Mary Feliz's Blog, page 4

Bird from Bird: telling shorebirds apart

Willets, Whimbrels, Godwits, and Curlews, oh my!

First off, if you love beaches and shorebirds but don’t feel a need to know their names, feel free to move along now.

Some of us, however, learn the identity of one bird, which leads to another and another, until we’re anticipating the arrival of the migratory birds, each in its own time, and monitoring the health of the local residents.

Visitors to California’s Central Coast, and particularly to my home at Pájaro Dunes (pájaro means bird in Spanish), have a wealth of birds to observe, but may have trouble telling them apart. Here’s a primer for four similar species you’re apt to spot at the water’s edge in the waning days of the summer season. I’ve included their height, but that’s a useful comparison only if the birds are standing near one another.

Long-billed Curlews Numenius americanus 23”

These birds are easy to identify by their exceptionally long downward-curled beak. (If I were a Curlew, I’d spend most of my time performing unplanned flips, or lying on my back wondering what happened.) They’re also the tallest and longest-legged shorebird on the coast.

Marbled Godwits Limosa fedoa 18”

Marbled Godwits are smaller and shorter than the Curlews, with darker legs and shorter slightly upturned bills. While they resemble juvenile curlews. Their two-toned bills turn up “toward God.” They are apt to appear in larger groups than Long-billed Curlews.

Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus 17 1/2”

While related to Long-billed Curlews, Whimbrels are seen in larger numbers. The stripes on their head are much bolder than on the Long-billed Curlews and they have a dark eyeline. Their legs are shorter and their bills are less ungainly.

Willets Tringa semiplamata 15”

Willets have shorter stouter bills and are more charcoal and white than the sandy red and buff colors of the other shorebirds.

10 cool lists and links for authors

The following is an eclectic mixture of websites with information to help writers, particularly those in the marketing phase of their careers. 

 

1.    Join a professional organization for writers in your genre.

Most have low-cost classes, webinars, and information for novice writers, including Sisters in Crime and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 

 

2.    Make 3D images of your book https://diybookcovers.com/3Dmockups/# 

These images can enhance your social media posts.

 

3.    Learn more about promotion

Dana Kaye is a publicist interest in sharing her ideas about book marketing.

 

4.    Optimize your online presence

Jane Friedman is incredibly generous in sharing her expertise in online promotion for authors. In addition to her own advice, she includes links to other websites she’s found to be useful. 

 

5.    Snag a literary review

Kirkus Indy Reviews Authors are of several minds about paid reviews. In my opinion, a positive review from Kirkus can add clout to your promotional campaign. It’s expensive though. Wait for a 25% off sale (you can pay for the review and then use it prior to your next book release.)

 

6.    Get the word out about sales and new releases

 BookBub is the big gun when it comes to newsletters alerting readers to books on sale in their preferred genres. Explore their site to learn about new services they are adding all the time. While the price is steep, I know no authors who’ve lost money on a BookBub campaign.

 

7.    Take a virtual tour

For most writers, book tours are a nostalgic memory of an earlier age of publishing. The good news? You can now conduct a book tour in your pajamas. While opinions differ on the efficacy of tours, authors whose readers skew older (mysteries) can still benefit. Cozy authors might try the Great Escape Tours. Others are Hidden Gems and Goddess Fish 

 

8.    Consider a book review service

Nicholas Erik has this handy list of services : https://nicholaserik.com/book-review-mini-guide/

 

9.    Consider alternatives to BookBub

If you’re a debut author with no reviews it can be difficult to snag a BookBub slot. Luckily a myriad of competitors exist, including those for readers who’d like to tailor their preferences more tightly than BookBub allows. Here are some links to reviews of BookBub’s lower cost (and narrower reach) competition. 

https://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2016/06/35-alternatives-to-bookbub/

https://bestthrillers.com/bookbub-alternatives-whats-the-second-best-email-book-marketing-service/

 

10.  Auto-repost blog entries and social media announcements.

Amazon’s Author Central and Goodreads both allow authors to link their blog posts to their profiles. Hootsuite and other similar services will help you schedule your social media posts and repost them automatically on other platforms (Instagram, Twitter, etc.) 

