Thursday, June 14, 2012

I'm a Published Author

For a number of years, I've been active in this blog, and on twitter, imparting my sage pronouncements from on high. Now I'm a literary 
giant with the release of a new book. 

And as a treat for all my friends: IT'S FREE TODAY AS AN EBOOK AT AMAZON http://amzn.com/B008504R9W

Here's what the product description says: 

Translated from the original Catspeak, Confucius Cat says, is a hilarious and profound collection of the advice and observations of the wise and wonderful feline philosopher. 



Praise for Confucius Cat Says...
"A purrrrfect book for anyone who loves to laugh."
- Ravenous Readers
"Hilariously funny and wise. A must-read book..."
-Wanda Wienen Kruse
Book Reviewer

Overview
Confucius Cat knows all and has generously agreed to impart his wisdom to the world in this compendium of his best advice and observations.

More Praise

 "If you're a cat lover, buy this book."
-Aspinwald
Book Reviewer

"Fun, quirky cute book for cat lovers everywhere."
Busy Happy Mom
Book Reviewer

I hope you'll check it out while it's FREE. 

Also FREE today is mummy's book FATED HEARTS which is a paranormal romance novella. http://amzn.com/B006XVD53O But enough about that. It's ME we should be focusing on. 

Go download "Confucius Cat Says..." The most important book of our generation!

Monday, May 7, 2012

A Cat Cameo: IN DEEP SHITAKE

I'm a STAR!!
Well, you all knew that already. Or at least as my friends you humor me and let me think I'm a star. But my Mummy just released a book and I have a cameo. (The photo is me and my sister Zuzu).
ZuZu was rescued from where she was living in a bush at a nearby park. It took mummy six weeks to make her comfortable enough for mum to catch her. Now she never wants to leave us.

By the way, mummy's book is FREE, FREE, FREE, at Amazon.com MAY 7-9th, so I hope you'll check it out! And look for the bits about me!

The book is called IN DEEP SHITAKE. It's a humorous romantic suspense. Here's the blurb telling you a bit more about it.


Take one devastatingly handsome movie star.
Add in one outrageously sexy female private eye with a penchant for food-word obscenities.
Mix in a dose of mistaken identity and a handful of Russian mobsters.
And they're all In Deep Shitake.




Back to my favorite subject - ME!  Notice the cat on the cover. I love it!!!!! Looks just like me!!!!

My cameo is about a third of the way through the book and it's a very important turning point in the action...if I do say so myself....Which I do!  I put the hero through some very torturous moments while he's trying to save me. I don't want to spoil anything by telling you more. Only that mummy named the cat character Talley. Very crafty of her to disguise my name so well. Ha ha.

Mum also has a story featuring the In Deep Shitake heroine in Bullets, Brass and Babes: A Thriller Anthology. It's also FREE May 7th-9th at Amazon.


Dozens more books are also going to be FREE as part of the Spring Fling FREE Par-Tay. So check out www.freepartay.com for more details on how to get those books and win prizes!

 Let's Par-Tay!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Purrs 4 Peace Thank You: April 2012


I am so pleased to introduce you to a fantastic supporter of purrs 4 peace and a lovely twitter pal. I know you'll love the story of Cheshire Kitten:


"Thanks for coordinating purrs4peace. I've been involved since the beginning, and I think it's great! Also, thanks for asking me about my story, Confucius!

By some divine mechanism, I ended up in the very best house and family for me. I was just a month or so old when the kitties noticed me making a huge racket under the house in the crawl space. The humans finally noticed the sound and tried to see under there. All my human saw was a tiny orange blur moving fast between the piers of the foundation. I found a hole that led into the garage and would sneak in to eat. The humans couldn’t get near me or I would run and hide.

Then one of the humans sat down a few feet from my food bowl. I had to get up the courage to eat while she was there because she sat there for so long. That was my introduction to meditation. She kept moving the sitting a little closer to my food bowl for the next month or so. Finally, I got really curious about her and her clothes. I would go over to her and whack her while she sat there quietly. When she stretched out on the floor face-down, I decided it was safe to check her out more closely and climbed onto her to explore. Of course, I always ran to a hiding place among the boxes in the garage or under the house. One day, I climbed right onto her while she was sitting there wearing a brown skirt with sequins.

Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by her hands. I ended up in a tiny little room and then we went in a car to the vet. I still dislike the car and the vet; I sing the entire time I’m dealing with either.

I was scared at first, but I got to know the other cats. At them time there were the wise kitties Niki and Matilda, who have gone to the RB, Becket, Belle, and Karma. The humans still freaked me out. I wrote a book about how hard it is to understand human culture, too. It’s called Please, Send Money, by Cheshire Kitten. Reggie and Nutmeg came later.

Before I was even two years old, I started looking really puny. So, of course, I kept getting jammed in a carrier and taken by car to the vet. Finally, they diagnosed fungal pneumonia, which isn’t supposed to happen around here but does for some reason. Our vet had done the research to figure out why he was seeing it. The fungus that’s supposed to only be in a pocket in West Texas turns up in potting soil. I let my human hold me while we were looking at my chest x-ray. That was the first time and she was afraid it could be the last. I also sat on her lap once or twice and even purred while I was at my sickest. I took my pills every day for more than a year, and I recovered! I didn’t let my human touch me all that time.

I’ve had some trouble with anxieties and occasional coughing, but I came through pretty well. In October, I started cuddling with my human regularly, which made her cry at first. Now, it just makes her take pictures that you can see on my blog, Cheshire Kitten Loves Karma. I have my own suite now and I get to cuddle with my humans and play with Nutmeggy when I want to. I live in peace, meditate with Robin, and practice my courage.

I love purrs4peace! It’s a great opportunity to share mindfulness with other animals and humans. We try to stay peaceful at home and to share peacefulness with our pals."

What an awesome anipal! And what wonderful humans. They are truly role models for us to follow. Bringing light into the darkness of the world. Thank you so much for being my friend and for all you do for the Purrs. 

You can follow CK on Twitter @CheshireK

Monday, March 26, 2012

Cat Treat Monday: Lizzie Starr and Noid

I have a sweet cat treat for you today: Fabulous author Lizzie Starr and the handsome and inspirational boy Noid:
photo collage by John Shaver


"Thank you, Confucius Cat, for having me here today! I'd like to share a bit about this beautiful fellow. Noid was my brother's dog (he's crossed the Rainbow Bridge) and shared my home along with the bro. Noid was half black lab, the other half the result of a fence jumping black chow named Bear. Even though he was the runt of the litter, he grew into a strong, big fellow, who had nothing but love for his people. Luckily, I was easily included in his family.

You may wonder about Noid's name...the bro worked for a pizza chain at the time and their advertising icon was 'The Noid'. In my tales, Noid is named by his young human who is learning to write. He laboriously puts down letters then ask what they spell. The closest the adults could come was Noid. (As a side note--I did this when I was little, only I named a horse Cyclops. He was a great horse.)

Have you seen the cartoon Two Stupid Dogs? I also had a miniature dachshund and Ruatha and Noid became best buddies, just like the pups in the cartoon. Noid was pleasantly slobbery and Ruie loved chasing a ball. In fact, there were times I wondered if the cartoon creators had a camera in our house!

But even more than a great friend, Noid was inspiration for a character in my fantasy romance series. In my first book By Keltic Design, Noid helps his human find a way into the Faerie Otherworld so they can join the faerie hunt. When Stephen falls in love and wishes to remain in Faerie, Noid stays with him. And becomes the brave hero many times over through the series. Sometimes I think he's the most intelligent being populating my fantasy worlds. I had a great source of inspiration!

Having an animal character gives my story people another chance to show the stuff they're made of. How they interact with an animal says so much about them--both the heroes and the villains. And a challenge to my writing skill--I had to show Noid's emotions and reactions in a realistic manner.

We miss Noid, and Ruatha who have both crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but now the household has another mini-doxi named Lessa and an aloof, tuxedo cat named Goku. And I'm pretty sure they, as well as many other past feline and canine friends, will all make it into my stories. Besides adding so much to a tale, having them on the pages to read again and again helps keep their memories in my heart."








By

Keltic Design




Allyn Keely, Celtic artist and friend of Faerie, finally finds a man she can love. But she’s older than he is and faces the insurmountable task of helping him realize his destiny in the Otherworld.


