Amy Shojai's Blog, page 151

Woof Wednesday: Say WHAT?

What's the dog saying?

Do you speak "dog?"

Many of us get by without truly understanding what all the woofs and wags mean. We make do for two main reasons:

Dogs are so smart they learn to understand us.
Dogs forgive human stupidity.

Still, there are many problems caused by miscommunications. Some of 'em can get you bit–or your dog labeled "dangerous" or worse–sentenced to death.

A raised paw means...what?

Dogs really have done it to themselves. They've become so loveable, and so attentive and willing to please, that humans begin assuming they're just tiny 'people' in fur coats. (Never mind that's incredibly politically incorrect and offensive…) Hey, I'm guilty, too. Calling pets "fur-kids" makes it easy to slip over that invisible line and hold them to human standards instead of–well–letting 'em be dogs.

People are primates. We're touchy-feely, we want to hug and touch, and don't always understand why our dogs don't always welcome such things. And when the dog throws us all kinds of conciliatory gestures–ears down, cutting eyes sideways, wagging and slinking with a goofy grin in that "aw shucks" expression–we assume they're guilty or apologizing for something.

Because that's what a HUMAN would do–act guilty. And NO, "wagging my tail" is not how I threw out my back. Harumph.

Another raised paw--mean the same thing?

Anyway, the pet owner in this Ask Amy installment assumed the pawing dog was apologizing. Was that right?

What do all those tail wags mean–that he's friendly right? Yes…and no. Tail talk has many meanings. So do woofs, whines, growls and howls. Even fluffed fur can speak volumes and oh-dear-heaven, don't get me started on Pee-Mail! (or is that pee-male, LOL!). So what do you think "pawing" might mean? Here's a hint–it's part of the peace-keeper pooch repertoire!

What else does your dog do that makes him look guilty? I know lots of dog-savvy folks read this blog, so what am I missing? Please add more info in the comments and we'll make this installment super-share-able!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Ask Amy, Bling Alert!, Video, Wags & Purrs, Woof Wednesdays Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, books, calming signals, cat behavior, cat books, dog, dog behavior, dog bites, dog books, dog communication, dog language, dog training, dogs, guilty dogs, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, old dogs, pet books, pets, puppies, puppies.About.com, understanding dog talk, video, what do growls mean, what do tail wags mean, why do dogs howl, why dogs shake paws

Tuesday Tips #7: Kindle-ization & The Cover Story

Original cover

Revised Ebook & POD cover

Welcome to my series with tips based on my DIY Kindle-ization Journey. For those who just found this blog, you can take a look back at the Installment #1 Helpful Links,  followed by #2 Why Do It? and #3 The Challenges.   Tuesday Tips #4 covered the various platform options and what's required for each.  #5 Formatting For Kindle was followed by last week's #6 Picture This! a how-to primer on including photos, tables and illustrations in your Ebook. If you're like me and write nonfiction, chances are you have photos, illustrations or boxed/tabled information included in your format.

Today it's all about book covers. EVERYBODY needs not just a good–but an outrageously GOOD cover, especially for an Ebook. Remember, you won't have a physical presence on the Barnes & Noble's book shelf for that impulse buy. The book cover is the virtual face of you, the author and what you have to offer.

I'm by no means an expert on designing covers, but can give you the quick how-I-did-it with additional references for you to find more help. I've posted the "original" cover with the Ebook "after" versions of my five book-babies as examples.

Original cover

Revised Ebook & POD cover

You can cut out all the angst and just hire a designer to do it for you. Talented folks–both amateurs and pros–offer services. I received a tweet yesterday from someone who designs pre-made and custom ebook covers starting at about $30. There are lots of options out there. When your story moves readers to tears, make sure the cover won't leave 'em laughing–do it right.

You can find a boatload of DIY book cover designers along with some very fine artists/craftsfolk at the Kindleboards site, for example. Ask for examples of finished books before you hire someone. You can find inexpensive services that start at about $50 and the pricier versions can run several hundred dollars. Jenni Talty has an excellent post on book covers at Bob Mayer's blog.

SIMPLE WITH "POP"

Ebook covers by design must POP even in thumbnail size. Take a look at the amazon.com list of books and all those tiny covers–which ones appeal to you? Color and contrast, type font size/style and even the cover image must come together to explain your book in an eyeblink. Potential readers won't be eager to click-enlarge to check out every single cover so it must appeal to them first in the smallest format.