 

Authors typically spend an hour or more a day on promotion. It can be a huge time sink. But most experts agree that the best way to sell books is to write another book. In sum, that means writers must budget their time and creative energy wisely. You cannot do it all. Try a variety of promotional techniques. If you enjoy them, do them again. If you don’t like them or they aren’t beneficial for your book, avoid them, no matter how successful they are for your pal Barnaby Bestseller. 

Odd Bird: Red Phalarope

This blog first appeared as a Guest Post on Babs Book Bistro July 16.

Red phalarope in non-breeding plumage. Photo by Mary Feliz

Moves like a wind-up toy. 

Looks like an origami sculpture. 

Makes my mom belly-laugh. 

Phalarope. 

What’s not to like?  They are funny little aquatic birds that look as though they’re made of origami. Better still, they feed by spinning in circles and then snapping their pointy little beaks to slurp what they’ve stirred up. The result is behavior most often seen in a wind-up toy. It’s been researched by experts in hydrodynamics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Males sit on the nests and incubate the eggs.

And my 91-year-old mom can’t look at them without laughing. I love them. Several species, most often the red-necked phalarope, visit our coastal pond in the fall as they return from the Arctic tundra to their winter feeding grounds far off the coast of South America. 

Spotting them any other time is unusual. Their primary habitat is at sea, feeding off the critters that hang out in kelp beds. But every once in a while, during particularly stormy weather, one or two will seek sheltered waters ashore. 

And while they’re quietly spinning their circles, the local birding community goes mad. This spring, my novice birder husband spotted four phalaropes early in the morning. Three were already dressed in full-mating plumage for the Arctic party. The trio were easily identifiable as the red-necked phalaropes, male and female. 

But another bird lurked in their midst. The mostly white and grey mottled bird with dramatic eye markings sported its subtle winter feathers. We told a local avian aficionado, asking him to let us know when he’d identified the fourth bird. He told a few friends. Within the hour there were five birders with binoculars, cameras, and funny hats recording every head bob. A gentle drizzle pockmarked the water surface. Pondering head slope, beak length and width, markings, and body size, no one was sure. Was it a red-necked, or the far rarer and slightly larger red phalarope? The birds swam close enough together for a size comparison and cameras clicked as though snapping royal offspring. By mid-afternoon, in driving rain and high winds, more fans ogled from the shoreline. That evening, after enlarging and comparing photos online, Alex Rinkert, an editor for the E-bird phone app, made the call. Size, head, and beak made it a red.

My novice birder husband had been the first to alert the locals. Mostly, we were happy to share our avian neighbors with the bird-crazy community. But there was a certain amount of sublime pleasure in having scooped the experts. 

What does birding have to do with writing? I’m not sure, but a significant percentage of authors are nature geeks, including bird watchers. Maybe it’s the patience required for both pursuits. Maybe it’s the need to soothe our brains with the peace that can only be found in the outdoors. Or the creativity that’s sparked when quiet minds are immersed in a world in which we’re not in control. It’s a mystery!

What about you? Are you a nature lover, a city slicker, or both? Have you ever spotted a natural phenomenon that the experts missed? How do you spur your creativity? 

Pond, slough, and ocean locales make for great bird watching. Photo by Mary Feliz

10 Tips to Corral Beach Vacation Clutter

This blog post originally appeared July 22 on https://hobbyreads.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/10-tips-to-corral-beach-vacation-clutter-by-mary-feliz/

Kids and beaches are a classic part of summer. But we’ve all seen visitors who appear to have packed for a month-long safari and spend all their time lugging equipment between beach and car. Or those whose kids get sand in uncomfortable spots and make everyone miserable. A little pre-planning makes any trip more fun for everyone.

 Reduce housekeeping chores by installing a foot rinsing station outside your front door. Keep it simple. A plastic dishpan of water and a towel or soft brush will do the trick.

 Use mesh bags to transport sand toys. Shake to get rid of excess sand then rinse off in the ocean, with a house, or under a faucet at the end of your trip. Toss the whole bag in a plastic garbage bag for maximum sand control.

 Manage sand in the car by lining passenger foot wells with old towels you can carefully lift and shake out when necessary. Keep a whisk broom handy for the driver’s area, where a towel could get dangerously tangled among feet and pedals.

 Cover rear passenger seats with a fitted sheet. As often as necessary, the sheet can be removed and shaken out or laundered.

On vacation at the beach without sand toys? Check your rental kitchen for durable, unbreakable measuring cups or containers. Be sure to return them to the unit at the end of your stay.

