Cornucopia

Today is a blog of various things, so bare with me.

First off, ALL FOUR ebooks of the Sabrina Strong series are on sale at .99 each. You can go here for that. The sale has just begun, today, February 26 and continues through March 3.

Yesterday a copy of Cat Whisperer came in the mail. I sent for it for my husband. This is a true account of a female feral cat which wandered into our yard and we began feeding. The story revolves around my husband, who was always a "dog" person. He took care of her, her litter, and the litters that follow from one of the off-spring. It's something of a "love-triangle" between the cats, their behavior, survival, and our own emotions over helping them survive.

The paperback is just under $10, and would make a great gift for those who love cats, and other animals.

So, there you have it. My quickie post today.

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas!

Thanks for stopping by all year long! 

See you in 2014!

A New Thing

It's been a little while since I posted, so thought I'd slap something down for you all.

Been busy with edits on Vampire Caprice (4^th book), and working on something a bit different. My non-fiction work called “The Cat Whisperer”, is coming along, and I hope to publish it this fall.

My dear friend, Carole Gill, happily read through this to catch my mistakes and type-o's. I told her no rush, I knew she was busy. But she went right to work on it, and I got it back today.

She reports, “I LOVED IT!”

I was a little worried about some of it, as I didn't leave much out. This is non-fiction, taken from my journal about the feral mother cat, and the kittens she had, and their growing up and every little emotional blow I had over the things that happened to them.

I worked on it all summer long, on and off, trying to get it to sound natural, and yet not too rag-tag [because it came from my journal, I tend to write w/o worry about tense, punctuation and even spelling].

I've always written in a journal. Since high school (and no, I'm not telling you how long, as it doesn't matter, but it's decades!). Although the majority of my journals are paper, I've now begun writing them into my computer—I've got bins filled with my paper ones. What I'll do with them I have no idea. But there are stories in there, believe me. Some that are embarrassing—for me and maybe other people. This is where you get the memoir, of course. Usually it's about some emotionally-packed incident in a person's life. Well, you know, maybe those people always got on Opra, but I'm not after that. So I went with something safe—no cat will sue me, I don't think. And one would think “how can a story about feral cats be interesting?” You have no idea.

My husband is one of the stars in this book—him being the “cat whisperer”. He's actually always had this attachment toward animals, and a kind heart, and for some reason the animals sense this. However, his starring roll is taken over by one of the off-springs, Half Pint. A tiger-striped cat with (as my husband describes him), Jack Nicolson's eyes. Yeah, they're like half-lidded.

Half Pint was the runt, and yet he was the boldest. Since he grew older, has been the cat in charge, has been able to bring back (to the house), the other two cats after the mother took them out into the wilds. When you meet him, and see how friendly he is, you simply think he's a darling. For being born from a feral cat, this is astonishing enough. It's said you have to make human contact with feral kittens early on, or they won't trust you. They're wild. The first thing I offered Half Pint (the runt) when he was a kitten, was my bare toe, which he proceeded to lick and chew on. Since then he has always liked my bare toes, and I offer them to him on occasion still, careful of his claws.

So, that's what's up next for me, once I get something figured out for the cover. I have no idea how I'll get this done, or what I can do with it. I was thinking of using one of the pictures, but I'm not sure it will work (wish I could share the pictures here, but can't).

I'll let the mss. rest for a few weeks, and read through it for anything else that I might have missed.

In any case, I think cat lovers will adore this story. I'll let you all know when it comes out.

Until then, see you around the usual haunts!

Greetings from Arcola, IL !

Hello, my pretties!

Just a short message from me while I'm down here in Arcola, this morning.

We had a good time down here, seeing the Amish, eating unbelievable food, and seeing the sites.

We went to see the log cabin where Abe Lincoln grew up. It was his father's cabin and their farm. It was funny. We were there 15 min. before they opened. Who greets us but an orange and white cat. Who does he walk up to first? My husband, naturally. I guess news of him being the Cat Whisperer has gotten around.

Yesterday rained the whole time, but we got to one of the local places. If you get down here. Go out toward Arthur, on 133, and find Yoder's Kitchen. The fried chicken is the best!

Well, today we will be heading out. Not sure if we'll go see anything, since it's foggy. I guess we'll just wait until the fog lifts. It only took 3 hours--of course we stopped and had lunch once. But not a bad drive. Thing is, you don't want to come here on Monday. Most of the shops are closed. And Rockome Gardens is NOT open until Wednesday. But these are things to see. Next time I guess we'll try and get here on days that that is open.

