Amy Shojai's Blog, page 115
July 5, 2013
Help for Door Dashing Kitties
It’s the time of year when the new kitten is SURE she’s missing out–and so makes a mad door dashing escape to find out about the great outdoors. In my neck of the woods, that’s a recipe for disaster (and the coyotes). This post garnered a lot of comments when first published a couple of year’s ago, so I’m re-publishing it with some updates and tips. Note: This information and more is available in the ComPETablity: Cats book, too.
There is a saying, that a cat is “always on the wrong side of a door.” My cat Seren(dipity) faithfully adheres to this principle, although with age, her dash-for-the-door has become more like a stroll.
Dealing with door-dashing felines is particularly frustrating for owners. Even when Kitty understands that a particular location (the doorway) is forbidden, she may avoid the place when you’re looking but making a zooming escape as soon as visitors arrive and the door cracks a whisker-width open. With fireworks in the air (literally!) both last night and probably over the weekend, there’s ample opportunity for kitties to get scared, and disappear out the door.
What can you do? Recognize you will NOT stop a cat’s urge to see on the other side of the door. You cannot change instinct, but you can modify some of these irksome behaviors.
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Encourage her to stay away from danger zones with training techniques. Any time you see the cat lounging near the doorway, use an interruption such as a loud “SSST!” or clapped hands to shoo her away. The idea is to make the doorway area unappealing, so that kitty keeps away—and offer her a more rewarding pastime. Some cats are dissuaded with the help of a long-distance squirt gun aimed at their backside. However, some cats like Seren enjoy being sprayed. You have to always be there for this to work and frankly, the spray isn’t all that effective and can do damage to your relationship. There are better ways.
Make the entry way unfriendly. Many cats dislike the feeling of walking on aluminum foil, so place a couple of sheets over the walkway. Another option is to apply Sticky Paws (double-sided tape) to make the surface uncomfortable. Put the Sticky Paws on place mats positioned on the forbidden area, so it’s easily removed. You can also use clear plastic floor mats placed spike-side up so the cat will avoid the area.
The SSSCAT is a cat-repellent device that sprays a hiss of air to startle the pet that triggers the built-in motion detector—you don’t have to be present for it to work. You may also use smell deterrents to keep the cat away from forbidden doorway zones. Cats dislike citrus smells, so orange or lemon scents sprayed at the bottom of the door may help.
It’s not fair to simply forbid the cat access to a much loved activity. Offer her legal outlets that are more attractive than the forbidden zones, and she’ll naturally choose to lounge there and abandon the doorway dash.
Position a cat tree or kitty bed on a table top right in front of a window some distance away from the forbidden door. Make this the most wonderful cat lounge spot ever—hide catnip or food treats in the bed, for example. Before you go out the door, make a point of giving your cat the best-treat-in-the-world, but only if she’s on this cat tree/bed (a safe distance from the door). While she munches, you can make a safe exist. Enlist help from friends to knock at the door or ring the doorbell to practice, so arrivals also make kitty think, “Hey, it’s TREAT time!”
Choose your battles and perhaps allow her to lounge on the television as long as she leaves the doorway alone. Seren enjoys her multilevel cat tree situated next to the front door, where she can watch all comings and goings from the window—and gets paid with a treat for planting her furry tail and staying put.
Do your cats beg to go outside? Perhaps you have a terrific safe outside kitty playground–how did you create it? What are safety tips or training advice that has worked with your cat? The Ask Amy video below has some suggestions, too.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
July 2, 2013
Fixing Fireworks Fears in Pets
Happy Independence Day! But for our dogs and cats, they may feel anything but independent on the 4th of July when those BOOMS from fireworks fill the sky. Fireworks fears turn many pets into furry basket cases. When the bright lights and loud noises scare the weeeee outta them, the typical reaction is to hide or run away. More pets become lost on July 4th than any other day of the year. You can check out the video, below–although it’s a couple of years old, the tips are still effective.
There are several helpful products to help ease the angst, though. None are a magic bullet, but used wisely in combination with behavior modification techniques, they can help.