 A rental with easy access to laundry facilities will make packing easier, leaving you room to pack layers adaptable to vacillating temperatures and conditions.

 Having trouble removing sand from skin? Sprinkle baby powder or corn starch over the sandy area. The powder absorbs moisture, making it easier (and less abrasive) to brush the sand away.

 Sunburn can ruin a vacation. Test sunscreens before the trip to make sure you’ve found one the kids will tolerate. Bring extra.

 Consider timing beach visits for early mornings or near sunset when beaches may be less crowded, sand is cooler, and sun exposure is less intense.

 Sand in the eyes? Bring extra water and keep a sand-free cloth in a zip lock bag.

Interview: Why Write Cozy Mysteries?

  

Photo by chendongshan/iStock / Getty Images

This interview first appeared on the Mystery Shelf blog at https://mysteryshelf.com/summer-of-mystery-and-crime-blog-tour-cliff-hanger/

What initially got you interested in writing? I have always written. In my youth, that meant letters to family members. Later, in addition to school work, I wrote to sort out my thoughts and feelings. But I didn’t consider any of that writing, and I didn’t think of myself as a writer. In my work life, I had various titles including “writer” and “editor” but my topics were corporate communications and public relations for a big company with diverse products, none of which were very easy to understand. My job, in a nutshell, was to provide employees, the community, and potential customers with a clearer picture of the company and its impact on the world. But I still wouldn’t have called myself a writer. Not until I started writing personal essays to entertain myself as a young mother. Later I wondered if I could write a novel, in the same way that some people might wonder if they could climb Mt. Everest. It seemed like an impossible dream with a steep learning curve and a lot of very hard work. But I wanted to try.

What genres do you write in? For now, I’m strictly a cozy mystery writer. I think my character driven stories might have a little more meat to them than some offerings in the genre. I won’t rule out genre jumping in the future, but my next few project ideas are all cozies.

“ many cozy authors, including me, are happy to ditch sex and violence because it gives us more room to explore character, a sense of community, and how people unite to restore hope after evil has brought fear and division into their lives. Our stories thus can become richer than the offerings in some other genres.”

What drew you to writing these specific genres? While I love thrillers and romantic suspense as much as I love mysteries, I didn’t want to write sex scenes, gritty violence, or torture. That pretty much landed me smack in the center of the cozy mystery realm. I think cozies have reputation for being frothy and sweet. And that makes some folks steer clear. But many cozy authors, including me, are happy to ditch sex and violence because it gives us more room to explore character, a sense of community, and how people unite to restore hope after evil has brought fear and division into their lives. Our stories thus can become richer than the offerings in some other genres.

How did you break into the field? I can’t say I did everything wrong, but I sure made a lot of mistakes. Including submitting to a publisher before I was finished submitting to agents. Kensington Publishing had just bought Lyrical’s romance line and was expanding it into mysteries. They were looking for direct submissions, and I was weary of waiting to hear from agents, so I sent off my stuff. By the time they responded, I’d forgotten I’d sent my manuscript to them. I had to check my spreadsheet to be sure. That makes it sound relatively easy, but I spent at least ten years writing other projects in young adult fiction that no one wanted. In retrospect, I’m glad those early works are still gathering dust. They’ll need considerable development and polishing before they see the light of day.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works? A sense of hope. Bad things sometimes happen to my characters, but it all works out in the end for them and for their communities. I hope that’s the way the larger world works in the long run but I love letting readers get a glimpse of that in miniature. Love ultimately wins.

“I can’t say I did everything wrong, but I sure made a lot of mistakes. ”

What do you find most rewarding about writing? One of the most satisfying moments is when I look at something I wrote months ago, thinking it was dreadful, and discover that I had something to say and succeeded in getting most of it on the page. Of course, it will still need lots of revision, but my ideas are there. It reminds me that I might just know a little something about a little piece of this business.

What do you find most challenging about writing? When a writer has a contract, she might be starting book six immediately after handing in the completed manuscript for book five and while she’s working on the final edits or proofreading book 4. It’s super hard to remember how much work went into the earlier books to get them to their polished states. Each book starts with a mess, and that makes it very difficult to begin. It’s a little akin to psyching yourself up to jump in an icy lake on a sweltering day. You dip your toe in and every cell ices over.  But if you close your eyes, hold your nose, and jump, it can be exhilarating.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field? If you can’t work hard, pushing forward, for ten years, don’t start. It takes an incredible amount of patience and determination to hone your craft to a place where a novel will be acceptable for public consumption. There aren’t any short cuts. And there certainly are many many more lucrative pursuits!

