Review - - Old Dog New Tricks

Old Dog New Tricks
by Roxanne St. Claire
The Dogfather - Book 9
Release Date: February 15, 2019
Reviewed by PJ

Daniel Kilcannon, the veterinarian known as the Dogfather, has been widowed for four years. He's spent the time running the largest canine rescue and training facility in North Carolina and pulling some strings to make sure each of his six grown children find a love like the one he lost when his beloved Annie died. 

But as the years slip by, Daniel's vow to never love again is starting to make him restless. When a woman who was pivotal to his past arrives in Bitter Bark, he wonders if her appearance is coincidence or the guiding hand of his dearly departed wife...but the truth is neither. She's about to change his life again in ways he could never have imagined. And Daniel isn't sure if his heart -- or his family -- will ever recover from the impact.


My thoughts:

Get ready for a beautifully written, deeply emotional, often humorous, and always heartwarming story of two characters who, after devastating loss, relearn the joy of opening hearts to life, to love, and to the possibility of a second happily ever after. 

I adored this book. I devoured it in one sitting then returned to the beginning for a slower read, savoring all its delicious nuances. After coming to know Daniel over the course of this series, I was fully invested in his journey back from the depths of life-shattering grief. It was never a secret that Daniel would eventually find love again but St. Claire kept readers guessing as to the identity of the woman who would bring that love back into his life. She couldn't have created a better heroine or a better story for these two. The writing is flawless, the story realistic and deeply emotional, and the ending had my heart, and tear ducts, overflowing with joy. In my opinion, it's some of St. Claire's best work. 

Old Dog New Tricks is a heart-tugging, life-affirming, deeply romantic journey between two characters who may have snow on the roof, but still hold plenty of fire in their souls. I can't imagine anyone reading it and not falling in love with Daniel, Katie, and the entire Kilcannon family, including the four-legged members. Old Dog New Tricks also gives readers another look at the Kilcannons' Mahoney cousins (firefighters!) and introduces the Santorini kids, all single and ripe for matchmaking. St. Claire has announced that she has  stories planned for all of them. I can't wait! 

As with the other books in the series, the cover of Old Dog New Tricks was shot at Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida using rescue dogs and local men (not models). A portion of the book's sales will be donated to Alaqua to help save animals and place them in forever homes. 

Are you reading this series?

Who did you think would be Daniel's second-chance heroine?

Do you enjoy romance heroes/heroines with some life experience? 

I'm giving a Kindle copy of OLD DOG NEW TRICKS TO one randomly chosen person leaving a comment before 11:00 PM, February 16. 

Review - - Bark! The Herald Angels Sing

Bark! The Herald Angels Sing
By Roxanne St. Claire
The Dogfather - Book 8
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Release Date: November 9, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

With Christmas and a family wedding fast approaching, there’s happy chaos in the air at Waterford Farm. However, not everyone in the Kilcannon clan is caught up in the magic of the moment. Matriarch, octogenarian, and beloved blogger Gramma Finnie hears the clock of her long life ticking far too fast, while her great-granddaughter, teenager Pru, feels squeezed out of planning her mother’s nuptials. 

But when this unlikely duo is tasked with the project of producing the “Somethings” for the wedding – and only have Christmas Eve to get the job done – Gramma Finnie and Pru have a purpose and a plan. They set off to find the perfect old, new, borrowed, and blue treasures, but it doesn’t take long for things to spin out of control faster than Gramma’s Toyota in a snowstorm. Detoured by a stray border collie, thwarted by nature and an elf parade, and trapped by a rifle-toting mountain man, it will take more than the power of the Kilcannon clan to save these two from a Christmas catastrophe. It will take the luck of the Irish, a love story from long ago, and a whole lot of help from the angels to make this holiday merry and bright.


