Jennifer Priester's Blog, page 10

Short Stories vs. Long

Short Stories are often quick and fun reads but they don’t always feel complete. Sometimes there are little reasons for this and other times the reasons are much larger. Sometimes characters don’t have time to fully develop and many details are left out making the reader feel a little in the dark which can either make the story good and make the reader want more, or leave them so in the dark that they have no idea what is going on.

Long stories are fun, but just as it sounds, they take longer to read. Sometimes a short story is better because it is easier to read them when you are on a busy schedule, but long stories usually have much deeper plots, developed characters, and other elements that often make the stories more interesting and engaging than a short one.

I read and write both ways, and actually my Mortal Realm Witch series is both at the same time. Most of the books in mine are short stories, but two are full length novels. In order to confront the developing character problem often found with the writing of short stories I allowed my characters to develop themselves naturally over the course of the series. Another thing in my series is that each story builds off the last for a larger story by the end of the series, this large story spans the course of more than one generation of witches. Anyone who reads my full series would also notice that some stories are more detailed and some are more action based depending on what I feel is important to know at the time. Some details also appear to be missing, but are filled in during the series.

So, which way do I prefer to read and which do I prefer to write? I actually couldn’t tell you. Whether I read a long story or a short one depends on both time and mood. I don’t actually prefer one over the other, although I do prefer to buy long stories to read later and borrow shorter ones from the library. For writing, my answer is the same. I don’t actually prefer either one. I used to write short stories purely because my attention span is often very short and as soon as I start one story I am instantly thinking of another one that I want to write. I also used to write them and keep writing until I am done, which didn’t allow my older stories to get written over long periods of time. My favorite stories that I have written are my longer ones, although many of these are still short stories, they were written only as I got, what I thought, were really good ideas and wrote them down. It may take longer to finish them doing it this way and I like the ones I write over short periods of time, especially ones such as my free story on: http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/extras/freetoreadstories.html, but still, my favorites are usually the ones that have taken me sometimes a really long time to finally finish, so even as short stories I can still consider them to be long due to how long they take to write!

Interview with Erica Stringer

What is your name, your books name, genre, age level, and what is it about?

My name is Erica Stringer, it’s called hunters, the genre of the manga is a drama/ mystery, the age level would be teen and it’s about a war between an organization (Called the hunters) of mutated humans that shift into light shadow forms and mutated dark shadow clones who believe the city they live in is corrupt.

Where will your book be able to be purchased? Will it be available in print, as an eBook, or both?

I am currently writing it and eventually have it published…so I’m not sure where it will be sold. I’m also looking for a publisher who would accept it without having to make me pay money.

 Why are you writing your book? Did anything specific inspire it? And why did you choose to write your story as a manga?

I’m writing this book because I enjoy writing stories and drawing as well. I first got interested when a girl I know wanted me to co-write a manga with her. I liked her character Ideas

but her story line development needed work so I decided to write most of the story line myself. The manga ended up being relatively short and I found I needed more structure before writing a manga. After a few months of researching anime I found I was able to write. It was in fact inspired by my teacher who was speaking about the era of corrupt presidents. At first the story was in this futuristic city that was actually corrupt but as time passed I changed it into something better.

 Are you currently doing both the story and artwork for you book, and when it is published will it be published this way?

I’m currently doing both the story and the art work, once I’m finished I will go through and re draw the whole manga so that in the process I may fix any errors I made.

Tell us a little about your books characters.

Salina is the boss of the hunters and she is about 15, she used to be a child actress until her sister passed away, and she goes to work for the hunters after her sister’s clone destroys her parents. Kate is an old friend of Salina’s who disappeared after Salina joined the hunters. Leaoza is Salina’s pet given to her by the former director. Frank is the doctor in charge of a machine that extracts memory from whomever and replays it on a screen.





Now tell us a little about yourself.

I’m 17 and like to try new things. I love animals especially horses and I love to take pictures. I also like to help people feel better about themselves. I can write a little poetry but only when I feel it. I am a little crazy and I’m the type of person to go the extra mile to make someone laugh. For those wondering, I can also manipulate my voice and recently discovered I could sing man opera ( by dropping a text book on my toe while singing to a Johnny cash song)

Do you do a lot of reading?

I read whenever I could find a good book which my library needs to get more of.

 What is your favorite genre to read and why?

I like fantasy books mostly, because I like things best when there different.