What type of books do you enjoy reading? I’m a promiscuous reader and will read almost anything that is well written. I love a good science fiction/fantasy set in a new world. And I’ll gobble up a good thriller or romantic suspense. But, hands down, Louise Penny’s mysteries are my favorites.

Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you? I’m a certified California naturalist, and a total bird geek.

 

Meet the Neighbors

This blog post initially appeared July 21 ,2019 on https://cozyupwithkathy.blogspot.com

 When my husband and I moved to a condo on Monterey Bay several years ago, we knew it would take time to meet the neighbors. We had no idea we’d have so much fun doing so.

 

Some of the area’s most famous celebrities were easy to identify: Gray Whales, the magnificent Blue Whales, Sea Otters, Harbor Seals, and Pacific White-Sided Dolphins. With the exception of the Blue Whales who were only occasional visitors, we saw the others daily on our walks.

 

But many were flighty, elusive, and difficult to get to know though they lived within steps of our front door. We were patient, letting them set the pace. Now, after living here full time through all the seasons, we know many of them well. We look forward to their arrival and sorrow when they move on.

 

Here are a few of our new best friends: (all photos by Mary Feliz)

Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

“The Neighborhood” and the setting for Cliff Hanger—the shore of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Green Heron

Curlew with food.

Mary Feliz's Cliff Hanger: Excerpt #2

Belle takes part in an emergency rescue in this excerpt from Cliff Hanger

This excerpt first appeared July 19, 2019 at: https://imallaboutbooks.com/2019/07/19/book-tour-featuring-mary-felizs-book-cliff-hanger-maryfelizauthor-dollycas/

~ EXCERPT ~

A quick look round while holding my breath confirmed my initial impression. The now-empty condo had once housed a chain smoker and a slob. Flies circled plates half-filled with food. Untended garbage pails swarmed with maggots. The stench was overwhelming. Dust covered every surface. Piles of clothes or lengths of fabric lay jumbled at one end of a grubby sofa. Packages of fiber fill spilled from a cardboard box. Styrofoam balls and safety pins mingled with dust bunnies under the coffee table.

Someone was a crafter, but this apartment was no vacation rental.

Based on the smell and my past experience, I hunted for a dead body. Relieved to discover that the flies were chowing down on a rotting hamburger, rather than a corpse, I left as quickly as I could. I sat on the steps facing the ocean, sucking in fresh salt air to clear my lungs and calm my breathing before phoning Renée.

Was this the last straw? It came close. The apartment didn’t meet expectations in any way. Not in size, location, or basic standards of cleanliness. If this dreadful condo was any indication, the rental association needed to attend a customer-service boot camp. Renée was in way over her head and the organization’s problems were more than I wanted to tackle.

I was surprised the neighbors hadn’t complained about the stench from the apartment’s rotting garbage. Or maybe other owners and visitors had protested and management had failed to respond. Renée still hadn’t phoned me back. No part of this situation made any sense, and I wondered how hard I wanted to work to untangle the mess. I had plenty of customers at home I could be working with.

I looked up and down the beach for Belle and the boys, wondering how I’d break the news to them that our summer plans had tanked.

I couldn’t spot them anywhere, but my cell phone chirped before I had a chance to wonder where they could have wandered.

“Mom!” Brian yelled when I answered the phone. “Call 9-1-1. We’re okay, but this guy is in bad shape…” He wheezed, struggling for breath.

“Are you and David okay? Who’s hurt?”

“Hurt doesn’t cover it. We need an ambulance. Maybe a helicopter. It’s that guy we saw with the ultralight. He crashed.”

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know any of these landmarks. We’re up in the cliffs where it’s really steep, maybe half a mile north—towards Santa Cruz from the state park.”

“Are you near a lifeguard station? What can you see?”

“Mostly ocean and strawberry fields.”

“Did you try 9-1-1?”

“Of course,” said Brian. “I had a terrible connection. You may need to call on a landline. I don’t know if I got through. There was no voice response from their end. I told them everything I could anyway, in case they could hear me.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Call for help first, Mom. This guy”—His voice broke. “He may not make it.”