My thoughts:

The stories in Roxanne St. Claire's The Dogfather contemporary romance series aim straight for the heart and this new holiday novella is no exception. In the final days leading up to the wedding of reunited lovers Molly and Trace (Bad to the Bone), the couple's teen daughter, the uber-organized Pru, is feeling left out of the preparations and her great-grandmother "Gramma Finnie" is feeling left out of life. When the two combine forces to find four very special "somethings" (old, new, borrowed and blue) for the wedding, their enthusiasm leads them into a snowy adventure with unforeseen, and potentially perilous, consequences that could see the Kilcannon family spending Christmas without their beloved matriarch and "General" Pru.

I adored this story. St. Claire has brought these characters to life throughout the course of this series but, for the most part, they've been secondary characters, not the main focus. In this novella, Gramma Finnie and Pru finally step into the spotlight, giving readers the opportunity to learn more about them and the special bond they share. Especially enjoyable is the window St. Claire opens into the past as Gramma Finnie shares the untold story of how she met her beloved late husband, Seamus. Moving flawlessly between 1940s Ireland and their present-day adventure, Gramma Finnie's story is poignant, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. St. Claire has a way of pulling me into a story so that rather than reading about the events within I feel as though I'm actually experiencing them along with the characters. I could easily identify with both Pru, a girl on the cusp of young womanhood, as well as Gramma Finnie, a woman in the sunset of her life, wondering if all of her adventures are behind her and after "meeting" young Finnie and learning about that part of her life, I have even more affection and admiration for this woman who is the very heart of the Kilcannon family.

Whether you've read the earlier books in this series or not, this is a short, heartwarming story that celebrates family, the joy of the season, the unconditional love to be found in a four-legged companion, and the absolute necessity of kindness. Pru and Gramma Finnie's adventure made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the Kilcannon family all over again.

It isn't necessary to read the entire Dogfather series in order to enjoy Bark! The Herald Angels Sing but I do recommend reading Molly and Trace's journey to love in Bad to the Bone first. Once you've finished those two stories, head on over to Roxanne St. Claire's website to sign up for her newsletter for access to the heartwarming and poignant bonus story of Molly and Trace's wedding. You'll want to keep the tissues handy! 

Review - - Double Dog Dare

Double Dog Dare
By Roxanne St. Claire
The Dogfather - Book 7
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Release Date: August 9, 2018
Reviewed by PJ

The Dogfather has one more child to marry off...but Darcy Kilcannon has no interest in her father's matchmaking shenanigans. The youngest Kilcannon is not looking for a husband. Darcy is ready to launch her own business in town, move into her own apartment, and become her own woman. But when she walks into the gorgeous brownstone that her father just "happened" to help her find, Darcy takes one look at the hot landlord and she knows the Dogfather has been up to his old tricks. Sure the landlord's a hunk and a half, but his "no pets" policy is a huge turnoff to a dog groomer who won't dream of living without her beloved Kookie.

Joshua Ranier moved to Bitter Bark to get out of the shadow of his overbearing stepfamily and keep his shattered heart securely on ice. His only focus is his construction business, and the brownstone he's renting and renovating...until he meets the sexy, sassy blonde tenant sneaking a fuzzy white dog even though he's banned pets because of construction dangers. Then Josh starts thinking about things he shouldn't. And it isn't when the rent's due.

But when a blind dog lands on Josh's doorstep, he needs Darcy's help. As they race to restore little Stella's vision and solve a mystery that's tearing his family apart, Josh and Darcy begin to see the light, too. It will take one double dog dare, two precious puppers, and the full power of  the Kilcannon clan for this couple to find their happy ever after. 


I've fallen more in love with this large, dog-loving family with each book in the series that St. Claire has published. Each sibling faces different challenges in their journey to love but the one constant that remains throughout is the strong family dynamic, the quality writing, the depth of heart-tugging emotion, the humor, and the bond between rescue dog and human. I enjoyed getting to know youngest Kilcannon sibling, Darcy in this book as well as Josh, a recent addition to Bitter Creek. Their chemistry is evident, their banter, lively, and their avoidance of relationships, mutual. They both have emotional baggage to unpack and overcome but they make a good team and I was totally on board with them as a couple. Of course, their dogs are adorable and captured my heart, as has every dog in this series.  