 After this book is published, do you have plans on doing more?

After it’s published, I’m going to make up another manga because I like writing new stories.

Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them.

I have two dogs and a cat (actually one is my uncle’s but I consider him mine because I love him like he was my dog.). Bowser is a pug who likes to sleep at my feet at knight, Sarge (my uncle’s dog) is a goofy German shepherd who adores chasing cats and using his super begging ability.

Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and Manga’s That I Like

Before I begin my list I want to remind you that this is only a small listing of comic books, graphic novels, and manga’s that I like. To discover more of the ones I like you can check my shelves on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/16026765-jennifer-priester?shelf=comic-books, http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/16026765-jennifer-priester?shelf=graphic-novels, and http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/16026765-jennifer-priester?shelf=manga. If you see many you like on my list or several you want to read you can also become my Goodreads friend and maybe discover some new ones to read: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6607975.Jennifer_Priester. Now lets start the list:

Chi’s Sweet Home by: Konami Kanata
Sidekicks by: Dan Santat
Young Justice graphic novels
Avatar the Last Airbender The Promise Parts 1, 2, and 3 as well as The Lost Adventures
Maximum Ride the Manga, Witch & Wizard the Manga, Battle for Shadowland, Operation Zero, Daniel X the Manga, and Daniel X Alien Hunter by: James Patterson
The Fox Trot comic strip collections
Missile Mouse by: Jake Parker
The Smurfs Graphic Novels by: Peyo
The Bone series by: Jeff Smith
The Baby Sitters Club Graphic Novels
The Goosebumps Graphic Novels
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and The Red Pyramid Graphic Novels
Bakegyamon by: Mitsuhisa Tamura
The Warriors and Seekers Graphic Novels by: Erin Hunter
The Lion King Graphic Novel
Bolt Graphic Novel
The Legend of Zelda Graphic Novels, especially Four Swords
Ginga Legend Weed by: Yoshihiro Takahashi
Hikaru No Go by: Yumi Hotta
The Prince of Tennis by: Takeshi Konomi
Laddertip by: Orson Scott Card
The Calvin and Hobbes comic strip collections
The Get Fuzzy comic strip collections
Toy Story Digest by: Tea Orsi
Dragon Drive by: Ken-ichi Sakura
Indiana Jones Adventures Vol. 1 by: Philip Gelatt
Sabrina Animated by: Mike Gallagher
Cardcaptor Sakura by: Clamp
Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Select graphic novels
 Ultimate Spiderman graphic novels
Stormbreaker by: Antony Johnston
Animal Academy by: Moyamu Fujino
Avalon: The Warlock Diaries Omnibus by: Rachel Roberts
Lions, Tigers and Bears by: Mike Bullock
Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs by: Yukiya Sakuragi
Nui by: Natsumi Mukai
Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,  by: Shiro Amano
Peach Fuzz by: Lindsay Cibos and Jared Hodges
The Runaways: Marvel Age graphic novels
The Secret Saturdays: The Kur Stone by: Elizabeth Hurchalla
Superboy graphic novels
Green Lantern graphic novels
The Adventures of Hamtaro Vol 1, 2, and 3 by: Ritsuko Kawai
Teen Titans Go, and Teen Titans graphic novels
Cardboard by: Doug TenNapel
Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking by: Philippe Coudray
Ratchet and Clank by: T.J. Fixman
Beet the Vandel Buster by: Riku Sanjo
Amulet by: Kazu Kibuishi
Epic Mickey the Complete Graphic Novel

All Authors Blog Blitz

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jennifer for hosting me on her site for this blog blitz.

Really appreciate that, Jennifer!

Barbara Ann Mojica is a historian and retired educator living in New York State. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in History. Barbara spent more than 40 years teaching in NYC and holds New York State teacher certifications in Elementary, Special Education, and Administration. She also spent several years as a Special Education Administrator and principal of a special education preschool for developmentally delayed children. Barbara, although retired from teaching, is staying busy: along with her forthcoming series of Little Miss History travel books she writes historical pieces for The Columbia Insider, Pat Fisher and Ed Pollack Editors, under the banner “Passages.”

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Little Miss History Travels to Mount Rushmore is the first in a series of books using the Little Miss History character as a guide. She looks like a wannabe park ranger with pig tails and hiking boots three sizes too big. With her as your child’s guide learning about people and places of historical importance will be fun and educational. The aim of these books is to whet your child’s appetite to learn more about history and perhaps even visit these landmarks with you. Little Miss History presents information in a whimsical and factual way while amusing your child. I hope you will invite her into your home and enjoy this first adventure, and those to follow, with your loved ones.

