of my own. Harley and Bill’s relationship, too, is a mature love story. It’s built not on drama, but on trust, compassion, and the shared work of building something together.
The pacing is slow, and there were chapters where the plot gave way to long descriptions of logistics, guest accommodations, shirt logos, and tent arrangements that could have been trimmed without losing the warmth of the story. But I didn’t mind too much. There’s a slice-of-life charm to it, like listening to a friend tell you about their big plans over coffee. The emotional core, Bill’s tragic past, Harley’s quiet strength, and the community that forms around them, kept me engaged. And the dogs are the beating heart of this book. Gemma especially is written with so much love and personality, she almost feels like a co-narrator.
Buckaloo is a cozy and heartfelt read that would appeal to dog lovers, fans of small-town fiction, and anyone who enjoys stories about real people trying to do good in the world. If you’re looking for something gentle, affirming, and full of canine charm, this one’s for you.
Pages: 287 | ASIN : B0FG3FGHJ2
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