PHEROMONE HELP
Comfort Zone with D.A.P. (dog appeasing pheromone) is an analogue of the pheromone mom-dogs produce to calm nursing puppies. It calms the fears of dogs of any age, from puppy to aging oldster. Cats benefit from Comfort Zone with Feliway, an analogue of the cheek pheromone that tells cats their environment and territory is “safe.”
Both products come as plug-ins from pet products stores, but it won’t “drug” your dog or cat into a magic cure. It instead helps put a damper on fear long enough to “think” so that your behavior modification/training techniques can work. You’ll need to have these plugged in for several days in advance for it to offer your dog or cat the best benefits.
THUNDERSHIRT
They make these now for cats, too, and the snug vest helps pets calm down during stressful events. The company sent me one to test on Seren and it worked incredibly well to help her handle the angst of a vet check. Magical-Dawg isn’t bothered by noises but many dogs seem better able ot handle thunderstorms and fireworks flashes when wearing one of these vests. Here’s Seren wearing hers…and she talks like this all the time, that’s nothing new. 
GIVE DOGS A JOB
If you engage the doggy brain, your pet won’t be able to think and perform obedience commands and panic at the same time. If he has a special toy, ask him to find the ball, or play fetch. Maybe offer a treat-stuffed puzzle toy to reward your dog for staying calm.
The best option is to prepare weeks or months in advance and counter-condition fearful pets to potentially scary noises so they learn to associate something good–a happy game or car ride–with it instead of fearful feelings. Here are 12 more tips on relieving noise anxieties.
Are your pets fearful of loud noises? What do they do? Have they ever damaged your house–or injured themselves or others during a panic attack? Is there a special way you handle the kitty or doggy panic attacks? Here are a bunch more great pet blogs for July 4th. Please share!
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I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
July 1, 2013
Monday Mentions: Grammarly, Socks Fun & Flying Cats
Last year at Thrillerfest with Paula Lanier and Jason Pinter.
Happy July! This is a busy month for me. On July 11th, I travel to New York City for Thrillerfest where I’ll be a Debut Author and talk about Lost And Found (and forthcoming sequels). This is “summer camp for thriller writers” as we rub elbows with the legends of the biz, meet readers and fans, and lug home massive bags filled with autographed summer reading fare. I–CAN’T–WAIT!
Meanwhile, though, the blog-must-go-on, as well as the writing and editing of the next books. When I wrote Lost And Found, after a dozen or more revisions and self-edits, I hired a professional editor before submitting to Cool Gus Publishing. I’ve no doubt that helped the manuscript be accepted–and of course, then we re-wrote and edited several more times. Hey, that’s how it works! But what if your own self-editing was so good that you could skip the for-pay-pro-editor step?
Is there such a thing? After being in the writing biz for more than 20 years, I’m a bit skeptical of such claims. Sure, you can run a spell-check, and software programs often highlight egregious grammatical errors, but that’s rarely good enough. Enter Grammarly, an automated online proofreader.
GRAMMARLY–PROOF READING & PLAGIARISM CHECKER
They requested that I write a “sponsored” post about Grammarly (basically an advertorial) in exchange for a $30 amazon gift card. Now, I have no objection to the occasional sponsored post–but I can’t pay my electric bill with gift cards, LOL! I was intrigued enough to do some digging and replied that I’d look into it. The company wrote back and gifted me with a free two-week premium subscription to try out the service. I’ve played with it off and on. It works great! but I have mixed feelings.
The dashboard interface is easy to use and apparently can be integrated with MS Office plugin. You can either cut-and-paste text into the window to be checked (you’ll lose formatting) or upload to the text box and then run the software.
I chose a working piece still in first edits for my puppies.about.com site (eventually to be sliced-and-diced into several shorter pieces). It wouldn’t load because the material “exceeded 20 pages of text” according to the software. Actually it’s about 14 single spaced pages. That tells me one would need to run a single chapter at a time for book-length material. Hmnn. After that, I used several of my previously published newspaper columns that typically run about 700 words, about the same length as many blog posts.
