Mollie Hunt's Blog, page 49

MIRACLE MONDAY

Do you want to make a miracle? Adopt a shelter cat and you will instantly become that kitty’s miracle-worker.

[image error]

MUFFIN

Muffin is an 8-year-old black female Domestic Short Hair cat.  She is located at the Oregon Humane Society: 1067 NE Columbia Blvd. – Portland, Oregon 97211

She has been at OHS since 02/21/2018.

Her Adopt Fee is only $15

 

What my friends at OHS say about me:

I am sweet and loving and will likely bond very closely to one person.

Loud noises and busy environments make me nervous.

I love to be loved, but don’t enjoy being picked up. Let me come to you for cuddles!

I’m getting older, but still enjoy playing! I’ll let you know my favorite toys when we meet!

I have a history of being bullied by other animals, so I may prefer to be your one and only.

The type of home I’m looking for:

I may prefer a home without dogs.

I will flourish in a calm environment and a low-traffic home.

I will need patient and loving owners who will work with me to help me be the best I can be.

It could be with you! Click here or visit OHS to learn more about the adoption process!

I have a video!

[image error]

Adopt Muffin or another shelter cat today, and make a miracle happen!

 

Lynley Cannon’s FRIDAY FELINE FACTS & FANCIES, Purrrrrr

Lynley Cannon, star of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, is often referred to as a crazy cat lady herself, but when it comes to the feline species, this sixty-something cat shelter volunteer knows her stuff. Check here each Friday for instructive and intriguing information on our favorite subject: cats!

[image error]

It’s common knowledge that a cat’s purr can reduce anxiety and lower high blood pressure in their human companions, but studies show that the low frequency vibration of the purr may also induce bone growth, promote pain relief and help heal tendons and muscles. ~Copy Cats, Chapter 12

 

Check out more of Lynley Cannon’s kitty tips, tricks, and facts preceding each chapter in CATS’ EYES, COPY CATS, CAT’S PAW, and CAT CALL.

[image error]

 

 

Lynley Cannon’s FRIDAY FELINE FACTS & FANCIES, Special

 

Lynley Cannon, star of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, is often referred to as a crazy cat lady herself, but when it comes to the feline species, this sixty-something cat shelter volunteer knows her stuff. Check here each Friday for instructive and intriguing information on our favorite subject: cats!

[image error]

Don’t tell a cat with a missing limb that she is handicapped – she will probably just give you a look of bewilderment as she dashes up the cat tree or leaps down the stairs.

~Cat’s Paw, chapter 26

 

Check out more of Lynley Cannon’s kitty tips, tricks, and facts preceding each chapter in CATS’ EYES, COPY CATS, CAT’S PAW, and CAT CALL.

[image error]

 

BOOK TALK with AUTHOR DEBBIE DE LOUISE

[image error]

My guest today— my first guest ever for my new Book Talk series— is Debbie De Louise. Debbie is the author of The Cobble Cove Mystery series (A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Written in Stone). Other of ber books include Cloudy Rainbow; a romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace; and several short stories. Her latest, a standalone mystery, Reason to Die,  will be out this coming month of April.

Welcome, Debbie!

I see you have written both stand-alone books and a series. Which do you prefer to write? To read? Why?

I prefer to read and write both standalones and series books. I like getting to know and follow characters from book to book in a series, but I also like a story that is complete start to finish. I enjoy alternating between series and standalones.

Like me, you are a member of the Cat Writers’ Association, demonstrating your true dedication to cats. How many cats do you have? Do they help with your writing?

I currently only have one cat, Stripey, a male tabby. I lost my older Siamese, Oliver, this past November to kidney disease. Neither of my cats ever helped with my writing except to provide inspiration in the form of feline behavior.

I enjoy adding cats as well as other pets to my books. In my Cobble Cove series, Sneaky, the library cat who also has his own blog, is the main character. Like Oliver, he’s a Siamese. There are a few other less prominent cat characters in the series as well as two dogs. Fido, the golden retriever, is Sneaky’s dog co-star. In my upcoming standalone, Reason to Die, I even feature a bird, a parrot named Chirpy, although I’ve never had a bird.