The books in this series lean more toward sweet than steamy but are infused with a deep well of emotion and enough sexual tension to keep me well satisfied. To be honest, I've become so immersed in each of the Kilcannon journeys that I haven't even missed the steam.

Double Dog Dare is the sixth Dogfather book and, while I prefer to read a series in order, each of the books in this series is written to stand alone. Fans of the series will enjoy the scenes in Double Dog Dare that include the entire Kilcannon family and catching up with couples from earlier books but readers new to the series can jump right in with this sixth book and not miss a beat. Of course, if you're like many readers who have discovered this series, you'll fall in love with all the Kilcannons and immediately go looking for books one through five as soon as you finish reading number six. 

The Dogfather, widower Daniel Kilcannon, is scheduled to be the hero of the next full-length book in this series and I am over the moon with excitement for his second-chapter love story! 


Are you a fan of older heroes and heroines in romance?

Have you been reading The Dogfather books? 

Do you have a favorite book or couple in this series?

Dogs or cats? Tell me about your pets or those pets you enjoy reading about in books. 

I have an extra signed copy of Bad to the Bone that will go to one randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM (Eastern), August 15, 2018.  (U.S. only)

Cover Reveal - - Roxanne St. Claire's The Dogfather Series

Are you enjoying this heartwarming new contemporary romance series as much as I am? Four books have been published so far in Roxanne St. Claire's The Dogfather series: Sit...Stay...Beg, New Leash on Life (2018 RITA® Finalist), Leader of the Pack, Santa Paws is Coming to Town (short story) and Bad to the Bone. I've loved them all! St. Claire has three more books in the series scheduled for release this year all of which follow the tradition established with book one of covers featuring rescue dogs and regular guys (not models). She and her assistant recently traveled to Alaqua Animal Refuge in North Florida for a photo shoot for books six, seven, and eight in the series. If you aren't familiar with this refuge and its relationship with the Dogfather books, St. Claire has pledged a portion of the proceeds from sales of each book in this series to this no-kill shelter in her home state. To date, book-buying readers have helped her donate $5,000 to the refuge. Great books and a good cause. It's a win-win. 

Here are the next three book covers that resulted from that recent photo shoot.

Ruff Around the Edges

Book Six

Release Date: April 12, 2018

U.S Army Night Stalker Major Aidan Kilcannon leaves Afghanistan after his best friend, Charlie, is killed in the line of duty. Aidan's only consolation is the knowledge that he's now solely responsible for Charlie's dog, Ruff, a charming but rambunctious boxer they'd found in a bombed-out hospital in Kabul. With the help of  Aidan's father, the Dogfather himself, they transport Ruff back to the States. He arrives shortly after Aidan, and both dog and man are suffering from loss, trauma, and sudden change. Aidan is certain his only hope is the comfort and love he gets from Ruff, and that this dog will help him adjust to the staggeringly difficult transition from battlefield to Bitter Bark.

But the day Ruff arrives, Daniel Kilcannon informs his son that Rebecca Spencer, Charlie's younger sister, has a hard and fast claim on Ruff and she intends to honor her brother's wishes. Aidan has to relinquish the dog to her, no matter how impossible that is.

Beck Spencer is in Bitter Bark temporarily to help the only living relatives she has left. After losing her parents as a child, and her brother six months earlier, she, too, hopes that Ruff will offer the solace and companionship she needs. But when Ruff finally shows up at her door, the man holding the leash is obviously determined to talk her out of keeping the dog. In fact, Aidan will use every persuasive power he has to convince Beck to give up the dog...and he's as charming and wild as  the dog they both want.