There are settings for “academic” to “casual” writing style, and I ran the same columns several different ways. My work didn’t fare particularly well–according to Grammarly, most of my columns are unpublishable, LOL! That’s okay, though, because they have no setting for ‘making up writer-icity words’ or some of the common pet-astic phraseology that I tend to use. Academic, my writing ain’t.
The same 49 issues came up when I ran the “general/default” setting or the “academic” setting–pretty harsh criticisms. Only 24 issues came up when I ran the same text through the other four categories: business, technical, creative and casual. Of those 24 issues, many were spelling flags (Shojai, www.shojai.com, PETiQuette) for items not in the Grammarly dictionary. I suspect there’s a way to add words to the dictionary, too, and/or ignore the issues that don’t need fixin’ in the piece. The software caught several comma-placement snafus (oh dear…) among other grammatical no-nos. The default explanations teach the writer, too, so over time you’ll be trained to avoid common problems.
Grammarly also includes a “plagiarism” checker. I constantly plagiarize myself, posting work on this blog that has appeared in my newspaper columns, and vice versa. The software did point out the duplications, and even prompted me to appropriately cite and quote the other appearances in the preferred format for a term paper or other academic presentation. I’ve been using Copyscape.com for this quite successfully, though (there’s a free version), so I’m not sure how helpful or unique the Grammarly version stacks up.
MY OPINION
Grammarly has potential and can be very helpful for those who cannot fund hiring real eyeballs-on-the-page editor. It will flag a host of potential problems and teach you along the way to become a more grammatically correct writer. It is especially helpful for students, for academic writers, for new writers perhaps just getting their blog-feet wet. My caution would be for established and experienced writers with a distinctive “voice” that may be changed by taking every editorial suggestion to heart. A flesh-and-blood copy editor still has the human element (even if they do eat writers for lunch!) and can better tell what works in individual circumstances.
You’ll have to tell me what you think. They have a free 7-day trial, and after that the subscription is $29.95/month, $59.95/quarter or $139.95/year. I will tell you hiring my editor cost over five times that amount–worth it, absolutely, but if you don’t have the funds this could be an option. I like the potential of the program enough to sign up for their affiliate program and share with you today. So nope, didn’t take the amazon gift card, but if anyone decides to click-through-and-subscribe I’ll get a referral fee. Please keep me posted if you like the software.
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the SQUEEE! cute pet-astic video at the bottom, too, about AIR WAFFLES. And I sort of resemble that other sock-it-to-me video (don’t look in MY sock drawer!). For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Google Reader Alternatives a whole list if you haven’t yet switched
What’s In A Name? a debut author’s name AND title, both unpronounceable…good, bad or genius?
Stop, Thief! $2.8 Million in Textbooks Stolen by an enterprising Oklahoma salesman, wow. Now that’s ONE way to make money in books. Ahem
Here’s Ata-Boys for Indies for a change…
Author Solutions Pushing Back asking for dismissal of charges
Really Bad Advice About Reviews…so bad it’s almost funny
B&N to Stop Making Nook Readers
Linky-Luv, NOT! Indie bookstores hissed off authors link to amazon and not them…how about you? Do you link your website to a local independent?
Does “Deep Reading” Make Us More Human?
The New Journalism–Can we even call it that? Freelance writing online
Managing Your Content Rights no solutions yet. Could it be the next big $$$ for some enterprising innovator?
Name That Blog–RIGHT! good discussion about branding (check out the comments, too) from the terrific blogger Deb Barnes at her award-winning site
A Cautionary Tale About Hiring Web Designers from the always awesome Lela Davidson
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
FIP Breakthrough? this is VERY good news! And I’m told the Winn Feline Foundation Bria Fund helped fund this research.
Tidy Cats Littervention Contest combines Tidy Cats, Glade and Pawnation in a contest for a chance to win $2000 worth of goods to enhance your home and/or litter box area.
Wiley Pet Books (and others) Sold to Turner Books
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
June 28, 2013
Litter Products Review: Pure Nature, Litter One, Litter Genie & Litter Locker
Those who regularly read this blog know that formal “reviews” don’t happen very often. But lately I’ve received some invitations and free products to try, and they somehow all seem of a common aromatic theme (ahem!) and so today the blog offers a litter-ary assortment for kitty potty products. I was sent free samples from the manufacturers, and all opinions expressed are my own…and Seren’s.