Successful businessman, Jaye Zeroun prides himself on his realistic, but lonely, view of life. Until Allyn knots her way around his heart and fills his life with a fantasy he refuses to believe. Then danger threatens their love, forcing him to either accept a deadly battle or lose the very things he never included in his life, a family and a love beyond his wildest imagining.







*lizzie starr's blogs: http://starrwords.blogspot.com




                                 http://creativityforhappyendings.blogspot.com


*lizzie starr is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lizziestarr


Monday, March 12, 2012

Cat Treat Monday: Alicia Street and Wallace

Fantastic Cat Treat today: Alicia Street and her fascinating cat Wallace. I already knew what a great author Alicia is, but I didn't realize she had such a handsome and interesting furry one. Now let's hear from Alicia:


Thanks, Confucius, for having us as your guests today.

In the past we’ve had more than one cat, but with Wallace, well, that just isn’t allowed. He simply will not tolerate any other furry critter in his domain. He’s one of those cats who takes over and tells you what to do.

If we’re working at the computer for too long and not paying attention to him, he’ll parade in front of the screen. Or sometimes he’ll start pulling on a kitchen cabinet door, letting it slam repeatedly until we get the message.

Wallace was a lost, little stray searching for food when we took him in many years ago. Because of that he has a slight eating disorder. Wild and stray animals have to master the art of “eat and run.” So Wallace has problems with speed eating and non-stop eating.

We think that is also why he likes so many different kinds of foods. He likes pizza, tofu and lima beans and even Mexican food. That’s why Roy decided to immortalize him on a peso. (He also likes to watch Mexican boxers on HBO with Roy.)

If we leave the kitchen before he’s satisfied, he’ll chase us down and swat our legs. And when we remind him that he’ll vomit if we feed him more, Wallace goes into the front bathroom — his complaining room — and launches into some throaty chants you’d swear were coming from his five hundred pound tiger cousins in Siberia. By the way, cats can make over one hundred different kinds of vocal sounds.

Our heroine in KISS ME, DANCER has three cats that live with her in the dance studio she runs. We’ll be releasing a Book #2 in our Dance ‘n’ Luv series plus a short story later this month."

KISS ME, DANCER (Book # 1) is a roller coaster of a romance between a divorced dad and a dance teacher.

Ballet instructor Casey Richardson takes an immediate dislike to the brash, arrogant Drew Byrne when he pulls his nine-year-old son out of her “silly” dance class. Still, she cannot help noticing his smoking hot body and bedroom eyes. A working class girl raised in the small fishing and farming community on Long Island’s rural North Fork, Casey knows all too well how easily a girl can get hurt by the notorious womanizing hunks that flourish on the South Fork in the Hamptons. Men like Drew Byrne.


The last thing she needs is for him to be the only one who can save her from losing her dance academy, the dream she has worked so hard to turn into a reality.

Unlike Casey, who’s had so many failures she calls herself “Calamity” Richardson, winning comes naturally to Drew Byrne. As head of a Fortune 500 company, he enjoys his wealth and has no problem keeping it a game with some of the world’s most beautiful women. So why should his son’s challenging, straight talking dance teacher get under his skin in a way no other female has? He tells himself it is because Casey is the only one able to bring his shy, uncommunicative son out of his shell. Or is it because he has finally met his match?

Add in a stint on a hit TV dance-off series, a cozy local coffee shop, a narcissistic rock star and a protective big brother for a sexy, heartwarming and fun read.

In addition to being part of today’s Indie movement, Alicia and Roy Street are traditionally published authors. In 2009 they received a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. They both share backgrounds in the arts. Alicia spent years as a dancer, choreographer and teacher; Roy in theater, standup comedy and visual arts. 

HERE’S AMAZON -






Alicia has generously offered to give away a copy of her book. So leave a comment and you'll be entered to WiIN! Leave your email address for a contact. Thanks.

Thank you Alicia and Wallace for being here. I would love to be on money!










