Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 100

#Writing Wednesday - February 14th 2018

Despite having once read a dictionary cover to cover - well, twice if you include the time I read a Welsh-English translation dictionary - I can't spell to save my life. Well, OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration, and there are some things I can spell really well. In fact, some of the things I can spell well would surprise you. But you should never rely on me to help you out with spellings. Part of this is some confusion caused by how Welsh spelling is figured out compared to English spelling, and part of it is because I've used a computer for most of my writing ever since I was about ten (about when I was switching from mostly working in Welsh to mostly working in English) and computers have spell check. If you're like me, here's an amusing post that shows how spell check can be both your best friend or worst enemy, and why you shouldn't rely completely on it. Oh, and... Yes, I'm serious about the dictionaries: I had nothing else I hadn't read available to me at the time, so... *Shrugs*

Anyway...

This is how you write a story, so get out there and cultivate those wild ideas!

While you're doing that, remember that a first draft is always a tell-all. What matters most when writing the first draft is that you get your thoughts down on paper, and make it to the end. You can worry about improving it afterwards. For now, just write.

Always remember: it may be a good story, but that doesn't mean you have to write it.

So, what makes a story memorable?

Regardless of what you feel makes a story memorable, most stories require at least a little world building. So, check out these posts on world building for some tips in that area.

No matter the kind of world your character(s) live(s) in, if there's a big focus on the elements in your story, you can make things more interesting by bearing in mind that fire is more than destruction, considering the versatility of wind, giving some thought to the tri-form element that is water, and remembering that earth can be fun.

Also, if you decide you want to step out of your comfort zone and write in a new genre, or are new to writing and trying to decide which genre to write in, you may want to check out these tips for writing in a new genre.

By the way, have you heard about the recent changes to CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing paperbacks? I'm glad to see the new features on the Kindle Direct Publishing site, but still won't be changing which of the two I use, since I don't want to lose the distribution to Amazon Canada, nor the option to have my books available on other places (especially since several of my paperback sales come through those distribution sites). As for CreateSpace getting rid of their paid services... I never used them anyhow, so I don't really care about that. Still, it's comforting to know that I'll have the option to do things like order proofs if I'm ever forced to switch to Kindle Direct Publishing, since I did think not having that option was a very bad thing, and was concerned about the possibility of being forced to switch, and not being able to order proof copies before my books went on sale. As I said though, I currently have no plans to switch any time soon.

Regardless of how you publish your books though, here's a post with some things to think about regarding the middle book in a series.

Whether what you're writing is part of a series or not though, remember to dare to experiment (if you want to succeed).

#Welsh #LoveSpoons AKA Dad's First #WoodCarving Project

My Dad has been trying some new crafts lately, among them wood carving. The photo at the top of this post is his first ever wood carving project, which he gave to me when I went for my visit to Wales at the start of January. It's a Welsh love spoon.

For those who don't know, here's some information on what one is, and its history:

Welsh lovespoons are hand made wooden spoons that are made from one piece of wood and designed and decorated according to the carver’s imagination.

Love Spoons in the Past
Originally made by young men during the long winter nights or by young men on long sea voyages, they were carved to express that young man’s intentions towards a particular girl. A love spoon would be given to a girl as an indication that he wished to court her. A girl may have received lovespoons from several suitors and these would be displayed on the wall of her home.

The tradition of carving lovespoons is thought to have been derived from the making of culinary spoons and the giving of a spoon became symbolic with the expression of the wish to “feed” or support the object of the prospective suitor’s desire. It was a short step to decorating such a spoon and to investing it with symbols of the suitor’s hopes and wishes. Such a spoon would then have had no practical use and would have been regarded as an ornamental gift albeit vested with meaning.

The earliest surviving lovespoon dating from around 1667 is at the National Museum of Wales at St. Fagans near Cardiff but Welsh lovespoons are known to have been made by the menfolk of Wales before this date.

The practice of making and giving lovespoons by prospective suitors was common in Wales throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries but the custom became less popular towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. There has been a revival of the custom over the last 40 or so years and many people today make love spoons on a commercial basis for customers to utilise for the commemoration of special events in their lives or in the lives of their loved ones.

~Above information taken from this Welsh love spoons site.

How Do You Politely Offer To Help A #Blind Person?

