Mollie Hunt's Blog, page 64
October 22, 2016
WHAT I’M WATCHING: THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES
Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | TV Series (2016– )
“An Elvish tree, known as the Ellcrys, is dying. The bad news is that the tree has been the only piece of magic that protects the Four Lands from the Demon World. Amberle Elessedil is the only one who can save the tree. But she has to unlock magic that the Elves haven’t used in thousands of years. With the help of Wil Ohmsford, she travels to find the lost magic. But it won’t be an easy task.” —Chris Green
I didn’t read Terry Brooks’ Shannara epic fantasy saga when it was popular back in the late 1970’s. Though I enjoyed the Hobbit, I was more into science fiction than fantasy. I still haven’t read it, but when an MTV-produced version came out on Netfilx, I decided to give it a try. I finished the 1st season and wasn’t disappointed. The show is fun, gross, beautiful, slick, and sexy.
Excellently detailed costumes delightfully adorn young, perfect bodies of both sexes. The blond-locked hero, Wil Ohmsford (Austin Butler) looks like a boyfriend I had back in my hippie days. The heroine, Eretria (Ivana Baquero) moves like a ninja ballerina. The Druid, Allanon (Manu Bennett), has a voice like Sean Connery due to his Maori, Irish, and Scottish roots. John Rhys-Davies who plays King Eventine Elessedil brings his usual professionalism to the part throughout its dark transitions.
Chronicles is exciting, compelling, and fast paced. The bloody, icky demons are brilliantly contrasted by eye-candy. It’s difficult to produce a believable fantasy world but the lush forests (real) combined with otherworldly elements (CGI) and a smattering of post-apocalyptic artifacts – a rusted playground swing; the derelict, foliage-hung remains of Seattle’s Space Needle – work for me.
Lord of the Rings fans should enjoy this fast-paces fantasy journey as long as they don’t take it too seriously. A 2nd season is scheduled.
Favorite episode: “Utopia”. A settlement, called Utopia, consists of people who aim to preserve and recover the ways of humans before the Great Wars, but their records of the past are actually episodes of the original Star Trek.
October 21, 2016
CATS INDOORS!
I belong to an email group that sends out notices for pets lost in my area. Included in the email is the option to share the notice on my Facebook page, which I do. Each time I post the picture of that poor missing kitty, my heart breaks a little. Knowing what being lost in the city of Portland can mean for a cat, I pray for the best.
They come in all shapes and sizes, these lost cats. There are house-bound tabbies and clip-eared toms; fat cats lazing on a bed; tiny fragile cats in a child’s arms. The kittens and the old ones get to me the most. Hopefully the kitten (what’s a kitten doing outside in the first place?) has found another loving home. The older cats, set in their ways and frightened at the sudden change, may not have such luck.
I want to contact each one of those cat-owners, chastising them for letting their precious cats loose on the mean streets, but I know it isn’t that simple. They’re not all negligent and unfeeling like I might want to think. Indoor cats get out; indoor-outdoor cats get spooked and run from their familiar yard. Newbie cat people may not realize the dangers of letting their cats outside.
Some folks consider outdoors a natural habitat for their felines, one that cats need for stimulation and emotional wellbeing. This is partially true: cats need mental and physical exercise, and the outdoors is a hotbed of cat-centric adventure. However the benefits must be weighed against the dangers. With a little extra planning, innovation, and work, a stimulating environment may be created in a home with the help of prey toys, climbing apparatus such as a cat tree of shelves, and of course a loving person to play with.
I haven’t always kept my cats indoors. For the most part, they were fine, savvy to cars and predators. But as I became more aware of the potential threats, I began slowly bringing them inside, first at night, then most all the time, letting them out only briefly to do their catly business.
The final blow came one quiet night at the beach. Our cabin is on a dead end road; few cars pass in a day and hardly any after dark. We had let Graywood out for a final potty in the sand before bed. It usually only took a few minutes for him to be meowing at the door to come back in to the warm and cozy. But this night, he didn’t come. We waited and called, looked around outside the house, but we weren’t much worried and went to bed, thinking that we would soon hear his meow. The next morning, 5:00 am and he was still missing. When we went to search, we found him, hit by a car, probably the only car on the little-used road all night. I don’t know how it happened, how it could have happened, but I knew right away what would have prevented it from happening, and that was to have kept him inside.
Someday we’ll build a catio, but until then my cats are strictly indoors, watching birds from behind the safety of glass, sniffing the fresh air through the screen. They don’t seem unhappy about their captivity, and I am relieved beyond measure that never again will I have to feel the helpless anxiety of worrying where kitty is, wondering if he’s going to make it home, realizing that if he doesn’t, I have only myself to blame.
There are many reasons to keep cats indoors:
Predators such as dogs, raccoons, coyotes, and bad people.