Monday, March 5, 2012

Cat Treat Monday: Vijaya Schartz and Jasmine


Cool Cat Treat Today: Author Vijaya Schartz and her furry baby Jasmine. Take it away Vijaya: 

"FURRY TAILS (pun intended) LEAD TO CATS IN BOOKS - by Vijaya Schartz



Cats have a way of invading our lives. It’s very difficult (for me at least) to have only one cat. After I adopted Jasmine (on the picture) from a no-kill shelter, I feared the poor thing would feel lonely when I leave the house. So I adopted a kitten from a friend author who’d discovered a feral litter in her yard. I thought little Spunky would make a good companion for Jasmine to play with. Of course, she hated the darn kitten at first sight. By the time the two learned to tolerate each other, here came a poor little orphan who desperately needed a home. We named him Bandit.

Now, I have three cats in the house. But when many homes in our neighborhood went into foreclosure, an increasing number of cats came to feed on our back porch, where we always keep water and dry food for the occasional thirsty or hungry visitor. The summers are hot in Phoenix Arizona, so water is critical. The newcomers liked the shade and the bushes of our large backyard, which constitute a cool jungle. They feel safe there, in the company of other cats. And so, the number of feline visitors increased... and increased... to about fifteen.
Unfortunately, most of these cats, by the time they found our backyard, were weary of people and behaved more like feral than tamed. At first, most were fixed, and some even declawed, but soon the females attracted tom cats with a very healthy libido. One of these tom cats belonged to a known and uncooperative neighbor. The feral males we couldn’t catch to have them fixed, and that was a problem... a growing problem.

The next spring we discovered three litters of new kittens almost two months old, that the mothers had carefully kept hidden in the chicken pen and in the wood pile. The mothers had taken good care of them. When these kittens showed up on our back porch, Jasmine, the queen of the house, grew very upset. She hated the little upstarts who gamboled and chased butterflies on the other side of the window. Invaders had requisitioned her backyard. We quickly found homes for the kittens, and our little sanctuary seems to have found a harmonious balance, but we keep getting new litters... so if you are looking for a cat...

Now you understand why I have cats in my stories. Sometimes they are house pets, sometimes savage man killers, even alien feline monsters. You may have noticed the covers of my CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series, with all the feline heads. WHITE TIGER won an award for the best eBook cover of 2009. In that series, a group of humans marooned on a far away planet have grown into a society that keeps large felines as pets and train them for warfare. The books are WHITE TIGER (Book One), RED LEOPARD (Book Two), BLACK JAGUAR (Book Three), and BLUE LIONESS (Book Four). The prequel, NOAH’S ARK, the story of how it all began, is scheduled for release on April 1, 2012. Each book can be read separately, but it’s more interesting to read them in the right order.

A few of these books won awards, along with their felines. The Leopard in Red Leopard won the best animal character award in 2010 for bravery and loyalty.
Here is what the latest book, is about:

BLUE LIONESS - Chronicles of Kassouk Book Four
In the face of Human slavery, Black Sword Captain Ariela of Kassouk must do the unthinkable. Rebel against the Mutant regime. But she cannot do it alone.
Ariela suspects the king’s death is no accident. And the tyrant who usurped the throne looks guilty as hell. As leader of the Human rebellion against the Mutant rulers, Ariela is desperate for help, and Lord Starro, the handsome Crown Prince of the Star Children, offers the technology the Human faction lacks. But can Ariela trust a spoiled, arrogant foreign prince who never fought a battle, and thinks he is destined to rule the universe? Is she trading one tyrant for another? No matter how kind, handsome, or fascinating, Starro has frightening mental abilities. And this alliance is not safe, especially for Ariela’s heart.

Blue Lioness REVIEWS:
"Wow! Talk about a real page turner! I absolutely Adored Blue Lioness. Ms. Schartz is an incredible storyteller with a very big imagination...The world building is so imaginative in this story that it just kept me turning the pages late into the night, because I was desperate to see what happened next and to see if Ariela and Starro were going to get their happy ending. If you love science fiction romance with stellar world building, and a beautiful love story, oh, and sentient big cats, then you do not want to miss this one. I for one am going to go out and buy the rest of the books in this series, and I encourage you to do so as well, Ms. Schartz is not to be missed!" - Coffee Time Romance
"Ms. Schartz's new book Blue Lioness is a fast paced and compelling story that held me spellbound from the start. I for one can't wait to read Noah's Ark, the next book in the Chronicles of Kassouk series." Fallen Angels Review (5 angels)
"Blue Lioness rips along at a great pace, and keeps you scrolling through pages on your e-reader, as fast as you can. Although it is part of a series, this one stands alone very well. Schartz has a very active imagination, reminiscent of JD Robb’s 2060 way of life." Manic Readers - 4½ stars

If you leave a comment, you’ll get a chance to win a pdf copy of the book of your choice in the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK series. So please leave a comment and good luck.

