Laugh your way through four seasons with Zelda Pug and Peach!
Zelda the pug is back for her fourth book of adventures with her Boston terrier sister, Peach. Together, Zelda and Peach face the evil vacuum cleaner. Zelda discovers fireflies, and Peach learns to ice skate. But one question remains. Will Peach finally catch a duck?
The Adventures of Zelda: The Four Seasons is now available for sale. Pick up your copy at Amazon, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play.
For those new to the Zelda series, read the first chapter below! Or you can watch Zelda and Peach pick winners for my pawtographed Zelda book giveaways. Watch Zelda's video here and Peach's here to see how they picked a winner! (The videos are ridiculous, I know. I apologize for my craziness.) The winners were selected from my email list. I give away signed books and gift cards every month, so join my list!
Chapter 1: Vacuum's Return
My sister, Peach, and I stay indoors during the bright hours of the hot summer days. When the light fades in the evening, we play in the backyard or take long walks with our family. But after many dark sleeps of this pattern, I begin to long for days with adventure and nights filled with mysteries to solve. The calm and quiet are not for a pug like me.
One day I search the house for new toys. In the backyard, I sniff the entire fence looking for traces of squirrels. On our walks, I inspect the light posts, and Peach searches the mailboxes. We find nothing.
With no adventures in sight, I slip into a pug depression. I wake up only to eat. I can’t help it. I can’t get excited about the same old routine. Peach, on the other hand, is her normal, spunky self. She jumps on my head when I’m sleeping under the blankets, and she tries to play with me. If that doesn’t work, she barks in my ear until I give in. We run laps around the living room or play keep away with a toy or a ball. Usually, Peach riles me enough that I pug sprint through the whole house with her chasing. When I break into pug sprints, I feel joy again. I’m glad Peach forces me off the couch.
After today’s round of chase, I daydream on the couch about past adventures. I think about the snowman, Squeaks, the skate park, and Vacuum.
Vacuum!
I haven’t seen Vacuum in a long time. What happened to her? Finally, I have a mystery to solve.
Peach is sleeping next to me on the couch. I nudge her with my paw. She blinks a few times and then closes her eyes. I push her a little harder. She groans at me. She is a pain to wake up! I bark twice, and with another loud groan, Peach opens her eyes.
I jump to the floor. After three more groans, Peach hops to the ground. I lead Peach around the house, sniffing each door for signs of Vacuum. Peach follows me, but she is confused. I don’t think she has met Vacuum yet.
Where could Vacuum be?
When we hear Ben and Lucy walk through the front door, we sprint down the stairs to greet them. With my tail dancing, I jump in circles around them, licking their hands.
“Hi, Zelda!” Lucy says. Peach jumps in the air, and her long tongue licks Lucy’s face.
“Hi, Peach!” She laughs. Ben pets both of us on our head.
“How was school?” Hannah asks, walking into the living room. Ben and Lucy drop their bags on the floor. Lucy hops on the couch. Peach joins her, giving her more kisses. Ben stoops to pick up a ball. He throws it, and I scurry after it, knowing Peach isn’t far behind.
The Vacuum mystery is pushed to the back of my mind over the next few days. With the sun no longer burning our backs during the day, Peach and I spend more time outside. Peach chases the birds that fly through the backyard. I watch the leaves swirl in the air, knowing the leaf piles will appear soon. I can’t wait to run and jump in them.
After a walk with Nate, Ben, and Lucy, Peach and I step into the house. A well-known scent fills my nose.
She’s back!
I dash through the house. I smell her everywhere, but I don’t see her. I run up the stairs with Peach on my tail. The smell of Vacuum is stronger upstairs. I follow my nose to a door in Hannah and Nate’s room. The door is closed, but she is behind the door. I know it. I scratch at the door, trying to pry it open. Peach barks behind me. She doesn’t know what I am doing or why, but I can’t explain Vacuum without showing her. I bark back.
“Zelda, Peach, leave it,” Hannah says. She stands in the doorway of her bedroom. I scratch again at the door.
“Fine,” she says. Hannah walks over to us, opens the door, and then walks away.
Vacuum stands before us. She doesn’t make a sound, but I feel her glare. I lunge for her and bark. Peach sits next to me staring at Vacuum without a trace of fear in her eyes. If Peach only knew …
Over the next few days, I check on Vacuum in the closet. After my walks or any time outside, I sprint up the stairs to the closet. I bark at Vacuum and then run away. Some days, I bark more, hoping to get a reaction, but nothing happens. Peach follows me to Vacuum, but she stops after a few days of the same pattern. I know she thinks I am crazy.
Several more dark sleeps pass by, and the whole family is home on this day. It’s a warm day, and I notice the breeze flowing through the windows into the house. Hannah lets us outside in the backyard. We run to the back fence and sprint through the yard. While we sprint and tackle each other, I hear a strange noise. I stop and listen.
Vacuum!
I bolt for the back door. On my hind legs, I scratch at the door. Peach joins me. I can’t see Vacuum, but the noise is present. I scratch and bark, hoping someone will hear us.
Finally, Lucy wanders into the kitchen. She sees us at the door and lets us in the house. I scamper in the door and sprint up the stairs. I find Vacuum and Hannah together in Lucy’s room.
Not Lucy’s room!
I charge at Vacuum. Vacuum backs up, but Hannah is right behind her. I bark and take a nip toward her tube. Hannah and Vacuum move away from me to the other side of the bed. I run after them.
“ARFFF! ARFFF!”
Peach is next to me, with her high-pitched bark. She lunges at Vacuum, and I know she gets it. We bark and lunge in unison at Vacuum again and again.
The noise stops. Peach turns to me. I look up at Vacuum. Hannah stands behind her, shaking her head.
“Fine. I will put the vacuum away,” she says. She pushes Vacuum back into the closet. Peach and I prance out of the room together. Vacuum is back, but now it’s two against one!