Last November at the Cat Writers Association conference, those in attendance received thumb drives from Tidy Cats (a longtime conference sponsor) that included some quite clever videos promoting the new “natural” product Tidy Cats Pure Nature. They’re actually somewhat annoying but that makes them even more memorable. My favorite is below.
The video alone was enough to pique my interest, but the Tidy Cats folks did one better. They also provided each attendee a coupon for a free bag of the litter product for us to try.
Full disclosure, my cat Seren is a longtime fan of the Tidy Cats clay/clumping product so I wasn’t sure how she’d appreciate a change. At 16, she’s a bit of a fuss-budget old lady cat, too. I stuck the coupon in my purse, and each time litter box re-fill rolled around I shopped for the new litter.
I’m sure the nice folks at Tidy Cats expected a mention much earlier but it was nearly six months before Pure Nature appeared in our local stores. I only recently had the chance to give Seren the opportunity to weigh in.
As a result of attending the recent BlogPaws conference, I met with lots of paw-some products companies and got an invitation to review the Litter One kit, a self-contained fully disposable and biodegradable litter box system using pine pellets. The kit lasts 4 to 6 weeks and costs $24.95. I was sent a free kit to test with Seren, her Cranky-ness.
About the same time I received an invitation to review the Litter Genie (above). How convenient! It’s designed along the same lines as the diaper pail product for babies only works as an odor/crappiocca container for litter box creativity. I’ve been using the Litter Locker for many years, ever since I won one as part of a Cat Writers Association awards (do you see a trend here? ) With the new cat box substrates to test, it was a no brainer to accept a free Litter Genie to see how well it compared to my previous containment system.
I recently blogged about how litter evolved, and what cats tend to prefer. I always tell my consulting clients, “don’t mess with success!” and if you have a cat loyal to the box and substrate, don’t change it. Seren has never had an out-of-body(box) experience, though, and is a very confident roll-with-the-punches sort of feline. Heck, she’s got the Magical-Dawg totally buffaloed. Even so, I very carefully introduced her to both of these new litters. I added about half an inch of her favorite clumping-clay litter over the top of the new varieties. And I set the boxes side by side.
SEREN’S REVIEW: LITTER ONE
Seren totally ignored the Litter One. I suspect she didn’t recognize the pine pellets as appropriate substrate for digging. Cats tend to like very soft textures as their paw pads are quite sensitive, and since Seren is quite arthritic, this may also have been an issue. Granted, if that had been ALL that I offered (she had no other choice) she may have transitioned more willingly to give this a try.
Personally, I very much like the “environmentally friendly” design, and the pellets smell fresh and do offer odor containment. Litter One was awarded the Becker’s Best Award at the 2013 Global Pet Expo as the best new product–(that’s my buddy and one-time co-author Dr. Marty Becker!) and the innovation is clever and appeals to pet parents. For cats already accustomed to pelleted substrate, this would be a terrific option. I would caution that the size of the Litter One box may be an issue with large cats. Although it is a standard commercial box size, those tend to run small which is why I often recommend purchasing a much larger plastic storage bin-type box instead. For a multi-cat household, remember the 1+1 rule (one box per cat, plus one) may impact the cost factor as well.
Litter One offers a variety of Partner Programs for veterinarians, humane societies, rescue centers and other cat service agencies–kudos to the company. I’m all for owner convenience and preference. But cat vote trumps humans paws down.
SEREN’S REVIEW: PURE NATURE
A 12-pound bag costs about $16
Seren immediately accepted the Pure Nature without hesitation.
It’s lighter weight than clumping clay, has a fresh scent, and feels (to me) very similar in texture but smoother. It clumps in a similar fashion to clay products, too. The clumps are not quite as solid, though, and may break apart if you scoop too soon after the…uh…deposit…but I didn’t find issues with them breaking apart. With multiple cats that tromp over top of waste before you have a chance to scoop, that could be a problem. This product has much less dust than the clay clumping Tidy Cats I used before, too.
