Denise Brixey's Blog, page 6

Why Not a Kitten for a Present

I wrote this article a few years ago,  but I feel so strongly about the subject that I post it every holiday season.

[image error]

It’s that time of year again. The time for decorations, Christmas trees, Santa Claus and presents. It’s the time for parents to make their child’s’ fantasies come true. It is so tempting for ‘Santa’ to give their darling a little kitten. They are so cute and cuddly and, it is thought that, as the child grows, so can the kitten.

However, we must remember that a kitten is not a toy. They are living beings, with needs that can only be met by a true knowledge of what it takes to be a good guardian. The excitement of waking up Christmas morning to a brand new furry kitten, will soon wear off when the child is charged with caring for Fifi. Chances are, it will take no time at all before he will grow tired of feeding her and cleaning the litter box. Then it falls to the parent to take care of the needs.

[image error]

A cat (as with any pet) is a full-time responsibility that can last for 20 years or more. In that time, Johnny or Janey will probably go their separate ways, leaving the cat behind. That’s all well and good for the humans, but for the cats, who have grown to depend on their people for love and attention, it can be traumatic and certainly is unfair.

In my opinion, one of the main reasons not to get a kitten as a present is that, in order to meet the demand, some pet stores, etc. receive their supply from disreputable breeders and kitten mills.

[image error]

A kitten mill is a place where cats are bred in tight quarters with no medical attention, until they are no longer able to breed. When that day comes, they either are tragically killed or  sold, spreading diseases. When they are kept alive to be given away, the kitten has a higher chance of being unhealthy, costing more money and possible heartache in the long run.

[image error]

So, the next time you take your child into the pet store to gaze at the cute little furry things in the window, remember, they are not toys , so look, but don’t give in to the temptation of taking one home.

ALA Conference Booking Signing

Last week I went to Washington DC for the ALA Conference 2019.  Below is a video about my experience there.

 

If you want to participate in the live sessions, just go to Kitty Tales on Facebook.

What Was the Inspiration for Harry You Ask?

[image error]

Monkeyface

 

When I decided to create the character for Harry the Wonder Cat, I had to look no further than my Monkeyface, the first cat I ever had.  Twenty years ago, Monkey and I met and it was love at first sight. The big Maine Coon was the gentlest creature that I’ve ever known.  He was fiercely loyal to me and protected me from the people that he considered bad. (Cats are like that…they can smell trouble a mile off.) I, in turn, protected him from everything from the rustling of a paper bag (he hated paper bags) to the loud claps of thunder in the mountain sky.

Now, I know you’ll think that Harry doesn’t sound at all like Monkeyface, and you would be right when it comes down to fears.  After all, Harry isn’t afraid of anything. You must remember, however, Monkeyface didn’t have the powers that Harry has.

Other than being fiercely protective of their person, Maine Coons are the largest domestic cat, (the biggest was a cat named Stewie,  who grew to be a whopping 48.5 inches. Harry’s 38 inches seem small next to Stewie.

While Harry grew to weigh over 30 pounds, Monkeyface weighed a mere 25 pounds. Maine Coon are known as the Gentle Giants of the cat world, but sometimes Harry uses his size to intimidate enemies.

I chose the Maine Coon breed for Harry the Wonder Cat in memory of my lovable Monkeyface who, in my mind, will always be my Wonder Cat.

 

Next week I will share with you my experiences at my first writer’s convention.  Until then, have a purrfect week, from Harry and the Gang!

Ghostly Paws (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Leighann Dobbs

[image error]

Ghostly Paws by Leighann Dobbs is the first of the Mystic Notch Series and was published in 2014. This is one of my favorite Leighann Dobbs series. A reporter turned bookshop owner by the name of Willa is the main character.  She has an amazing cat, Pandora, who along with her gang of feline friends, help Willa get out of the trouble that she invariably gets into.

Willa and Pandora are visited in the shop quite frequently by ghosts of authors from centuries ago. Customers will come into the store and a ghost or two will choose that moment to cause mischief. A book may fall off a shelf or a puff of smoke materializes in the  corner of the room, signifying that ghosts are coming right in front of the customer. Pandora, being the ever-curious cat that she is, plays with the smoke until it becomes Robert Frost or someone else from days gone by.

In the first book of the series, Ghostly Paws, Willa finds the town’s librarian, Livinia dead at the bottom of the library’s basement stairs. Augusta who, besides being Willa’s sister, is the town’s sheriff that warns the curious Willa to stay away from the case. Willa would be happy to stay away, but the ghost of Livinia comes to visit her and pleads with Willa to find her killer. Mystic Notch isn’t that big so you’d think that it would be easy to find a killer, wouldn’t you? Not so.

Ghostly Paws is a fast read and thoroughly enjoyable. I give it five stars and would suggest it to anyone who likes cozy mysteries and cats.

