Jennifer Kincheloe & Monkey

Who is in the photo at right?

Monkey is a four-year-old Brussels Griffon mix. She’s a perfect angel, no matter what anyone says. (No, she did not bite that jogger.) I'm Jennifer Kincheloe, a public health research scientist turned writer of historical mysteries. My new Anna Blanc novel is The Woman in the Camphor Trunk.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

It’s the weekend.

What's brewing?

I buy green Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans and roast them myself in a popcorn popper, grind, and brew them. These beans would blow your mind.

Any treats for you or Monkey on this occasion?

Greenies!

How were you and Monkey united?

It started in the 90s when my husband and I were first married. We were thinking about getting a dog. Our breed book had a picture of this creature who looked like Oscar the Grouch, but not much like a dog. It was kind of a running joke for us. We laughed about it for years. The breed was Brussels Griffon, and pretty rare in the west. I’d never actually seen one.

Fast forward to 2013. I saw Monkey on the Adopt a Pet website and wanted to make my husband laugh. So I woke up early so I could be at Petco at 6:00AM to wait in line for the adoption event. I sat on the dirty side walk for five hours with thirty or so hopeful dog-parents-to-be. When the event began, I nabbed her. My husband laughed and laughed, and we’ve been blissfully happy ever since.

Does Monkey do more to help or hinder your writing?

She’s good for historical research. Brussels Griffons were the “It Dogs” in the first century of the 1900s. Also, she keeps my blood pressure down.

Cat, postman, rabbit...?

Yes. Postmen beware.

Who is Monkey's best pet-pal?

Monkey doesn’t care for the company of other pets. She likes to scare my daughter’s dog, Buffy, who is a golden retriever.

What is Monkey's best quality?

Her devotion to me.

If Monkey could change one thing about you, what would it be?

She’d want me to rub her tummy all the time instead of just half the time.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Monkey could speak, who should voice her?

My daughter Samara would have to do it. She’s always talking in this funny “Monkey voice” attributing selfish attitudes and snotty dialogue to the dog. My daughter’s Monkey imitation is as funny as anything on the planet.

What advice would Monkey give if asked?

“Never get another dog.” She likes being the only one.

Visit Jennifer Kincheloe's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Woman in the Camphor Trunk.

--Marshal Zeringue