Dangers from cars, bicycles, and other moving vehicles.
Poisons such as antifreeze, gasoline, rat poison, lilies and more. Cats don’t need to ingest them to be harmed; an open container of a toxic substance may be inadvertently stepped in or rubbed against with disastrous results.
Cat fights transmit illnesses such as Feline Leukemia and FIV. Fight bites and nasty cat-scratch abscesses will be costly.
Many parasites such as fleas, ticks, ringworm, and icky worms live in the outdoor environment.
Here are a few thoughts on how to satisfy your cat’s need for stimuli:
Check out these images of Catios on Google.
Read Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home, by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin
Click on 10 Tips to Keep Your Cat Happy Indoors : The Humane Society of the US
Look up Royal Meow, Castles for Cats , the Cadillac of cat trees.
Just for fun, check out this Cat Exercise Wheel.
(I do not endorse any of the above products except for Royal Meow Castles for Cats which is a wonderful homespun business with high-quality, hand-made cat trees for all households.)
October 11, 2016
LIFE STAGES: LIFE AFTER KITTY’S LOSS
People usually come out of the loss of a beloved pet with 1 of 3 basic thoughts:
I never want to feel that pain again!
Some cat moms and dads swear off adoption because they literally cannot bear the idea of another loss. These cat lovers are perfect candidates for volunteering at a shelter where they can get their “fur fix” with much less risk of grief.
I need a new cat right meow!
These folks are already surfing the websites and cruising the shelters looking for another purrfect companion… or two.
I want another cat but I’m still grieving. How will I know when I’m ready?
This is me.
I am procrastinating. There is a kitty at the shelter whom I have decided to adopt. Or not. Or maybe wait and see if someone else wants him first. Or run right over, sweep his floofy self into my arms, and carry him away to his forever home.
That’s where I stumble, on the forever part. What if something goes wrong? What if it doesn’t work out? What if I can’t keep him? As a shelter volunteer, I see the trauma cats suffer when passed through sheltercare and truly believe that adoption should be a lifelong commitment to our animal friends.
Having just come from the recent passing of 2 dear cats, I am raw with grief and loss. I hold my 1 remaining cat closer than ever. I know I need to continue the journey, but I am afraid. I wish I could be sure, but certainty eludes me. Adopting requires a compulsory acceptance of change and a huge leap of faith. There are pros and cons to adding to my feline family. There are unknowns and unknowables. There are questions, but if I consider them carefully, logically, one by one, I will find my answer.
Here are some things to consider when adopting a new family member (NFM):
I already have a cat. How will she accept the NFM?
Has your current cat had experience with a new cat in the house? If so, how did she react? A little hissing is normal, but growling and attacking are traumatic for both cats. Get information from qualified sources on how to successfully introduce them.
How will the NFM accept my home?
Learning as much as possible about the NFM’s history gives clues to his personality, likes, dislikes, and general adaptability to your situation. If adopted from a shelter, get the previous owner questionnaire. Ask how he did at the shelter. Then consider how that tallies with life in your own home.
Does the NFM have health issues?
Many health issues are manageable but time consuming and may be expensive. Are you willing and able to deal? If the illness is chronic, can you face the possibility of another early loss?
What about lifestyle issues such as work or travel?
Most adult cats can deal with time alone as long as you make it up with quality time spent playing, grooming, and interacting. Though many cats don’t like car rides, they can often be retrained in time. A pheromone spray or vet-prescribed sedative may help, or if all else fails, hire a cat sitter and leave him home.
I love him!
What does your heart say? There is no wrong answer to this question. Take a deep breath; sit in quiet meditation. Adopting a new cat will have unforeseeable consequences, most of which will be good. As with any addition to a family, you will need to be tolerant, accepting, and ready to learn new things.
Post Script: For better or worse, I went ahead and adopted Oscar. He’s still adjusting, I’m still learning, and Little is still hissing, but not as badly as before.
~Oscar Wilde~
For another look at adopting after loss, read Bernadette E. Kazmarski’s insightful blog: Adopting Again After Loss: Why and How We Adopt Again
October 10, 2016
CAT’S PAW COVER REVEAL CONTEST WINNERS
Thank you, everyone who participated in my Cat’s Paw Cover Reveal contest. I know it must have been hard to choose from all of Leslie Cobb’s beautiful cat paintings, but I hope you had fun looking. I love Leslie’s work and am so grateful to feature it on my Crazy Cat Lady mystery series covers.
As to the contest, there is good news and not so good news.
The not so good news is that no one correctly guessed the painting, which is a 2009 work, “Small, Dark and Handsome” by Leslie Cobb.
The good news is that I’ve decided to give everyone who participated a copy of the book anyway. I will contact you individually to get your information so you can collect your prize once Cat’s Paw is published.
