Just Think of Puppies
September 1, 2024
I’m excited to finally share my short story Just Think of Puppies. Two blog entries ago, I believe I mentioned that I had a bat in my apartment during the pandemic. I thought calling 9-1-1 on myself was traumatic. That thing was even more so. There’s two parts to the story - waking up to see it flying around my bedroom and learning it was still in the apartment that night. For this story, I concentrate on the first part of what I often refer to as “the incident”.
Grace Keckley wakes up to see something flying around her bedroom. She does what I should have and flees her apartment. And while doing so, she runs right into Sam Dawson. What happens next? Well, you’ll need to read the story.
How does this story relate to other stories in the gagengirl universe?
It doesn’t. These characters are brand new. Created just for this story in a location where I had no existing characters - Columbia, Missouri.
What can you share about Grace?
Grace Keckley is an artist… and an art department secretary. For a “day job”/health insurance, she works at what I refer to as “the university”. Anyone familiar with Columbia can probably take a good guess at what university I’m referring to. She was born in Columbia and has lived there her whole life.
And what can you share about Sam?
Sam Dawson is a doctor. He is what is referred to as a hospitalist. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, he ended up in Columbia for his residency. He stayed because of a job offer.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about this story?
It’s a romance. For Grace, something beautiful happens when fleeing her apartment because of a bad situation. Do you believe in destiny? The fact is that if Sam had come home from his hospital shift five minutes earlier or five minutes later, they would just be neighbors who hadn’t met.
What is next for you?
I’m finally releasing my short story collection Time for Love in a few weeks. I’ll be talking more about it in the coming weeks. Be My Valentine and A Halloween Story, which were previously available on my website, have been removed and are included in the collection with 18 new short stories.
Are you curious about the music that helped inspire me while writing Just Think of Puppies? Click here to read about it.