Everything gets complicated by Ruff, who has his own plan, making it impossible for Beck to win him over. But she'll do anything to succeed, even work closely with maddeningly sexy and relentlessly determined Aidan Kilcannon, who has some skills she desperately needs to save her uncle's local pizza business.

With an uneasy truce, a restless dog, and an attraction that bubbles like one of Slice of Heaven's award-winning pizzas, Aidan and Beck soon realize they can help each other heal. But as they fall deeply in love and discover the true meaning of family and home, they’ll have to face the pains of their past if they have any chance of a future.  

Double Dog Dare

Book Seven

Summer 2018

Daniel Kilcannon has one more child who needs true love, but Darcy Kilcannon has no interest in her matchmaking father's shenanigans. What she wants is her own dog spa business where she can come and go as she pleases, surrendering to her wanderlust whenever the travel bug bites. But in order to achieve that dream, she’ll have to prove to her father that she’s mature enough to handle responsibility and rooted enough to live on her own. A condo in town? Sounds great to Darcy, as long as she can bring Kookie, her beloved Shih Tzu.

Joshua Ranier is out of town when his realtor leases one of the town houses he owns and has recently refurbished, but he’s assured that his new tenant is from a fine local family, is starting her own business, and has most certainly not broken his cardinal “no pets” rule. One glance at the gorgeous blonde sneaking a fuzzy white dog tucked in a designer bag in and out of his brownstone and he knows that someone hasn’t told him the truth. Darcy Kilcannon will have to go. And her little dog, too.

Except, Darcy defies every convention and expectation Josh has. And the big, sexy, tool-toting landlord makes Darcy suddenly want to…stay put. From the moment they meet, Darcy and Josh clash and spark and think about things neither one of them should be thinking about. And it isn’t when the rent’s due.

But when someone from his past shows up to wreck his present and saddle him with the last thing in the world he wants – his own dog – Josh needs something only Darcy can offer. It’ll take one wild and crazy dare, two incredibly cute puppers, and, of course, a little help from the Dogfather, for this one to have a happy ending.

Old Dog New Tricks

Book Eight

Fall 2018

This is the story I've been waiting for since book one. After the death of his beloved wife, Daniel Kilcannon turns his focus to nudging his adult children into love. Will the matchmaking Dogfather finally get his own second chance at love? Look for Daniel's story this fall. I have a feeling I should probably stock up on Kleenex for this one. 

St. Claire recently announced that at least four more books in the series are planned for 2019. Mahoney cousins. Hot firefighters. I'm in! :) 

Learn more about Roxanne St. Claire and The Dogfather series at her website and connect with her online at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Just Between Us - - Bad to the Bone by Roxanne St. Claire

I’ve been reading Roxanne St. Claire’s books for several years and, in that time, many of her titles have made their way to my keeper shelves but none have touched me as deeply as her newest release, Bad to the Bone. We’ve come to know veterinarian and single mom, Molly Kilcannon and her daughter, Pru over the course of the first four stories in St. Claire’s The Dogfather series. Like Pru, I’ve become increasingly curious about the identity of her father with each book but never in a million years would I have guessed that Pru’s father – and Molly’s hero – would be a man who has spent the past 14 years in prison for murder. I didn’t know what to expect of Trace – 14 years in prison had to have taken a toll on him, both physically and emotionally - but all it took was the opening scenes between Trace and his critically ill dog, Meatball, and his subsequent interactions with Pru and Molly, for me to know this was a man with depth, layers, vulnerability, and a good heart. I was firmly in his corner and I knew there had to be more to his story than would first appear.  What did you think of our hero, Janga? 

