Mollie Hunt's Blog, page 26

#RememberMeThursday: LIGHT UP THE WORLD FOR ORPHAN PETS

Today is Remember Me Thursday!

On September 23, 2021, let’s get the entire world talking about pet adoption. Tweet, tag, post and share the beauty and life-saving significance of pet adoption on social media. Let’s honor the 1+ million orphan pets who ran out of time and help #SeeTheLight for the rescues that we can still help.

Let’s take social media by storm for orphan pets!

Unite with pet-lovers around the world on Thursday, September 23, 2021, to shine a light on orphan pets waiting in shelters and rescues for forever homes.

Here is the adoption story I entered in the #remembermethursday contest this year:

A Cat Abandoned

Jaimz came to me as a foster for the Oregon Humane Society. He’d been on his own for a year after his family moved away and abandoned him. He was in poor shape, flea-bitten and hungry, but in spite of hard knocks, his sweet personality made him a favorite at the shelter hospital.

Jaimz’s doctor diagnosed him with hyperthyroidism, kidney and dental disease, but Jaimz had issues from long before. One of his front paws had been badly damaged, causing a permanent deformity. It doesn’t hurt him now, but the anguish he must have suffered makes me cry.

 

From the start, this little cat tugged at my heart strings.  It took time for him to stop trembling, but once he learned to trust, he blossomed into an outgoing, curious, sweet, friendly cat. He liked to sit on laps and curl up anywhere soft. In spite of his small size, his personality was huge.

I soon deemed it time he met my senior males, Tyler and Ginchan. I wondered how little Jaimz would get along but I needn’t have worried. Jaimz and Tyler became fast friends. This was the signal I was waiting for as I considered taking Jaimz into my clan.

Then the shelter vet gave me some dire news. Jaimz’s kidney functions were deteriorating. Because of his declining health, he was “not a candidate for adoption.” That meant if I didn’t adopt him…well, you can guess the rest.

The adoption went forward, and I brought home my new family member. I don’t know how long Jaimz has left, but today, he’s a vibrant, happy, curious little boy who deserves a chance to live out his life in a safe, loving home. Jaimz is a blessing and a joy. For however long he thrives, his place is with us.

You can vote on Jaimz’s story or oth er wonderful rescue entries here.

 

BOOK REVIEW: THE GREAT PURR

The Great Purr, by Catherine Holm

From Amazon: In a northern Minnesota mining town, cats have always maintained the Great Purr, a force that holds the Real World, the UnderEarth, and the Spirit World together. But when the Great Purr becomes corrupted and threatens to destroy the world, the magical cats of Ironton must work together to prevent disaster. Can Karma use her exquisite sensitivity without it destroying her? Will Target harness his gift of focus at the right time? And will sensual Kali be able to resist the temptation of the Evil that threatens to unravel The Great Purr?

The Great Purr is the winner of a 2014 Muse Medallion award from the Cat Writers’ Association.

My Review: Cat Fantasy at its best.

It’s not often a book comes along that transports the reader to a brand new world. The Great Purr, by Catherine Holm, is one of those books. This feline fantasy is no cute kitten story, nor is it for the faint of heart. The cats of Irontown have a mission, and if they fail, all will be lost for both feline and mankind.

As a cat person and member of the Cat Writers’ Association, Holm’s anthropomorphic cats are totally believable and cat-like. Each has a distinct personality as befits their role in saving the world.

If you enjoyed the Barque Cats series by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, or my Cat Seasons Tetralogy, Books 1 & 2, you will love The Great Purr.

 About the author:

Catherine Holm is the author of THE GREAT PURR (cat fantasy novel), DRIVING WITH CATS: OURS FOR A SHORT TIME (cat-themed memoir) and the short story collections VOICES LESSONS and MY HEART IS A MOUNTAIN. She is a yoga instructor, life coach, and blogger at http://www.catster.com. She enjoys music, gardening, being outside, dancing, reading, yoga, and caring for cats. Visit http://www.catherineholm.com for more information about Catherine’s writing and her books.

 

Purchase links:

REVIEW: The Ghost in the Attic (A Charlie MacCready Mystery)

The Ghost in the Attic (A Charlie MacCready Mystery) by James M. McCracken

From Amazon: A Key. A Medal. A Warning. For young Charlie MacCready, life is one mystery after another. Left at his grandparents’ home in the middle of the night when he was two, Charlie’s mother said she would return for him. Ten years later, sent to Saint Michael’s Abbey & Home for Boys by his uncle, Charlie finds himself in the center of another mystery. Awakened in the middle of the night, he hears a sound coming from the attic above his dorm. Together with his new friends Howard, Gus, and Rick, they set out to find The Ghost in the Attic.

My Review: This book makes me smile

This is the first book in a while that I enjoyed so thoroughly. I looked forward to sitting down and reading with the same enthusiasm from the beginning to end. My go-to genre is cozy mystery, usually with a cat in it, and though this features young people and no cat, it satisfied that need for a suspenseful yet uplifting story. I’m on to book 2 now.