What are you working on right now / or most recent work?

I am always working on my next historical article for the Columbia Insider news magazine which comes out biweekly. Each issue has a theme. I try to stick to this, but sometimes finding history to match is a challenge. For instance, a recent theme was Snuggle, Warm and Cozy! So I researched how people in the early colonies stayed warm. At the same time I am constantly rereading my Little Miss History manuscripts for new books in the series. (I have already written four more books awaiting illustration.)

How much research do you do? How do you go about it?

I mostly use the internet for historical articles. For my children’s books, I combine research on the internet with my own knowledge of history and travel.

What inspired you to create this book?

I am now retired from teaching and school administration so I have time to go back to reseaching and writing, which I have always loved. As a history/english/classics student in college, I spent lots of time researching and writing. So I got back to that by writing historical pieces. I wanted to marry that with my love of teaching and children, so that naturally led me back to writing for children. A new core curriculum recently adopted in the United States now emphasizes the use of nonfiction over fiction. So I thought why not introduce a whimsical character to make learning history fun. My husband, who is an artist, designed a character based on my appearance as a young woman.

In a nutshell, what’s the key message you’d like readers to take away?

I want children to be inspired to learn about historic, people, places and events but more importantly to have fun while doing it. Maybe they will even convince their parents to journey with them to visit some of them!

What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?

Getting the right balance between information and fun. I want children to enjoy learning. The illustrations and Little Miss History character have a lot to do with that.

The most rewarding?

The most rewarding thing was getting that first copy back from the printer. Just seeing my vision come to life!

Does this book stand alone, or is it part of a broader offering, such as web/television etc?

I would love to see Little Miss History as a cartoon character on the web or in a television series. As I mentioned, the book will be made into an ebook for those who want to take her with them when they leave home or school.

How much dialogue do you have with your readers? Do they influence your plans for future work?

I presented the book to children aged two through ten and was pleased that children of all ages were interested on different levels. Younger children appreciate the beautiful illustrations and older children got immersed in content as well.

What kind of support groups do you have to help get the book across the line?

I am retired and a new author so that makes things a little rough. I have reached out to my editors at The Columbia Insider for advertising. I make phone calls and visit local bookstores to market my book. Of course, I love attending children’s book festivals where we can interact directly and have already scheduled a few of those.

Do you work with an editor? If so, how much input do they have?

My husband, who is also an author and my talented illustrator, share the ediitng of each other’s work. He has lots of experience and I was an English minor so that works out well for us.

Do you have any tips or useful resources on marketing or branding?

Take the time to meet and greet people personally and use all the resources of social media. We are no longer isolated. Your biggest fans may live across the world.

If this books is part of a series, a little about the series overall?

The entire series will use Little Miss History to teach in an amusing and fun way. As I mentioned, I saw the need for children in elementary school who will be using the new core curriculum with more nonfiction to have an opportunity to learn more because they will see it as a fun experience.

Do you have a strategy for finding reviewers?

I ask friends to leave reviews after reading the book. But mostly I use social media to connect with like minded authors and publishers. I read and learn from their works and comment on their blogs, Facebook, or Twitter. Linked in and Google Plus groups with similar interests can also lend support.

What are you working on next?

I am currently doing final editing on my Little Miss History Travels to the Statue of Liberty in preparation for illustration. It will be out in a few months. My historical articles are an ongoing project as is my marketing.

Do you also write fiction? If so, a little about your work?

I have never attempted to write fiction, but if I did it would be a historical fiction novel on a particularly interesting obscure historical character.

How do you relax?

Snugging with my husband on the couch watching a good movie. When I have extra time, I like to read a good novel.

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

AMAZON SALES LINK

(The easiest place to buy my book!)

http://www.amazon.com/Little-History-Travels-Mount-Rushmore/dp/098850300X/ref=sr_1_37?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360165286&sr=1-37&keywords=mojica

REVIEWS

There are many reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and my blog.

http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Ann-Mojica/e/B00B9DOVKC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1359994773&sr=1-2-ent

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

Author website: http://www.littlemisshistory.com

Author blog: http://bamauthor.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Littlemisshistorycom?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bamauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6851359.Barbara_Ann_Mojica

Linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_tab_home_top

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/bamauthor/

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXxiEGY9YYA&feature=youtu.b

Google + https://plus.google.com/u/0/112118587425339968389

Are Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and Manga’s Books?

