Author's Animal Antics - Rook Hastings

Author's Animal Antics is a new regular blog feature here at Sarah's Book Reviews where I'm very excited to have some fantastic authors come and chat to us about their pets.  I'm thrilled to introduce the lovely Rook Hastings as my guest today...

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I'm not a cat person, I do love cats but I am sadly very allergic to them. So allergic, in fact, that when a ghost cat rubbed itself around my legs, it brought me up in hives.

I'm even allergic to cats from beyond the grave!

But mainly I'm a dog person and have been since I was two-years-old and climbed into a litter of collie cross puppies and refused to go home until I was allowed to take one with me. That was my first dog, Merry.

My current dog, and much loved family member, is Polly the Poodle, named by my daughter when she was two. Polly is a standard (large) poodle, and although she is approaching seven, she is exactly like the unruly puppy I brought home. She has a fondness for bread, can open the fridge and once ate an entire packet of After Eight mints, leaving a neat little pile of the wrappers by her paws.

Polly is quite a good guard dog, in that having a big black dog sitting by the window would put most criminals off. But in reality, she is a shocking coward, having been chased by a cat and frightened by balloons. If there is a knock at the door, she gets me to go first, peeping round my legs to see who's there.

On the bright side, she is very sweet natured and great with my children, who climb all over her and tug her hair, which she puts up with very well.

I don't have her cut in the fancy poodle style, she's too much of a rough-and-tumble dog for that. Her favourite thing to do is to chase the intercity trains than run alongside the canal tow path where I walk her. I swear she could beat a grey hound any day, she is so quick.

Polly lies on my feet while I'm writing and if I'm stuck, stroking her often helps. Although, she can get a bit over keen and once deleted half a book with one fell swoop of a paw!

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Thank you so much for visiting today Rook!  Rook Hastings is the author of the fab young adult horror series.  The first book Nearly Departed was released earlier this year and the second book Immortal Remains released in the UK today.  I really enjoyed both of these books & would recommend them to anyone who enjoys a good ghost story.  You can read my reviews by clicking on these links - Nearly Departed & Immortal Remains.  I'm going to be hosting a giveaway for both of these books later today so make sure you check back later for a chance to win!

Find out more about Rook at the HarperCollins website here

For more information about the Author's Animal Antics feature click here