Janga: I thought he was wonderful, PJ. It has been a long time since I encountered a contemporary hero who captured my sympathy, affection, and interest so quickly and completely. Like you, I have wondered about Pru's father as I read each book in this series, but Trace was much better than I could have imagined. I was also impressed with the way St. Claire handled Molly's reaction to Trace's reappearance in her life. With an ex-con hero, she could so easily have drifted into the melodramatic, but she keeps Molly's fears  believable and allows that instinctual connection between the hero and heroine to evolve as they spend time together. I like my romance with lots of context, and I loved that Molly was such a relationship-rich character. St. Claire shows us how her ties with her mother, her father, and her siblings as well as her history with Trace and her role as Pru's mother have shaped her into the strong, vulnerable woman she has become. Trace and Molly are very different, but they are both fully dimensional characters. And Pru - what a great kid she is! What did you think of her, PJ?

PJ: Oh, I loved her! For 13 years, she and her mom have been a unit and the appearance of the father she's never known - or known about - turns her world upside down as much as it does Molly's. And, for that matter, Trace's. I really appreciate that St. Claire made this book as much about Pru's journey as Molly and Trace's. I've known a few kids like Pru, with vibrant personalities and a strongly formed sense of right and wrong. When you view the world in black and white, being suddenly presented with an ex-con father can't be easy, especially at that middle school age when so many other things are changing. Pru's individual journey as well as the evolution of her relationships with both of her parents was at various times awkward, humorous, heartbreaking, and poignant but, above all, realistic. I doubt I'm the only reader who hopes for a grown-up story for her a few years down the road. That girl is going to be one fierce woman. Another facet of Pru that I really enjoyed is her close bond with her feisty great-grandmother, Gramma Finnie, and her grandfather, Daniel a/k/a The Dogfather, two characters who really are the heart of this family. Do you agree? 

Janga: I do indeed. I adore Gramma Finnie. I think St. Claire was brilliant to make her a combination of the traditional grandmother figure with her fierce love of family, her fund of stories, and her hard-earned wisdom, which she is not reluctant to share, and twenty-first-century, tech-savvy golden-ager. I want to read her blogs! And I confess to falling a little more in love with Daniel with each book. I want to see him happy again, but it is going to take someone very special to deserve him and to understand the place his beloved Annie will always have in his heart. 

PJ: I feel the same, Janga. I'm eagerly anticipating Daniel's book and I fully expect it to be an emotional journey. Time to buy more tissues! I think St. Claire was smart to not only make The Dogfather series family-centric but to also center the stories around a dog rescue and training facility. The unconditional love offered by these dogs, as well as their bond with their humans and their ability to soothe, encourage, protect, and unite has been intrinsic to these stories. Quite a tall order but each of the dogs featured has been up to the task and has added an extra dimension to the story that I have thoroughly enjoyed. 

Janga: The canine characters are certainly an integral part of the stories and of my delight in them. I also love that the cover dogs are real rescues who have found their forever homes. I know that we both have had the experience of a rescue claiming a chunk of our hearts and feel strongly about the mission of shelters such as the one these books support. So--we still have Aidan's story, Darcy's story, and Daniel's story to look forward to? When it comes to this series, I'm a greedy reader. I hope at some point St. Claire will write stories for the five Mahoneys too. Do you have any scoops on the future of the series, PJ?

PJ: Why yes, I do! I reached out to the author and...there will definitely be a lot more Dogfather books in the foreseeable future! She says that the next book, Ruff Around the Edges, will be out in April, and it's a love story for Aidan Kilcannon, who has come home from Afghanistan where he's been flying helicopters as a Night Stalker in the Army. Once again, the Dogfather is nudging Aidan toward love, and, of course, there's an unforgettable pupper named Ruff right in the middle of it all. After that, Darcy will be the object of her father's matchmaking in a July release called Double Dog Dare. St. Claire has promised that Daniel's highly anticipated story, Old Dog New Tricks, will also be released this year and has hinted there could be another Christmas novella, too. That's three (possibly four) new Dogfather books this year. I'm sure I'm not the only one happy dancing at that news! She's promised that 2019 will be the year for the Mahoney cousins, Declan, Connor, Braden, and Ella, and leaves us with this teaser: "Who knows? Maybe the Dogfather will work his magic on Aunt Colleen or readers might get a flashback romance to find out just how Gramma Finnie fell in love with her beloved Seamus back in Ireland." I'm not ashamed to say I'm quivering with excitement, just like the adorable pups at Waterford Farm! One more thing. Did you know that St. Claire donates a portion of the first month's sales from each Dogfather book to a no-kill shelter in her home state of Florida? Or that in addition to rescue dogs, the covers of the Dogfather books also feature local heroes, not models? St. Claire is headed to Alaqua Animal Refuge soon to shoot the next four or five covers for the series. And, with the help of readers who have purchased the Dogfather books, she's been able to send close to $5,000 to Alaqua. It's a win for everyone! 

