Tino & Roo

The smell of dark, French-pressed coffee blends softly with the dawn light slowly filling my room.  Out my open window, the morning songbirds are quiet, their voices tucked away because the brightest part of the sun is still hiding under a thick blanket of sleepy clouds.

A gentle thunderstorm is rolling in. It’s peaceful. After my morning pour and the too-early breakfast my cat demands, Tino and Roo have both rejoined me in bed, curling up in their respective corners.

Everything almost feels exactly as it should.

Except that my writing usually flows in the starlight, with the night hours stretching endlessly ahead, not in these moments, in the pre-dawn writing shift where the day will soon elbow into my chores and tasks and limit any creative flow.

But I have something important to share, and it has everything to do with my two furry muses curled on their own pillows atop the covers near my feet.

I’ve written a series of four children’s books, and the official launch of book one is September 25th, in just a couple of weeks.

In the last year, instead of my weekly posts, I’ve been crafting stories for children about my two pets, Tino and Roo.

Tino, my loyal, fat, black-and-white cat who my long-time readers will remember as the “tiny intruder” in past posts.  And of course, Roo, who came into my life the day I hit a little dog with my truck.

The Pandemic Muse I Didn’t See Coming

Six years ago, during the COVID era, I was writing blogs more regularly. I would sit at home in Nicaragua with my laptop, a glass of wine, and absolutely no idea how I was going to navigate my way out of the pandemic. Many of us suffered from a surge of mental fatigue and panic, and searched for ways to bring a sense of purpose, stability, or lightness to our days.

I channeled my energy into creative writing.

Those quiet evenings on the couch brought a sense of familiar comfort. I had low lighting, unexpected time, and a tiger tail of creativity to catch.

And then, there was Tino.

As a kitten, Tino became my unexpected muse I resisted from day one.  I was not a “cat person, “ but a half-amused, half-irritated spectator held hostage by a tiny stray who routinely broke into my house.

She wasn’t a fat cat back then, but she confidently asserted herself into the role, positioning herself on the far cushion of the couch, assuming every privilege as my equal.  My feelings for her began as annoyance, then shifted to admiration for her brazen, territorial behaviour, and then those feelings towards this black and white cat became love, which perhaps it was all along.

A Catastrophic Collision

Tino and I coexisted like this for a few years. I bought her an indoor cat hammock and fed her tuna. Territorial and demanding, always, but meeting me in the driveway when she heard the sound of my big white truck approaching home.

But on the back end of 2023, a three-legged pup entered the story, disrupting our Nicaraguan life in every way.

To say Roo made a catastrophic entry is an understatement.  The bright, early morning truck-to-pup collision on a rural road brought Roo and me together, and I wish to this very moment that we could have met any other way.

After weeks of healing, bandages for her, and tears from me, Roo became the three-legged pup I now can’t live without.

Some might argue her life actually became much better the moment I hit her. She went from a flea-ridden, skinny, free-range pup to being nourished, clean, and showered with more love than I knew my heart could pump out for a tiny animal I’d only just met.

Tino, of course, felt completely different about the situation.

But over the last few years, my life has been defined by their growing “frenemy-ship”. Every day brings new hilarity, companionship, and life lessons I never knew I needed.

The Purpose in Tino and Roo:

I’ve long felt there was a reason they both ended up with me. My lifestyle of travel and singlehood hadn’t really lent itself to choosing to take in pets, but here they are, having chosen me, and I will do anything for them.

Roo’s story in particular has always felt like it has a greater purpose.

She’s inspiring, and it’s not her three-leggedness alone that inspires or that people notice about her. It’s her sheer, unleashed joy. The speed at which she runs towards all things joyful in life, despite now being one limb down.

Does Roo know she is missing a leg? I’m not sure. If she does, she doesn’t let on.  She happily hops instead of sadly limping as if it were the most natural thing.

When she plays with her neighbor dog friends, she pivots beautifully on her single front leg and playfully outmanoeuvres all of them in every chase. She is the fastest pup in the pack.

Her three-legged speed and joy are remarkable, and, importantly, she’s a people-pup. She makes people happy.

The contrast between Tino, my fat, seldom social,  black-and-white cat, and Roo, my three-legged friendly pup, is pure magic.

Nightly, they sleep calmly next to each other in the same bed with me, like angels.

But Roo steals Tino’s food when she thinks no one is watching.

And Tino bullies Roo and will even block her from entering the house some days, purely by lounging in the way, belly out, staring Roo down with sharp green eyes.

Watching Tino and Roo navigate their Nicaraguan beach-and-jungle relationship and routine is comical, but their story doesn’t just belong to me. It belongs on the page and in the hands of children.

Tino and Roo make us laugh, but what these two also do is teach lessons we humans can learn.

Their stories teach us to be unwavering in the pursuit of what we deserve in this life (Tino) and to chase joy in each day, no matter our limitations (Roo).

These books tell stories that are true, light, funny, and warm, but they are also about protecting a life we have created and choosing who we love. Even in imperfect ways.

Especially in imperfect ways.

What’s Coming Next…

Now that my morning coffee is long gone, and rain is still imminent in the coming day, I want to ask if you, my lovely readers, will help me share their stories.

From a writerly, pet-owner point of view, the last three years have been quite the journey.

I dedicated myself to children’s book writing classes because while writing these blog posts comes naturally to me, writing for children I needed to learn.

Then I nervously read each draft to kids in a local school, with Roo joining each class (she was also nervous), and asked for the kind of honest feedback that only young kids can give.

• What bored them?
• What part was confusing?
• What parts would they like to change?

Next, my friends who were parents or grandparents sat on my back porch one busy weekday afternoon and read the stories out loud to each other.

I wanted them to help me understand if the stories I wrote would land with their little ones.

• Did my choice of language land with the age group?
• Would the stories be interesting to their kids?
• As parents, would they be willing to read these stories over and over and over and over…

And now here we are, the books finalized and beautifully illustrated by my dear friend and former roommate Bart Trojanowski, who is now a father himself.

Book One of the Tino & Roo children’s book series launches on September 25th (the day before my birthday! Yay!).

The intention in writing and sharing here is so that Tino and Roo’s story is spread widely and connects with children in ways that make them laugh, learn, and feel good.

My hope is that these books make readers and listeners happy and feel a little more connected to the things that truly matter in this world: Inner Strength. Joy. Capability. Friendship. Just to name a few.

If you would be willing to help boost the Tino & Roo books out into the world, I’m inviting you, my readers, to help me share the book on Launch Day.

Who knows? Perhaps many readers purchasing and sharing this first book will trigger some kind of algorithm, and these books will land where they should.

Or maybe they will land where they should anyway.

If you want to help me on Launch Day, here’s how:

• You can share the link with anyone you feel would enjoy these stories.  A personal text, shout-out on social media, or an email – however you feel is the best way for you to share this book with others.
• If you want to buy the book for yourself, your kids, grandkids, or a friend’s kids, then you can also purchase the book on Launch Day too.

If you’d like to be part of the launch team, just message me with a YES, and I’ll reach out personally to you with the link and a great big thank you.

For now, have a lovely weekend.

Cheers,

Christy

If you enjoy my stories, feel free to buy me a coffee.

Writing Portfolio & Services, and Retreat Consultation

Subscribe to receive future blog posts here.