First of all, I’d like to point out one very important thing: the advice I’m giving is based on my own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. In other words, though I’ve tried to generalize, visually impaired individuals – like people in general – are different, so there is no “one size fits all” rule for dealing with them. What I’m about to say is the general rule of thumb though. At least, as far as I’ve seen.

So...

How do you politely offer to help a blind person?

The first thing you need to do is make your presence known as you approach. If you know the person’s name, greet them by name as you near. Otherwise offer some other kind of polite greeting. If it’s the latter situation, don’t be offended if they don’t immediately respond, but instead offer the greeting again, perhaps adding a query at this point as to whether they need assistance. You don’t need to initiate physical contact at this point. I mention this fact because I’ve dealt with people who felt they needed to be touching me in order to communicate with me. That’s not the case, and it actually makes me feel extremely uncomfortable when people just randomly touch my arm as part of their greeting. If you know the person, it may be a different matter, but as a general rule, coming to stand beside or in front of the person – like you would with a sighted person – is enough.

Oh, and... I mention the possibility of a lack of response because a blind person sometimes won’t immediately respond if they aren’t sure you’re talking to them. It can be embarrassing when you answer a polite greeting, only to discover it wasn’t aimed at you. Also, even worse, some people will become annoyed even though it was an honest mistake on the part of the blind person. While a sighted person can turn and look, and tell if you’re looking in their direction so might be speaking to them, a blind person can’t. Some people seem to forget that fact. I’ve personally had people become rather annoyed and rude to me when I returned their greeting when it wasn’t aimed at me. Most blind people will acknowledge the greeting on the off-chance it was aimed at them though, especially if they’re in a position where they’re hoping someone will come along and help them.

Anyway, after establishing contact, offer assistance, if you haven’t done so already. No. It’s not rude to just outright offer assistance. The person should either gratefully accept your offer, or politely refuse it.

If it’s the latter, you can ask if they’re sure once, but after that drop the subject. Then either part company at this point, or engage in small talk... Whichever you and the individual in question wishes to do. Either way, don’t push the matter. If you keep pushing the matter, that’s when you start coming off as being rude or annoying.

On the other hand, if the person does want help, your best bet is to next ask what kind of assistance they need. That will provide an opening for the person to tell you that they’re trying to get somewhere, or whatever. They may even tell you at this point exactly how you can go about offering that help.

If they don’t specify, and the help they need is in getting somewhere, whether or not the blind person would consider it more helpful for you to carry their bags or offer an arm is one of those things that really depends on the individual. Whether or not they have any sight at all may play a role in their decision too, since some people have enough sight to be able to keep the shapeless shadow that is you in sight, but not enough to navigate in unfamiliar places, or they may use a guide dog, which they can get to follow you, or whatever. Your best bet is to ask the person. Personally, I don’t like having to have my bags out of my own hands, so always travel with no more than I can manage myself, plus my cane, and – though I’d still be using my cane while walking with you – I would prefer you gave me your arm. As I said though, your best bet is to ask the blind person which they’d prefer.

If you find yourself needing to lead a blind person, here’s how to go about it:

1. Where possible, ensure everything you’re carrying is in your left hand (unless dealing with a left-handed blind person who wants to use their cane while you guide them, in which case it’s the opposite).
2. Stand to the left of the person (or right if a left-handed cane user) but one step ahead of them.
3. With your arm closest to the blind person slightly bent at the elbow, but held in a position that’s comfortable for you, inform the blind person you’re ready for them to take your arm by saying something like, “Here’s my arm.” The blind person should then grab your arm, usually holding on to your elbow. If the way they do so is uncomfortable for you for any reason, politely tell them so, and suggest how they can adjust their grip by saying something like, “Can you loosen your hold a little, please?” Or, “I’d feel more comfortable if you could hold my arm a little higher.”
4. Start walking at your normal pace. If you’re a fast walker, and are concerned this might be too fast for the person, walk a bit, and then ask if they’d like you to walk at a slower pace.