I hope you have enjoyed this Cover Reveal event as much as I have. Stay tuned for the Cat’s Paw Book Launch, November 10th.
CAT’S PAW COVER REVEAL, It’s Finally Here!
Here it is! The cover for Cat’s Paw, my 3rd Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery, to be launched November 10th, exactly one month from today. I love it, and I hope you do too!
“Small, Dark and Handsome” by Leslie Cobb
© 2009 Leslie Cobb
Meet Emilio. Emilio plays a significant role in my new Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery, Cat’s Paw, so when I saw Leslie Cobb’s painting of the striking black cat, I knew it had to feature on the cover.
There is a real Emilio, a foster from the Oregon Humane Society whom I took care of for several weeks. He was indeed recovering from a terribly fractured leg, just as the Emilio of Cat’s Paw, but over time— lots of time— the bones knit and he was good as new. Everyone loved Emilio. The vet staff had to re-cast his leg several times, each time coming up with bright new colors and embellishments. Emilio was such an optimist, such a grateful boy. He taught me so much about resiliency, innovation, and rising above the curves life throws at you, sometimes in the form of an oncoming car. I enjoyed putting him in my latest Lynley Cannon mystery. Here is a selection from the book:
Cat’s Paw, by Mollie Hunt
“Emilio was a handsome jet-black stray who had come to Cloverleaf from another shelter. He had been relinquished with a badly broken leg that the other shelter had neither facilities nor budget to fix. It had taken many weeks in a full leg cast and even more in physical therapy for the big boy to recover, but now he was good as new, having no problem jumping from the bed to his food bowl and back on the bed again. Ad nauseum.
Even though I wasn’t getting much rest with the continuous rocking of bed springs as Emilio pounced back and forth, I was cherishing his company. I knew he would settle down eventually, and as the jumping grew less and the periods of curling up beside me, longer, I began to drift and dream.
The screened window was open; I breathed in the fresh night air and listened to quiet sounds of the secluded island, the far-off bass of the strait broken only by the occasional screech of a night bird. Sometimes a dog would bark or whine in the kennels. Once or twice I heard footsteps shuffle down the gravel path, nearing and then retreating as someone made their way home for the night.
In spite of the exhaustion of the long day, I slept only lightly. It was rare for me to do something new. It didn’t exactly scare me—if anything, I was thrilled about the week to come—but physically, my body recognized it as a challenge. Without reason, glimmers of doubt flickered through my mind: What if my artwork turns out awful? What if I disappoint Simon? morphed into What if there are bears in the woods? What if there’s a tsunami? The questions got sillier and sillier as my mind spiraled. What if I get appendicitis? What if I can’t find the bathroom? What if everyone laughs at me?
I could hear them laughing now, loud and malicious and continuing on and on…
My eyes popped open, and I realized the laughter was very real and had nothing to do with me. Just someone outside, laughing at whatever people laugh at in the middle of the night when other people are trying to get some rest.
With exasperation, I realized I was wide awake. I turned over, dislodging Emilio from his doze and causing him to think about food again. He plopped to the floor, and I slung a pillow over my head, hoping the person would quit having fun and go to bed like the rest of us.
No such luck.
The pillow didn’t do much good because as I lay seething underneath it, my ears tuned in to the conversation in spite of myself. The talker had a grating, slightly raucous voice that must have taken years of bitterness and frustration to perfect. A flatness that said don’t mess with me; inflections pressing home the point that she was always right. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I began to feel sorry for the person on the other end of the line.
A shriek of sardonic mirth pierced the night. I sat up abruptly, throwing off the sheet and inadvertently causing Emilio to leap away again. When had he got back up? It didn’t matter; we were both on the move now.
The room was lit only by the faint glow from the half-moon in the velvet sky, but with my dark-adapted sight, I made it to the doll-sized sink in the kitchen wall, found a glass, and drew a drink of water. I didn’t intend to be nosey but I couldn’t help but give a peek out the window to see the individual who was robbing me of my slumber. And there she was, slouching against a tree not ten feet away. Her face was in shadow so I couldn’t tell if it was someone I’d met. Her voice was clearer now, and honestly, I didn’t mean to—didn’t want to eavesdrop, but before I knew it, I was listening right along to her sing-song, expletive-punctuated conversation.”
Cat’s paw cover reveal contest winners to be announced shortly. See you all November 10th!
October 7, 2016
CAT STUFF, by Mollie Hunt, reblogged from the Fire Star Press blogsite
Got cats? Got cat stuff? Check out my September blog post, Cat Stuff, from the Fire Star Press Blogsite.
http://firestarpress.blogspot.com/2016/09/cat-stuff-by-mollie-hunt.html
October 6, 2016
CAT’S PAW COVER REVEAL, Only 4 Days Left!