The scent is a bit too strong for my tastes but didn’t seem to bother Seren–that could be an issue with some cats. Kitty doesn’t mind her own smell but harsh perfumes can really make her avoid the facilities. But where I really noticed a difference was tracking–there was almost no tracking compared to the clay. What did spill from the box vaccumed up completely while the clay clumping is so heavy it always leaves some behind. Seren’s primary box is in my office on carpet, in my walk-in-closet-aka-audio-recording-studio, so keeping it clean and fresh is important.
Will I purchase another bag when it’s time to refurbish the kitty potty? Absolutely–if I can find it locally again. That could be a deal breaker, although online suppliers do offer the product (click the picture for a link).
AMY’S REVIEW: LITTER GENIE & LITTER LOCKER
Now we come to the Litter Genie. It costs about $14.99 ($7.99 for refill) at Target, and requires disposable plastic baggy liners that come in cartridge inserts, about $24 for a 3-pack, each said to last up to two months per cat. I’ve not used it yet for two months so can’t speak to this. Once loaded into the plastic container, the lid opens for you to dump scooped waste into the top opening, which is contained inside the plastic sleeve liner. A spring-loaded internal plastic divider ‘pinches’ closed the neck of the bag to block the reservoir of waste below and contain odor. The system comes with a litter box scoop.
For a single cat, the Litter Genie may work effectively. I found that the light weight of the Pure Nature litter meant I had to shake the container to ensure the waste dropped completely through. I also had to juggle to pull out the divider so that it would pass through to the bottom of the bin, a somewhat awkward design. Therefore, I had to fill up the top bin to capacity, stop, pull out the divider and agitate the pail to make it drop through, and then release the spring loaded pinch-divider. Also, the scoop (which fits in the side) is tiny and pretty much worthless as a scooper unless you have a kitten. Once the bin becomes full, there’s a “child safe cutter” to cut off the bag but I couldn’t get that to work and used scissors. With Seren (a tiny single cat) the bin filled up pretty quickly and I can’t imagine how often a multi-cat household would need to do this. The Litter Genie worked well and effectively and is an economic option for single cat households. 9.5 x 8.5 x 17 inches ; 3.3 pounds
The Litter Locker is pricier–but also works better–at about $46 and inserts cost about $29 for a 5-pack.
Once I’ve run out of the insert cartridges for the Litter Genie I’ll go back to using the Litter Locker (above). It costs more than double but has a much larger capacity to hold waste, and is much simpler to use without having to juggle pulling out/holding the canister itself. It also came with a (pretty worthless tiny) litter scooper, and I suspect this design “feature” is more for looks than functionality. It also uses plastic sleeves in cartridges inserted in the top. Waste also is dropped through the top opening–so far, very similar to the Litter Genie, but there the comparisons change.
There’s no spring-loaded pull-out smell-container to manage. Instead, simply close the lid, and then turn the side carousel a half turn. That wraps the waste-filled sleeve around the internal spindle. To empty, open the hinged middle, scissor off one end and knot, and toss the bagged waste away. Because of the larger capacity, it’s better able to manage multiple cats’ waste, and with my one tiny kitty, it doesn’t need to be emptied very often at all. The Litter Locker is 14″ long, 8.8″ wide and 15.4″ high.
How do you handle getting rid of your cats’ creativity? Do you prefer “natural” litter? How do you choose what kind of litter products to use with your cats–ever try something new and how did your cats vote?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
June 26, 2013
Pet Water Safety Warnings
Uschi (the “cover dog” on my LOST AND FOUND thriller) swims safely.
Summer time fun can mean time spent at the lake, swimming and paddling about to stay cool. Maybe you’re a lifeguard–and maybe you’re pro-active and keep your two-legged kids (and yourself) safe.
What about the dog?
Dogs can drowned. While most instinctively “dog paddle” and can manage to stay afloat, some breed conformation types (Bulldogs, for instance) more readily sink. And any dog unable to gain purchase to climb out of the drink–a slippery or steep lake bank, or hard to reach swimming pool ladder–can become exhausted and can die.
