A little-known feature about my novels is that though each is a standalone story, and not part of a series,* they’re all connected. Certain characters, items, locations, and scenes from each book appear (though sometimes quite differently) in others, crossing over in particular ways.
*Though I’ve sometimes described Stray Cats as a sequel to Lost Dogs, really, it’s more like a spinoff.
If you’re reading one of my novels, you don’t need to go through all the others to understand who’s who and what’s what in your current read. But if you do pick up the others, you’ll have a richer experience and a better appreciation of the stories and characters.
Why have I done this? Just for fun and to do something different. Besides, readers have told me how much they enjoy finding these literary “Easter eggs” and seeing beloved characters again–or meeting alternate versions of them.
With the upcoming release of The Scorpion & The Wolf, my latest novel, more of these crossovers are in print, but it occurred to me that I’ve never posted about them. So, here is your guide to all the connections you can find among my books.
Warning: some spoilers ahead!
Stray Cats
Though it’s not the first novel I published, Stray Cats has the most connections with the others–including some books I have yet to write! The 2022 story of a cat, Pimmi, living her nine lives at the same time on different worlds lent itself very easily to crossovers. I tell prospective readers that Stray Cats makes a nice introduction to all my other books, because you get a sample of each of them.
In Stray Cats, you’ll find that:
- The dogs Buddy, Sally, Rex, and Shane from my post-apocalypse novel Lost Dogs return.
- Two scenes from Lost Dogs are depicted again in Stray Cats, this time from Pimmi’s point of view.
- Poppy also returns in Stray Cats, but instead of being an obnoxious Pomeranian, he is a timid opossum (reincarnation can do that to you). Pimmi meets him in the “World of Friends” segment, which is done in the style of a children’s story (available as a separate picture book, retitled Pimmi Makes A Friend, for kids not old enough to read Stray Cats).
- The girl Audrey from Lost Dogs also appears in the same segment of Stray Cats. While she still owns Sally the Beagle, her other pet is Pimmi, instead of Buddy.
- Isabella and Alijandra, the protagonists of Dragontamer’s Daughters, my first novel, appear again, five years after the events of DTD, in a new home, facing new (and greater) challenges.
- The teenage couple Alyx and Sam from my 2018 dark fantasy/horror novel This Wasted Land appear, as does the witch Freydis. In scenes I would have loved to included in TWL (but didn’t have room for), we see some of what happens with Freydis and Sam after she abducts him and drags him off into the horrible netherworld ruled by Oth.
- A scene from TWL is depicted again, this time from Pimmi’s point of view, but instead of being touching and heartwarming (as it was in TWL), it is now suspenseful and sinister.
- The Scorpion & The Wolf, the two new heroes of classic swords-and-sorcery, make their debut in Stray Cats. Several chapters from the 2025 novel first appear in Stray Cats, told from Pimmi’s point of view.
Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs was my second published novel, released in 2014 and set on a fictional Kent Island, Maryland. It is, far and away, my most popular book, with readers loving Buddy the German Shepherd, Sally the Beagle mix, Jake the Rottweiler, Penny and Poppy the Pomeranians, and even the “bad dog,” Rex the Border Collie. So, I’ve tried to slip Buddy and his friends into all my other books since.
- Pimmi, the protagonist of Stray Cats, first appears in Lost Dogs. I hadn’t planned on doing a follow-up book involving cats, but once I decided to, it was a no-brainer to take the little black kitten from two scenes in LD and expand on her story.
- In my original draft, the cat was eaten by Rex (!). I changed it because we had recently adopted a black kitten, and I didn’t want the scene to traumatize my younger daughter Ally, who had brought the cat home and named her.
- Mister Muffins is a cat mentioned as living with Penny and Poppy, but he does not actually appear in Lost Dogs. He makes his “on-screen” debut in Stray Cats in two separate segments, under the names “Mister Muffins,” and “Pharaoh.”
- The mysterious, otherworldly entities that wipe out mankind first appear here, but return in Stray Cats and The Scorpion & The Wolf.
This Wasted Land
The third novel I published (in 2018), This Wasted Land has several crossovers with the other books.
- At one point as she crosses the wasted land looking for Sam, our feisty teenage heroine Alyx finds and opens a box containing several items from the world of Dragontamer’s Daughters. The box was packed either by Isabella or someone related to her.
- The box contains two dolls that once belonged to the sisters of DTD; a twin-bladed knife and a pistol that belonged to the girls’ father; an envelope with clippings of fur from their dog, Jack; and a copy of the [fictional] book Stories of the Diheneh, From One Who Lived Among Them that Isabella wrote later in life, after she was married.
- As mentioned, Alyx meets Pimmi the cat after taking shelter in an abandoned phone booth.
- Several of the dogs from Lost Dogs also appear, though in different circumstances, as this story takes place on the real Kent Island, not the one where almost all the people are wiped out.
- The TWL version of Buddy lives on farm where Sam does horseback riding for physical therapy.
- Sally belongs to Roy (and not Rob and Gennifer), who is happily married to his wife, Amanda.
- Jake is not a neglected “outside dog,” but is the well-cared for pet of Alyx’s Uncle Tony.
- In a flashback, Alyx and Sam meet Rex happily catching Frisbees with his beloved owner.
- Penny belongs to Sam and his mother. Poppy does not appear in TWL, nor does the cat Mister Muffins.
Dragontamer’s Daughters
Dragontamer’s Daughters was the first novel I published, but not the first I ever wrote (which was a Star Wars ripoff called Galaxy Starships. Cut me some slack, I was 11 years old). DTD started off as a bedtime story for my girls when they were little, but as they got bigger, so did it.
When I wrote DTD, I didn’t have the idea of incorporating future works into it, so it has no crossovers within its pages. There are, however, are several in those books that followed it. In addition to those I already mentioned, there are:
- The yellow fox who helps Pearl the dragon also appears in Stray Cats, this time to assist an elderly, dying Pimmi.
- The same fox appears to The Wolf in a dream/vision sequence in The Scorpion & The Wolf.
- The Uupohna, a native tribe, are mentioned in The Scorpion & The Wolf, though the worlds of DTD and TS&TW are not the same.
The Scorpion & The Wolf
Six of the first seven chapters of my latest novel (being released on April 4, 2025) were first published (with some differences) in Stray Cats. That black cat on the cover, watching our heroes from a safe distance, is–you guessed it–Pimmi from SC and LD. She accompanies them through their adventures across the Lake of Stars, and into the dangerous warrens of the city of Northarbor.
- The cat Pharaoh and the reptilian Kurindans from Stray Cats also appear in this book.
- The malevolent and unearthly “Lights” from Lost Dogs are featured more prominently here. More is learned about their motives, and those who serve them.
- The witch Freydis from This Wasted Land is a major antagonist, against whom, our heroes the Scorpion and the Wolf struggle. She mentions her master, Oth. In Northarbor, she is well known as a powerful sorceress, implying that she spends a significant amount of time there.
- The Wolf uses spirit-magic to heal others, much like the native elders in Dragontamer’s Daughters.
Have find finding these crossovers! There may be more that I haven’t mentioned….
Kenton Kilgore writes books for kids, young adults, and adults who are still young. Follow Kenton on Facebook for frequent posts on sci-fi, fantasy, and other speculative fiction. You can also catch him on Instagram.