Original cover

Revised Ebook & POD cover

Hey, we all want our NAME at the top of the book cover and if you DIY (without those pesky NY editors' veto) you can schmear your name all over the thing in 2-million-pt font! But should you?

What about the title? Sure, it's a romance but can that 40-something customer with reading glasses decipher the curlicues in that cursive font–or should I say, "curse-worthy" font? Also be aware that some fonts/styles become almost too popular. You don't want your book cover looking like every other vampire/sparkly-werewolf/thriller on the virtual shelf.

Image does more for the sale than most anything. Fiction can be tough. They tell us to distill the story into soundbites, but try that without words using an image!

Here's the deal. If you already have a readership who buy based on your name, make sure that's emblazoned in bigg-ass letters across the top of the book. Otherwise, get the evocative TITLE out there–along with an image that either shows part of the story or makes readers want to know what the hell it means. The cover's end-all, be-all is to get 'em to click on a sample and/or buy the book.

Original cover

Revised Ebook and POD Cover

Of course, they CAN get a refund if they don't like the book so content remains king. But the cover gets 'em to date your prose; the prose must make readers fall in love, become engaged, and live happily ever after with the AUTHOR (and not just one book).

 

RE-PUB'ING BACKLIST BOOKS

If you loved your original cover, you may be able to get permission to reproduce it on the Ebook. If you can't get permission (the original publisher usually owns copyright) or you hate the cover anyway, it's a do-over. I simply used my original covers as a template, but redesigned and used my own images.

By using the same title and author name/style from the first edition, an author can leverage previous good reviews and name recognition. Amazon.com will "connect" the books so that all print and Ebook formats share one page–and reviews.

Think about a theme. Many Ebook authors plan to write several books in series. For my nonfiction books, the same basic cover format works across the five titles, and I've made cat books red, dog books blue, combo green–to leverage the brand. You can do the same with fiction series so that it's not just an interesting title or your name, but the style of the cover that "brands" and helps you sell books.

Revised Ebook & POD cover

You can find lots of "free" and low-cost stock images on the Internet. Again, do homework and try to find something that not only resonates with your book content but also hasn't been used many times before. Do you really want the same well-oiled, bare-chested cowboy kissing the girl that's on a dozen other books? Or that same green-eyed-fire-breathing-hamster? Wait. Never mind. That one I'm saving for my own book!

Original cover

Be sure you acquire the correct resolution and format before creating your cover. Kindle requires jpeg (minimum) 600 x 800 pixels. To get into the Apple iStore, the book cover must be at least 600 px high.

I used Photoshop to create my covers. After choosing the cover image(s) I removed the background, and then layered onto the file. So the background color is one layer, the cat/dog another, the color bands a third, the title a fourth, cover blurb the fifth and author name a final layer. I'm not terribly happy with the ComPETability cover and may rework that but the others turned out reasonably well. And hey–the covers were free!

June sales increased once again. So the covers appear to be doing their job. Part of sales increase resulted from June being Adopt A Cat Month–which brings me to the next topic in the series. I cover pricing and marketing Ebooks in next week's Tuesday Tips!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Kindle, Tuesday Tips, Wags & Purrs, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, books, cat behavior, cat books, cat care, cat pictures, cats, Complete Kitten Care, dog behavior, dog books, dog pictures, dogs, fiction, how to create ebook cover, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Kindle, kindle book covers, kindle-ization, old dogs, pet books, publishing, writers, writing

Monday Mentions: Bitchy Bling, FIP & Linky Laughs

It's mine, ALL MINE!

Happy Independence Day! The 4th of July brings lots of sky-high sparkles with fireworks, but here in Texas with the drought and burn-ban, such celebrations will be rare. And I figure, most of y'all are out picnicking with family and friends, or otherwise doing FUN stuff rather than reading (or writing) blogs.

Did I mention that I have no life?

Anyway, since few folks will be around to read, today's Monday Mentions is short. I'm nearly packed for Thursday's trek to Thrillerfest in New York. So these are MY July 4th sparkles. Ain't they purty? Hey, I'm easily distracted by shiny objects, what can I say? The "BLING, BITCHES & BLOOD" tag line ain't just for show, guys.

My colleague and friend Wendy Christensen not only writes beautiful prose, she's a cat artist–and now also makes fantastic BLING! I've been drooling over this piece and finally broke down and got it–since it'll be the purrrrrr-fect accessory when I travel to Thrillerfest this weekend. A girl can't have too much sparkles, ya know!