Pet life preservers come in all sizes–click the picture (above) to see what’s right for your dog (or cat!).
Here in North Texas, Lake Texoma can be a fun place to spend time with your furry friend. Boating safety means taking care of yourself with life preservers, AND providing for your pet’s safety. A number of pet products companies offer doggy (and kitty) life preservers (like the one above–”click” the picture for more info), or even doggie deck booties for non-skid paws.
North American Safe Boating Campaign offers 5 tips for boating safety with your dog.
KNOW YOUR PET. Make sure s/he can swim, isn’t afraid of loud noises, and has basic obedience manners so isn’t a distraction and danger to the boat captain. Motors and other unfamiliar sounds (or people) could put your pet’s tail in a twist. Go for some trial runs, bringing your dog on the boat while moored, starting the engine, and checking for reaction during short exposures. Use some of the same tips for getting him used to car rides. That helps him get used to the boat’s movement, too–so you can find out if he gets seasick or not.
FIT FIDO FOR FUN. Everyone, even your dog, should have a properly fitting life jacket. Life jackets for humans are NOT meant for pets–and kids need appropriate kid-size US Coast Guard-approved life jackets. Also, be sure you know your dog’s weight to check the weight limits of the life jacket.
WEIGH THE RISKS. Be sure your boat’s weight capacity isn’t exceeded by adding your pet to the crew. While the little guys may not make much of a difference, the water-loving Labs and other big dogs could tip the scales in a bad way.
PROVIDE FOR DOGGY DRINKS. Pets can get sick if they drink from lakes or rivers that often contain parasites or chemical run offs, and salt water isn’t drinkable, either. Be sure to pack water bowls and share your own fresh water.
PROTECT PAW PADS. The boat’s surface under the hot sun can get uncomfortably warm. If it’s too hot for your bare feet, your pet could get burned, too, so make sure your pets have safe surfaces to stand. Here are some more tips for keeping pets cool.
How to you maintain water safety for your fur kids? Do they enjoy the water or fear it? Have you taught your pets how to get out of the water if they happen to fall in the pool? Magical-Dawg loves wading but has frightened himself a time or two when he dove after a floating toy in water over his head.
Here are some more swimming safety tips to prevent pool pet problems (say THAT fast five times!), along with first aid for drowning that I hope you’ll never need. What are some other important issues to address?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
June 24, 2013
Monday Mentions: Savior Rats, Magic Words & Psycho-Paths to Success
Check out the RAT SAVIORS (not this one…he’s a baby). But ginormous cat-size clicker trained diagnosing sniffer rats!
It’s been quite a week–last week, not this one. Major accomplishments include getting the weed wacker wunning…I mean RUNNING, buying a new laptop, and logging about 15 hours on the desk treadmill. More time than that was spent writing, of course, but I’ve got more energy and feeling good about the exercise.
No, the laptop didn’t catch a virus. I just needed a new one with expanded capabilities. In fact, the last time I got a new computer I invested in Webroot software because it came with the Geek Squad service and the subscription is still good for 3+ more years. What kind of protection do you run on your computers? Before I had Norton but when I tried to update, the “old” version protected the computer from the “new” version (very odd). I’ve been very happy with the Webroot and one time had to call customer support and they had a REAL LIVE PERSON to talk to. Imagine that?! Yep, they just approved me as an affiliate too, so sharing one of the latest deals (above).
This past weekend was my Nonfiction Book Proposal Webinar, but that will be the last for a while. I’ve postponed “Niche Writing” Webinars originally scheduled for August until later in the year, so I can continue to concentrate on the fiction. Time continues to be my biggest challenge, what about you? Next month I get to travel a bit, first to Thrillerfest in New York and then to a writers retreat in Colorado, and so try to get the must-do-list done ahead of time!
Many of y’all know that I have several of my own books now available on Audible.com through the ACX.com publishing program. It’s AWESOME! That’s one reason the new laptop is needed–it houses my audio recording software. The next ComPETability-Dogs book was delayed in production but you can get any book FREE in a membership trial…maybe even one of mine (hint-hint *s*). I just finished reading the 3rd book in Simon Toyne’s thriller trilogy. The first book SANCTUS was terrific, the next THE KEY was just so-so but the last one THE TOWER resolved the story in a magnificent way. Highly recommended.
