Author's stories take kids through the Bible, with pets as their guides

• By Chick Jacobs Staff writer

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• Author Jenny L. Cote has created a series of Bible-related novels with animal characters inspired by her pets. She will discuss the series Sunday at Haymount United Methodist Church.

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For a couple of pampered pets, Max and Liz have been part of a lot of history.

 

They hitched a ride on Noah's Ark, watched the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and helped Joseph through tough times in Egypt.

At least, that's the story Jenny L. Cote tells. The North Carolina-born author has taken her Scottish terrier and his feline friend on a series of imaginative tales through the Bible.

 

On Sunday, they'll come to Fayetteville for a workshop at Haymount United Methodist Church. Well, Cote will be here. Her time-traveling pets will be staying home.

 

"They've got other adventures in store," Cote said in a telephone interview from an Atlanta suburb. "We'll talk about them and their adventures. And we'll get people involved in the workshop. It won't just be me talking. We'll have tons of fun."

 

Cote's visit will fulfill another longtime goal. She's an avid researcher as well as writer, and one of her current projects involves the Marquis de Lafayette. She has never visited Fayetteville, the first city in America named for the Revolutionary War hero from France. In fact, LaFayette brought Cote and her hosts at Haymount United together. Several members of Fayetteville's Friends of LaFayette group were in Virginia last year and ended up sitting with Cote. Cote was in town on a research trip.

 

"We started chatting, and before you know it, we're making plans for her to visit Fayetteville," said Sandy Hurley, one of the group members. "It was one of those things you look back on and say, 'Wow! That's neat!' "Her books are really fun to read. They're aimed at young adults, but parents love them, too."

 

That's by design, Cote said.

 

"If you write something that kids and adults can enjoy, then it's something well-written," she said. In the case of Max and Liz, a "what if?" moment sent them on their Biblical adventures. Max, a black Scottish terrier, was tussling with Lizette, his sometimes-pal cat.

 

"I remember thinking, 'Can you imagine the cats and dogs on Noah's Ark? How did they ever get along?' It was one of those light bulb over the head moments. Before long, I was writing the story." In that first book, "The Ark, the Reed & the Fire Cloud," Max and Liz help foil a plot by some of the ark-bound animals to kill Noah and wipe out what's left of mankind.

 

After that, the books continued to flow from Cote's creative imagination. The pet pals walked through the Bible, meeting pharaohs, prophets and disciples up to the fall of Rome. They currently are in the process of meeting more modern historical characters. They have more friends. Max and Liz have grown to the Epic Order of the Seven, all of whom help in their historical adventures.

 

Sadly, Max passed away last year. In the books, though, he's still spry as ever. "I literally received thousands of cards and emails from kids when Max was sick," Cote said. "It meant so much to me to know he had touched the lives of so many people.

 

"And it goes to show that kids will read, if it's something interesting to them. They'll go anywhere with Max and Liz."

 

Staff writer Chick Jacobs can be reached at jacobsc@fayobserver.com or 486-3515.