*CC note: Very generous giveaway. Thank you Vijaya. The series looks fantastic! I'm going to go now and check it out!

Oh and you can find all my books in kindle, most of them in nook, and at All Romance eBooks and a few at Smashwords. Just follow the links under my signature line.
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Guns, Swords, Romance with a kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com  
Vijaya's books at Amazon.com:
https://www.amazon.com/author/vijayaschartz

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Purrs 4 Peace - March 2012 - Thank You

This month I would love you to meet some very special friends and who have been very devoted to purring for peace. The peaceful effect of their purrrrs is strong.  These wonderful friends are much appreciated by Confucius Cat and all their Twitter friends. Meet the Mooshies:


"We’re two sister cats living in the Washington, DC area. We were born on April 7, 2004. Our mommy adopted us from Alley Cat Allies. We live in a very cool neighborhood and love to look out the window to catch the latest action. We enjoy going outside, watching birds, napping, playing with toys, and getting massages. We like to eat human food even though vets say that’s not a good thing for animals. Sometimes, when we’re really good, our mom will give us a little turkey or fish. Otherwise we usually eat dry cat food (boring!).  And, we have fun socializing with all our anipals on Twitter."

You can find the Mooshies on Twitter @themooshies and visit their fabulous website www.themooshiechronicles.com
 




Thank you my dear friends. Purrrs of love and appreciation to you. You make the world a better place every day.




Monday, February 27, 2012

Cat Treat Monday: Linda Andrews, Peaches and Bear

Hi all, Today I have a fantastic cat treat for you: Linda Andrews and her furry babies Bear and Peaches. I always knew Linda was a fantastic author but now you'll see what a great human she is. Take it away Linda.

"People don't own cats. Cats own people, if you're deemed worthy, that is. I am happy to be the caregiver of 4 cats and the protector of one very large, very scared dog. We all get along mostly well, until the dog decides he wants to play with one of his smaller siblings. The sibs don't appreciate a 80 pound beastie charging after them or slobbering on them, so they cry out and low and behold soon the dog is trapped under the table with four cats growling at him.

Fortunately, all the animals like to sleep A LOT so it doesn't happen as often as it could.

While I could talk about the pets antics for a long, long time I thought I'd just introduce you to Peaches. Technically, Peachy belongs to my daughter but she has set herself up as the alpha cat in the house. She is the only animal in our house that was purchased and maybe that makes her the most normal. In case, you were wondering--our other animals including the fish were rescued--one from being crushed by a forklift at my husband's work, two from being coyote kibble after their mother was eaten (they were 1 1/2 weeks old) and one was given away after the owners moved out leaving the pregnant mother locked in the back yard. The fish came from a neighbor whose tank started leaking.

Now back to Peaches.

She is the only cat I know that comes when you call her. And she does love my daughter, preferring to sleep on her bed. Of course, my daughter also dressed the cat in a ballerina tutu and pushed her around in a doll stroller for the first two years of her life. They are both 9 years older, so that rarely happens anymore.

But aside from my daughter, I am Peaches preferred companion. (Which irritates the dog as he thinks I am his property.)

Peaches likes to sit behind me when I'm on the couch, takes a nap on my hip when I nap and plumps my belly to see if I'm soft enough to curl up on when it is cold. She also loves to groom those in her pride. If she sits behind you and you don't offer up an arm for her to sample, she'll bite your head. Not fun. Ask my dad, he's bald. After a few licks, she hunkers down and keeps an eye on the other lesser animals of the house. Which is pretty much everyone except me.

She does not like the printer as she is not allowed to play with the pages when they come out. But when I'm printing out pages, she perches on it as it is warm so they have reached a truce. She also gets very jealous of the time I spend on the computer. Should I spend too much time, she casually walks across the keyboard inserting lots of weird characters and sometimes hits the power key to turn it off. Not fun.