Things to bear in mind while leading a blind person:

Where possible, warn the person of required changes in speed, as well as stops and starts.Always warn the blind person of upcoming obstacles. This is essential if the person is relying on you to be their eyes without using mobility aid, but useful for those with guide dogs and canes sometimes too, so worth doing regardless.When faced with the need to walk through a space only wide enough for one person, warn the blind person that this is the case, and offer them to take your shoulder instead. The blind person should then move his or her hand from your arm to your shoulder. Once they’ve done so, continue walking at the pace you were setting before, or warn the person you will need to change the pace. Failure to warn them will likely result in some pain for you: failure to warn of an increase in speed may result in them gripping your shoulder hard in an attempt not to lose their hold, while failure to tell them of a slower pace may result in their feet or cane connecting with the backs of your feet or legs. Once it's possible to walk side by side again, inform the person of this fact, and then offer them your arm once more.When dealing with steps, some blind people find it easier to hold a railing or something and make their own way down. Ask your blind charge if this is the case. If it is, guide their hand to the railing, assure them you’ll meet them at the bottom, make your own way down, wait for them to join you, and then offer your arm again. If they’d rather you continue to guide them, stay a step ahead of them (you may need to slow your walking speed to ensure you don’t get more than one step ahead of them) and warn them when you’re coming to the end of the steps.
I hope you found this post helpful and informative. If you have any further questions on the topic, don’t feel I was clear enough about something, or would like to request a similar post on another aspect of dealing with blind people, know more about how I do certain things as a blind person, or whatever, please don’t hesitate to post your questions and thoughts in the comments section of this post. I’ll be happy to answer your questions, clear up your confusion, etc. At least, I’ll be happy to try and do so.

#Book Release: The Princelings of the North By Jemima Pett

The Princelings of the North
by Jemima Pett

Book 8 of the Princelings of the East series

genre; older middle grade mystery adventure – age 10 and upwards.

The Princelings of the North is the eighth in The Princelings of the East series. Princelings Dylan and Dougall, who live in the far northwest of an island off the northwest coast of the Realms, rescue an exiled prince, and battle against the odds to restore him to his birthright.

Irrepressible Dylan and steady Dougall are inseparable denizens of the tiny castle of Haunn, so far away from the rest of civilisation that it’s almost off the map. And maps are one of the key elements of this intricate adventure. Dylan finds a treasure map inside a bottle washed up on the shore – and he reckons he knows where X is. Instead of treasure, he finds the exiled Prince Kevin of Castle Deeping, antagonist in the Talent Seekers, bit-player in Bravo Victor, and mystery prince in Willoughby the Narrator. Kevin has had time to realise what a fool he’s been, and now wants vengeance and his castle back, which is just the sort of adventurous challenge that Dylan craves.

Lovers of the series will devour this latest adventure, but newcomers may find it best to start with the box set of books 1-3 or book 5; book 7 links to Kevin’s disappearance. This is a mystery adventure in a world not quite like ours, suitable for age 10 and upwards. The series is set to conclude with book 10.

Excerpt

“It’s a map, look! A treasure map!”

Dougall looked at the scrap of paper his brother Dylan had smoothed out on their bed.

“How do you know it’s a map?”

Dylan sighed, and pointed out the lines. “There’s the outline of the island, and the rocky inlet where the boats go in, and the wiggly lines are where the creek goes into the marshes. And there’s an X for where the treasure is buried!” he finished, leaping off the bed. “Oh, why can’t we go now? It might rain tomorrow!”

“But where did you get it?” Dougall was not one to act without all the facts.

“It got washed into the tide pool down near the Ensay Burn. I fished it out. It was in a bottle. I saw it glinting green and bobbing about.  I thought it had a stick inside it, but it broke when I dropped it on the way back and I found the paper!”

“But why do you think it’s a treasure map?” Dougall had not yet caught his brother’s enthusiasm.

“It’s got an X on it, look!”

“It could mean anything, X.”

“Like what?”

Dougall thought for a bit. He wasn’t familiar with maps, except of the night sky, since he was one of the star-watching team at the castle.  He didn’t go out of the castle much, except onto the crags above to check the solar cells or the turbine flow. It was Dylan who went all over the island, running messages. He’d been most places.

“Have you been to this place?” he asked Dylan, wondering whether he really did know what he was talking about after all.

“Umm, not exactly.  It’s pretty much on the way to Tober Hold, but I usually go a bit further up the glen, and keep to the high ground.  This bit’s all wet.” He pointed to the network of lines he’d described as the creek.

“And there’s nothing there that could be marked as a cross?”