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the SQUEEE! cute pet-astic video at the bottom, too. Betcha all you dog owners can relate to that MAGIC WORD. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
RIP Bestselling Thriller Author Vince Flynn He self-pub’d his first thriller after receiving 60 rejections…and it became a huge seller. Gone too soon…
Thrilling Openings for Thriller Writers words from master editor Jodie Renner
Stats & Info on Publishing Changes a long but very interesting post from The Business Rusch, basically traditionally pub’d authors in for some continued stress…better news for indies. What do YOU think?
Free & Quick Proofreading by Grammarly! I was contacted by GRAMMARLY recently and gifted with a 2-week trial premium account so I’ll let you know how I like it in a future blog. Since I have a tendency to make up words (hey, I’m a writer, I can DO THAT!) it may blow up on me, LOL! Meanwhile you can check it out at the links provided.
Psycho-Path to Success? something for writers to consider (I mean, in terms of characters!)
New Trends in Pricing (Free Ain’t Selling So Good…)
Hugh Howie–What Self-Pub’d Authors Need now THIS is an insightful idea (who will run with it???)
ALLi Calls on Trade to Open Up to Indies
Google Identifier you want to read this, from Gene Lempp (thanks Gene!)
Google Feedburner Alternatives a how-to series for MailChimp users, thanks to great writer Catie Rhodes
GoodReads How-To lots of great info in this slideshare presentation
Bookstore Firm Follett Launches $50 Million Fund The Knowledge Fund will enable us to identify and invest in early-stage technologies that will make educational materials more accessible and affordable to students and educators alike
Story Turning Points this is a great post from Jenny Hansen
How to Use Public Domain Images for Book Covers
6 Steps to Self Publish a nice breakdown with some $$ figures (no, self pub’ing the RIGHT way ain’t free!)
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Giant Rats Save Lives! In Tanzania, giant pouched rats clicker trained to sniff out land mines…and diagnose tuberculosis! Awesome story (and video)
the POWER of TWO a new weight loss program with your dog–from Jenny Craig and Purina. Looks like PAW-some fun!
500 Goldens Lifetime Study from Morris Animal Foundation. 2500 more needed – If you have a qualifying Golden Retrievers, the two of you can join this groundbreaking effort to improve the health of dogs. Veterinarians can also register through the website.
If I Should Die Before My Dog... this is a great resource for all dog owners, a self published book I recently got to review.
Clicker Training DVD a terrific overview by the awesome trainer Dr. Deborah Jones (maybe you can use it to train your own RATS, too!)
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
June 21, 2013
HOT CAR WARNING!
We often think of DOGS having more problems with cars–maybe because they tend to ride more often than the kitties, too. Magical-Dawg thinks the car belongs to him!
But both dogs AND cats are at risk when temperatures soar. This infographic drives home the point for the kitties, but the same info applies to our canine friends. It’s best to PREVENT heatstroke, of course. But here in North Texas with temps already in the low 90s, it’s equally important to know the signs and how to provide pet first aid. Check out the infographic below and read about pet first aid for heat stroke here.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
June 19, 2013
Take Your Dog/Pet to Work
Seren often “helps” me in my office. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
This week is Take Your Pet To Work Week, while Friday is designated specifically to “go to the dogs.” Take Your Dog To Work Day (TYDTWDay) has been around since 1999, started by Pet Sitters International.
I’m incredibly fortunate that I get to share my office space every day with my cat Seren(dipity) and Magic-dog. When I’m having a particularly hectic day, getting a purr fix, or doggy wag of encouragement does wonders. Surveys indicate that one in five companies allow pets in the workplace. People who bring their pets actually work longer hours! You can get started on this pet-revolution this Friday.
TYDTWDay was created to spotlight what terrific companions dogs are, and encourage adoptions. The annual event encourages employers to experience the benefits and value of pets in the workplace, and to support and celebrate the pet community. Pet Sitters, animal shelters, and business of all kinds join in this fur-tastic week long and dog-centric Friday event.