You don't know? Well, check out some of my Ask Amy videos for furry advice and the "bling parade." Most folks wouldn't recognize me without my rhinestone #1-Bitch pin and appropriate glitter. Ahem.

Cat Fur Jewelry might tempt you, too. Nope, it's not petrified kitty URKS, which was what I feared. The necklaces actually are kinda cool–if you're not allergic, that is. I'm sticking to the shiny stuff.

Luxury Paw helps you travel in style to 3-star (or better) hotels with your fur-kids. Travel woes over the howl-lidays got you down?  If you suffer from separation anxiety when away from Fluffy-kins, this site could really get your tail wagging.

FIP in the news–potentially GOOD news this time from my colleague Steve Dale and the Winn Feline Foundation.

DP Lyle's Forensic Blog has a neat tribute to Hemmingway–you know, the guy with the many-toed cats? Oh yeah, he wrote pretty good stories, too.

Opinionator has a totally cool blog on "Google's War on Nonsense" and I've been personally impacted by this crappiocca with my Puppies Site which–no brag, just fact–has some quality info compared to the crappiocca stinking up much of the Internet. I applaud everyone's effort at dialing down stink-icity but I've pounded a second head-shape dent in my office wall as a result of the "sexy fallout."

Writers (readers too) will love Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds blog, an irreverent and sometimes blue blog on all-things-writing-and-publishing (and off topic now and then). I like it so much, just added it to my blogroll.

And The Wuc offers a hilarious review? (sorta-kinda-in-a-way) of the latest Mary Poppins incarnation–this is NOT for kids!

Finally, for folks out there wondering about the whole blog-platform question, a nicely succinct recap of some of the more popular ones offered by author  C.C.James.

Have a safe, fun, and restful holiday! Oh, and if you're in a drought-free zone with fireworks in the offing–I HATE YOU!–and be sure your pets stay angst-free with these tips.

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Ask Amy, Bling Alert!, Monday Mentions, Wags & Purrs, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, books, cat books, cats, CC James Books, Chuck Wendig Terrible Minds, dog books, dogs, DP Lyle, Dr. Susan Little, feline infectious peritonitis, FIP, googles war on nonsense, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Kindle, kittens, new FIP treatment, old dogs, pet books, pets, publishing, puppies, puppies.About.com, Steve Dale, the wuc, Thrillerfest, video, Wendy Christensen, Winn Feline Foundation, writers, writers conference, writing, www.luxurypaw.com

Furry Friday: Lulu's Furry Miracle

Lulu has a human angel, named Carol Duncan!

I couldn't do foster work, I don't think. When I traveled for Purina as a spokesperson and visited countless shelters, the hardest part was walking away from all those needy bewhiskered faces. Bringing a fur-kid into the house, only to later give him/her away into the loving homes of another, would be rewarding but –I know this about myself — it would flat kill me.

Thank God there are rescue organizations and individuals who can do this!

While it sounds romantic to raise up cute babies and unwanted dogs or cats and give them a much needed second chance, reality ain't the same. Dogs and cats are dumped, relinquished, lose homes for no fault of their own but challenging behavior problems and/or health issues make foster care even more daunting.

Did I mention God has a hand in such things? And the human angels on earth sometimes are granted miracles–my colleague and friend Carol Duncan gave me permission to share the latest. It seems particularly timely because of the BOOM-BOOM noise phobias mentioned in the Woof Wednesday blog that caused Lulu–that gorgeous Border Collie–in the picture–such angst. You see, Lulu panicked during a thunderstorm and tried to escape her crate, resulting in severe injuries that required hip surgery. Yes, they can do amazing things these days with cutting edge medicine for pets–and the video puts a furry face on some of these techniques.

I've seen other video of Carol's foster BCs, one called Possum that was so fearful–and the progress made until she actually PLAYED with Carol's other dogs. Makes me weepy again just to think of how far some of these fosters can come with the right care. Now, it's Lulu's chance.

Carol writes,

"I'm almost afraid to say anything lest I jinx myself, but Lulu, a BC is being adopted on Monday.  Lulu is reactive to other dogs and needs to go to a home with no other dogs.  Plus, she has hip dysplasia and is recovering from an FHO right now.  And she has mild urinary incontinence.  She barks a lot, too!  And she is sound sensitive, terrified of thunder and fireworks.  She is currently on Fluoxetine and Clonazepam.  She's probably around 6 or 7 years old — has a lot of years left, we hope, but not a young dog, by any means.