Dylan thought for a bit.  Then he looked at the map again and then at his feet. “There’s ruin on a rock. By the crossroads,” he mumbled.

Dougall looked closer at the map. “Well, nobody’s marked the roads going into and out of the cross. You might still be right. Is it the right place for the crossroads?”

It was Dylan’s turn to study the map closely. “Yes,” he concluded. He stared at it for a moment. “Why would anyone…”

“Mark a cross on a map and not the roads leading up to it?” finished Dougall, his eyes sparkling.  “How long will it take us to get there?”

© J M Pett 2018 The Princelings of the North ch 1

Buying Links
iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com.au, Amazon.in.

Raising money for the Ulva Buyout Appeal #UlvaBuyout

The little island of Ulva is just to the south of the area where Jemima has placed Castle Haunn, Dylan and Dougall’s home on the Isle of Mull.  The community of North West Mull have the opportunity to buy the island from the current landowner, and use it as a sustainable resource, securing their own futures.
Jemima invites everyone to join in her part of the fundraising effort on her JustGiving page, where you can get more details.  Anyone donating on her page will get a copy of a new novella written especially for the appeal, Dylan and the Lights of Ulva, with Jemima’s thanks.

Please help to promote this massive appeal for the small number (in the tens rather than the hundreds) of islanders.

About the Author
Jemima wrote her first book when she was eight years old. She was heavily into world-building, drawing maps, building railway timetables, and dreaming of being a champion show-jumper, until schoolwork got in the way. Then she went down the science path, writing research papers, manuals and reports, as well as editing the newsletters for her sports clubs. Forty years on she started writing stories about her guinea pigs and their adventures in a fantasy world where everything ran on strawberry juice. Eventually the Princelings of the East took shape, originally intended as a trilogy, but the characters just wouldn’t lie down.  The planned ending will now be with book ten.

Meanwhile, Jemima continues to enjoy the company of new guinea pigs in her home in Norfolk, UK. You can enjoy their blog 'George’s Guinea Pig World‘.

Connect with Jemima Pett:  
Blog, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Smashwords.

#Furkid Friday: Lilie The #Westie's Fun #Vet Trip

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

Yes, again. Can I help it if I have more to say than the squeaky things in cages? No, I can't! Besides, I'm cute, and everyone loves me, so I'm sure you're pleased to get to hear from me again so soon, right?

Anyway...

I got to go to that vet place again last week. It was quite an adventure!

Just me and Daddy went, which meant we could walk, because me and Daddy can manage it, but Mummy can't walk that far. I had to wear my coat though, because it was really cold that day, even with the sun shining.

There were other animals there, and I wanted to be friends with them. But then this one dog - he was one of those little Bulldog types - got too bouncy even for me. I can bounce with the best of them. Or, I thought I could. But he was just too bouncy, and I got a bit scared. OK, a lot scared. So scared I managed to get out of my coat, harness, and collar, and was running loose around the vet in a panic. I know he was a bit smaller even than me, but that's totally not the point!

Anyway, I got caught, they helped me to calm down, Daddy put my clothes back on, and I was back to being my usual happy and friendly self again... Just in time for them to be ready to see me.

I got weighed, and I weigh 9 kilos (22.5 lbs). At least, as best as they could tell, since I was a bit too excited to stay still on the weighing machine for long enough for them to be totally certain. Then they trimmed my claws, which I'm glad about, because I don't do a good job of wearing them down, and they were getting long enough to annoy me.

After that, Daddy talked to them a bit. Something about groomers... Whatever they are... And the talk I hear each time I go there about something called "flea and worming treatment" (which usually results in me being given something to eat that tastes funny, and having some wet stuff put on the back of my neck). Then we walked home.

I was glad to get home, even though that vets is always an interesting place to visit. We'd left Mummy there, and I was pleased to see she hadn't gone and gotten herself lost or injured while unsupervised. Plus, I needed a nap by this point.

Apparently I'll get to go back again in a couple of months. I'm looking forward to it, though I hope that little Bulldog isn't there... He was just too bouncy, even by my standards!

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#Writing Wednesday - February 7th 2018

In case you missed yesterday's post: "Goodies For Grandmother" is now available in audio, narrated by Jenny Bacon. It's available to buy from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Purchase links are in the post I just linked to, along with links for the eBook and paperback versions, if you'd rather one of those.