She hasn't quite figured out how to turn off my iPad, but she does like to rub her cheeks against the edges. So I think she is plotting and thinking. Now I have to go. Four cats are staring at me, subliminally telling me that it is time to feed them. Must obey cats. Whoops. Here comes the dog. He gets to lick the cats' bowls clean."


Linda has a wonderful knew book called Blue Maneuver:  The extraterrestrials have landed and they're human. Rae Hemplewhite didn't believe in aliens until a close encounter with
out-of-this-world technology drags her into the extraterrestrial security program. Helping alien refugees adjust to life on Earth is difficult enough, but her first clients have a price on their heads. Plus, her new partner seems torn between the urge to kiss her or kill her. And that's the good news. The bad news: Alliances are forming in deep space. If Rae doesn't keep her witnesses alive long enough to transfer their top secret information to the right faction of humanity, Earth will become a battlefield. 

You can find Blue Maneuver at the usual outlets including Amazon.com: http://amzn.com/B006VOKXME

Linda Andrews lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, three children and a menagerie of domesticated animals. While she started writing a decade ago, she always used her stories to escape the redundancy of her day job as a scientist and never thought to actually combine her love of fiction and science. DOH! After that Homer Simpson moment, she allowed the two halves of her brain to talk to each other. The journeys she’s embarked on since then are dark, twisted and occasionally violent, but never predictable. 

You can follow Linda on Twitter @LindaAndrews and visit her blog 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Cat Treat Monday: James Hatch

I have a very cool cat treat this week: James Hatch and his fascinating cat with four names. Here's James and NMC (that's my favorite of the names...lol)

"Cats! You gotta’ love ‘em. I’ve had at least one cat for a long as I can remember. Not that I’ve wanted one necessarily, but because they are drawn to me. In fact, when I first started writing, a polydacts cat with six toes showed up at my back door. It seemed an omen, like one of Hemmingway’s cats had arrived to watch over me. I fed that one until my pile of rejection slips exceeded one-half inch, and then determined the cat wasn’t helping at all. It had a home; it just liked to beg. My current constant cat companion showed up a little later. She was a pregnant “teenager,” scrawny and hungry, and had probably been dumped in our neighborhood by someone who didn’t want a cat in that condition. The cat seemed to know I was a soft touch and, on spotting me, immediately ran up and began rubbing on my leg, purring loudly.
I weakened. I fed it. It never left. That’s her in the picture. She has four names. I used to call her “NMC” for Not My Cat, until she had been here for five years. Then I started calling her “RC” for rotten cat because she’s not friendly to anyone except me. My wife calls her “Limestone” because her mix of colors looks like that type of rock, or “Blue” because of her beautiful blue eyes. I kept her six kittens until they were eating ham and soft cat food on a regular basis, and then took them to a pet store for sale. They were tame and healthy and are making some child happy even now.  
Ever wonder how cats process data? I made a stab at it in my paranormal comedy released last week by Solstice Publishing. Here’s an excerpt from Oh, Heavens, Miss Havana! Advice columnist by day, assassin by night, Miss Havana’s spirit wrongly considers itself the Angel of Death, but is brought to task by God. 
Thank you for reading, and thank you for having me here.

James L. Hatch
Author for: xoxopublishing.com, Solstice Publishing and Eternal Press "


Oh Heavens, Miss Havana sounds great. Here's the blurb:

Oh, Heavens, Miss Havana! Blurb: Having performed a single selfless act, Miss Havana finds herself on probation in heaven. After many missteps, she discovers she still retains the powers she had as The Queen of Darkness, and realizes she’s on probation as much to keep her from joining forces with her daughter, The Princess of Darkness, as anything else. The Brazilian, a large black man with a dreadlocks beard who waxes regularly, is her “guide”, but she ignores his advice until he’s taken off her case. Guideless and in a foreign environment, she consorts with evil spirits from her former realm, especially Waldo, a shadow creature so named because he’s so hard to find. She acquires a copy of “The Angels Guide to Earth”, comes to believe she is the Angel of Death, and returns to the surface as an advice columnist and assassin. She wreaks havoc before God intervenes for a final showdown...which, as it turns out, isn’t as final as most would hope.

