Trixie, the dog, did it, or at least, she helped mightily.

Recently, we published an editorial (Dog Duo Helps Author To Dig and Delve) about British author Peter James (Not Dead Enough) and his assistants, pet dogs Phoebe and Oscar. They work together on novels at their home near Brighton in Sussex.

Then we picked up Forever Odd, a supernatural thriller (paperback edition 2006, HarperCollins, 419 pages) by the California-based wordsmith, Dean Koontz. Significantly, the book begins with an eloquent dedication to Trixie, his dog.

“This book is for Trixie, though she will never read it. On the most difficult days at the keyboard, when I despaired, she could always make me laugh. The words ‘good dog’ are inadequate in her case. She is a good heart and a kind soul, and an angel on four feet.”

A visit to Dean’s Website reveals more about Trixie than about any of his books. “I love dogs for the purity of their devotion, their loyalty and their strength,” Dean says online.

But sadly, Trixie died, a cancer victim, not long after Forever Odd appeared. Dean writes:

“For a 68-pound dog who lived low to the ground, our Trixie sure has cast a long shadow after her passing on June 30, 2007. Gerda (the author’s wife) and I always anticipated that when we lost her, the pain would be terrible, but the grief proved immeasurably more intense than we expected. For a month, I couldn’t write. Every day of that month -- and every day of the next, for that matter -- we were frequently reduced to tears by our loss.”

Eventually, Dean resumed work. Luckily for the readers, Trixie and memories of her still inspire new fiction. “In my new novel (The Darkest Evening of the Year), I explore the profound bond between humans and dogs and what each will do for the other when the stakes take a deadly turn,” Dean says.

Evidently, devoted dogs and good books simply go together.

For more information: www.deankoontz.com

ARCHIVES