Who would want such a dog?

Well, a couple in El Paso contacted me.  Their BC passed away in February at age 15.  The wife is a high school teacher and is home for the summer.  They chose to wait until the summer to get a new dog.  The wife really liked the way Lulu looks and wrote to me.  They have a pool and will be able to continue her rehab there.  They specifically wanted an older dog. And the last time they had a thunderstorm there was 2006. They had a fabulous vet reference and their home check was conducted yesterday by a woman who is a herding trial judge who lives in El Paso."

WOW! Who can dare argue that God didn't work a miracle? Well, the Almighty and human angels, that is–the rescue organization, veterinarians, and of course Carol and her furry crew of doggy helpers.

Are you involved in rescue work? What challenges do you individually and your rescue organization face? What about dogs (or cats) with hip dysplasia–have you ever included water therapy for your pets?

The cool video, below, shows Lulu receiving underwater treadmill therapy (WAY COOL!) from the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, so that Lulu's new family has a demonstration how to continue Lulu's rehab. Carol works with Border Collie Rescue Texas which paid for a good portion of Lulu's treatment–but Carol funded quite a bit herself.

Love doesn't come cheap! Think about supporting a rescue group in your area. Have you had similar miracle matches–please share!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Furry Fridays, Video, Wags & Purrs Tagged: Amy Shojai, books, border collie, border collie rescue texas, canine rehabilitation, Carol Duncan, Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center, dog behavior, dog books, dog rescue, dog training, dogs, FHO, hip dysplasia, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, incontinence, old dogs, pet books, thunderstorm fear, underwater treadmill, veterinary care, writing

Thoughty Thursday: SEX!!! SEXity-SEX-SEX-SEX!

"SEX? Whutz that? Iz a baby..."

Now I'm waiting for the spam-cops to come arrest me. *looking around, tapping foot, looking at watch…* Well c'mon now, I don't have all day. SEX-SEX-SEX!!!

*twiddling thumbs, whistling, ROLLING EYES*

I had another blog planned but will bump it to Furry Friday. This afternoon I've spent hours playing SEX-games with iContact, the formerly neato-torpedo Email software for my newsletter Pet Peeves. In the interest of improving customer service they've upgraded the software.

Damn.

I'm low-tech. Once I learn something, I don't want to re-learn all the bells and whistles. Maybe they've gotten more complaints and iContact does pride itself on low-to-no "spam" complaints. I don't even subscribe you. Folks need to subscribe themselves to my newsletter–I don't subscribe you unless you ask, and most everyone subscribes themselves.

Yep, that was my reaction, too.

So today after jumping through hoops, re-doing the issue several times because the !@#$%^&U! software refused to SAVE as in the past, I finally prepared to SEND. And was told that it had the word SEX and therefore would be recognized as spam.

I could either FIX the word (oh, you nasty thang, you!), or could send it to their spam-cops for review for up to 30 minutes.

Folks, I couldn't find the word SEX anywhere in the newsletter articles. Newsletter was already late going out. But no choice–So I submitted for review, then discovered the type/formatting (from the UPGRADE) made the test newsletter look wonky. So once it came back with the SEX-issue approved, I had to change a couple of things.

That meant it had to go back for a SEX review again. (Nope, still didn't find the offending NASTY word…)

Finally the newsletter was sent. I also sent several irate notes complaining and received back quite cordial answers with a screen-shot of the SEX word circled.

HORRORS! I'd suggested choosing a new pet of the opposite SEX (blush, toe-digging, quelle embarrassment!). So iContact was right, I was wrong and all my subscribers got their SEX-FIX this evening.

That'll put a wag in their tails. Ahem. So to speak.

I suspect that this SEX-ridden blog will rank incredibly high in SEO. Because last I checked, google wasn't nearly as pure as iContact. Bravo to such companies doing their part to fight spam, but holy crappiocca, Batman! When puppy dawgs and kitty cats cain't have no fun, just what SEX-ploitation will be next?

Oh, and the next Pet Peeves newsletter may get a new schedule. Because folks, I'm all SEXED out…sorta kinda in a way…

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways–or maybe not!