Well, I thought I would just do a quick update, and clean up my blog since I was able to jump on a computer here at  the motel (Best Western), and use their fast internet to do all this in very little time. Now I know what the rest of you enjoy! I'm envious.

Cats in a Cradle

Waking up to a nice morning. Birds are singing, cats were fed.

Last night I had to look back on my journal from last year and see when the female cat entered our lives. It was in June. She had her kittens in a hollow of a catalpa tree around July. Eventually these kitties were large enough to come out and explore their world. There was five of them. Now only 3 are left. But they are the closest-knit kitties I've ever seen. The males protect the smaller female and she has her own brood of four in an old dog house my husband has set up for them. We are awaiting the day these little dumplings come out into the world. They won't be as skiddish as the original 5 where.

I'm compiling my notes from last year and this year. I'm going to do an eBook (non-fiction) about them, things that happened, and my husband who is quite the animal lover. It is called "Cat Whisiperer". Dennis, my husband, has a way with animals that just amazes me. He's had deer come up to him in a drought and drink from a hose. Sorry. I don't have camera that can take pictures at the drop of a hat. I would have needed film for this instance. You'll just have to trust me it happened.

The three that survived are named: Halfpint, Tango, and Bashful (or sometimes we call her "Miss Kitty"). Two kittens (one at one time, another at another time) simply never showed up again after the mother took them all into the woods on a long exploration.

These are not your domesticated, finicky cats. They do not come inside. They don't mind light rain, they sometimes dab their feet into the water bowl and lick the water from their paw that way. They survived harsh cold temperatures of the winter months. They have learned to come to my husband's whistle like a dog. The only one that first came up to me was Halfpint, the smallest of the group, and he wound up being the leader who went out and found his brother and sister after the mother tried to loose them in the woods, and he brought them back. He's the hero of the story. There's so much I have to put down on this, and you'll just have to wait, as some of it amazes me the way these three stuck together through the dangers of the elements, dogs and other cats.

Since I'm having issues with getting photo in here, I'll just post as is. Sorry. I'm lucky to be able to do what I do on this blog. I have to place pictures on my facebook in order to put them up here. Silly, isn't it? But that's the only way I can place pictures here. And this morning facebook is being unkind to me.

Please stay tuned to the developements of "Cat Whisperer" anyone who owns/loves cats, or any pets, should enjoy this book. (Yes, no unicorns or vapmires in this one, it's all true content).

The Chronicles of Zofia Trickenbod, sorceress

No one would guess that Gladstone, Illinois would be the home of a sorceress, her children and aunt from another planet. But I'm here to tell you it's true! I've seen and heard plenty and this is what I know.

ZofiaTrickenbod had no choice but to leave her beloved planet in order to keep herself, family and the Stone of Irdisi safe and out of the hands of the evil sorcerer, Vesselvod Blood. She and her Aunt Tillie came to a planet where they could not use their magic openly. Think of Samantha Stevens of Bewitched, and you get the idea.

Her daughter, Blanche, who is going to turn 16 soon, has adapted well, but wants to fit in, like all teens do, and to the shagrin of her mother wears very little in the way of clothing. On their planet, they wear full dresses, petticotes and so on--something in the way of our 16th century, or there abouts.

Her son, Elton--who they had named Eltony, but had to change it so that he wouldn't be teased--is constantly told to not talk about the magical things that they can do, such as float a platter of meat over to the end of the table, or float themselves, for that matter. Blanch is hoping to be able to disappear and reappear at will--it skips a generation, you know.

And then there is Biddle--the strangest being of the whole family (aside from the demon in the mirror, but that's a different kettle of fish). Biddle is the family servant. You can't see Biddle because he's invisible, a ghogal who is committed to the family for all his existance--which is like forever. Although once in a while he might become cantankerous and do something irresponsible like jinx the door bell which will give people who use it a bit of a shock, and laughs about it.

What sorceress wouldn't be without her feline helpers? Well, Perth and Argyll may look like cats, but they're not, I'm here to tell ya. They're Frisian warriors who were turned into cats to prevent them from snacking on the good people of Euphoria. Yes, they were cannibals, and the Imortals of their planet saw fit to turn them into domesticated animals for the good of their planet. Perth and Argyll are Zofia's protectors, and when she feels threatened enough, she may just turn them back into warrior women. Oh! I shudder to think of it!