[image error]

~Stripey~

I’m so sorry to hear about Oliver. Losing a beloved cat is one of the hardest things a cat person can go through.

Tell us briefly about your favorite real or fictional cat story.

What stands out is Shirley Murphy’s Catswold Portal that I read ages ago, but there are so many others. I’ve always enjoyed Carole Nelson Douglas’ Midnight Louie series and Shirley Murphy’s Joe Grey series.

I also love Rousseau’s cat books! She is a fellow member of CWA, of course!  

Yes, it was my pleasure to meet her at one of the conferences years ago.

What is the most useful writing tip you’ve ever been given?

I’d have to say the most useful writing tip I’ve received is to keep writing and be persistent in pursuing publication. I’ve been lucky to have found an excellent small publisher, Solstice Publishing, but I’m still seeking an agent and to publish with a larger publisher one day.

Sound advice, Debbie.  

Please add something you would like to tell us just for fun.

I once had a cat birthday party for Oliver. We took him into our home when he was twelve years old and we didn’t really know his birthday, but I celebrated his first year on the day in May that he came to live with us. We invited several of my friends and a few of my daughters’ who were also cat lovers, and each friend brought Oliver a gift, a cat toy or treat. The table was decorated with a cat tablecloth, and we even had a cat-shaped cake and cat ginger cookies. Oliver wore a birthday hat and bib (see photos). This is such a sweet memory for me.

[image error]  [image error]

What a beautiful memory! Thank you for sharing, and for adopting a senior cat.

Do you have any book news coming up soon?

Reason to Die, my new standalone mystery, will be published in April by Solstice Publishing. (Look below for a description.)

I’ll be appearing at the Port Washington Public Library’s author fair on Long Island on Saturday, April 29 and at the St. Stephens Lutheran Church Author’s Fair in Hicksville on Saturday, May 12.

[image error] *Debbie has another bit of exciting news! She just found out she won a Certificate of Excellence from the Cat Writers’ Association for her short story, The Path to the Rainbow Bridge. Congratulations, Debbie!

 

 

 

How exciting! Thank you so much for being with us today. Best of luck on the new book and your book events in New York.  

[image error]

Here are more ways to connect with Debbie De Louise:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Deblibrarian

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2750133.Debbie_De_Louise

Amazon Author Page: Author.to/DebbieDeLouise

Website/Blog/Newsletter Sign-Up: https://debbiedelouise.wordpress.com

Sneaky the Library Cat’s blog: https://sneakylibrarycat.wordpress.com

Cobble Cove Character Chat Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/748912598599469/

Debbie De Louise is the author of The Cobble Cove Mystery series (A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Written in Stone); Cloudy Rainbow; and her upcoming standalone mystery, Reason to Die.  Debbie has also written a romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace, and several short stories of various genres. She has an unpublished psychological thriller, Sea Scope, and a cozy mystery, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, that she is currently querying to agents.

[image error] Coming Soon: Reason to Die  

Someone is strangling disabled people in the small town of Baxter, Connecticut. Detective Courtney Lang and her ex-partner and ex-lover, wheelchair-bound Bill Thompson, are paired up again and put in charge of the investigation. During the course of their search, Courtney uncovers information that points toward a connection between the murders and an unsolved series of muggings by a masked man, the same man who shot and disabled Bill a year ago on the night he proposed marriage to her.

Complicating matters for Courtney is her guilt about Thompson’s shooting, her affair with her new partner, Mark Farrell, and her unresolved feelings over the deaths of her mother and sister who perished in a fire while she was away from home.

As the deaths accrue and the “Handicapped Strangler” as the killer is coined by the press continues to rampage the town adding victims of different ages, sex, and disabilities to the murder count, Courtney discovers a clue that could crack open the case but may put her and Bill’s life in jeopardy.

