MEET THE CAST:
Fictional favorites. Real-life stars.
Leta
The woman at the center of the stories
Dickens
The world's smallest Great Pyrenees.
Banjo
The heart and soul behind Dickens
Dickens's love of belly rubs, endless optimism, and unwavering belief that every visitor arrived specifically to see him all came from my sweet Banjo. Long before there was Dickens, there was Lord Banjo— canine columnist, author, faithful writing companion, and the dog who inspired my second career as a novelist. If you'd like to meet the dog who changed everything, his story begins here.
Bailey
The face behind Dickens
Readers often ask whether Dickens is based on a real dog. The answer is yes...and no.
When I discovered Bailey, a real dwarf Great Pyrenees, I knew immediately I'd found Dickens's face. His sweet expression and unmistakable Pyr charm were simply too perfect to resist.
Of course, there was another very special dog involved too...
Christie
The cat who always has the last word.
Puddin'
The voice behind Christie
Christie may be fictional, but anyone who knows Puddin' recognizes her immediately.
The opinions. The attitude. The insistence that meals be served properly.
When readers tell me they love Christie's dialogue, I always smile...
Paddington
The real-life cat who wandered into the books
Long before there was a fictional Paddington, there was this handsome fellow.
He lived at the bed-and-breakfast in the Cotswolds village of Cold Aston where we stayed during our bucket- list trip to England. He visited our room as though he owned the place—which, in his mind, he probably did.
When it came time to write Bells, Tails & Murder, I couldn't resist giving him a second life in Astonbury, where the fictional Paddington pays regular visits to the guests at the Olde Mill Inn.
Martha and Dylan
The donkeys
These two charming donkeys lived behind the bed-and-breakfast where we stayed in Cold Aston and quickly became favorites with guests, who delighted in feeding them carrots supplied by the innkeepers.
Naturally, when it came time to create the fictional village of Astonbury, I borrowed them too.
Today, Martha and Dylan spend their days in a field near Leta's cottage, where they regularly receive visits from Leta, Dickens, and Christie on their village walks.