Then there is Zofia's nosy neighbor Lolly. Lolly has been known to call the police on Zofia for the smallest things, and today would not be any different when she spies a strange man walk up to Zofia's door, knock and is let inside. Of course she wouldn't know that the stranger was Zofia's husband who has been missing for five long years. Of course Zofia knows enough to keep the real truth behind zipped lips. Dorian is not exactly human any more. He's not even a living person. He's actually (dare we say it?), a vampire.

Well, I've run out of time, my pretties, looking at the clock on the wall. If you see a couple of cats chasing a small white dog (Lolly's) down the street, don't worry. The cats won't hurt him. Much.

Spell of the Black Unicorn available here

Zofia Trickenbod is about to save her planet from the dark
ex-wizard, Vesselvod Blood... whether she wants to or not!

Kitten Watching

I've been home for a good two weeks, and I'm still not really "back". I'm in this zone where I just can't get it together for more than an hour. I can't concentrate. I have very little desire to do much of anything.

My problem? Kittens.

Yep. The little darlings have me hypnotized. I watch them playing, sleeping and so on. You see, mommy cat moved them, coz they were getting bigger. So she put them under these large juniper type bushes that grow low to the ground, and the main trunks are larger around than my thigh. These bushes are situated right out side my office widows. I sometimes can look out and see these little cuties running, climbing up and around their "jungle gym" and I get so engrossed in their antics, I get nothing done. I think, though most people can forgive me for being so engrossed in them.

And then someone mentioned that one--a black and white--has the look of a Maine Coon (American Longhair). That wasn't the first this was mentioned. Mother cat is just a plain tiger cat. Nothing too special, but her fur seems thick--not long, or anything out of the ordinary. But the color is buff. She also hisses when my husband goes out and feeds her. She will alternate with these gravely meows. Our neighbor, who took care of them while we were gone, said that a Maine Coon does this in greeting. Some greeting. My husband is her keeper, although he will not admit to owning her. She is more wild than tame. Or is this just the way a Maine Coon acts?

I had to look up Main Coons. They are beautiful animals (above picture is one), and they are quite different from other cats. The one thing that struck me was that Maine Coons are not your typical "lap" cats. They will not come up and want affection from you. They are more aloof than any other cat.

Their name apparently comes from both the color, and that big tail. The fur is gorgeous, and there are as many color mixtures as there are in any cat world. The legend of how they came to be in America. Various stories survive. One being that ships at some point brought a type of long-haired cat to our shores, they jumped out much like the sailors and mated with the mainland womenfolk. They may have been from the Vikings who brought with them the Norwegian cat (to the right) which look pretty large and capable of surviving winters.

There are 5 kittens in this batch, and I have a window seat every afternoon and evening, and I watch them play. When they get going, it's like they've got fire under them. Jumping, chasing, creating new ways of crouching and then displaying that stiff-legged, arched back thing. It's hilarious! I feel like I'm in one of those zoos where you watch on one side of the window and they continue on as though you aren't there. I see them learn something new each day. Now they are able to capture things in their paws. They haven't been able to do that before this week.

Are they related to the Main Coon? I don't know. They say that Main Coons have fur between the pads of their paws. I've not been able to befriend them that well, yet. Only one--the runt--seems friendly enough to stick around. It also meows. Only one has unusual coloring a black back and two long white socks in the back and his eyes are outlined in white. Something they all have and I don't know if that's a trait. But the rest look more like the mother. The other four are tigers--gray or the buff color of the mother. But two have some white on their paws. My little runt has been the only one to come near me. He's the only one who doesn't run and hide. I may have to give him/her a special name. I've already named the black and white one Captain Jack. If it's a girl it will be Captain Jane. He's the larger of all and only one with longer fur.

Well, that's why I've had nothing to post. That, and because I'm waiting to get those pictures to post. Among them I hope to have some decent kitten pictures.

All for now.

A Pretty Darn Good Friday (13th)

Well, I had a pretty good Friday. This post is going to be me flapping my gums about it, so if you want to stick around, please go right ahead and put your feet up.

AT WORK:

Just before my second run (I drive transit bus for DeKalb/NIU), and my supervisor came up to the bus with a trainee, and asked if I wanted to read more of the book I was holding in my hands. Well, I didn't get it at first, and he said he was going to do a "live run" with the trainee for two runs.