Filed under: Howls & Hisses, Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, books, cat behavior, cat books, cat care, cats, dog behavior, dog books, dogs, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, icontact.com, kittens, PawNation.com, pet books, Pet Peeves newsletter, pet sex, pets, puppies, puppies.About.com, sex, spam sex, spay, writers, writing

Woof Wednesday: BOOM! Dealing With Fireworks Fears

Fireworks from July 4th celebration may be festive to you, but can turn your pets into nervous wrecks. More cats and dogs–and even livestock like horses–become lost on this day than any other when pets panic, go through windows, break tethers and leap fences.

Even safely contained pets shiver, moan, and feel worse with each noisy boom. You may not see quivering scaredy cats, but the stress from noise phobia increases risk of hit-or-miss litter box behavior.

It can take weeks or even months for desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques to teach fearful pets that noises won't hurt them. If you start these programs when your fur-kid is a baby, it can help him stay calm during all kinds of scary noises, from thunderstorms and gunshots to fireworks fears.

So--can you "hear" what he's saying?

My mom's Shelties used to act like furry jello as they quivered and dove for that dark safe spot under the bed. But the Magical-Dawg could care less. Part of that, I think, has to do with the PUPPY-PARTEEEEE! WOW, WAS THAT LOUD, WHAT FUN! reactions I'd offer him each time the thunder boomed during his socialization months. Now, if a particularly loud thunder-clap startles me and I jump, he does look at me with eyebrows raised–ready to get wound up if I so much as "say" he should by my body language.

Pets do read us. You have to be a really good actor around dogs (and cats) because they read our silent language with little effort. Do you speak dog? What do all those tail wags and woofs mean? Do you know what a doggy laugh sounds like? Check out my latest puppy-licious article on dog talk, and tell me what I've missed. Different dogs "speak" in unique ways–how do your fur-kids tell you what they want?

How do your dogs tell you they're scared? Do you have special ways for soothing the angst? Noise phobias can be especially tough to manage, especially when the fear has gone on for a while. For tips on how to desensitize and some neato products to help the process with puppies and dogs, check out these 11 tips for calming noise fears.

But with Independence Day right around the corner, you'll need some immediate help. Paw Nation published my latest article 10 Tips to Prevent Fireworks Fears – for dogs, cats, even horses!

You'll find more help for pet behavior problems including fear issues in my PETiQuette book, and it's also addressed in the Aging Dog and Aging Cat books–old fogey pets have much less tolerance for scary stuff. Be safe and have a lovely July 4th.

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways GOING OUT TOMORROW!

Filed under: Howls & Hisses, Kindle, Woof Wednesdays Tagged: Amy Shojai, books, cat behavior, cat books, cat training, dog behavior, dog books, dog training, dogs and noise fears, fireworks fears, German shepherd, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, PawNation.com, pets, puppies, puppies.About.com, RedRoom.com, thunderstorm fear, writing

Tuesday Tips #6: Kindle-ization & Picture This!

Dealing with Ebook images can be a stinker-of-a-challenge!

Welcome to my series with tips based on my DIY Kindle-ization Journey. For those who just found this blog, you can take a look back at the Installment #1 Helpful Links,  followed by #2 Why Do It? and #3 The Challenges.   Tuesday Tips #4 covered the various platform options and what's required for each. And last week the topic was #5 Formatting For Kindle.

If you're like me and write nonfiction, chances are you have photos, illustrations or boxed/tabled information included in your format. Those incredibly gifted author/artists who create graphic novels need extra help I can't provide but you'll find a link with some detailed information on such things in the Helpful Links in Installment #1 listed above.

Everybody–even fiction authors dealing with text-only–needs a book cover and that means pictures. In large part, a killer cover can make or break your book! So today's installment addresses the basics of Ebook images, and next week I'll address cover images.

Re-size your photo images for best effect.

PHOTOS & ILLIOS & GRAPHS, OH MY!

Just a reminder for those who love text boxes, graphs and suchlike in your nonfiction. Uploading your manuscript to the various platforms typically strips away all but the most basic HTLM coding, and you will not be happy with the result. Trust me on this! To get around the problem, either re-format the information without using tables and graphs, or scan and save as an image file.

You can easily insert images into your WORD document, but it can be tricky to include photo slugs or "center" commands. They'll "float" and move around as will the text–and the pictures–as your Ereader text font size is adjusted. Some of your picture formatting may be trial and error. Of course, you can always hire somebody else to manage this, but her's how I did it.