James has even given us an excerpt so read on!!!!!!!!

Oh, Heavens, Miss Havana! Excerpt: I mentally review the Reaper’s rampage, remembering the wad of cloth he stuffed in the girl’s mouth. As loud as he was bellowing when I left him with Waldo, it’s no wonder he did that … just in case she woke from unconsciousness as he cut her throat. The only solace here is that it will never happen again. Not My Cat, the scruffy yellow stray I’d seen when I was here last, lurks just beyond the edge of the underbrush, and I wonder if such an animal can be inhabited by a spirit on probation.
I drift over, slither in and am surprised by what I find. The cat thinks in images. It remembers what it sees, but doesn’t assign moral judgments. It remembers where food can be found, and where warm places to sleep are located during the frigid Denver winters. The imagery is a hierarchy relative to survival, with the most easily available water, food and shelter at the top of its memory, hunting areas next, female cat locations and, finally, miscellaneous—things to do with humans, most of which are ignored or inconsequential.
The cat looks out at a Canadian goose basking near the water, but recalls an image of a severe beaking for trying to get one. It doesn’t care about humans in general, but is human-like in its longing. It wants what it can’t have, even when threatened with pain. Its tail twitches in anticipation, but caution prevails. I’ve always been amused by cats, and find this one as interesting from the inside as others are from the outside … until I come to a very disturbing image in its inconsequential and fading memories of human interactions.
The cat watched the Reaper’s fourteenth victim being slaughtered, but the Reaper was not alone. What in Lilith’s Realm is this? I exit the cat, project myself to the Reaper’s home and interrupt Waldo’s fun. “We need to pry a little information out of him before we kill him, Waldo. He had an accomplice.”
Waldo beams with delight. “Does that mean we get to do this again?”
I nod. “Get the muriatic acid; let’s get his attention.”
*****

You can also find reviews and additional excerpts at http://cookinwithmisshavana.blogspot.com

I hope you'll check out James' book and his fun blog.  



Monday, February 6, 2012

Cat Treat Monday: Lynn Crain, Jasper and Harry aka Snarky Boy

Big excitement today as we have a fantastic cat treat: Lynn Crain, her handsome dog Jasper and the cutie-pie, Harry. I hope you'll enjoy their story. Here's Lynn

"My Snarky Boy

            When we moved to Vienna, Austria, last year, we were all set to bring our dog, Jasper. He’s a lab mix of some sort and I missed him dearly as the first months rolled by. I went home for a couple of months to get him ready to go when the realization came that he could not be crate trained in the two months I had to do so. I was devastated as this was the first dog who was all mine. Most of them had bonded with my husband more than me but not Jasper. He was my baby and I was heartbroken.