Before I even begin to answer this, I will ask you this question: Are picture books books? The answer appears to be an obvious answer. This answer, to most people, is yes. So, why is it that comic books – which at this time I am not talking about subscription comic books just comic strip collections and subscription comic books that have been compiled into a book-, graphic novels, and manga’s are often not viewed in this way? These types of books are told with both pictures and words as are picture books. Take away the drawings in either and you still have a written story, which is usually readable without the drawings with the exception of the few fully drawn books that include absolutely no words.

So with this in mind, are comic books, graphic novels, and manga’s books? For me the answer is yes they are books.

For those of you in doubt or that disagree, I will leave you will one final thought on this subject. What is the definition of a book. Although this varies a little depending on where you look it up, you will find a definition along these lines:

1) A set of written, printed, or blank sheets bound together into a volume.

2) A set of written, printed, or blank pages fastened along one side and encased between protective covers.

So, what are your thoughts on the subject? And if you like these types of books, make sure to stop by next week when I post a list of some of the comic books, graphic novels, and manga’s that I really like, and the week after that stop by to read an interview with an upcoming new manga author!

Interview with C.A. Wulff

 What is your name, the names of your books, genre’s, age levels, and what are they each about?

C.A. Wulff.  I have written four books:

Born Without a Tail (2007) memoir (ages 12 and up) is about 20 rescue animals who have shared my life over the years.



Circling the Waggins: How 5 Misfit Dogs Saved Me from Bewilderness (2012) memoir (ages 14 and up)  is the story

of two crazy years in our home when we lost a lot of longtime pets  but gained a whole new pack of misfit dogs who helped us

deal with those losses. We also found ourselves taking care of WAY too many mice in a rescue that went ridiculously wrong.



Parade of Misfits (2013) humor (ages 12 and up)  is a mini eBook that is an introduction into my world. It contains selections

from ‘Circling the Waggins’, an introduction of the misfits and a previously unpublished essay.

How to Change the World in 30 Seconds: a Web Warrior’s Guide to Animal Advocacy Online (2013) how-to (ages 12 and up)

is a practical guide for anyone who wants to advocate for animals online, and is willing to commit to just  30 seconds a day.

Where can your books be purchased?

Born Without a Tail

amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Without-Tail-Ariel-Wulff/dp/1419664360/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/born-without-a-tail-cayr-ariel-wulff/1013043860?ean=9781419664366

estore: https://www.createspace.com/3921424

amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Without-a-Tail-ebook/dp/B0013FZVUK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366684579&sr=1-1&keywords=born+without+a+tail



Circling the Waggins

amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Circling-Waggins-Misfit-Saved-Bewilderness/dp/0978692861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342544831&sr=8-1&keywords=circling+the+waggins

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/circling-the-waggins-cayr-ariel-wulff/1111814331?ean=9780978692865

estore: https://www.createspace.com/3921424

amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Circling-Waggins-Misfit-Saved-Bewilderness/dp/0978692861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366684516&sr=8-1&keywords=circling+the+waggins

Parade of Misfits

amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Parade-of-Misfits-ebook/dp/B00B5LROQ6/ref=la_B002BRH03K_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1366684108&sr=1-4

amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Parade-of-Misfits-ebook/dp/B00B5LROQ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366684658&sr=1-1&keywords=parade+of+misfits



How to Change the World in 30 Seconds

amazon: http://www.amazon.com/How-Change-World-Seconds-ebook/dp/B00BAFEXNY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Change-World-30-Seconds/dp/0978692888/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366684731&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+change+the+world+in+30+seconds

Dogwise: http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DEG1082

estore: https://www.createspace.com/4144888

 Do you have a website, a blog, or both? If so, what are they?

I have both. My official website is http://yelodoggie.com

my blog is Up on the Woof  [http://thewoof.wordpress.com]

 What about social networking? Do you have any book or author fan sites?

I can be found on the following social networking sites:

Facebook author page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/CAWulff/156898504349943

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/545233.Cayr_Ariel_Wulff

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yelodoggie

Why did you write your books?

I wrote BWaT as a way of working through my feelings about my favorite dog, my “heart” dog, who

was aged and about to turn 17.  As I began to write about him, I realized that his story was so much

bigger than him, because it included all of the animals I had ever loved, and all of the rescue animals

who had shared our home.