[image error] A Stone’s Throw (Cobble Cove Mystery #1)

Widowed librarian Alicia Fairmont needs answers… After her husband is killed in a hit and run accident, Alicia travels upstate to his hometown of Cobble Cove, New York, hoping to locate his estranged family and shed light on his mysterious past. Anticipating staying only a weekend, her visit is extended when she accepts a job at the town’s library.

Secrets stretch decades into the past… Assisted by handsome newspaper publisher and aspiring novelist, John McKinney, Alicia discovers a connection between her absent in-laws and a secret John’s father has kept for over sixty years. But her investigation is interrupted when she receives word her house has burned and arson is suspected, sending her rushing back to Long Island, accompanied by John.

Back in Cobble Cove, cryptic clues are uncovered… When Alicia returns, she finds a strange diary, confiscated letters, and a digital audio device containing a recording made the day her husband was killed. Anonymous notes warn Alicia to leave town, but she can’t turn her back on the mystery—or her attraction to John. As the pieces begin to fall into place, evidence points to John’s involvement in her husband’s accident. The past and present threaten to collide, and Alicia confronts her fears…

Has she fallen in love with her husband’s killer?

[image error]

Between a Rock and a Hard Place  (Cobble Cove Mystery #2)

Librarian Alicia McKinney has put the past behind her… Two years ago, Alicia discovered both a terrible truth and lasting love with John McKinney in the small town of Cobble Cove, New York. Now a busy mother of twin babies and co-author of a mystery series, Alicia couldn’t be happier.

Alicia’s contentment and safety are challenged… Walking home alone from the library, Alicia senses someone following her, and on more than one occasion, she believes she is being watched. Does she have a stalker? When the local gift shop is burglarized, the troubling event causes unrest among Alicia and the residents of the quiet town.

John and Alicia receive an offer they can’t refuse… When John’s sister offers to babysit while she and John take a much-needed vacation in New York City, Alicia is reluctant to leave her children because of the disturbances in Cobble Cove. John assures her the town is safe in the hands of Sheriff-elect Ramsay. Although Alicia’s experience with and dislike of the former Long Island detective don’t alleviate her concern, she and John take their trip.

Alicia faces her worst nightmare… The McKinneys’ vacation is cut short when they learn their babies have been kidnapped and John’s sister shot. Alicia and John’s situation puts them between a rock and a hard place when the main suspect is found dead before the ransom is paid. In order to save their children, the McKinneys race against the clock to solve a mystery more puzzling than those found in their own books. Can they do it before time runs out?

[image error]

Written in Stone  (Cobble Cove Mystery #3)

Alicia McKinney is confused . . . . Was the strange email her husband received from the fictional detective in their mystery series a threat? Did the killer mistake the woman shot in the library for Alicia or the victim’s twin sister?

Cat vs. Dog . . . After Sneaky goes missing from the library, will he turn up before a young girl becomes ill with worry over his disappearance? And will he return in time to outsmart Fido by being first to find the perpetrator’s smoking gun?

Alicia is worried . . . While waiting for the killer’s next move, Alicia has other concerns. An old flame of John’s is in town and her friend, Gilly, has adopted the role of Miss Marple to aid her sheriff boyfriend in his investigation.

When all clues point to one of her co-workers, Alicia joins Gilly in searching for the answers to the mystery.

Will they survive . . . . or is their ending written in stone?

[image error]

When Jack Trumps Ace  

Jackie Riordan’s in trouble . . . When her jewel-thief father is caught in the middle of a heist, Jackie makes her getaway to his ex-jail pal’s apartment. a man called Ace, who lives in an upscale neighborhood of Chicago. What she doesn’t count on is falling in love with him and becoming his partner in crime. She also doesn’t expect to compete with Ace’s old flame or deal with his cat Roxie who causes her allergy attacks.

All bets are off . . . After Jackie discovers clues left by her father which lead her to a treasure that Ace may have stolen, she contemplates her next move. Should she trust Ace and believe her father gave him the money, or head home to her mother, a religious hypocrite who would have no qualms about ratting out her own daughter to the cops?