I said "SURE! YEAH! GREAT! See ya in 2 hours!" I grabbed my things, jumped off the bus, went inside and wondered what I'd do with 2 hours. I felt like a kid let out of school suddenly. So, I decided I'd go into the cafeteria first, grabbed myself a milk (already had my lunch made), and sat down where it was quite, lightly low, and only a few people in there. I read and ate my sandwich. I spent the next two hours reading, grabbing ice from the ice machine on the second floor of the hotel, and read some more. Had a lot of bathroom breaks, since I COULD!

Of course I had 3 hours left on my shift when they got off. But I was able to deal with all the dozens of people who got on. Some asking questions, some confusing our bus line with another and asking for transfers, and had someone thinking we stop somewhere we don't, and another one tried to get on where we don't stop (sorry, no courtesy stops!), and people asking me to let them off at some place and I had to remember that! Sheesh!

But it all went fine. Then, when my husband picked me up he was all newsy. He told me he got to see 2 of the kittens. Someone who works for the forest preserve was there at the house getting well water, and had told him that he spotted them in the hole of the tree, and Dennis got to peek in there. (I got to see one when I got home. Spitting image of the mom with the dark tiger stripes and the golden cast around the face, and soooo tiny!)

We have been in a little dilemma about feeding the mother since we want to take a get away vacation soon. So, my husband also went down to our neighbors down the road from us. He asked the woman, Janna, about how long before the kittens would be weaned and so forth. He also asked about seeing if she could feed her. She's very nice and said she would love to do it.

And, let's see, oh, and my face creams came in the mail. I've been waiting for them a few days. This is Natural Advantage. You may have see the ad with Jane Seymour who talks about it, who uses it, her mother uses it and her grandmother as well, and they all look way younger than they are! Well, my husband had me get it, because I've tried everything on the store shelves and they'll work for a while, and then stop working after a few weeks. I began this stuff 4 weeks ago, and I definitely see a difference now. I don't think you can go wrong with this stuff. Sounds like I'm an ad here, but I wouldn't say something I didn't feel was true. I began seeing the deeper lines on my face and neck and thought GAK! I'm about to turn 58 next month, and I could pass for 49. I didn't like the idea of looking like a grandmother driving around college age kids. I don't mind them thinking I'm their mother's age, but not their granny. So, I think this was well worth the price.

And I've been waffling back and forth working on my vampire books, and my new mystery book. At the moment I'm working on the mystery. Sort of a nice change, but I'll tell you writing a pure mystery is way different. I'm looking into some books to help me. I want to get the book, "Writing Mysteries" by Sue Grafton. I saw it mentioned somewhere and thought that might help. If anyone has any others to suggest, I'll take them under consideration.

Plus, I had word that my short story, "Mother Knows Best", got past the first cut stage with Dark Moon Publishing, and I'll wait to see if it makes it past the second go-through. Since my other story didn't make it "Holy Devil", I put it up on Amazon. I felt I couldn't go wrong either way. But I'd like to see this short story make the cut for another of their anthologies (plus I'll get a little payment and a copy of the anthology!)

So, this was a darn good Friday--I never pay attention to the 13 part!--and now I look forward to a nice weekend! Hope yours went well too!

Offically on Vacation (stay-at-home)

Hello, my pretties. It's warm this morning. I believe it's around 69, maybe at this early hour of 5a.m. I woke at my normal hour of 4 - simply can't get out of that habit, but it might get better as my two weeks off kick into my sub-conscious.

I've got a number of things going. First of all, fifth book wants to come out of me. I realize that last summer I wrote the first draft of 4th book, and did so in 3 months, including all the research for it as well. I believe that's a record for me. I don't intend on trying that again, but if it happens, then it happens.

I'm also going to get a short story self-published, and as I mentioned, I'm still working on that, with help of another author, Carole Gill. *waves*

I've got flowers to water early, need to begin taking walks early, too. We have terrible pesky deer flies that are horrible and will draw blood from you, if you aren't vigilant. I slapped on on Dennis' arm he wasn't eve aware of biting him. Lots of blood all over. Worse than a mosquito--which are not around because of the drought.

HELP:
I'm unable to post any pictures on my blogs, and if anyone knows how to fix this I'd love to know. I think I have to go into the account upload limits and do something, but what I don't know. It's very confusing. If any of you have come to this wall (I believe it's 1,000 pictures limit), let me know if you had to fix it too, and how you did that.