I wrote CtW as an outlet after having navigated almost a decade of depression while still having to care for

a houseful of animals. I needed to process everything that had happened and try to make some sense out of

everything, good and bad, and find a way to gain perspective. I realized it was this crazy group of misfit dogs

that helped me through that period.

Since CtW is a hefty book – 344 pages, I wrote Parade of Misfits as an introduction, so readers could get a

taste of what was in store in CtW. It’s sort of a companion book.

I wrote How to Change the World in 30 Seconds because animal advocacy is my passion, and I wanted to

show others — both novices and veteran advocates–how easy it is to use the Internet as a tool to save shelter pets.

Tell us a little about the animals in your books.

The animals in BWaT are pets and rescue animals that span 37 years of my life; there are dogs, cats, a horse and

even a skunk. Two of the animals in the book didn’t even belong to me, but made an indelible impact on my life.

The “star” of the book, if you will, is Dillon – an extraordinary dog who entered my life in 1987. The book is sort of

an overview about how I got involved in rescue, and how Dillon came to be such a central figure in a home where the

cast of animals was constantly changing.

The animals of CtW are 9 dogs, 3 cats and fifteen mice. The “star” of the book is Waldo, who entered my life in 2007, and

tells the journey of a puppy that I had not been emotionally ready for and how he worked his way into my heart. His story

includes the stories of the other rescue animals in our home, the ones we were losing due to their advanced ages, and the

new ones that were becoming a part of our ‘pack’ at the same time. The mice were uninvited guests that brought their own

challenges and comedy. In the end, our pack had restructured itself into these five misfit dogs that are the most insane, and

unadoptable animals known to man.

The animals of 30 Seconds are case stories of pets who were networked using the Internet as a tool. Their stories are

interspersed in the guide to show how the steps I outline saved their lives.

Now, tell us a little about yourself.

I am a native Ohioan, the granddaughter of Italian and German immigrants. I attended Kent State University and the Cooper

School of Art, and worked as a professional graphic designer for 18 years  with a short foray toward the end of that period

into comics.  In 2000, everything kind of slid sideways and I spiraled into a debilitating depression that almost killed me.

As I began to emerge from that rabbit hole, I took a different direction and began writing.  Since I’ve been volunteering in

rescue for more than 26 years, I used those experiences as a focus. I am currently a contributing editor at AnimalsVote.org,

reporting on animal welfare issues, and I write two columns for the examiner: one as the Cleveland Pets Examiner, and one

as the National Animal Books Examiner. I also maintain a blog about dogs, “Up on the Woof”, and I spread my love of dogs

through my yelodoggie art. I reside in a log cabin in one of Ohio’s national parks with my lifemate and 5 dogs

and attribute my love of animals to having been raised by Wulffs.

 If you haven’t answered this already, do you have a job besides writing?

no.

Are you working on any new books? If so, tell us about them.

I am working on two children’s books and a collection of humorous essays about dogs.

Do you do a lot of reading? And what are a few of your favorite books and authors?

I read ravenously. I enjoy a wide range of genres, but there are some authors that I seek out

on a regular basis: Terry Pratchett,  Carolyn Parkhurst, Bob Tarte, Spencer Quinn, Temple Grandin and

Garth Stein to name a few.  My favorite book of all time is S.E.Hinton’s “The Outsiders”, but I don’t think

she ever matched the brilliance of that book in any of her subsequent novels. Some other favorites have been

Thud! (Pratchett), The Art of Racing in the Rain (Stein), The Dogs of Babel (Parkhurst), and Kitty Cornered (Tarte).

Besides the animals in your books, do you currently have or live with any other animals?

No. Right now it’s just the five  misfits: Waldo, Rocket Boy, Taco, Lammy-Lamb, and Maria.

Based on the fact that there are many rescue pets in your books, what can you tell us about the importance of animal rescue?

Stories of animal cruelty and abuse seem to be increasing daily, the perpetrators are becoming younger, and the crimes more

heinous. On top of that, our American shelter system is a mess, and animal cruelty laws are not tough enough.   The problems our

companion animals are facing are so huge and so complex that advocates  are needed in greater numbers than ever to champion them

on every front. There are hundreds of ways to get involved, depending on how much time a person is willing to devote. Even 30 seconds

a day can save the lives of shelter animals.