           Trying to trudge along being in a foreign country where I knew no one and didn’t speak the language was wearing on me. There were days that I missed my kids and grandkids horribly and all my animals. We’d also left behind three cats who weren’t good candidates for foreign travel either. Still, I tried my best to adjust but after the second time my husband went on travel, I told him that I desperately needed to get Jasper over here or find another dog.
At first, he wasn’t happy about it but I finally convinced him just how lonely I was being away from everyone. I needed something I could rely on when he wasn’t around. Sure, I had the phone numbers of people I could contact who were acquaintances from his work but I didn’t really know any of them. I knew an animal would somehow make me feel less alone and more safe when he was away.
            We scoured the internet and other sources to find someone who could crate train Jasper. We had no luck and those we did find were so expensive I could come home from Europe two or three times. After a visit to the vet where we talked about me taking him back with me, it was decided that since he was terrified of the crate it would be in the dog’s best interest not to bring him with us. Jasper would stay home with my youngest son.
            This was in August 2011 and I started looking for a way to get another dog while I was in Austria. I looked at the shelters and found that it was extremely hard to qualify for an animal here. The best chance I would have would be to go to a breeder. I started looking into dogs that I could carry on the plane with me, as I never wanted to get another dog I couldn’t take with me when I traveled. After a couple of weeks looking on line relentlessly, I discovered Parson Russell Terriers.
            I had known about Jack Russells and loved the breed but they could get hyperactive...that wouldn’t do on an airplane. I looked at the miniature Jack Russell but the nearest breeder was in England and I really didn’t want to go out of Austria to get a dog. While perusing the internet, I came across a Parson Russell Terrier site and checked them out. They had a list of breeders and I started to contact them regarding puppies.
            While doing that I came across the cutest puppy I’d ever seen in my life. His name was Harry Potter and he was just adorable. First, I had to convince my husband that it was worth it to take a train ride six hours just to get a dog. Once that battle was done, I had to make sure the breeder approved of us as well. Some have very strict guidelines and we’d already failed one or two as one breeder only sold his animals to owners who planned to use them for hunting. Another refused to sell to people who lived in the city.
            The breeder and I had conversations via phone and email for a whole week before we decided to make the trek as the pup would be quite expensive. Nevertheless, I told my husband my peace of mind would be worth every cent. Then there would be the added benefit that the puppy would force me to exercise every day.
            The day finally arrived and we missed our train. We had to wait just a short time for a different train and a slightly different route. We contacted the breeder and told her we’d call when we arrived. It was a godsend to find someone who spoke English as we had few communication issues. Finally, we arrived at our destination just outside of Salzburg. Birgit picked us up from the station and asked us a lot of questions on the way. We answered the best we could because we were just learning the city ourselves and didn’t know everything. Once we arrived at her place, she took us to where the puppies were and I was in love. Here’s one of the first pictures we took of our new puppy boy.



            This dog has been a lifesaver in more ways than one. I have exercised more and will continue to do so. Since he’s been around, I’ve lost over 30 pounds...this is a great thing...very good. He’s provided companionship to me every day and is a joy to be around. He helps me to feel safe when the husband’s away. Because of him, I now have an entry into the Austrian way of life because they love puppies and adore dogs. We have gotten more comments because of him and I’ve made more friends since he’s been around.
            Now, you’re probably wondering why I’ve taken to calling him Snarky Boy. Harry is not your normal terrier and I’ve had many comments on that. We have a very calm household and he doesn’t do any of the normal behaviors of his breed. Most actually tend to be nippy, snarly and a variety of other terrier habits. Not so with Harry and when he does, I’ve started calling him Snarky Boy. When he hears that, he actually stops and occasionally changes his attitude, something that the dog trainer we’re working with was amazed about. He is generally a very happy dog with a sunny disposition, he greets all other dogs as friends and wonders why not everyone thinks he’s the cutest pup in the world!
            Here’s another picture of Harry today at six months old. We’ve had him for four months now and wouldn’t trade him for anything! Matter of fact, he will soon have his own blog and twitter account. Just look for Snarky Boy and his picture. Thanks for letting me share with you one of my best friends ever."




Lynn Crain realized at an early age she wanted to write. She took the long way to being published by doing a variety of things like nursing assistant, geologist, technical writer and computer manager all of which have added to her detail-oriented stories. Now she’s a full-time storyteller and weaves fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal tales, as well as erotic stories for various publishers. She normally lives in the very hot southwest with her husband, son, two dogs, three cats, and she’s gotten rid of her snakes. Don’t ask. Other members of her clan live nearby and include another son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons, plus various long-time friends. She is a past national board member of the RWA; founding president of Las Vegas Romance Writers Chapter of RWA; has held the positions of president, vice-president, secretary and contest chair of EPIC. Her latest adventure has taken her to Vienna, Austria with her husband as he works for a UN-affiliated organization. You can find her hanging out at A Writer In Vienna Blog (www.awriterinvienna.blogspot.com) and various other places on the net (www.theloglineblog.blogspot.com; www.twitter.com/oddlynn3; www.lynncrain.blogspot.com ). Still, the thing she loves most of all is hearing from her readers at lynncrain@cox.net.

Lynn has a great new book called A LOVER FOR RACHEL, which is available through Smashwords and Amazon.

Rachel Hamilton comes to Stonehenge to celebrate her birthday on Summer Solstice, only to find herself trapped beneath the massive rhyolite bluestones with sexy wizard, Dewin Kingston, who convinces her that she is the key to their escape.

A Lover for Rachel Smashwords Link           
A Lover for Rachel Amazon Link