Things that sparkle aren’t always Diamonds . . . Before Jackie can decide who the good guys really are, she finds herself atop the Willis Tower carrying her father’s ashes in her pocket and aiding Ace in the largest jewelry heist of his life. Things go terribly wrong, and Jackie’s only choice seems to be to walk away from Ace or face imprisonment.

[image error]

 

 

 

BOOK TALK WITH AUTHOR DEBBIE DE LOUISE

[image error]

My guest today— my first guest ever for my new Book Talk series— is Debbie De Louise. Debbie is the author of The Cobble Cove Mystery series (A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Written in Stone). Other of ber books include Cloudy Rainbow; a romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace; and several short stories. Her latest, a standalone mystery, Reason to Die,  will be out this coming month of April.

Welcome, Debbie!

I see you have written both stand-alone books and a series. Which do you prefer to write? To read? Why?

I prefer to read and write both standalones and series books. I like getting to know and follow characters from book to book in a series, but I also like a story that is complete start to finish. I enjoy alternating between series and standalones.

Like me, you are a member of the Cat Writers’ Association, demonstrating your true dedication to cats. How many cats do you have? Do they help with your writing?

I currently only have one cat, Stripey, a male tabby. I lost my older Siamese, Oliver, this past November to kidney disease. Neither of my cats ever helped with my writing except to provide inspiration in the form of feline behavior.

I enjoy adding cats as well as other pets to my books. In my Cobble Cove series, Sneaky, the library cat who also has his own blog, is the main character. Like Oliver, he’s a Siamese. There are a few other less prominent cat characters in the series as well as two dogs. Fido, the golden retriever, is Sneaky’s dog co-star. In my upcoming standalone, Reason to Die, I even feature a bird, a parrot named Chirpy, although I’ve never had a bird.

[image error]

~Stripey~

I’m so sorry to hear about Oliver. Losing a beloved cat is one of the hardest things a cat person can go through.

Tell us briefly about your favorite real or fictional cat story.

What stands out is Shirley Murphy’s Catswold Portal that I read ages ago, but there are so many others. I’ve always enjoyed Carole Nelson Douglas’ Midnight Louie series and Shirley Murphy’s Joe Grey series.

I also love Rousseau’s cat books! She is a fellow member of CWA, of course!  

Yes, it was my pleasure to meet her at one of the conferences years ago. The Cobble Cove Mystery series

What is the most useful writing tip you’ve ever been given?

I’d have to say the most useful writing tip I’ve received is to keep writing and be persistent in pursuing publication. I’ve been lucky to have found an excellent small publisher, Solstice Publishing, but I’m still seeking an agent and to publish with a larger publisher one day.

Sound advice, Debbie.  

Please add something you would like to tell us just for fun.

I once had a cat birthday party for Oliver. We took him into our home when he was twelve years old and we didn’t really know his birthday, but I celebrated his first year on the day in May that he came to live with us. We invited several of my friends and a few of my daughters’ who were also cat lovers, and each friend brought Oliver a gift, a cat toy or treat. The table was decorated with a cat tablecloth, and we even had a cat-shaped cake and cat ginger cookies. Oliver wore a birthday hat and bib (see photos). This is such a sweet memory for me.

[image error]  [image error]

What a beautiful memory! Thank you for sharing, and for adopting a senior cat.

Do you have any book news coming up soon?

Reason to Die, my new standalone mystery, will be published in April by Solstice Publishing. (Look below for a description.)

I’ll be appearing at the Port Washington Public Library’s author fair on Long Island on Saturday, April 29 and at the St. Stephens Lutheran Church Author’s Fair in Hicksville on Saturday, May 12.

How exciting! Thank you so much for being with us today. Best of luck on the new book and your book events in New York.  

[image error]

Here are more ways to connect with Debbie De Louise:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Deblibrarian

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2750133.Debbie_De_Louise

Amazon Author Page: Author.to/DebbieDeLouise

Website/Blog/Newsletter Sign-Up: https://debbiedelouise.wordpress.com

Sneaky the Library Cat’s blog: https://sneakylibrarycat.wordpress.com

Cobble Cove Character Chat Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/748912598599469/

Debbie De Louise is the author of The Cobble Cove Mystery series (A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Written in Stone); Cloudy Rainbow; and her upcoming standalone mystery, Reason to Die.  Debbie has also written a romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace, and several short stories of various genres. She has an unpublished psychological thriller, Sea Scope, and a cozy mystery, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, that she is currently querying to agents.