5 Tips for Responsible Beach Walks

  

This underweight yearling California Sea Lion came ashore on a busy beach and was later picked

up by the Marine Mammal Center. (Photo by Mary Feliz)

This blog post originally appeared July 19, 2019 on the Mysterista Blog .

Beach walks rock. My daily attitude adjustment hour takes place on a beach that’s part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. I typically walk by myself, sorting through wrinkles in my real life as well as those of my character Maggie McDonald and her cohorts in the fictional realm.

Though peaceful and world-class gorgeous, my beach can still be a rough neighborhood requiring caution. For example, the Marine Mammal Protection act prevents me from getting too chummy with those who live close by. I need to stay at least fifty feet away from them for my safety and theirs. 

Leave Seals Be (Video)

With the whales, that’s easy. They keep their distance. Sea otters and their pups mostly do too. But our busiest tourist season coincides with weaning season for sea lions and seals. Yearling pups who’ve travelled far from their birthing grounds are at their most vulnerable. Exhausted and unfamiliar with their new surroundings, they’re apt to haul out for a nap on the same beaches frequented by dogs and people. And that proximity puts them in danger, even from well-meaning nature lovers who want to help. 

There are few things as cute and cuddly looking as a mama sea otter and her pup. But trying to snap a selfie with one is dangerous for you and for them. Stay at least 50 yards away while you use a zoom lens to get up close. (Photo by Mary Feliz)

Pinniped biology dictates that yearlings are already living on the edge. Starvation is what drives them to learn to fish. Their moms fatten them up to provide a cushion, but when food supplies are down, toxins infect the water, or the pups are too agitated to rest, human interactions can make the difference between survival and death. 

Despite the dangers there are lots of ways for all of us to share the beach and thrive:

Obey signs asking you to stay away from protected areas whether those signs aim to protect birds, shellfish, mammals or humans. 

If you’re within selfie range, back off. It’s fine to take pictures with a zoom lens, but a getting a good shot with your phone endangers you and the animals. (It also subjects you to thousands of dollars in fines, court costs, and jail time.)

Draw a circle in the sand at least fifty yards from the animal in every direction and ask other beachgoers to stay outside the circle. 

Report the animal to the lifeguard, state park ranger, or, in most of California, the Marine Mammal Center. The main number for MMC (415) 289-7325, connects you to their Marin County rescue hospital, but they’ll get your message to local volunteers. Learn who to call about stranded animals in other locations you visit as a resident or tourist.

Take a photo (at a distance) of the animal with your phone and another of the general area. If you have a camera with a zoom function, take as close a picture you can get from at least 50 yards away. Your photos will help the agency determine what equipment and staff they need to rescue the animal. It will also confirm your identification of the species and location. 

The National Park Service offers these additional tips: 10 tips to respect wildlife, stay safe, and avoid internet ridicule.  

What are the endangered animals where you live? How apt are you to run into them on your own daily walk? Do you know the numbers to call if you spot a bird or animal in trouble?

Cozy mystery writerMary Feliz is a certified California Naturalist and lives, walks, and enjoys the wildlife on the same beach featured in this blog post and in her latest book, Cliff Hanger, the fifth in her Maggie McDonald Mystery series.

 

Interview with a cozy writer: Mary Feliz

This interview first appeared on A Blue Million Books with Blogger Amy Metz


IFs ANDs OR WHATs INTERVIEW WITH MARY FELIZIfs
Q: If you had to do community service (or already do volunteer work), what would you choose?
Working in a nature preserve such as my local Elkhorn Slough.

Q:If you were on the Amazon bestseller list, who would you choose to be one before and one below you?
Louise Penny.

Q:If you could meet any author for coffee, who would you like to meet and what would you talk about?
Louise Penny. I could talk to her about anything. She’s so funny and kind. We’d do more laughing than talking.

Q:If you could choose a fictional town to live in what would it be?
Three Pines.

Q:If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
I’m so lucky—right where I’m living right now. But I’d also be able to “apparate” (a Harry Potter skill that is like transporting onStar Trek, but without a transporter) to my children’s homes and my mom’s house if I were needed.
Ands

5 things you need in order to write:
• coffee
• silence
• love
• something little to snack on (My favorites are dry Cheerios or blueberries.)
and
• a pad of paper next to my computer to write down things I need to do that aren’t related to what I’m working on. These distractions always pop up, and they’re often important enough that I don’t want to forget them, but not important enough to interrupt my writing. If I jot them down, the interruption is minimal.