Resize images to lo-rez 72-96 dpi, either .gif or .jpg. While print publishing requires a minimum of 200 dpi for clarity (and higher is better) the Epub platforms will not support and will re-size large images. Better to do it yourself first, and aim for the largest/highest rez possible.
Kindle resizes up or down to 520px by 622 px. Keep this target size in mind when re-sizing images. To do this, simply ensure one side of image is the "maximum" px size
To center, create a 525×640 plain background. Then copy-and-paste your image to the background, center and  "save-as" a new image. Now when imported into your manuscript file it will default to the correct size and already be centered.
For captions, embed on the image itself prior to the "save-as" function, so it is part of the image background.
To import images into your manuscript, in WORD click on the "Insert" tab (top left of screen). Position between paragraph breaks to avoid splitting sentence/text.
SAVE your WORD document with the embedded images and keep this as the original so you have a do-over option just in case.
If you wish to offer a PDF version of your book, make sure the manuscript looks the way you want and click SAVE-AS and choose PDF.

"Bundle" the text and image folders in the same "zip" file bed.

To create your HTML file with images, click SAVE-AS and choose OTHER FORMATS–WEB PAGE, FILTERED. This results in the text running across the page in a continuous stream, with the images left-justified. Be sure the images are positioned between paragraph breaks (you can click-drag a bit as needed). With this method you won't be able to position adjacent to specific sentences but should be able to have your illustration/photo/table image on the same page and/or adjacent to your ideal location.

Once you're happy with the format, SAVE in a new name (BOOK-NAME-HTML perhaps?) so your original WORD document remains the same. You'll end up with two files–the HTML-text file (with embedded markers for images) and a 2nd folder with the coded images. To upload the manuscript with the images, create a zip-file that contains both. Using your mouse, highlight both the HTML text and image files, then RIGHT-click, choose SEND-TO, and your book manuscript-with-pictures ZIP file is ready to upload.

Wayne Borean commented in last week's post that The Document Foundation offers a free download of LibreOffice that does a nice job of outputting HTML code from Microsoft Office and PDF files (thanks Wayne!). I've not used this but will look into it for future projects and I'm told will work with Windows, Macs, Linux, BSD, Solaris, OS2 and more.

If you have tips that make the process simpler, better, quicker, or any other …-er, feel free to share in the comments section! Next week's Tuesday Tips #7 Kindle-ization installment will cover–what else?–the COVER. Until then, happy writing!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Kindle, Tuesday Tips, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, books, cat books, dog books, how to insert pictures in Ebooks, how to self publish, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, images in Kindle, Kindle, kittens, publishing, puppies, Wayne Borean, writers, writers conference, writing

Monday Mentions: Writer-icity, Dog Surfing & PeePee Dance

Those who read the last Thoughty Thursday blog know I've been struggling with my back. I'm not supposed to sit for long periods of time and over the weekend had to focus on creating more puppy-licious behavior content. So I plan to keep the blogs pretty short-and-sweet this week. That doesn't mean they won't be chock-full of content, though!

I've collected some of my fav blog, article and video posts for today's shout out. Enjoy! And please post your own suggestions for future Monday Mentions in the comments section.

WRITING SCHTUFF

Horror author Thom Reese on Growing Pains in Publishing

Author and terrific blogger Jenny Hansen asks Are Writers Now A Company of One?

David Gaughran's outstanding blog covers writing and self publishing, and today asks Have Publishers Lost the Backlist Battle?

Kristen Lamb's latest killer blog on Mastering Plot by Getting Primal

Ellie Ann Soderstrom puts writing, life and humanity in perspective in her PeePee Dance Blog

PET SCHTUFF

Dog Walker 8 has an excellent blog post on Pet Poisoning Dangers, check it out!

Curfew for Cats in Australia–say WHAT?

It's not just dogs and cats that need rescue. Get your tissues ready–happy ending and AMAZING photos in this horse cruelty case detailed in Sarah K. Andrew's Zodiac Blog

Let's end on a happy furry–and WET note with these fun videos, enjoy! Do your cats or dogs love or hate the water?

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways! By the way, I just updated the sidebar (on the right) with direct links to all the pet books–check 'em out!

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Feline Friday: Ask Amy & Need to Be Kneaded

Kittens often knead soft textures like this blanket--or your lap.

Cats paws are the most sensitive part of a cat's body. And while cat clawing makes cat paws lethal weapons, the velvet-soft pads are exquisitely designed for any number of uses.