[image error] Coming Soon: Reason to Die  

Someone is strangling disabled people in the small town of Baxter, Connecticut. Detective Courtney Lang and her ex-partner and ex-lover, wheelchair-bound Bill Thompson, are paired up again and put in charge of the investigation. During the course of their search, Courtney uncovers information that points toward a connection between the murders and an unsolved series of muggings by a masked man, the same man who shot and disabled Bill a year ago on the night he proposed marriage to her.

Complicating matters for Courtney is her guilt about Thompson’s shooting, her affair with her new partner, Mark Farrell, and her unresolved feelings over the deaths of her mother and sister who perished in a fire while she was away from home.

As the deaths accrue and the “Handicapped Strangler” as the killer is coined by the press continues to rampage the town adding victims of different ages, sex, and disabilities to the murder count, Courtney discovers a clue that could crack open the case but may put her and Bill’s life in jeopardy.

[image error] A Stone’s Throw (Cobble Cove Mystery #1)

Widowed librarian Alicia Fairmont needs answers… After her husband is killed in a hit and run accident, Alicia travels upstate to his hometown of Cobble Cove, New York, hoping to locate his estranged family and shed light on his mysterious past. Anticipating staying only a weekend, her visit is extended when she accepts a job at the town’s library.

Secrets stretch decades into the past… Assisted by handsome newspaper publisher and aspiring novelist, John McKinney, Alicia discovers a connection between her absent in-laws and a secret John’s father has kept for over sixty years. But her investigation is interrupted when she receives word her house has burned and arson is suspected, sending her rushing back to Long Island, accompanied by John.

Back in Cobble Cove, cryptic clues are uncovered… When Alicia returns, she finds a strange diary, confiscated letters, and a digital audio device containing a recording made the day her husband was killed. Anonymous notes warn Alicia to leave town, but she can’t turn her back on the mystery—or her attraction to John. As the pieces begin to fall into place, evidence points to John’s involvement in her husband’s accident. The past and present threaten to collide, and Alicia confronts her fears…

Has she fallen in love with her husband’s killer?

[image error]

Between a Rock and a Hard Place  (Cobble Cove Mystery #2)

Librarian Alicia McKinney has put the past behind her… Two years ago, Alicia discovered both a terrible truth and lasting love with John McKinney in the small town of Cobble Cove, New York. Now a busy mother of twin babies and co-author of a mystery series, Alicia couldn’t be happier.

Alicia’s contentment and safety are challenged… Walking home alone from the library, Alicia senses someone following her, and on more than one occasion, she believes she is being watched. Does she have a stalker? When the local gift shop is burglarized, the troubling event causes unrest among Alicia and the residents of the quiet town.

John and Alicia receive an offer they can’t refuse… When John’s sister offers to babysit while she and John take a much-needed vacation in New York City, Alicia is reluctant to leave her children because of the disturbances in Cobble Cove. John assures her the town is safe in the hands of Sheriff-elect Ramsay. Although Alicia’s experience with and dislike of the former Long Island detective don’t alleviate her concern, she and John take their trip.

Alicia faces her worst nightmare… The McKinneys’ vacation is cut short when they learn their babies have been kidnapped and John’s sister shot. Alicia and John’s situation puts them between a rock and a hard place when the main suspect is found dead before the ransom is paid. In order to save their children, the McKinneys race against the clock to solve a mystery more puzzling than those found in their own books. Can they do it before time runs out?

[image error]

Written in Stone  (Cobble Cove Mystery #3)

Alicia McKinney is confused . . . . Was the strange email her husband received from the fictional detective in their mystery series a threat? Did the killer mistake the woman shot in the library for Alicia or the victim’s twin sister?

