"Though I hardly slept again last night my dream was about dogs and owning a large number of them.
Being a pet owner many times in my life has brought me the love of dogs and a companionship that is unique to pet owners. It is, however, being an author for the past twenty-five years which has brought me a greater understanding of pets in general. It is often essential as a writer to get inside the heads of animals as well as humans in order to make one's story more credible to life and the reader.
'When you left me on my own that first time, I thought that you weren't coming back and I feared that you'd rejected me. I worried myself sick. and in my concern, I chewed up the carpet and messed up the settee.
Then, when you came back in the door and I heard your cheerful voice and saw your smiling face again, my heart lit up. Then, your face changed for the worse as you noticed all the mess and I felt rejection for the second time in one day.
It took three months before I learned not to wee in your shoes or to stop trying to sleep in your bed on a night. I like your smell in bed and I only wish that you liked mine enough to let me in, even on top of the sheets.
When I was six months old I had never been so happy. You and I held eyes for no other and the loving presence of each other was all we seemed to desire. Then, when I was at my happiest, you saddened me more than I'd ever been saddened and made me feel rejected again when you brought that strange man into our lives; first into our house and then, into your bed.
He wasn't expected to sleep on the bedroom floor and listen for your every sound throughout the night, or even above the sheets of your bed uncovered! No, you let him kiss and cuddle you and play tents beneath the sheets. Then, when he stayed and didn't look like ever moving back out, I thought that I'd better get to like him or else I'd soon lose your affection. After all, I loved you more than anyone else in the whole wide world and if you liked him, then it was easier to conclude that he must surely be 'likeable.'
Now, I am pleased to report that I am happy and content once more. My days are filled with food, fun and a little bit of sadness when you both go out to work on a morning and leave me to think about you in your absence. But, I don't feel rejected any more. Hurry home you two; I miss you both. I love you....and I'm getting rather hungry.'
Many years ago at the start of my writing career as a children's author, both children and their parents pestered me to write a future book whose main character was a dog. About the same time, I also wanted to write a book that would profit the homelessness in society by giving the proceeds of its sale profits to the charity 'Shelter'. So I decided to do a combined project. Instead of having my main character in the book a dog, with the exception of a pair of cruel humans and a couple of kind humans, I made all the book characters dogs! I decided to write about a pack of pedigree hounds who were strays; all of whom were homeless, but with the exception of the chief book character, this pack of stray pedigrees chose to be homeless and lead an unfettered and unconventional life. I researched every pedigree of dog there was over a three year period, read dozens of books about pedigrees and cooperated with a dog expert who had judged show dogs for over twenty years.
The book was called 'Tales of Bernard' and was highly popular with both child and adult readers, especially dog lovers! As with all of my books, the main aim is to get them read and to deal with particular themes that daily affect humankind; things we often find difficult to emotionally deal with and resolve. Wanting to keep the books of high quality, but as cheap as possible, I keep the profit margin on each book sold to £1 or less and allow all profit from their sales to go to charitable causes in perpetuity (£200,000 book sale profits given to charity between 1990 and 2005).
Should you or your child over 7 years love dogs, like my writing and also wish to help some charitable cause in the process, then why not consider buying a copy of 'Tales of Bernard' as a forthcoming present. The book can be purchased in e-book format from www.smashwords.com or if you prefer paper/hard back copy from www.lulu.com or www.amazon.com "William Forde: June 14th, 2017.