What is a cover reveal? I wasn’t sure when I was told that, as an author with a new book coming out, I should have one. So naturally I googled it. This is what one blogger said:
“A cover reveal is exactly what the name implies. It is a one day event that showcases your new book cover. Let’s face it, it’s exciting to see that new cover for the first time.”
They also said:
“Giveaways are optional, but they do increase participation from readers. Everybody loves free stuff. Especially free books, because books are awesome.”
Then they mentioned that the Cover Reveal package would cost me $55 and would I like to schedule?
Being cheap, I declined. Maybe I shouldn’t have; judging by the puny fan response to my Thunderclap Campaign (which continues through October 26 if you still want to support) a lot of my friends are busy with their own lives. I think that’s a good thing, even if it means there are less of you to join me seeing the new cover.
Is the blogger right? Do you think it’s exciting to see a book cover for the first time? I know it’s a thrill for me when I get it from the publisher, all shiny and new. I hope you feel the same.
And there is a giveaway. Guess which wonderful Leslie Cobb cat painting will be on the Cat’s Paw cover and win 2 signed copies of Cat’s Paw! Visit Leslie’s website at Cat Art by Leslie Cobb and check out all the possibilities. Comment your guess in the form below (or on the Facebook event page) by October 9th. I reveal the cover and notify the winners on October 10, 2016
Hint #1: It is one of Leslie’s 2008 – 2010 series.
Hint #2: There is only one cat in the painting.
Hint #3: They are often overlooked in shelters.
I want to thank Leslie Cobb, Cat Artist, whose gorgeous and poignant paintings are featured on the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series’ covers. Her work adds so much to mine, and I hope you check out her website for even more beautiful cat paintings and prints.
Cat’s Paw, the new Lynley Cannon Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery, will be launching November 10th. If you’re in Portland, join me at Another Read Through independent bookstore, 3932 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227 at 7:00 PM.
There is also talk of a signing event at Purrington’s Cat Café here in Portland… Stay tuned.
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September 29, 2016
WHAT I’M WATCHING: ASCENSION
Drama, Sci-Fi | TV Mini-Series (2014) (on Netflix)
“A young woman’s murder causes the subjects of a century-long mission to populate a new world to question the true nature of the project as they approach the point of no return.”
I just finished watching the Sci-fy Channel miniseries Ascension and enjoyed it but…WTF?
Here’s the plot: Back in the 60’s, a group of scientists head up an ultra-secret mission to colonize a far-away planet, thereby saving a hell-bent human race. Since this isn’t Star Trek, the journey is multi-generational: travelers will be born and die without ever touching earth.
50 years into the mission, things start to go wrong. The microcosm, which has morphed into a blend of Father Knows Best and Connery’s James Bond, live structured lives from the moment they are born. Class conflicts arise between the lower decks and the higher echelon. The smart and cute XO Aaron Gault (Brandon P Bell) was born into those lower ranks, a fact the privileged never let him forget.
Of note is a stable of sexy stewardesses run by the captain’s wife Viondra Denniger (played wonderfully by Tricia Helfer). Their purpose is to please the male population while furtively gathering secrets to promote Viondra’s and her husband’s position. The captain is an ineffective man who has no clue his wife runs the show. Because it’s an extremely limited environment, the interaction between characters takes soap opera to a whole new level.
The plot weaves, becoming Alice-like: curiouser and curiouser. People are put to the test; a child holds a mysterious power; the experiment itself has facets only known by a few. Stuff happens; there is sex and violence; running and hiding; accidents, explosions, and general mayhem. The storyline leads ever deeper, becoming ever-more intriguing until…
No spoilers here, but I will say Ascension left me with the feeling one gets when a show is canceled without notice and the writers have to scramble to find a plausible end to a story meant to go on much longer.
The costumes are exquisite, capturing an evolved Kennedy-era stylish opulence. The sets are detailed, true to the early 60’s or what might have evolved out of that period in the space ship’s half-century stasis. In spite of loose ends, it was a fun piece of sci-fi. I think I’ll probably watch it again and see if I may have missed something. Let you know.
September 21, 2016
GRIEF, a poem
It still comes
With the surprise of a cut finger
Sliced by a sharp knife,
Deep and acute;
Or s lashed by a dull blade,
Ragged and hurting,
The memory of loss.
September 19, 2016
MORE ZUCCHETTA PHOTOS
With the onset of rain here in Portland, the zucchetta vines are going crazy. They have snaked throughout my garden and into my trees, dangling their long squash like semi-obscene fruit. The blossoms, still gorgeous, are fewer now, and there are so many ripe zukes, ranging from a good 10″ x 1″ to a horrendous 6″ x 32″, that I’ve set up a free stand in front of my house.