One thing is for sure, this series has captured the hearts of readers around the world. I'm sure all Dogfather fans are as happy as we are at the news that Roxanne St. Claire plans to keep the romance and rescues coming. 

Have you read any of The Dogfather books yet?

Do you have a favorite book/couple/character/dog from the series?

Tell me about the animals who hold your heart.

I'm giving away a Kindle copy of Bad to the Bone to two randomly chosen people who post a comment before 11:00 PM, Sunday, February 4. 

In addition to that, Roxanne St. Claire has generously offered a signed, print copy of one of The Dogfather books (winner's choice) to two randomly chosen people who post a comment before 11:00 PM, Sunday, February 4. 

Bad to the Bone
By Roxanne St. Claire
The Dogfather - #5
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Release Date: January 23, 2018

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Today's Special - - Roxanne St. Claire

Hi, everyone! PJ here. I'm delighted to welcome one of my favorite authors, Roxanne "Rocki" St. Claire, to the blog today for a Q&A about her new series and the first book, Sit...Stay...Beg. 

Anyone who spends time with me quickly learns of my love of rescue dogs, big families, and heartwarming romance. Combine those three into a series of books set in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and you can count me one very happy reader. After reading Sit...Stay...Beg, I'm all in with The Dogfather (patriarch Daniel Kilcannon) and his goal of seeing each of his children find the kind of love he shared with their mother, his recently deceased wife. Centered around the family's dog rescue and world class training facility, this story brings all the feels. I fell head over heels in love with this family. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down and when I finished I wanted to start at the beginning and read it all over again. The canine characters are just as vital to the stories as the human ones with Lola, an Aussie-Border Collie mix, and Garrett and Jessie (the hero and heroine of this book) all capturing my heart with their first joint appearance on the page. How people interact with dogs tells a lot about the type of people they are. Jessie and Garrett are good people, a great match, and worthy of their eventual happy ending. I cheered for them - and Lola - the entire way. If you enjoy a well-crafted, family-centric romance that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you smiling then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Roxanne St. Claire's Sit...Stay...Beg. I've already marked my calendar for book two, New Leash on Life, scheduled for release May 22. 

Thanks for joining me today, Rocki. I’m so excited about your upcoming The Dogfather series and the first book, Sit…Stay…Beg.

Thank you for inviting me, PJ! You know I’m a fan of the site and so excited to be here to share the news about the series and book!

I’ve seen the covers for the first four books in this series and they feature some very inspiring hero material but I understand these guys aren’t your typical professional cover models. Please tell us about the men who grace your Dogfather covers.

No, these are not professional models – they are just regular guys who posed for a calendar to help raise money for the Alaqua Animal Refuge near Pensacola, Florida. (www.alaqua.org) On the cover of SIT…STAY…BEG is a man named Louis Petit, and he’s the owner of a wonderful restaurant in Santa Rosa, Florida, called Louis Louis. Don’t ya kind of want to eat there tonight? And that’s Flush, an Aussie-Border Collie mix who was adopted through Alaqua’s amazing rescue program.  That gorgeous creature (the dog, not the guy) is exactly the dog featured in the story, named Lola. And the hero’s hat plays a role, too. That’s his “doggone hat” (as his mother used to call it) and he ONLY wears it on the days he’s delivering a rescue, because the dog has gone to a forever home!

