This is not a groundbreaking technique. Many romance authors have featured babies and pets in their books for years, but it's new for me. The heroine in my first book was a widow with a newborn, but he was too young to play much of a part in the story. In Child's Play, the plot centers around threats to the hero's young niece, Grace, so she's front and center for a large part of the book. And then there's Balthazar. While most authors stick with dogs or cats, I decided to add a monkey--and he's not just any monkey.
To give you an idea, here's the scene in which Casey, the bodyguard heroine, meets Balthazar:
“Oh, and I have to warn you…don’t leave
any jewelry or valuables out in your room.”
She frowned. The university might not be
located in the best part of town, but the up-to-date security system she’d
noticed when she arrived should be sufficient to deter any garden-variety local
thieves. “We’re on the second floor. You don’t have a problem with cat
burglars, do you?”
Alec’s lips tightened. “Not cat.
Monkey.”
She halted. “What?”
“Balthazar.”
“Who is Balthazar?”
He grimaced. “Follow me, and I’ll introduce
you.”
He headed around the open center
stairwell, past the bathroom and Grace’s room, to a smaller room that could
once have been a nursery or servant’s quarters. In the center of the room stood
a large kennel, the kind one might use to house a Great Dane—or a small polar
bear. Standing on his hind legs and clasping the bars like a convict in a
’thirties prison movie was an angry-looking monkey in a diaper who shrieked the
moment he spied Alec.
“Meet Balthazar.”
Casey took a couple of tentative steps,
but froze when the monkey glared at her and shrieked again.
Alec walked closer to the cage. “You
don’t have to be afraid. He needs a major attitude adjustment and will steal
anything that’s not nailed down, but he won’t hurt you.”
Balthazar bared his teeth in a wicked
parody of a grin.
Casey kept her distance. “What kind of
monkey is he?”
“He’s a white-faced capuchin from Costa
Rica. They’re exceptionally intelligent. I just wish this one could be
persuaded to use his brainpower for good instead of evil.”
“It’s none of my business, but why keep
him if he’s so much trouble?”
Balthazar coiled his tail around one of
the bars like a snake and sent her a simian death stare.
“He’s only here for the term. He
actually belongs to Tomas Huerta, a colleague of mine in the Anthropology
Department. Tom adopted him after he was kicked out of a companion animal
training course for being an anti-social little klepto. We agreed to monkey-sit
this quarter while Tom’s away digging in Central America.”
“How does Grace feel about having a
monkey in the house?” Casey knew how she
felt.
“She’s the main reason he’s here. She’s
crazy about him.” Alec gave a soft snort and shook his head. “Tom made sure to
ask me when Grace was in the room. He knows how hard it is to say no to her.”
“Why would anyone want to say no to me?”
a small voice interrupted.
They turned to see Grace standing in the
doorway. She marched up to the kennel and stuck her fingers in to rub
Balthazar’s furry cheek. The monkey nuzzled her hand then shot Alec a defiant
so-there look.
Alec glanced at Casey with raised brows,
as if to say See what I mean? then
smiled at the back of his niece’s small, blond head. “I know it’s hard to
believe, but on occasion, I do know more than you.”
Grace turned her head and gave him a long-suffering
eye-roll. “Oh, Uncle Alec, don’t be silly.”So far, I'm managed to keep the child and the monkey from taking over, but I'm having lots of fun writing them both. Grace is adorable, and Balthazar is an incorrigible pain in the patoot, but ultimately, he saves the day.
Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com
15 comments:
What a great excerpt, Alison! My first chuckle of the day...so thank you! I love the way you've written Balthazar, like this: "...Balthazar bared his teeth in a wicked parody of a grin...." Too funny! This is definitely going on my Kindle when it's published.
Ironically, Alison, when I'm reading blurbs, I look for a book that includes children and/or animals. They do add a "cuteness" factor -- especially if you have an aloof or sullen hero. A sweet child can bring out a hero's desirable traits in a flash. Thanks for the post!
Alison, this is going to be a great book. I'm not fond of monkeys and this one confirms my feelings--at least from the excerpt. Funny. Gracie seems to have Uncle wrapped around her baby finger. I love reading stories with children. I guess if the monkey saves the day, he'll be okay. ;) Can't wait to read this.
Great scene, Alison! I put a dog in every single one of my books. At this point, I feel like it's my trademark, and I can't quit. Not only can animals steal the show, but you can also forget about them. More than once, I've realized I'd written three or four chapters, and the dog completely disappeared. Then I'm forced to go back and have someone walk it or feed it... LOL But animals do add a ton of personality to a book and tell the reader a lot about the main characters. As for kids, I've included quite a few, from toddlers to teens. I've received lots and lots and lots of reader comments on my teenage daughter of the heroine from Every Move She Makes, most about how she makes people who don't have them never want kids, or how mothers of teens can relate to my heroine's anxiety, etc. etc. Even a non-cute kid can add a relate-able element that stirs strong emotions in readers, and that's what we all want!
Geesh, must be somethin' going around. I put a donkey and a pig in the novel I'm working on. I have reasons (plot helpers) for doing so, but manipulating two barn animals in a story isn't easy. The manure, the feeding; issues with prey. At least you could put a diaper on your monkey and keep him in the house. Oh, the places we writers go to tweak a story!
Wow, I LOVE this excerpt. SO cute. :) And what a unique concept, a monkey. Elvis had a pet monkey, so you know I love the idea. :) Congrats on the upcoming release!
Leah, I'm glad Balthazar gave you a chuckle. I wanted to do something a little different in this book.
Angela, you're so right about heroes and children. My professor hero can seem a bit distracted or aloof at times, but he's butter in the hands of his niece!
Diane, I based Balthazar on the Ricky, the monkey from The Big Bang TV show, who is described as "kind of an ass." But I decided to let him redeem himself at the end.
Jannine, I love your kids and dogs. The teenage daughter was a wonderful reality check in Every Move She Makes. Finding the right balance is indeed difficult. I'm not having any problem keeping Grace where she needs to be, but I do find myself forgetting about Balthazar. Hopefully, I can pull it all together in the edits. LOL
Rolynn, I was truly relieved to discover during my research that capuchins routinely wear diapers if kept in the house!
Alicia, I didn't know Elvis had a pet monkey! Now, I feel even better about my choice.
Adorable! All of it! Gracie is nicely precocious. Balthazar is nicely evil. And you still managed to move your h/h forward, and bring them closer together. Great work!
Thanks, Margo. It's a fun little scene.
Loved the excerpt, Alison. I see all kinds of possibilities.
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