About the author:

“Writing for me is like taking a mini-vacation that doesn’t cost you anything and doesn’t require hours of travel. When I am writing I get to see a different world filled with people/ characters who don’t always cooperate with each other and at times even with me. It makes the whole experience interesting.”

James M. McCracken began writing stories when he was a teenager and dreamed of someday becoming a published author. After spending twenty years working for the telephone company, he wrote the first in a planned series of young reader mysteries inspired by his teen years spent in a seminary boarding school. He retired early in 2002 and continued pursuing his writing. He currently lives in Redmond, Oregon.

The Ghost in the Attic is book 1 of 5 in the Charlie MacCready Mystery Series. Listed in Children’s Mystery & Detectives Books, though I found it delightful. Available in Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover. Purchase here.

 

Guest Post: 3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GHOST CAT OF OCEAN COVE by Mollie Hunt

I had to share this wonderful blogpost featuring my newest cozy mystery, Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove. Not only did blogger I Read What You Write include my guest post and an excerpt, she gave me a fantastic five-star review. This is one of my favorite blogsites for book-related news. I hope you enjoy this and the other reviews you can find here.

I Read What You Write!

3 THINGS TO KNOW
ABOUT GHOST CAT OF OCEAN COVE

1. “Ghost Cat” is located in the fictional town of Ocean Cove, Oregon.

Traveling to the coast is as natural for a Portlander as eating Voodoo donuts or listening to bagpipes played by a guy on a unicycle. When I was a kid, my family spent our vacations there, dancing in the sand and picking up shells. I remember long walks with my mother, swaddled against the wind in wool coats and head scarves. My mother had dreams of moving there one day. As I got older, I found I’d inherited those dreams.

Now, at nearly the age of myGhost Cathero Camelia Collins, I doubt that dream will be fulfilled. Reality has crept in—an aversion to long, gray days; the need to be close to a hospital. But that doesn’t mean I can’t fantasize. Camelia gets to do all…

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COVER REVEAL – ADVENTURE CAT!

Another Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mystery in on the way!

Adventure Cat, Crazy Cat Lady mysteries #8 is coming in November, date to be announced,. We may not be quite ready for publication, but we have a cover and it’s wonderful! Again featuring cat art by Leslie Cobb, this one is titled “Here Comes Trouble” (© 2008 Leslie Cobb) and here is the story:

“I fostered Genevieve for Sunshine Rescue Group starting in 2007 because she had four different upper respiratory infections at the same time and the rescue had too many cats to give her the one-on-one attention her condition required. By the time she recovered, I couldn’t let her go so I finalized her adoption. She was one of my most affectionate cats, and it broke my heart when she died of cancer in 2020.”  —Leslie Cobb

We decided to do something a little different with the Adventure Cat cover, and my cover artist Roslyn McFarland came up with the idea of repeating the painting into the border, giving a soft patterned effect. We looked at changing the covers of the rest of the series, but not all the paintings work with this format. This one sure does though..

Without pattern borders.

With pattern borders.

 From the back cover:

Five years ago, cat shelter volunteer Lynley Cannon discovered a gym bag in a warehouse. Inside the bag were a kitten, a cat toy, and ten thousand dollars. Then shots began to fly. Now, half a decade later, Lynley is thrown back with the very people from whom she’d been running.

Adventure cats, those fantastic felines who go boating, hiking, and traveling into the wilds! When Friends of Felines cat shelter starts their own adventure cat group, taking cats for strolls in the quiet parks of Portland, Lynley can’t wait to join up.

Then disaster happens! Dirty Harry slips out of his harness and runs up the Mt. Tabor hillside, leading Lynley on a merry chase. Finally she finds him resting in the arms of an enigmatic stranger named Carry.

Carry lives a solitary life in a bungalow at the top of the hill, surrounded by an amazing red-foliaged garden. Carry has a cat of her own, the very kitten Lynley rescued five years previous and been shot at for the effort! Suddenly Lynley finds herself embroiled in the caper that precipitated that long-ago encounter. She survived the first round, but can her luck continue to hold?

An elfin recluse, a handsome feline archaeologist, a stolen artifact, and one very special cat…

Watch for more about Adventure Cat as we work our way toward publication. Thanks to everyone for making this series an award-winning success!

GHOST CAT OF OCEAN COVE BLOG TOUR BEGINS TOMORROW

The Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour starts tomorrow, September 8th 2021.

Do you want to know what character I would like to be in one of my books, or which book I’d  make into a film and why? How about the craziest/funniest/most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done in the name of research? Or a character interview with the killer, themself? There’s even a recipe for Rue’s Grandma’s homebaked bread!