For people willing to devote more time, there is work to be done in crafting better laws, in humane education, in developing spay &

neuter programs, in restructuring our shelter system into a no-kill solution, in transporting shelter pets to rescues, the list goes on and on.

Are there any interesting or little known about animal rescue that you could share with us?

There’s a saying in rescue that saving one dog won’t change the world, but it will surely change the world for that one dog. Except that just isn’t

true. The truth is that saving one dog most certainly changes the world. It changes everything. First, it changes YOU, because once you

save an animal it awakens an empowerment in you. You come to realize that you can affect change wherever you apply yourself. Secondly,

it changes the world for that animal, who has been given a second chance at life…and there is nothing more joyous and grateful than an

animal who has been saved. They become loving and faithful companions. They protect and comfort their families. They teach the children

in the family to love and respect animals. They bring hours of joy and laughter to their people keeping them healthier in body, mind and spirit.

And there is always the possibility that a dog you save will become a service dog, or a therapy dog or a search and rescue dog. There’s no way

to measure the impact you can have by advocating for just one animal.

 Is there anything else related to animal rescue, pet care, or animal shelters that you could share with us?

I’ve always got something to share about animal rescue, pet care and shelters. If you subscribe Up on the Woof, you’ll find quite an array of

subjects. But if I can leave you with just one thought, it’s this: we are their voice.

And now a note from me, the author of this blog. Did you like this interview? Are you interested in reading any of the above mentioned books? If you said yes, I have great news for you! “Parade of Misfits” is currently free at the Kindle store and will be free until June 10th! Be sure to grab yourself a copy before this promotion ends!

 

Review of “Parade of Misfits” by: C.A. Wulff

I read, “Circling the Waggins” first so the selections, although I really enjoyed them, were not new to me. The previously unreleased stuff was, which I found was enjoyable enough to make the book worth having for someone who has read “Circling the Waggins” already.

If you haven’t yet read that book, this is a good sampling of it, and worth checking out if you are unsure about buying “Circling the Waggins” I believe that if I hadn’t already, these selections would have made me want to read the book they are from.

In this book I especially liked the description of the dog, Taco, because it sounds exactly like my own dog. My dog of which is also a Chihuahua by the name of Taco. The biggest differences between Cayr’s Taco and mine is their coloring and the fact that mine is a male and Cayr’s is female, otherwise they are almost exactly alike!

Besides being a really good book, “Parade of Misfits” is currently available for free from the Kindle store until June 10th, so be sure to grab yourself a copy before this promotion ends!

Review of “Circling the Waggins” by: C.A. Wulff

I really loved this book, and at this time, Circling the Waggins is my favorite nonfiction book as well as one of the best books I have ever read!
Although there are some sad moments, much of the book is really funny. I love how the book is told in present tense as if everything is happening now and brings you right into the moment with the author.
I found myself able to identify with many of the problems and joys the author has with her pets throughout the book. While I was reading I often found my mind wandering, not because the book lost my attention, but because it often brought up memories of my pets, both past and present, as well as good and bad.
When I started reading I had plans on reading only a few chapters a night, but once I started I couldn’t, or at least I didn’t want to, stop…aside from a few bathroom and snack breaks. I literally loved it so much that I finished the whole book in one night.
Besides dog’s, in this book, there are other animals as well, such as cats and mice. Every animal was very interesting and fun to read about.
I also really like how there is a different photo before each chapter in the book. There are also some really good animal and animal related facts throughout the book, and the ones I didn’t know already, I found to be very interesting.

Link to the All Authors Blog Blitz

Link to the All Authors Blog Blitz

This Blog Blitz is happening on June 15th. June 5th is the last day to sign up for it. The All Authors Blog Blitz is an event created to help promote self published and indie authors of any and all genre’s. It is a cross promotion event where you will be guest posting on someone’s blog and they will be posting on yours. If you are a self published/indie author I encourage you to join this event if you haven’t already done so.

If you already know you would like to attend the event based on what I have said, you can go here to sign up: http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/891379-all-authors-blog-blitz

If you want more information about the event, please follow the first link…the one I posted, not the one in this description.

Interview with Inge H. Borg

 What is your books name, genre, age level, and what is it about?

