What the Dog Ate is the first novel by Jackie Bouchard. The story kicks off when the main character, Maggie, is at the vet’s office with her big lovable Lab named Kona. The vet had extracted what had made Kona sick. It was a pair of purple thong undies… that weren’t hers. This is how Maggie discovers her husband is having an affair. The title of the book caught my eye because my own dog, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Buddy has, more than once, swallowed peculiar inedible objects and had to be whisked off to the vet. Bouchard’s book is part hilarity, part heartbreak and I was sorry to say goodbye to the characters at the end. The novel made my Best of 2012 list of dog books and Jackie Bouchard agreed to a one-on-one interview.
Where are you from?
I was born in Southern California and lived there until a friend got the crazy idea to move to Bermuda. One day she called and said, “There are ten men here for every woman.” I was young and single so I went. She told me about this “really cute” French Canadian guy. Now he’s my hubby. Then, after Bermuda, we moved to Canada where we both pursued Masters degrees and now we’re back in San Diego and live with our rescue pup, Rita.
How much of your book is autobiographical?
My hubby’s worst worry with the book is that people will think he cheated on me. He didn’t! In fact, I’ve never had a boyfriend cheat on me, though some were turds. Most of the book is fiction. Maggie’s character trait of weighing pros and cons, over-analyzing and searching for a career to love is all me though.
What was your inspiration for the book?
I took a night class in creative writing and wrote a story. The instructor said it read like a novel and suggested I turn it into one. So I did! The basic idea for the novel came from an episode of “Emergency Vet” on Animal Planet where a dog had eaten like nine stuffed toys! Later, when I was walking my dog I thought, “What if a vet pulled something out of a dog that was evidence?” It just flowed from there.
Did any of your dogs swallow things often?
No, but since writing the book, I’ve heard funny stories of things dogs ate. One dog ate a zipper. Why a dog would even want to eat a zipper is beyond me. [Laughs] Did you know the top two items that end up in a pup in the ER are socks and undies?
Did you have a dog growing up?
Yes, I’ve had dogs most of my life. My family had a beagle named Barney and we were “puppies” together. He was super smart. When Barney got tired of being outside, he’d pretend he was hurt so we’d let back in. Lazar Wolf, named after a character in Fiddler on the Roof, was a great mutt who looked like a coyote. My family is a bunch of dog lovers. Four of my five siblings have dogs and the other has a cat.
Did you always write?
As a kid I liked to write poems (very, very bad poems). In college I dated a wannabe writer. That was the pathetic extent of my writing history. Oh, and once I thought I’d enter a writing contest. I sat and stared at a blank page for about fifteen minutes until the feeling passed.
How many hours per day do you write?
I’d like to say four. But I’d be fibbing. Four is the goal. I’ve spent chunks of time marketing the book, too. One of my goals in 2013 is to find a better balance between writing, editing and marketing. (I’m writing that down now on a sticky note).
Did you write the book and then try to find a publisher? Or did you pitch the idea first?
I wrote the whole book. For most debut fiction writers that’s the way to go. For non-fiction, if you have a “platform,” a publisher may consider your book based on a pitch.
How did you find your agent?
I met my amazing agent at the La Jolla Writer’s Conference. I went with my favorite scene from what I thought was a nearly complete manuscript. I found out it wasn’t even close to done, but was too much of a writing-virgin to know that at the time. At the end of one agent’s session where I’d read part of my book aloud, the agent asked me to send her the manuscript when it was complete. Just before that, at lunch, I was thinking: “I’m not a real writer; I don’t belong here. I should leave.” I almost did but, thankfully, I stayed.
How much do you use social media to promote your book?
I use Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. I’ve done giveaways on Goodreads, which is an effective and cheap way to get the book in front of a lot of eyeballs. I’m on LinkedIn and have several very silly videos of my dogs up on YouTube. I also like to make connections through my blog, Pooch Smooches.
Do you have kids?
Our dogs are our kids and we’re on our third.
Do you and your husband let your dog sleep in the bed and does that cramp your style but it’s so cute you don’t care?
Yes! Rita sleeps in the bed with us. She’s so cute and cuddly we don’t care if we sleep terribly, but recently we upgraded from a queen-size to a king mattress.
What’s your best advice for someone who wants to write a novel?
Many people recommend setting specific writing times or places or word counts, but I think those lead to excuses. “Oh, I can’t write now, I have to be at my special writing desk.” Or, “I can only write in the morning.” I say, just do it! Sign up for a writing class and connect with other writers. You’ll find they’re an inspiring lot. I also recommend Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.
Do you have favorite authors who write about dogs?
I loved Amazing Gracie: A Dog’s Tale by Dan Dye, You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam, A Dog’s Life by Peter Mayle and Elsa Watson’s Dog Days. I wish I had come up with the idea for that book!