Cat vs. Dog . . . After Sneaky goes missing from the library, will he turn up before a young girl becomes ill with worry over his disappearance? And will he return in time to outsmart Fido by being first to find the perpetrator’s smoking gun?

Alicia is worried . . . While waiting for the killer’s next move, Alicia has other concerns. An old flame of John’s is in town and her friend, Gilly, has adopted the role of Miss Marple to aid her sheriff boyfriend in his investigation.

When all clues point to one of her co-workers, Alicia joins Gilly in searching for the answers to the mystery.

Will they survive . . . . or is their ending written in stone?

[image error]

When Jack Trumps Ace  

Jackie Riordan’s in trouble . . . When her jewel-thief father is caught in the middle of a heist, Jackie makes her getaway to his ex-jail pal’s apartment. a man called Ace, who lives in an upscale neighborhood of Chicago. What she doesn’t count on is falling in love with him and becoming his partner in crime. She also doesn’t expect to compete with Ace’s old flame or deal with his cat Roxie who causes her allergy attacks.

All bets are off . . . After Jackie discovers clues left by her father which lead her to a treasure that Ace may have stolen, she contemplates her next move. Should she trust Ace and believe her father gave him the money, or head home to her mother, a religious hypocrite who would have no qualms about ratting out her own daughter to the cops?

Things that sparkle aren’t always Diamonds . . . Before Jackie can decide who the good guys really are, she finds herself atop the Willis Tower carrying her father’s ashes in her pocket and aiding Ace in the largest jewelry heist of his life. Things go terribly wrong, and Jackie’s only choice seems to be to walk away from Ace or face imprisonment.

[image error]

 

 

 

Advertisements

SCHRÖDINGER’S TRUNK, reblogged from the Fire Star Press Blogsite

[image error]

Trunk in the Attic, by Valentina Rota

Read my post on the Fire Star Press Blogsite:

  SCHRÖDINGER’S TRUNK, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

 

 

Advertisements

SOMETHING NEW — INTERVIEWS!

 

[image error]

I’ve decided to do interviews!

Actually I decided that a year ago but it’s taken me this long to pull it together. There are so many interview blogs already in internet-world, and I wanted mine to be different. I muddled it through my brain until I decided to go with that I know: cat people, cat mysteries, cat writers, and cats.

I’ll be rolling out my first interview appropriately on the first day of spring, this coming Tuesday March 20th. I’ll be speaking with fellow Cat Writers’ Association member Debbie De Louise. Debbie is the author of The Cobble Cove Mystery series (A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Written in Stone); Cloudy Rainbow; and a standalone mystery, Reason to Die, to be published next month.  Debbie has also written a romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace, and several short stories of various genres. She has an unpublished psychological thriller, Sea Scope, and a cozy mystery, The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, that she is currently querying to agents.

Join me next Tuesday when Debbie answers the “hard” questions, such as what is her favorite cat story and how many cats does she have.

 

[image error]

Mollie Hunt’s Crazy Cat Lady Cozy Mysteries, Books 1 through 4

Lynley Cannon’s FRIDAY FELINE FACTS & FANCIES, Adventure Cat

 

Lynley Cannon, star of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, is often referred to as a crazy cat lady herself, but when it comes to the feline species, this sixty-something cat shelter volunteer knows her stuff. Check here each Friday for instructive and intriguing information on our favorite subject: cats!

[image error]

Traveling with cats can cause stress for both cat and person. Getting your cat used to the carrier at a young age, taking him fun places and not just to the vet, using a pheromone calming spray, and covering the carrier with a light cloth as a sight blocker can be helpful.

~Cat Call, chapter 16

 

Check out more of Lynley Cannon’s kitty tips, tricks, and facts preceding each chapter in CATS’ EYES, COPY CATS, CAT’S PAW, and CAT CALL.

[image error]

 

THE EXTREMELY PROVOCATIVE “HAT-WITH-CAT-EARS” QUESTION

 

Warning: This post deviates from my usual subject matter and will be offensive to some. If it bothers you, please skip this blogpost and come back next time for more book news and romps with cats. I promise neither politics not offensive language will become the direction of this site.

