Jill Hedgecock

I was born loving dogs. I wasn’t allowed to have one as a child which made me want one all the more. When I turned sixteen, a stray terrier mix puppy wiggled its way into my mother’s heart. I have pretty much had canine companionship ever since. Between Shadow’s Eyes is loosely based on my own Border Collie mix, Shadow. Like most things worth having, Shadow’s journey into my life was not smooth. He was an extra foster dog that needed a place to stay (above and beyond the two cattle dog puppies that I had agreed to house for Tri Valley Animal Rescue until they found their forever homes). A shy, four-month-old pup, with a bark that mimicked the off-key baying of a hound, Shadow was difficult to place. It took several months to find him a new family. But when he was returned after eight months, Shadow became a permanent member of our family. Like the Shadow character in Between Shadow’s Eyes, the real life Shadow has a black spotted tongue, rabbit-like fur, and a big heart. He loves it when I stroke the area between his eyes. As far as I know though, he does not see ghosts and his eye color in flash photos shows classic red eye. Lost Cause, a short story written about the first time Sarah meets Shadow (a scene not in the book) was awarded second place in the 2009 Inland Empire Branch of California Writer’s Club (CWC) contest.