Chez Stinky (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy) - Softcover

Daffron, Susan C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1610380193 ISBN 13: 9781610380195

Publisher: Magic Fur Press, 2013

Synopsis

Kat Stevens is a slightly insecure, mostly bored technical writer who likes her cat a lot more than her boss. She hasn't laid eyes on her great aunt Abigail since she was eight, so she’s stumped when she inherits Abigail's house in the small hamlet of Alpine Grove.

Kat's uncomplicated life gets decidedly less so when she discovers the inheritance comes with some hairy conditions: four dogs and five cats that her aunt wanted her to love as her own. Of course, the house smells like a barn--with a touch of antique skunk--and, naturally, has serious roof issues. And that's before the three-legged cat gets stuck in the wall and the shower goes kablooey.

When Kat meets Joel, an unemployed techie type with no love lost for his sister, Kat looks past his obvious flaws, given his timely and desirable skill set: a talent for fixing things (and his own tools).

Despite out-of-control dogs, cat fights, dust dinosaurs, massive spiders and an old grizzled hippie passed out in the yard, Kat discovers the tranquility of the forests of Alpine Grove starting to seep into her soul.

And why she can't she stop thinking about Joel?

Note: Chez Stinky is a full-length novel (300 pages/80,000 words) that is Book #1 of the Alpine Grove Romantic Comedies. It's a feel-good novel that appeals to people who enjoy a little light romance and quirky animal stories.

About this title

From the Author

Chez Stinky is the first book in my series of Alpine Grove romantic comedies. All of the books in the series are full length (300+ pages) stand-alone novels. The readers who seem to enjoy my books the most are women who have a sense of humor, like animals, and prefer sex scenes that just fade to black (not 50 shades of anything). For example, you'll see in the reviews that people tend say things like, it's a good book for lovers of "light reads, chick lit, light romance and animal stories..." Because Chez Stinky was my first novel, when it came out, I got questions about why I made the choices I did and how much of it is real. Here are a few FAQs for those of you here on Amazon who might be wondering:

Why I wrote the bookThis came up as a question in a review that even included spoilers. (Really?!) But okay, let's go with it. Why does anyone write any book? In my case, my mother and I used to lament the fact that funny romances are rare. My sister and I came up with the germ of the idea for the story and Mom encouraged me to write it. My biggest regret is that my mother died before it was published.

More Alpine Grove?Many people have asked about upcoming books. I'm currently working on the ninth book in the series. You can always find out the latest on my web site SusanDaffron.com. 
 
Although each book is a stand-alone story, because Alpine Grove is a small town, many characters tend to reappear, so I think it's more fun if you read them in order. The correct reading order is:
1. Chez Stinky
2. Fuzzy Logic
3. The Art of Wag
4. Snow Furries
5. Bark to the Future
6. Howl at the Loon
7. The Good, the Bad, and the Pugly
8. The Treasure of the Hairy Cadre
9. The Luck of the Paw
10. Daydream Retriever
11. The Hound of Music

Why 1995?
Chez Stinky is set in 1995 and the rest of the series goes into 1996. A number of people have asked why I chose to set my books in the past. The short answer is because reading about people texting each other is boring. I don't like it in other books I've read, so I chose to set my novels at a time when not everyone had a smart phone. Also plot points sometimes depend on the fact that cell phones and the Internet weren't as widely available as they are now.

A technical writer?
Kat is a tech writer and yes, I was a technical writer too when I was in my 20s. And sadly, I really did have a conversation about ginkgo with my boss. It was not one of the high points of my writing career.

The inspiration for Chez Stinky (the house)
The house in the story is loosely based on my house in Idaho when I first moved into it. And yes, the stairs really were covered with blue shag carpet because the decaying plywood was really slippery.

The dogs of Chez Stinky
For 12 years, I lived with four dogs. The "gang of four" lived to ripe old ages (12 - 15 years old), and they are still missed greatly. Tessa is based on my dog Tika who was tested for "hyperkinesis" otherwise known as doggie ADHD. Over time, Tika turned out to be a wonderful dog, but the early years were rough. Tessa's leash arrangement in the story is also based on a real thing. (I thought of using a backpack to slow down Tika long, long before dog trainers recommended it on TV.)

Small town life
Anyone who has lived in a small town has probably experienced the glacial speed of the post office. That is just as true in the town where I live in Idaho as it is in Alpine Grove. If you want to meet people, go to the PO.

Questions?
If you have other questions about the book, please ask. I love hearing from readers!

About the Author

Susan Daffron is the author of the Alpine Grove Romantic Comedies and multiple award-winning nonfiction books, including several about pets and animal rescue. She lives in a small town in northern Idaho and shares her life with her husband, two dogs and a cat, the last three, all "rescues."

Edition details

• Publisher: Magic Fur Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1610380193
• ISBN 13: 9781610380195
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 298