A Walk in the Fog - Dalmatian Days



In the days before our big thug of a black Labrador arrived, there was this cute little darling. She's the one in the middle at the back and she was probably around 6 weeks old in this picture. Eight weeks old in the next one on the day we brought her home.

Skye was my inspiration for The Keeper and the book is dedicated to her.


When she was around eight months old, Skye was left for several hours on her own, something we had never done before - and never done since! She provided her own entertainment and quite literally ate our kitchen doors.

And there started the tiny nugget that formed Domino's character in The Keeper. A male Dalmatian, much bigger than Skye, I based him on Skye's dad, a glorious big example so like Skye in looks.



The story of The Keeper formulated some years ago when Skye and I would wander through the deserted woodlands over the far side of The Ironbridge in Shropshire along Benthall Woods. Dark and creepy, the acoustics along the valley give a false sense of security. You can hear the voices of people in the park on the other side of the river at certain times of the day as though they're right next to you. But if something happened, there is no easy way for them to get to you.

It was late in the day, one dismal autumn when Skye and I went for our walk. Ironbridge had an eerie atmosphere that comes when the fog presses down and the streets are deserted. The chatter of the people in the park was subdued and I realised that it probably wasn't a wise decision to take the path I did.

As Skye trotted ahead of me, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I felt someone watching me. I froze. Turning my head, I scanned the steep slope of the woodlands above me. There, in the dusky light was a herd of fallow deer. As I watched and waited, they literally faded into the background, their camouflage so effective in the darkening of the day.

I held my breath for so long, before I went on my way not wanting Skye to notice the deer and take chase. But the idea jangled in the back of my mind. What if that had been a man? What if he'd been watching me, waiting...

And so The Keeper began...







Amazon UK  https://amzn.to/2BQEzuz
Amazon.com  https://amzn.to/2Nk0sId
Kobo https://bit.ly/2MVUNch 

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