Follow the tour for book reviews, author interviews, character posts, and more. These tours are always a lot of fun for me, writing the different blog posts for the bloggers. These amazing bloggers come up with the best questions. Be sure to check in regularly. And special thanks to Lori of Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book for making this tour possible.

Photo by Don Agnello on Unsplash

Giveaway!

And what blog tour would be complete without a Rafflecopter Giveaway? Enter to win a signed copy of Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove. (US addresses only, please.)

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 8 –  Christy’s Cozy Corners  – REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 8 –  Novels Alive  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

September 8 –  Sapphyria’s Book Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

September 8 –  fundinmental  – SPOTLIGHT

September 9 –  I’m All About Books  – SPOTLIGHT

September 9 –  Hearts & Scribbles  – SPOTLIGHT

September 9 –  Brooke Blogs  – SPOTLIGHT

September 10 –  FUONLYKNEW  – SPOTLIGHT

September 10 –  Mochas, Mysteries and Meows  – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 10 –  Literary Gold  – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 10 –  Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

September 11 –  Socrates Book Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

September 11 –  I Read What You Write  – REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 11 –  Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book  – SPOTLIGHT

September 12 –  Celticlady’s Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

September 12 –  Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH GHOST CAT SOJI

September 13 –  Here’s How It Happened  – SPOTLIGHT

September 13 –  Novels Alive – REVIEW & INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

September 13 –  Maureen’s Musings  – SPOTLIGHT

September 14 –  Melina’s Book Blog  – REVIEW

September 14 –  Mysteries with Character  – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 14 –  BookishKelly2020  – SPOTLIGHT  

SO COOL GHOST CAT BLOG TOUR/GIVEAWAY COMING SOON

I love the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the launch of a new book. Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove will be the feature of a multiparticipant blog tour beginning September 8th.

The tour, hosted by wonderful Great Escapes, doesn’t only have promo links for the book. Several bloggers have asked for unique content, including guest posts, author interviews, and character posts. I had fun with those, writing as the hero, the ghost cat, and even the killer themself! Some will be reading the book and giving reviews.

There will be a Rafflecopter Giveaway as well, up to 3 winners of a signed copy of Ghost Cat.

Watch here for updates and complete schedule. Many thanks to Lori of Great Escapes, and to all the participating bloggers!

Ghost Cat wants to haunt your Kindle!

PET AUTHOR PANEL ON YOUTUBE

For those of you who missed last week’s Pet Author Panel presented by the Hicksville Library, here’s your chance to see it on YouTube.

Our five participating authors are Debbie De Louise, Amy Shojai, Carole Nelson Douglas, Diane Stuckart, and myself.

Award-winning pet authors Debbie De Louise, Amy Shojai, Diane Stuckart, and myself, had a fun time discussing how we incorporate cat (and dog) characters into our novels during the virtual Zoom panel. There were thrills, chills, anda cat-related spill when Debbie De Louise’s Harry knocked over her backdrop. Unfortunately Carole Nelson Douglas couldn’t make it, but we were able to present her questions and answers anyway.

Watch at https://youtu.be/ct3rqNTvWGw

10 Books to Read on Black Cat Appreciation Day – Katzenworld

Look! Black Cat Books! I have read several of them and they are all excellent!

Originally posted on Katzenworld by fellow Cat Writer Association member, Rosa.

Source: 10 Books to Read on Black Cat Appreciation Day – Katzenworld 

POSTED ON AUGUST 16, 2021 BY ROSA

BOOK LAUNCH LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY!

Six days!

Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove launches in a mere, little six days! Print books are ordered and the ebook downloaded, ready to jump into your Kindle August 17th.

I wish I could be with you in person! I miss the bookstore launches and the direct contact with all of you. Soon, we hope. Very soon. Wear masks, get the vaccine, and be kind. We will come through this eventually.

Meanwhile, pop onto my Facebook page on August 17th to see my launch day posts. There will be prizes, giveaways, and of course, the “Have you ever seen a Ghost Cat?” contest drawing. Anyone can enter, whether you’ve had a supernatural experience or not. Just tell us  about it in the comments below to be entered to win a signed paperback copy of Ghost Cat of Ocean Cove. Drawing will be held at the Ghost Cat Book Launch, National Black Cat Day, August 17th 2021 when either Tyler or Jaimz will choose the name of the winner. Sorry, USA residents only because of shipping costs.

Here are a couple of entries we’ve had so far:

“Absolutely. I’ve had departed companions visit, rub against me for petting, purr, the works. It’s quite wonderful. Also, spirit cats don’t shed.” —Cynthia L.

“I have heard my deceased cats who visit me at night in my bedroom make noise or walk about on the bed so i can feel them. I have gotten up many times to ensure there was no “real” cat in the room and there never is. I have a couple “orb” photos by the food bowls.” —Greg IW

“I have not, but I love animals so I would be ok with it.” —Lynn B

And don’t forget to hug your black cat because August 17th is also Black Cat Appreciation Day!