#BlogTour: A Pug Like Percy by Fiona Harrison


Today is my turn of the blog tour for "A Pug Like Percy". We have a fab extract from the book, which I am currently reading just now, so sit back and relax and enjoy. And don't forget to go grab yourself a copy as the book is out now!!

It was an unusually warm October day and as the weather was so nice Gail had suggested Jenny and I join her for a quick walk to the park to make the most of the fresh air after lunch. It had been a week since Jenny left the hospital and it was a treat to have her company. She rarely had enough energy to join us on a trip outside and so I had walked rigidly by her side in case she had felt faint or had a fall much to, Gail and Jenny’s amusement.

Yet despite the laughter, Gail and I had made sure Jenny had taken things slowly, and the little girl had rested on Gail’s arm for much of the journey. Jenny seemed to have taken the news that she needed a transplant relatively well, telling her mother that a new heart was better than an old crappy one that stopped her living a normal life. Despite the bad language, which Gail had lovingly turned a blind eye to, she had shaken her head in awe at her daughter and with Simon’s agreement they had both decided to let Jenny live a little. This not only meant short, slow walks to the park, but Simon had even taken Jenny to the movies and out for a pizza with one of her mates from the hospital.

Although there had been a shift in attitude, that did not stop me and Gail watching her every step like hawks. By the time we reached the park, I was shattered from concentrating so hard, but the sight of Peg at the track on the other side, soon gave me a surge of energy. Quickly barking goodbye to Jenny and Gail, who were by now settled on a park bench, I raced off to join my love. With the sun beaming down on her blonde fur she had never looked lovelier and I wasted no time telling her so as I reached her side.

‘You’re so pretty Peg,’ I yapped quietly. ‘I’ve missed you.’
Walking towards her, I rested my nose against hers and looked deeply into her chocolate brown eyes.
‘Awww Percy, you only saw me two days ago,’ Peg woofed as she nuzzled her cheek against mine in greeting.
I knew she was right, but two days had felt like a lifetime. I was just about to tell her so, when Bugsy came bounding towards us.
‘Hello! What are you doing? Are you kissing? That’s disgusting! Look Heather, Heather, Heather,’ he barked as the German Shepherd closely followed by Jake joined us.
‘For heaven’s sake Bugsy, leave them alone,’ Heather chided as she sat on the grass, her jaw loose and tongue lolling in happiness. ‘It’s lovely to see you both, and even lovelier you’re together. It’s nice to hear some good news for once, isn’t it Jake?’
‘Absolutely delighted for you both,’ Jake barked as he turned his hips towards the sun to warm them.
As I looked at each of my friends, their eyes shining with happiness for mine and Peg’s good fortune, 

I flushed bright red beneath my black fur. I disliked being the centre of attention and felt strangely uneasy about being so happy when my family were coping with so much.
Heather barked sharply, to catch my attention. ‘Percy! You shouldn’t feel guilty for enjoying a bit of happiness while you can.’
Peg rounded on me, barking her agreement with Heather. ‘Life’s too short not to grab every opportunity with both paws when it’s offered Percy. I know your family has problems which is even more of a reason to celebrate our happiness.’
‘I know,’ I replied. ‘I’m just worried about them.’
‘We’ve all been there,’ she woofed quietly. ‘It’s heart-breaking when your parents are hurting and you don’t know how to help. Sally was devastated when she lost a baby last year.’
My eyes widened. ‘You never told me Sally had been through something so traumatic. I’m really sorry to hear that Peg.’
‘It was pretty awful,’ Peg replied. ‘I’ve been with Sally since I was taken from my doggy mum two years ago and we’ve always been inseparable. When she met this bloke six months after I moved in, she fell head over heels in love with him. Anyway, when she found out she was pregnant, she also found out he was married and I think the shock of that led to her losing the baby.’
‘Poor Sally,’ I barked, not knowing what else to say.
‘That’s why I worry about her so much,’ Peg replied. ‘Since losing the man and the baby overnight she seems desperate to find the happiness she lost and I fret she’s throwing herself at any man to find that happiness.’
I rested a paw on Peg’s. ‘I suppose that’s natural. She’s still grieving and it’s all a lot for anyone to cope with.’
‘It is, but I do wish she’d wise up. Thankfully, Heather, Jake and Bugsy helped me through it all. 

That’s what friends do.’
‘I know,’ I replied. ‘You’ve all been wonderful.’ ‘Nonsense,’ Peg woofed. ‘All I’m saying is our owners have to take responsibility for their problems too, no matter how much we try to help. What’s happened to Sally has made me realise that when I have puppies I need to be very careful about finding the right daddy.’
ABOUT THE BOOK

Title : A Pug Like Percy

Author: Fiona Harrison

Genre:Fiction,

Publisher: HQ

Published: 3rd Nov 2016
Buy: Amazon UK

A furry festive miracle who’s there for you with a helping paw. Percy definitely isn’t just for Christmas…
 
Percy is homeless, abandoned by his owner at an animal rescue centre on a cold winter’s night. So when he finds a loving new home with Gail and her family, his deepest wish is that this time, it’s forever.

Gail hopes that Percy will be the little miracle that her family so desperately needs. Her young daughter, Jenny, is in and out of hospital and she’s only just holding things together with her husband, Simon.

With the family at breaking point, and Christmas just around the corner, is Percy the furry friend they’ve all been waiting for?

Full of hope and utterly heartwarming, A Pug Like Percy is the perfect read for fans of A Street Cat Named Bob and Alfie the Doorstep Cat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Fiona Harrison is a dog lover and writer from the West Country who lives with her husband and their menagerie of pets. Lucky enough to have a family who always supported her creative writing attempts, as a child, Fiona routinely entertained them with a variety of stories covering everything from Margaret Thatcher to Roland Rat. Eventually Fiona realised there was not much of a market for Mrs T stories, and moved to London, spending her days working as a journalist and her evenings sleeping in cramped flats, missing her beloved family pets. After several years, she decided a life without dogs or cats was no life at all and after getting married to a fellow animal lover, she moved out of the big city to concentrate on her two passions; animals and writing.

Now, living in a house rather than a shoebox, Fiona happily spends her days writing, often with a pet on her lap for company and inspiration. A Pug like Percy is her first novel.

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