I loved that hat in the book and what it stood for. 

You mentioned above that the men and dogs on your covers came to you via the Alaqua Animal Refuge. Please tell us a bit about the work they do. How will they benefit from the publication of these books?

Yes! I knew I wanted something very different for the covers. Not just a couple with a photo shopped dog, but something that really captured the essence of how rescues and romance come together.  One of my friends said to me, “Rock – hot guys and cute dogs. What else do you need?” I started looking for images and found some from a fund-raising calendar that had been done for Alaqua. Excited that the refuge was in Florida, I contacted the photographer to talk about purchase of the photos for covers. She told me about Alaqua and the work they do there and I instantly knew I wanted to support the facility with donations. A portion of the preorders and first month sales for every book in the series will be donated to Alaqua. It takes almost $80,000 a MONTH to run that facility, which is massive and home to many, many animals. The owner is a doll, and, of course, this is a no-kill shelter. They love animals! And I’m headed up there this summer to shoot more covers for the 2018 books!

That would be a fun road trip! *Grin*

What inspired you to create a series centered around dog rescue?

I love dogs! The whole idea was born out of a T-shirt I bought for my husband that says “The Dogfather” on it because of how he nurtures our furbabies. A friend of mine joked that I should write a series called that so I could put dogs in every book. The idea just blossomed as I thought more and more about it. I have long wanted to write a big family with lots of siblings and cousins, but needed something special to tie them all together. Not just a shared past or a small town (though the series has an adorable fictional setting), I wanted all the characters to work together. That keeps the whole family frequently on the page and I know readers love that. The idea of an elite rescue and training center came to me and then Waterford Farm, the Kilcannon family, the town of Bitter Bark, North Carolina, and a whole new series was born.

The Dogfather is an actual character in the series, Daniel Kilcannon. He’s known as "The Dogfather" for a reason. It's not just his renowned skills as a veterinarian, his tremendous love of dogs, or the fact that he has turned his homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains into a world class dog training and rescue facility. Ask any of his six grown children who run Waterford Farm for him, and they'll tell you that their father's nickname is due to his uncanny ability to pull a few strings to get what he wants. And what he wants is for his four sons and two daughters to find the kind of life-changing love he had with his dearly departed wife, Annie. This old dog has a few new tricks...and he'll use them all to see his pack all settled into their happily ever afters!

How many books will there be in The Dogfather series? Do you have a release schedule for this year?

There will be seven for sure – four this year and three in 2018. After that, we’ll see! The Kilcannon kids have the Mahoney cousins! The tentative release schedule is:

SIT STAY BEG (available now!)

NEW LEASH ON LIFE (May 22)

LEADER OF THE PACK (Summer 2017 – exact date TBD)

BAD TO THE BONE (Fall 2017 – exact date TBD)

RUFF AROUND THE EDGES (Winter 2018)

DOUBLE DOG DARE (Spring 2018)

OLD DOG NEW TRICKS (Summer 2018)

Please tell us about the four-legged family members who share your life. How do they inspire you?

Ginger and Pepper!!! They own my heart and rule my roost! Ginger is a little white and mushroom Shih Tzu, four years old, and such a love. She picks her favorites and, if you’re one of them, she’ll attach to you. She spends most of her days on my office floor, sleeping to the sound of my keyboard.  Pepper is the dog who made a dog lover out of me. Before Pepper, I was a little afraid of dogs and very wary of even touching one. I’d never had a dog growing up (my mother was a tad germophobic, so we had no animals) and I never thought I’d own a dog. Then I had kids and they wanted one. More than that, I could see my son developing my same tendencies toward dogs, like avoiding friends who had big dogs. I didn’t want him to go through life that way, so we got Pepper, an Australian Terrier who looks like a Yorkie on steroids.  And within one day, I was changed by how much I adored that dog. We’ve had Pepper almost twelve years and I love her more than I can express. 