I'm working with Jenny on a few more of my titles; Jenny has agreed to do the narration for four more of my stand alone stories. I'm pleased to be working with her again, because I love what she does with my books, and think she's a delight to work with in general.

I'm also pleased to once more be working with Danny Letham, James Watkins, JD Kelly, and Jerry Fischer. The first three - Danny, James, and JD - are each narrating another of my books, and Jerry is working on another two. I enjoyed working with all four of them in the past, so I was delighted when they accepted my latest offers, and look forward to seeing what they do with the books they've agreed to narrate for me this time.

Yet another of my stand alone stories is being produced by a narrator by the name of Andrew Pond. Andrew is a narrator I haven't worked with before, but I was pleased with his audition - obviously, or I wouldn't have sent him an offer - and have found him to be a delight to work with too.

It seems I've been pretty lucky with most of my narrators, since most of them are people I would willingly work with again. All those mentioned in this post come under that catagory for sure!

Anyway, as you can see - both from this post and my post from two weeks ago - I've managed to cross a few things off my list of writing goals for this year already, and am well on the way to being able to make sure I can check off another. I've even got a little actual writing done, though not as much as I'd have liked to. Still,I'm pleased with how much I did do, especially considering how much time has been spent on the "publisher tasks" in the past month.

How are your own writing goals going so far? Are you on track? Or are you struggling already?

If you're going through the struggle most writers do at some point right now, here are some reminders to get you through 'the struggle'. However, this next post may be more what you need if you're struggling with finding the time to write. Oh, and you're never going to have a 'normal' schedule if you're a writer, so you might as well stop trying. Above all, remember to be true to yourself.

Oh, and if you participated in STORYSTORM, here's a post storystorm post to help you figure out what's next. Speaking of which, if you participated, how did you do? Did you get your 30 story ideas?

Either way, if you can't find your voice when it comes to writing your story, here's how to write shamelessly.

#KidLit #FairyTale #Book - Goodies For Grandmother Now In #Audio! #Fairies #Brownies

Brownies share the woods with the fairies, but – unlike the fairies – the brownies are very naughty. They love playing tricks, love stealing anything travellers happen to be carrying through the woods, and love getting people lost. So when one of them spots Ella carrying a basket of goodies, he just can’t resist trying to steal them from her. But Ella isn’t going to let him near it. Bob the brownie quickly figures out that he’ll have to come up with a sneakier plan to get his little hands on that basket of goodies.

Based on the well-known story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ but with no big bad wolf to eat Grandmother, nor woodcutter to save her, ‘Goodies For Grandmother’ tells the story of a little girl in purple, a sick Grandmother, a naughty little brownie, and a clever little fairy.

Previously only available as an eBook or paperback, "Goodies For Grandmother" is now also available as an audiobook, read for you by Jenny Bacon.

Here are the main places where you can buy the book, regardless of the format you'd prefer:

Audible, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Chapters-Indigo, iBooks, iTunes, Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, or The Book Depository.

You can also find the book listed on Goodreads.

#Music Monday: Ronan Keating - If Tomorrow Never Comes

An old favourite of mine, in honour of the fact it's Valentine's Day in a little over a week. Enjoy!

Tori's January 2018 #Book #Reviews (LBE)

It's time to take a look at what I read in January.

As with the previous posts like this one, if you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question.

Don't forget: the format I've reviewed may not be the format I read. Also, please remember that I read across multiple genres and age ranges, so you should always check if a book is suitable for the intended reader, especially when children are involved. Sometimes reading the book's description on its Goodreads page will be enough for this, but other times you may need to check elsewhere to figure out the genre and/or recommended reading level.

OK... On to the reviews!

Warlord of the Forgotten Age by Charles E. Yallowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've been eagerly awaiting the final book in this series since I finished the penultimate book, and am pleased to be able to say that the book was worth waiting for. It was a well-written and gripping read, injected with just the right amounts of humour, action, and emotional scenes. The ending may not have been a "happily ever after" type ending, but I was satisfied that the fates of all the characters made sense based on past events and character actions. In short, this was a fantastic ending to a wonderful series, and I highly recommend the entire series to any fantasy lover out there who hasn't read it yet.

Artemis by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book wasn't amazing, but it was really good. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it was different in a good way, so I really enjoyed it anyhow. It took a couple of chapters for me to really get in to it properly, but after that the plot was exciting, the characters were believable, and the worldbuilding was very well done.