Is your boss reluctant? Your work will IMPROVE if you bring your dog! Read more about it here.
When he was younger and clueless Magic spent more time in my office, too–but now he KNOWS the office “belongs” to the cat! So he sneaks in for a quick treat and then beats it down the stairs. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
For more tips how to convince your boss, set up a program, and celebration ideas, go here. Now excuse me…I’ve got to go consult with my furry office mates.
What about you? do you get to take your fur-kids to work with you? Are there businesses in your local that include pets? I gotta say, it would be OH-so-much less stressful to have a cat in my lap when I visit the dentist, for instance.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
June 18, 2013
Create Winning Book Proposals!
I’ve given this talk at any number of writers conferences over the years. After writing 26 nonfiction pet books, I’ve experimented with several ways of creating nonfiction proposals and some work better than others. Once I found something that worked, few of the basics have changed. It all begins with what I call THE IDEA TREE. I’ll break it down for you–and that’s just the beginning!
Join me SATURDAY JUNE 22 2-3:30 EASTERN TIME for my next Webinar JUST THE FACTS: CREATE WINNING BOOK PROPOSALS
(You can wear your bunny slippers…I won’t tell!) If you can’t make it Saturday, the session is recorded and available for you to watch/listen for two weeks.
The webinar is a 90-minute PowerPoint class designed to help beginning to experienced writers interested in submitting nonfiction books for publication to agents and/or “traditional” publishers. Unlike fiction projects that should be completed before submission, nonfiction books typically are sold based on a proposal along with samples.
I sold six nonfiction books with proposals to “traditional” publishers on my own, and more than a dozen more after landing a high-powered agent. Along the way I made every mistake possible–and also learned what worked, thanks to a nit-picky-cranky-ire-inspiring (and awesome!) editor or three. Although much of publishing remains in flux, the sales tool–the nonfiction proposal–remains a mainstay for “selling” both agent and editor on your idea.
This session also includes (SQUEE!) CUTE PET PICTURES and shows you how to choose saleable topics, build an impressive bio, query (or not), and craft the proposal. There are many kinds of nonfiction, from memoir and biography to prescriptive advice and “creative nonfiction” stories. You’ll learn what components make up the proposal and how to compose them, how to format the proposal, and create your competition/market survey. You’ll also learn tips for finding expert sources, building your ‘brand’ and leveraging your platform.
What are you waiting for?! Get that book proposal DONE and out the door!
June 17, 2013
Monday Mentions: Hearts & Flowers
Last Friday was our anniversary. That’s Seren checking out the flowers I received–she assumes they’re for her, of course! And because we never want the Magical-Dawg to feel left out, he also got a new toy.
Do you share celebrations with your pets? Maybe we’re weird but the Seren-Kitty and Magical-Dawg are much more likely to have birthdays and anniversaries remembered (and celebrated) than the humans.
You’ll notice the blog has a few new tweaks. I’ve added some badges of my writer-ly and pet-astic organizations on the left sidebar you might want to check out. There also are a few select “affiliates” now listed that may offer products from time to time worthy of your attention.
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the SQUEEE! cute pet-astic videos at the bottom, too. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Wanna Write A Sit-Com? Check Out Amazon StoryTeller yes they’re into THAT, too!
Photo Stock Images for Books here’s a great blog on the subject
Earthzine Seeks Science Writers
Great Fiction-ing Tips courtesy of Jenny Hansen’s great blog.
Why Book Publishers Still Drag Their ‘Digital’ Feet insightful article
Canada’s Writer Union Admits Indies
2 Moon Press Pay-to-Play Investigated
Difference Between Taglines & Loglines thanks to Diane Capri for point out this great post
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Sometimes puppies (or kittens) for whatever reason have trouble nursing. Maybe they get pushed away by furry siblings, or perhaps they’re orphaned. Bottle/syringe feeding or even the more invasive tube feeding (that requires more skill!) is the go-to method but this video offers an innovative alternative that works great!
…and because I love cello, love piano and love Les Mis…
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