Kittens push rhythmically with their front paws against the mother cat's breasts. This stimulates the release of milk. Called kneading because it resembles the way bread dough is made, the behavior carries over into adulthood. Many felines knead against soft objects when they seem to feel particularly happy and satisfied.

Do your cats knead? When do they do it? Is there a special circumstance that triggers the behavior–during lap-sitting or cuddle time in the morning before you get out of bed? What have I missed in this Ask Amy video about cat kneading behavior? Please share!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

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Thoughty Thursday: Pets, Work & Living In The Moment

Do you take your dog (or cat) to work?

Tomorrow is "Take Your Dog To Work Day." I'm one of the lucky folks who does this every day–the cat, too–and after the past week that I've had, really question why anyone would not want to do this.

I don't want to turn this into an Amy Pity Party so suffice it to say I hurt my back last Sunday, pulling weeds. Turned me into cranky-saurus. Pain will do that to you. So will stoopid dumb moves, because I could have prevented this–which somehow makes the pain worse. Funny how many things you CAN'T do when no longer able to bend over, get up off chairs, climb stairs–even get dressed.

I have new respect for those who live with disabling discomfort for years on end.

For the first time, I've received treatments from a talented chiropractor–twice a day–and slowly my mobility has improved. Oh, I'd researched and written about these treatments before in several of my pet books (sidebar at right) in relation to veterinary medicine, but it's different to be on the receiving end.



Magic and Seren know when I hurt. Neither is "trained" as a service animal, but they sure did a fine job acting the part. Magic managed to climb into my lap–all 85+ pounds–and I could feel my stress, blood pressure and pain melt away as I hugged him. I had no choice, he insisted.

Seren set aside kitty snarkiness about the dog and stayed by my side. Her head only spun around a couple of times when the dog's tail nearly thwacked her. Nothing prompts a kitty hissy fit like a rude dog tail.

Monday night after the first two treatments I presented a webinar Senior Moments: Quality of Life Issues for Aging Pets that had been scheduled for many weeks. As always, got a bit choked up during the portion about making choices. How do you know it's the right time? Do pets understand end-of-life issues? Can they tell you when they've had enough? With my back, the doctor's Xrays and tests diagnosed a sprain that should resolve with treatment. But pets don't get the benefit of knowing the diagnosis. They don't know that one moment they're well, and the next the vet says they have cancer, for instance.

What a gift! Pets don't deal with the "what if" or scary unknowns because–they don't know! Pets only know how good they feel right now–they only know that they love you, you are there with them, and they trust you to keep them safe. Let me repeat that–

Pets live in the moment. THIS moment–when they feel safe, well, loved–that's all they know. They care deeply how YOU feel, too–whether they show it directly or not. We are more connected to each other than most of us realize, and how sad that it often takes illness, injury or tragedy for us to slow down and figure that out. Like a stoopid back injury from pulling weeds.

I want to be more like Magical-Dawg and Seren-kitty! I want to live in the moment, enjoy THIS cup of coffee, hold safe in my heart the way fur feels beneath my hands, cherish the poetry of cat-dance, laugh out loud at doggy-on-his-back-gyrations with stuffed toys. I want to stop saying, "later" when an invitation for now-fun appears. Turn that get-'er-done stuff into a more-fun-all-the-time list.

"Your lap is MINE!"

Since I was a kid, I've yearned to know what dogs and cats think. And as an adult I've spent hours, weeks, years studying and unraveling the mysteries between those furry pointed ears. Even in my fiction, the theme continues–just WHAT are they thinking? Wouldn't it be kewl to really know–to understand, maybe even read their minds? For pet lovers, what a joy–for the less gifted folks who dislike or even fear pets, would "hearing" their thoughts drive 'em crazy?

What do our pets really think? Bet we'd be shocked. Maybe even insulted. Because my pets are very likely smart-asses. Betcha the Magical-Dawg thinks, "Why does she stare at that box-thing all day when she could toss Frisbees and SNIFF stuff!" And the Seren-kitty thinks, "Lap time. Now. That's MY lap. Move the @#$%^&*(!  box-thing! Oh, and lose the devil-dawg."

At my house, Take Your Pet To Work Day happens every day. I've just not been listening.

 

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions–and to stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways! By the way, I just updated the sidebar (on the right) with direct links to all the pet books–check 'em out!

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