And the stray cat which we began feeding is preggy. She's gonna be a momma, and we will probably inherit a bunch of kittens. Want one? *chuckle*

So, this is where I'm at. I have also been having trouble with a sluggish Internet later in the day, so, I may not be around after this.

Hope you all are having a good day!

Cat With Nine Lives Comes Back From The Dead--?

Living out in the country, you will get the stray animal that comes along, and since we don't have a dog, they tend to stay. Cats mostly. And we welcome these feral cats, and never feed them, as they are too wild and really are patrolling the area for rodents.

Well, we had a dark-striped tiger cat that had begun to show up in our yard. Like all the rest, it ran whenever it saw us come out of the house. But we welcome it to keep the rodents at bay from the old foundation of our house.

Then one day, last week this cat stuck around the picnic table and she seemed hungry. We had just grilled chicken leg quarters, and it had been on the table, next to the grill, and Dennis came out and it ran off into the long grass and bushes that surround our house.

I suggested we feed it, because it seemed hungry. So we kept back skin and other portions that we thought she would eat, and to top it off, Dennis put out some milk for it. And just so you know, my husband is not a cat person, he's a dog person. For him to take pity on a cat was a big leap. However, he is an animal lover and so I've a feeling it wasn't that difficult for him to take pity on a starving cat.

The cat devoured the chicken, and then drank half the milk. At some point she finished the milk.

Next evening, it returned. I saw it licking the ground where the chicken had been left for her. I told Dennis that cat must be starving if it's doing that.

So, Dennis decides to give her a packet of tuna... and more milk. She dove on the tuna, and drank nearly all the milk this time. She didn't run too far and watched him from twenty feet away. So, she ate well again.

Next night, he fed her again. The next day said that he would get canned tuna (cheaper), instead of cat food, just in case the cat doesn't come around again. Because that's been the case with these "wild" cats, who come around for a while and then disappear. Who knows what becomes of them. We have a lot of traffic down this road, and the winters are usually harsh.

The next morning I drive to work and see some road kill. Oh no, it's a cat. A dark-striped tiger cat! In my head I thought that this was a really long way away from our house--maybe a half a mile or so. I knew I had seen another striped cat down this way, and in fact I'd slowed down in seeing it running down the middle of the road before it darted off into the ditch. I thought to myself that cat won't be alive long if it doesn't learn to get off the road when cars, trucks etc. come along.

Later that night Dennis said he'd seen it when he'd gone into town. And this cat--which Dennis had named Katie--had not shown up as was usual. We hadn't gotten attached to the cat. She never let us near it, but we decided to accept the fate of the death of the cat on the road.

The next day vultures were feeding on it. Dennis put it all in perspective that the animal's death didn't go to waste, and fed something else (in other words, it wasn't just a carcase sitting in the road to decay). The idea that nature takes care of things on their own terms is something Dennis and I accept.

This was the second night after seeing the dead cat. The writer in me thought (in a Stephen Kingly way), what if the cat showed up again at our house? The thought haunted me each time I saw the dead one in the road.

Later that second night--Friday--I was coming out of my office when Dennis called to me in a strange way: "You have to come and see this!" He said it low, and like maybe he was spooked. He directed me into the kitchen, and out the window to the picnic table where that cat always liked to lay.

There it was. It looked rather tired, as though it had come back from some long journey. Not a ghost, but Katie, and sure as heck was similar to that dead cat on the road.

I was very surprised, and relieved. I told Dennis about this idea, or vision that I "saw" this exact thing happening: Dennis calling to me and showing me the cat still alive out the window, sort of a deja vu thing.

Dennis chastised her for leaving us and making us worry about her. In fact he refused to give her anything last night. She sat on the table, looking as though she felt bad about it. Even let out a feeble "meow". But Dennis said "No. That won't work on me. In fact, I'm shutting you off." He cranked the window closed and closed the curtains. Talk about tough love.

So, Katie is still with us. Still runs when we come near. She still hunts the chimp monks that have holes around the yard, and make their loud chipping sounds from their high perches. She likes to lie next to a hole out in the yard, as if waiting for one to pop it's head up. I swear, it's like a damned cartoon!

So, Katie, if she has nine lives, she didn't use one up, and she's out there this morning, keeping an eye on the varmints.

It's Wednesday...

I've been giving you snowman humor. But let me see if I can't mix it up just a bit.

Hopefully I didn't repeat anything. But if I did, forgive me.

Wishing you all a wonderful Winter Solstice Eve!