The Gatekeeper by Katrina Cope
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An excellent read, which will have you eager to read the main books in the series - assuming you have yet to read them all.

Snow White's Revenge by Casey Lane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An interesting read, with a plot that keeps you guessing, and a great cast of characters.

Swamp Familiars by Abigail Fero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An enjoyable quick read, which could make an ideal introduction to the books from this series.

Bogamus In Space by Nathan A Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is an extremely entertaining and enjoyable read, which makes a great addition to the series, as well as being a fantastic and fun read in its own right.

Catherine Dickens: Outside the Magic Circle by Heera Datta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an interesting read, and a fascinating look in to the life of the famous author's wife, and what she may have been thinking or feeling.

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was an awesome read, especially for someone like me who loves both science fiction and maths. It would have been a five star read for me, but for one issue: the cliffhanger ending. I absolutely hate those, and the point this book left off at had me almost screaming out loud in frustration. I need book two... NOW!

The Hat by C.S. Boyack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An entertaining plot and great characters combine to make a wonderfully weird and extremely enjoyable read.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was an enjoyable and entertaining read.

The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was as entertaining as the first in the series; an excellent sequel.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Personally, I don't think this book is the amazing read a lot of people seem to consider it, but can see why they might feel that way, since it has a plot that's sure to get you thinking, and will likely stay with you for a very long time. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it and think it was a good read. I did. I just didn't think it was an amazing one.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I wasn't as impressed with this one as the first one. The writing style was annoying, with constant flashbacks and information dumps making it impossible for me to get in to the story properly. Also, for such a smart child, Scout is an incredibly stupid and naive adult, which I found disappointing and irritating.

The Call of Cthulu and Other Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent stories, which are perfect creepy reads to enjoy on a dark and stormy evening... Or any other time, really.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The thing I liked about this book was the message, which is - unfortunately - very true. The thing I didn't like was the way it was shown, which I found to be disturbing.

The Princelings of the North by Jemima Pett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I've been looking forward to reading this book since I heard it was going to be coming out, and was not disappointed! This book is an excellent addition to this series. The plot is entertaining and exciting, while the characters are interesting and believable (yes, I know they're guinea pigs, but there's no reason a guinea pig can't be a believable character).
*NOTE: I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchanged for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book, or the contents of my review.

Florence Blackwater by James Field
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another excellent addition to this series.

#Furkid Friday: Lilie The #Westie's Collar

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

When the humans got my puppy collar, they got the next size up as well, so they could put it on me when the one I had started getting too tight. This seemed like a great idea, and is exactly what they did:


There was just one problem with the plan: the next size up of that particular type of collar was actually a little bigger than I needed, and there was no way to make it tighter. Looser, yes. But not tighter.

Now, since I was nine and a half months old, so would possibly grow a bit more - I could still grow a little even now, at alittle over ten months old - the humans figured that wasn't a big deal. Better too loose than too tight, right?

Except this collar was just a little looser than was advisable, and got in my way when I was playing with my toys.

I swear I didn't chew it on purpose!

Like I said, it was in the way when I was playing with my toys. I can't be blamed for that, can I?

Luckily, it seems the humans agree with me, because I didn't get in trouble.

I did get something though: a brand new collar.

As it happened, the bigger collar got broke at a time when I could still wear my old one. They'd changed me to the other one before it got too tight for me, in case I had a growth spurt or something - whatever one of those is. But there was still just about enough room for Mummy to stick a couple of fingers between my neck and the collar on the loosest setting, so she said it was OK for them to put the old one back on me until they could take me to the petstore place to get a new one. I was relieved about that, because I get really upset when I don't have a collar on. I just don't feel dressed without one.

So, off to the petstore place we went, which meant a trip to town... YAY!

Daddy picked out a new collar for me from the ones the petstore place had. It's purple, because Mummy likes purple things, and my other collars were purple. Anyway, here I am wearing it:


It fits me better than that other "big girl collar" did, but still has room to be loosened if I have one of those growth spurt things. That second part seems very important to the humans for some reason. Personally, all I care about is that I have a collar, it fits, it has my tags and bells on it (along with the little heart charm Daddy gave me) and it doesn't get in my way when I'm trying to play.

Lots of licks,
Lilie