[image error]

Yesterday I met Krista Suh, creator of the Pussyhat Project that turned the Women’s March on Washington (and other cities) pink back in 2017. I had recently learned that some groups now consider the cat-eared knit hats to be offensive, which made me sad because they were initially such a uniting power, and also because my cousin made mine and I love her for it. When I heard Krista was coming to my neighborhood with her new book, DYI Rules for a WTF World, I decided to see what she thought about the shift in opinion.

Comfortable among the sea of women of every age, Krista, who is young, beautiful, intelligent, and enthusiastic, gave us the Pussyhat origin story: the shock of an election gone far differently from what she expected; the fear and helplessness as the irrevocable result took hold. She felt the need to do something… but what? For Krista, the Women’s March was a beacon of hope. Like many, her thoughts turned to ways of expressing her feelings among thousands of people. A protest sign? An article of clothing? As a newly-obsessive knitter who in spite of her LA heritage, knew how cold Washington DC would be January, she imagined a hat, something people could wear to show solidarity and keep their heads warm at the same time. As she explained her thought process, which she documents in her book, it made perfect sense.

In spite of its provocative name, the Pussyhat was not meant to shock but to unite. It was created for a women’s protest march after all, with the goal to promote woman-power in what can often be a misogynistic world. I loved her gentle explanation, and the stories she and others told of their experiences. One attendee said she felt stronger wearing the hat, more able to stand up for herself and others. Another talked of overhearing a mother tell her young daughter that if they got separated, to go to someone wearing the hat. Krista related the story of her plane trip back from the march seated beside a Trump supporter. The man, who wore full regalia— buttons, hat, and probably DT socks as well—had attended the inauguration. Krista and the man got along without problem, but a few other pussy-hatted fellows told Krista when she went to the washroom they were watching; that they had her back.

[image error]

When we came to the Q&A part of the event, I got a chance to ask my questions:

Was the “Pussy” designation directly related to the unfortunate and inflammatory comment once made by Donald Trump who utilized that term?

The answer was no. The name, originally the Pussy Power Hat, was alliterative in nature. It sounded, and felt, right.

What about the rumors I hear that groups such as women of color (“Not all vaginas are pink”) and trans women (“*Not every woman has a vagina, and not every person who has a vagina is a woman”) now find the hat offensive?

Okay first of all, the color pink wasn’t chosen to represent a body part (Kristin herself is a WOC). The reason was that pink, in our current society, is generally associated with girliness, the total opposite of women power.

The second question was a little harder for Kristin to answer. She embraces the LGBTQ movement, as she does all causes that hold with unequivocal equality. My impression was  that though she is saddened they chose their resentment to fall upon a symbol that has already been such a positive force, everyone has the right to protest in whatever way they feel fit.

[image error]

Pink Pussy Hat Maine Coon Cat Painting by Rebecca Ives

So will I put my Pussy Hat away? I might, but probably not, since it’s soft and I love it. (I may start calling it my “mauve hat with cat ears” instead.) What I won’t put away is the memory of what the Pussy Power Hat meant to thousands of women who marched in January of 2017, nor will I discount the fact that one dedicated person can start a positive movement.

Krista is currently working on the Evil Eye Glove project for  the upcoming  March for Our Lives  protest.

Fun point: Krista’s dad, who first was vehemently against her project, knitted her a P-hat which now travels with her wherever she goes.

 

*“Not every woman has a vagina, and not every person who has a vagina is a woman” is a statement made by Devin Cole, Pensacola, Florida.

[image error]

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a Treat!: A Book Review of Cat Call | Noir Kitty Mews

Look! Valentine of Noir Kitty Mews read my book Cat Call and has written a review! Thanks, Valentine (Love your floof!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[image error]

~Valentine~

It’s a Treat!: A Book Review of Cat Call | Noir Kitty Mewslack Persian cat shares his honest review of the book ‘Cat Call’ by Mollie Hunt as the author’s 4th book in The Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries series.

Source: It’s a Treat!: A Book Review of Cat Call | Noir Kitty Mews

 

[image error]