Pasha, From Animal Shelter to a Sheltered Life

Non-Fiction/Cat-Dog-Animal Shelter

ages: 10 – 99

Basically, this started out as a love-letter to my rescued Maine Coon cat. Pasha helped me raise 34 tiny kittens (not all at once) from our shelter where I volunteered and it grew into stories of his buddies there.

Where can your book be purchased?

 The book is available as an e-book at various sites:

http://www.amazon.com/Inge-H.-Borg/e/B006QYQKUS – Amazon

Amazon also offers this as a POD (print-on-demand) Quality Paperback

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/505050 -  Smashwords

Distributed to their various partner sites, including Kobo, Apple, etc.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/inge-h.-borg – Barnes & Noble

Do you have a website, a blog, or both? If so, what are they?

 I managed to design a blog for Pasha and his friends. We always welcome visitors and love to feature pet stories.

http://ingehborg.blogspot.com/

What about social networking? Do you have any book or author fan sites?

 I do not have a website, nor am I on Facebook, Twitters, etc. (yet)

Why did you write your book?

 It grew out of the weekly “Paws Report” I wrote for our town’s newspaper for about five years.

Tell us a little about the animals in your book?

 Most are those (pictured on the back cover of the print version) who held a special place in my heart, mostly because we (Pasha and I) raised them, they still visit us or we visit them.

 Now, tell us a little about yourself.

 Born and raised in Austria. After I was transferred to the States by an Austrian company, I lived and worked on both coasts, and after several years of living in San Diego, I became a US citizen. I then moved to a peaceful diversified lake community in Arkansas.

 If you haven’t answered this already, do you have a job besides writing?

 I am living the writing life 100%, with gusto and gratitude. I no longer have to go to work—in other words, I am retired, single, living with “that darn cat.” In short, I am as happy as I have ever been.

 Have you written any other books, and are you writing any new ones?

I started out with “earnest” Historical Fiction—after an enormous amount of research. The second book in the series morphed into a present-day  thriller.

“Legends of the Winged Scarab” Series (2 books so far)

KHAMSIN, The Devil Wind of The Nile – 3080 BC Historical Fiction (Book 1)

 SIROCCO, Storm over Land and Sea – 2012 – Thriller (Book 2)

 EDWARD, Con Extraordinaire – 2012. Contemporary episodes of a charmer; he also plays a large—and no longer so charming—role in Sirocco.

  Moments of the Heart, A Book of Poems and Short Stories

Clouds of the Heart, a contemporary novella, scheduled to be published in May. There is a new category afoot at Goodreads: Boomer Lit. If it catches on, this book would likely fit into it.

Do you do a lot of reading? And what are a few of your favorite books and authors?

 I used to do a lot of reading. But now—shame on me—I am so involved with my writing/editing that I am not getting to read much. Must change that. There are so many new and exciting Indie authors out there.

Besides the animals in your book, do you currently have or live with any other animals?

 Yes, there is another sweet Maine Coon, “Lilliput,” also a rescue. And I just lost my first Arkansas rescued cat, NickNack, a Turkish Van (white with a black tail).

Based on the fact that there are many rescue pets in your book, what can you tell us about the importance of animal rescue?

 If it were not for all those people volunteering, contributing time, money, and much needed love and patience to those lost, tossed, abandoned and abuse animals, we would be in a very sorry state indeed.

 Are there any interesting or little known facts about any aspect of animal rescue that you could share with us?

It is amazing (and wonderful) how many people do care.

Various area shelters also received invaluable assistance through the PetSmart Charitable Organization. They allowed us (space permitting) cats down to their store in Conway (one hour’s drive away), from where they could get adopted. Their facilities were roomy and clean, and their personnel very caring with the cats. Not only did the shelter receive the entire adoption fee, they added a certain amount per cat on top of that. Without them, the shelter would have been severely overcrowded since we filled up almost every household in our small town with our dogs and cats—often in multiples.

Is there anything else related to animal rescue, pet care, or animal shelters that you could share with us?

 If all owners were responsible and spayed and neutered their pets, we would not need all those overcrowded shelters. Hopefully, people will consider getting their next pet from a shelter. Many adopters came back to us saying that their new companion was “the best ever.”

 Is there anything else you would like to talk about or share with us?

 I do want to thank you, Jennifer, for putting together such a nice interview. From your comments at our Goodreads Group “All About Animals,” I know that you are passionate about our co-creatures on this earth.

If you are interested in learning about Inge’s other books please be sure to check out her “windy” blog: http://devilwinds.blogspot.com/