#TuesdayTreasures with E.A. West!

Happy Tuesday!

Back in 2014 E.A. West shared treasures and the spotlight with us so it is with great pleasure I bring her back for another visit.

When Pam asked me to write about something I treasure, my thoughts immediately went to my youngest dog. I adopted Cody in July of 2014 when he was about eight weeks old. He came from a backyard “oops” litter, and I was assured he was the sweetest puppy of the bunch.

From the moment I met him, I knew he was different. This large, mixed breed pup seemed so confused by everything. He acted like a much younger puppy and was more insecure than he should have been when confronted with anything new. Cody spent most of his first three days at my house hiding behind or under a chair in the living room. Then he came out and started getting to know the other animals and people in the family.

He gained more confidence as he got older, but he continued to get confused easily. His sweet

personality shone through brightly, and he craved touch. It didn’t matter whether he was being petted, cuddled, or just leaning against someone, he constantly wanted physical contact. Mentally, he continued developing slowly. I joked that he was developmentally delayed...until he couldn’t find his way out from under a blanket, even if it was only over his head. I would throw a ball, but he didn’t understand that he was supposed to chase it. That’s when I realized he isn’t developmentally delayed. He has a low IQ.

Fast forward to today. Cody has the maturity level of a six to nine-month-old puppy most of the time and still gets confused, but I couldn’t ask for a sweeter, more intuitive dog. He picks up on the slightest change in my mood and does his best to make me feel better. He’s figured out blankets are fun to play with and no longer gets stuck under them. Fetch is beyond him, but now he’ll chase the ball, touch it with his nose, and stare at me as if to say, “What am I supposed to do now?” He still craves hugs, cuddles, and any physical contact he can get.

It’s been challenging at times to raise this special needs pup. The amount of patience and creativity needed to train him and build his confidence have been astronomical. Yet I will always treasure what I’ve learned along the way and the dog who taught it to me. He’s the most loyal, well-behaved dog I’ve ever owned, and I believe a lot of it can be attributed to his special needs.

Awww...how sweet! Cody reminds me of my own German Shepherd - Cassie! Now tell us about your latest book, Crash Course.

Parties, dirt bikes, boyfriends… Angie has it all, but everything changes when her father kicks her out. Gone are the freedom and parties she thrived on. Now she has to survive a conservative mother with strict rules and a stepfather who may or may not like her. Then she meets freestyle motocross rider Brady Scott. He’s gorgeous, talented, and shows her respect at every turn. There’s only one problem — his opinions of life are opposite hers. The more time she spends with him, however, the more she’s drawn to him.

As Angie struggles to find her place in two conflicting worlds, she gets a crash course in life lessons and has to make a difficult decision — give up the partying life to hang out with Brady and his youth group friends or continue down a dangerous path that could destroy her.

E.A. West, award-winning author of sweet and inspirational romance, is a lifelong lover of books and storytelling. In high school, she picked up her pen in a creative writing class and hasn’t laid it down yet. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, knitting, and crocheting. She lives in Indiana with her family and a small zoo of pets. 

You can find, follow and Like EA at the following locations:

Website: http://eawest.mcphitty.com

Blog: http://thewestcorner.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EAWestAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/eawest

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authoreawest

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/eawest

Crash Course can be found at Amazon, B&N, iTunes & Kobo.

Thanks EA! We certainly with you the best of luck and God's blessings with your new book.

Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Meanwhile, I am the guest on Maureen Bonatch & Alina K Field's blog so if you get a moment, please stop by - THANKS!

ALSO: don't forget Mistletoe, Snow and Suspense is still available (for a limited time!) AND some author friends of mine are giving away a Kindle Fire, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway HERE.

That's it for today! Until next time, take care and God Bless.
PamT