Lance Carney asked Laurence Shames:

I am reading your books in order (I know it's not necessary, but my mind works that way) and I love Bert the Shirt. I see he has a new chihuahua (don't tell me the fate of Don Giovanni as I haven't gotten that far yet). It looks like you've written parts from the dog Nacho's point of view--was that difficult or pure fun? Also, looking at your influences, did Chaplin, Mozart, or Groucho influence any of this story?

Laurence Shames Hi Lance--Thanks for your question, and sorry for the delay getting back. And thank you for reading all the books, in whatever order you like! I wish all my readers were as thorough as you!

You are correct that part of the book is from Nacho's POV. This turned out to be pure, liberating fun for me. I'd been struggling with the opening of the story, and once I heard it in the dog's voice, it just felt like it was flowing. I loved imagining how the beach would look and smell to a small dog, and I loved thinking about how the dog-and-master relationship would seem from the other end of the leash. Also, much of my thinking about human nature felt refreshed as I considered how a dog might view us. We're weird creatures, us bipeds!

Re: influences, what I most admire about Chaplin is that he can make you laugh and cry almost at the same instant. I'm in awe of Mozart's ease of transition from one idea to the next. And I'm grateful to Groucho for reminding me that mayhem should always be grounded in character. It's not for me to say if the influence of these geniuses is reflected in my little novels, but I do try to keep those ideals in mind.

Thanks again for your interest. Please help spread the word!

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