5 things you love about where you live:
• Blue Heron
• King Fishers
• Red-legged Stilts
• sea otters
and
• the ocean

5 things you never want to run out of:
• love
• coffee
• fresh, clean ocean air
• imagination
and
• health

5 favorite foods:
• raspberries
• strawberries
• fresh corn on the cob
• salmon
and
• chocolate

5 favorite books:
• any book by Louise Penny
• The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone byJ.K. Rowling
• Winnie the Poohby AA Milne
and
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
.
5 favorite authors:
• Madeleine L’Engle, whose books reveal more every time I read them
• Connie Willis
• Harlan Coben
• Josephine Tey
and
• PD James
(and all the other writers I’ve mentioned in answering other questions.)



Whats

What’s your all-time favorite place?
I’m lucky enough to live in my favorite place—within view of the beach at the apex of Monterey Bay. The temperature here can be chilly year-round, which I love. We’re famous for our June Gloom – a month of overcast days in which we see the sun briefly in the afternoon, if at all. I love it. We have more typical sunny beach weather later in the summer. It’s busy with families during the warm months, but in the offseason we have the place (mostly) to ourselves. I love the beach and the sea mammals and am rapidly becoming a bird geek – we have hundreds of species of migrating and resident birds.

What’s your all-time favorite place in your town?
The Monterey Bay shoreline.

What’s your all-time favorite movie?
The Princess Bride. It’s so perfectly structured and a great story. The more I learn about writing structure, the funnier it becomes. For example, just at the point of the movie where you’d expect to place what’s known as a “storming the castle” scene, Miracle Max sends the boys off saying “Have fun storming the castle.”

What’s your all-time favorite author?
Louise Penny. I miss her characters between books! I hope that my characters are at least half as vibrant as hers!

What’s one thing that very few people know about you?
I’m a certified California Naturalist.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Politicians flouting the rules of logic.

What’s your favorite meal?
Breakfast for dinner.

What’s your favorite song?
"Lean on Me."

What author would you most like to review one of your books?
Louise Penny.

What’s your latest recommendation for:
Food:Fresh produce from my home town! Strawberries grow at our doorstep.
Music:Classical, but also Leonard Cohen
Movie:Old:The Princess BrideNew:On the Basis of Sex
Book:Still Life(the first in the series by Louise Penny)
Audiobook:Black Outby Connie Willis
TV:The Heart Guy
Netflix/Amazon Prime:Line of Duty

What books do you currently have published?
Address to Die For
Scheduled to Death
Dead Storage
Disorderly Conduct
Cliff Hanger

Homemade Skunk Shampoo

This blog originally appeared on July 18 at the Books A Plenty Blog Spot which said:

“Great blend of fun family moments, mystery, a cute dog, and an intriguing story. Perfect for cozy fans. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.”

Close encounters of the smelliest kind

Dogs and skunks don’t mix. Or rather, they do, too often, with noisome results of which your entire neighborhood will be immediately aware. A swift remedy is essential.

After too much personal experience with bathing uncooperative cats and water-loving golden retriever in every skunk remedy from the weirdest folk tinctures to the priciest commercial one, here is the one that we stock on our shelves at home:

Maggie MacDonald’s Homemade Anti-Skunk Shampoo

1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1/2 cup of Baking Soda

1 teaspoon of liquid soap (Dawn works well)

Combine ingredients to make a shampoo. Large dogs may require a triple batch. Rub vigorously. Repeat as necessary.

Rinse well.

Note: Hydrogen peroxide is often thought of as a bleaching agent. Online instructions for lightening human hair recommend applying a peroxide and soda mixture and letting it sit for more than an hour. Shampooing my golden’s fur with this mixture, I left it on for a moment or two, and could detect no change in the color after I’d rinsed it out well.

The smell, on the other hand, was greatly diminished!

My author, Mary Feliz, and her publisher, Lyrical Underground, insisted I take ownership of this shampoo recipe in our latest book in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series, Cliff Hanger. In all honesty, the brilliant creator of this concoction is unknown to me. I only attest that it works. And that my veterinarian recommended it, so I’m assuming it’s safe for my beloved Belle.