The Afterglow: What Happens After the Editing Process Is Finished?

Last time I talked about my experiences up to and including the editing of my first book. My best advise is:

1) Don’t be too quick to send your first draft in to your editor. I did and drove my editor nuts.  It ends up being more frustrating and a lot more work than if you went over the first couple of drafts yourself then send it in.

2) Get an editor that you can work with.  It makes for an easier process.

Now, after the editing process…

Woo hoo! You have your edited manuscript in your hands (well maybe not in your hands, but on your computer). What’s the next step? You need a launch team.  A launch team is a team of individuals who read the Advance Readers Copy, or the ARC and give feedback on the story. After that, it’s all the publisher’s baby.  He gets his team to work on the layout, etc.

At the same time, you gear up on marketing.  I went online and asked  blogs to review Harry on their blogs…first, the cat blogs that I already knew from doing a cat blog for years.  Then I hit the fiction and mystery blogs.  We mustn’t forget the podcasts (although I haven’t had much luck with those). You notice that I use the present tense because it is a never ending process.

Sometime during this process, you will get the hardcopies in your hot little hands.  Congratulations!

Then the cold calls come.  I am starting to call bookstores, etc. to do book signings.  Now I’m finding that not all stores are open to them, especially the small, local ones.

Yesterday I put 10 signed copies of Harry up for a giveaway on Goodreads.  In 18 hours I had almost 500 entrants.

Finally, I am booked to go to Washington DC for my first conference. Hopefully, it will be the first of many.

So, now you are up to speed with all that I’ve been through.  It has been a nail-biting, rollercoaster ride that, at times has made me ecstatic and at times has made me want to pull my hair out.  It’s never dull and I love it!

BTW, I’m working on the next book in Harry the Wonder Cat Series. In this one, Harry goes to Jamaica and falls in love with a beautiful beach cat named Luna. Follow along Harry’s trip with Nikki, Heather and the gang.

If you missed the first book, Harry the Wonder Cat: The Legend of the Pink Diamond, you can still get it here.

What to Expect When Publishing Your First Novel

I’m Denise, the creator of Harry the Wonder Cat, and the author of The Legend of the Pink Diamond.  For the next couple of weeks I thought I’d just talk about the steps leading up to that all important publication date and what it feels like when you actually hold that first book in your hand.

One thing that not a lot of my readers know is that all of the cats, with the exception of Harry, are based on the real cats that take care of some of the readers of my Facebook page. As soon as I realized that Harry needed a gang, I opened up auditions on Kitty Tales and a slew of cats came running for the curtain call.  I, being the ultimate cat lady, gave the parts to all of the cats that applied.  So each cat will be named or featured in at least one of the books in the series.

Casting taken care of, you need to write the story.  You should write at least two drafts before sending the manuscript to your editor. I sent the first draft and was sorry I did as, by the time we got to the final draft, the book had changed into a totally different story, which drove my publisher crazy.

I believe you need to have a bond, call it chemestry, with your editor because, after all, you are going to be joined at the hip (figuratively speaking of course, otherwise you wouldn’t get much writing done) for the next few months. I was lucky in that my publisher made sure to “fit” me with another cat lady.  Suze loves Harry almost as much as I did, therefore she handled him with kit gloves.  The result was a book that showcased Harry’s purrsonality, quirks and all.

During the editing phase, which involves a lot of time sending the manuscript back and forth for rewrites, etc., my publisher’s design team was working on that all important cover, again a lot of changing until we all agreed that it was purrfect.  You can judge a book by it’s cover, and Harry’s cover is great!

Meanwhile, I looked for a professional photographer for the picture on the back of the book.  I ended up using it on my profiles for my social media.  Get your face out there!!

Next time I’ll be going over what happens after the editing.  No…the process isn’t not over yet.  It’s only just begun!

A Tour of Harry’s Home Turf ~ Harrot Reef

Harry here…again!  Now that my book is out I thought that it would be an excellent time for me to take you on a grand tour of my town, Harrot Reef.

Harrot Reef is a little fishing village on the coast of Maine.  The Johnson family was the first family to settle there in 1815.

You can find all of the action down at the docks. Sometimes the fishermen will feed us cats from the daily catch. I love the salmon! Right across the street from the wharf is the hottest restaurant in town.  If we can’t get fish down at the docks, the Twilight is the place to go.  I would recommend the lobster Thermidor.  Mmm, exquisite!

The main street of Harrot Reef, which was conveniently called Main Street,  is six blocks up Kelly Hill.  From The Fence on Main Street, which is the meeting place of my gang, you can see most all of the little town.

Right across the street from our hangout is the town square.  Beautiful gardens surrounded the gazebo in the center of perfectly manicured lawn.  Tall trees that are built for climbing were on the four corners of the square, which the kids refer to as the park.

Next to the square is the City Hall where Sheriff Grady O’Neil sits planning his diabolical schemes against the Johnson family.