All of the Dogfather books will be dedicated to great dogs I’ve known…and Pepper gets book one.

I can't wait to meet them all!

Congratulations on your 2017 RITA nomination for Barefoot at Midnight. Will you be attending the RWA national conference in Orlando this July?

Thank you! I was over the moon to get that call and thrilled to see one of my “silver fox” heroes nominated for a RITA! You bet I’ll be there – Orlando is an hour from home. It’s a cliché to say, but so true: it is an honor to be nominated for this award. The competition in contemporary romance is fierce and there are so many, many great books published. To have one singled out and nominated is just the most wonderful feeling.

Have we seen the last of your Barefoot Bay characters or is there a chance we’ll see them again down the road?

I doubt I could stay away from Barefoot Bay for too long. But, I wrote 18 titles set on that island and I actually needed a break from the beach. (Who says that, right?) I have planted at least four more silver fox heroes as part of the Barefoot Bay Timeless mini-series and I fully intend to write their stories. And, of course, there are more than 50 books set in Barefoot Bay that are not written by me but are part of the Barefoot Bay Kindle World program. Romance readers never have to leave those sun-drenched sands!

Would you like to add anything else?

Just that I love to connect with readers! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and, of course, at my web site: www.roxannestclaire.com.  See you there!

Thank you for visiting with us today, Rocki. Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Yes…tell me about your favorite dog! I love getting ideas for great doggie characters and names!


One person who leaves a comment before 11:00 PM, April 26, 2017 will receive a copy of Sit...Stay...Beg from Rocki.

And, because I loved this book so much, a second person will receive a Kindle copy of Sit...Stay...Beg from me! 

The Dogfather Series
Daniel Kilcannon is known as "The Dogfather" for a reason. It's not just his renowned skills as a veterinarian, his tremendous love of dogs, or the fact that he has turned his homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains into a world class dog training and rescue facility. Ask his six grown children who run Waterford Farm for him, and they'll tell you that their father's nickname is due to his uncanny ability to pull a few strings to get what he wants. And what he wantsis for his four sons and two daughters to find the kind of life-changing love he had with his dearly departed wife, Annie. This old dog has a few new tricks...and he'll use them all to see his pack all settled into their happily ever afters!

SIT...STAY...BEG - Book One 
Garrett Kilcannon, a former dot com super-success who now devotes his life to rescuing dogs and finding them homes,prefers to keep his secrets buried as deep as a dog hides his bone. So when Garrett's father pressures him to be interviewed for an in-depth profile, he doesn't care that the journalist is a childhood friend or drop dead gorgeous.He has zero tolerance for the media...until he sees a different side of Jessie Curtis. She manages to breaks through the walls of a rescue dog who has refused to eat. Unwillingly charmed and undeniably attracted, Garrett agrees to the interview that could break down a few of his emotional walls, too.

Garrett might not want to share the story of his colorful former life, but Jessie has the skills to peel back the layers of this sexy, complicated,caring man. In the process, she not only discovers his secrets, she finds herself falling for a man who touches her heart in a way she never thought possible. Jessie's entire career is riding on this one explosive interview, but can she bear to repay Garrett's trust by selling his secrets? Or can a woman who gave up on happiness a long time ago learn to believe that all it takes to rescue a lost heart is the love of a good man? (And a great dog!)

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Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels of suspense and romance, including the popular Barefoot Bay series, plus multiple stand alone books.

In addition to being an eight-time nominee and one-time winner of the RITA ™ Award, Roxanne’s novels have won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense four times, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, the Award of Excellence, and many others. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and one has been optioned for film.

Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband and two mostly adorable dogs, and still tries to run the lives of her college-aged daughter and 20-something son.  She can be reached via her website, www.roxannestclaire.com or on her Facebook Reader page, www.facebook.com/roxannestclaire and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/roxannestclaire.