Abel’s groceries was across the alleyway on the other side of the square. You can get all that you could ever possibly need in the little store that has been around since there was a need for a grocer.

Down the street was Martha’s Hangout.  The diner has been around for over twenty years and Martha runs it like clockwork.  Martha’s, as the diner is known, makes the best cheeseburgers and shakes in the county.

I like to round off my dining experience at the bakery across the street.  The Fat Cat Bakery is owned by Gene.  He and his daughter Roxey, have been serving the town’s people for quite some time now. I love to sit behind the building and inhale the sumptuous aroma of freshly baked bread. Their blueberry scones are to die for, too!

That’s it.  The whole of Harrot Reef in a nutshell.  Well, all of the important places anyway.  Now that you know the lay of the land, come join us!  Get Harry the Wonder Cat: The Legend of the PinkDiamond  today at Amazon.

 

 

Harry is Out!

Just a very short post telling you all that Harry the Wonder Cat is finally out of his carrier!  (And we all know how much he hates his carrier!)

He wants you all to come by Amazon  and pick up his very first book in the series.

On behalf of Harry and his gang, thanks!

(Harry will be conducting a tour of Harrot Reef next week.)

The Cat Kingdom

Hi everyone.  Can you believe it’s only a week until my book, Harry the Wonder Cat: The Legend of the Pink Diamond , which introduces me and some of the people of Harrot Reef, comes out? You can preorder it at a discounted price on Amazon for this week only.

Now that the big announcement is out of the way, I wanted to take you on a brief tour of the Cat Kingdom.

You need to know that no one actually knows where the Cat Kingdom is. To get there, you need to be escorted by an official messenger of the Cat King.  You simple touch his back, close your eyes and when the official tells you, open them to a brand new world.

The first thing your senses will take in is the scent.  It’s unlike any other you have known in the human realm of existence.   It’s indescribable really, but if one were to try, it’s a cross of cotton candy, chocolate, and the sweet smell of jasmine. 

Then you will notice the glitter everywhere, on the ground, statues of regal cats, even the castle itself.  The sky is raining down these sparkly, golden pieces of tiny substance nonstop, night and day. The next thing you may notice is the sound of sweet, melodious music.  This music has never been heard before and won’t be heard outside of the kingdom. If you are a special guest of the king, you can look up to the sky and see a rainbow shoot an arc over the castle.

Speaking of the castle, it has a gatehouse where two cat guards stand tall to greet you into the castle grounds.  The courtyard is expansive.  It, too, is covered in golden glitter that sparkled in the sunshine.  The colors of the rainbow are brighter than colors are in the human realm. At the castle door there are two more cats to greet you.

Once inside you will find yourself in a great hall surrounded by portraits of the most regal cats that ruled the kingdom hanging on the walls.  At the end of the hall is an extraordinary room with a golden, bejeweled throne in it and a red carpet leading up to it.  This is, of course, where you will find the king.

Well, that’s it.  The Cat Kingdom in a nutshell.  Next week, I’ll give you a tour of Harrot Reef, where I live.  In the meantime don’t forget to preorder your discounted copy of Harry the Wonder Cat: The Legend of the Pink Diamond. 

Meet Sir Aslan

Harry here! I wanted to take this time to introduce you to the most important cat in my life…Sir Aslan, otherwise know as my grandfather. Come on out here grandfather.

Sir Aslan:  How are you, Harry my boy?

Harry:  *bows* Just fine, Sir.

Sir Aslan:  *taps Harry on his head* Get up.  Today I speak to you as your grandfather and not as a knight.

Harry:  *straightens up and clears his throat* Yes Grandfather.  Well, I’m sure that my audience would like to know a little bit about you.

Sir Aslan:  Like?

Harry:  Like how did you receive your knighthood?

Sir Aslan:  *sighs* Well, as you know, I saved the Cat Princess from drowning.  The Cat King was so appreciative that he granted me a knighthood.

Harry:  How long has it been since you became a knight?

Sir Aslan:  *looks to the heavens obviously thinking* Well, it must be about seven…no eight centuries now.

Harry:  Wow! *shakes his heads in amazement*  One final question.  What was your proudest moment?

Sir Aslan:  *beams* That’s easy, Harry.  The moment I that you became a knight, too!

Harry:  *blushes and bows his head in embarrassment* Thank you, Grandfather.

Sir Aslan: *taps Harry’s head* Anytime,  my boy!  Anytime! *turns and marches out of sight*

Harry: *sighs as he watches the Great Sir Aslan retreat in silence*  Well, there you have it, my grandfather, Sir Aslan.  Read about him and the rest of the magnificent cats and their humans in Harry the Wonder Cat: The Legend of the Pink Diamond .  Preorder yours now at Amazon.

Harry:  Next week, please join us for a tour of the Cat Kingdom.