Writing Bios for #Cat #Rescue ~ My New #Volunteer Job! #pets #adopt #adoptdontshop #cats #catlife #catsrule #love #catrescue #amwriting

My two rescue cats, Max and Jinx,
taking over my writing space
to alert me they're in need
of some treats!

I've been taking a break from writing novels, so I'm putting my creative writing energy into a cause I feel strongly about ~ pet adoption!  I found a position that is a great fit for me at Forever Fortunate Felines, through a site called Volunteer Match.  I'll be writing biographies for cats needing forever homes, and these bios feed to the FFF website as well as Petfinder and other rescue sites, along with pictures, videos, and medical info I'll be in charge of organizing and posting.

My 3 furbabies, Jinx, Max, & Otis

I'm thrilled that the bios make it to Petfinder, because I found my two cats - Max and Jinx - there, as well as a number of dogs over the years, including my current border collie mix, Otis.

Forever Fortunate Felines has rescued over 5,000 cats since its formation in 2019.  FFF rescues cats in urgent need (often from high-kill shelters) and brings them into foster care until they are healthy, socialized, and ready for adoption.  This amazing organization currently works with shelters in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, and is a 501c3 not-for-profit that vaccinates, spays and neuters, and microchips each cat during their time in foster care. 

Please consider pet adoption, and if you'd like to learn more about Forever Fortunate Felines, click here.  There are links for volunteering and donating as well - any and all support is very much appreciated!  Each cat adopted from FFF makes room for another cat to transition from a cage in a shelter to foster care and a forever home!  

Celebrating #BlackCatAppreciationDay and Researching Superstitions ~ Love My #BlackCats #Rescue #Cats

Max and Jinx <3

It’s black cat appreciation day!  I absolutely love black cats…I have had many in the past, and I have two right now.  Most people ask if this is due to my fascination with the paranormal, as most of my novels involve spooky ghost mysteries.  And that’s probably part of it—but a few other things weigh in.  For one thing, I think black cats are beautiful.  But I also am a strong supporter of pet rescue and adoption, and black cats are over-represented at shelters, which could be in part because many people are consciously or even subconsciously affected by the superstition surrounding black cats.  So, today’s post is dedicated to how this idea that black cats are unlucky came about.

The ancient Egyptians believed cats had magical powers, and regarded them as sacred.  In fact, they worshiped a feline goddess known as Bastet.  On the other hand, Druids feared cats.  All cats are nocturnal and appear dark as they creep through the night, sure-footed and stealthy even with no light to see by.  This gave all cats a mystical aura, but the color black has often been associated with sinister forces.

Black cats, along with bats and spiders, have long been considered by some to be bad omens.  Some cultures believed witches could turn into cats in order to avoid capture.  Black cats were also thought to be familiars—low ranking demons tasked with serving and protecting a witch.

Even with a limited understanding of diseases, societies throughout history were also able to see the connection between cats and outbreaks of plague.  Cats control rodent populations, and rats are carriers of many diseases deadly to humans.  This added to the idea that cats had powers beyond human comprehension.

Thus, an association with witchcraft and the occult, superstition, fear, and awe combined to make black cats a symbol of Halloween, the night when the barrier between the paranormal and physical worlds grows thin.

So, there you have it…a few reasons black cats are considered unlucky by some.  Personally, I cross paths with my Max and Jinx dozens of times each day, and so far I’m no worse for the wear.  So celebrate your beautiful black cats!  And, if you enjoy a little spooky suspense like me, try one of my books…there’s some steamy romance in their as well, so something for everyone!

My #Furbabies ~ #cats #dogs #rescue #pets

Cats Are Family is trending on Twitter, so I thought I'd repost my blog about my two sweet kitties...and my dog, because he's family too! 

I come from a long line of animal lovers, and growing up, we never had less than three pets at a time.  Generally, in my adult home, that’s how many we still have, although we’ve occasionally had four.  I’m passionate about rescuing shelter animals, so I try to balance my desire to “save them all” versus the reality of the size of our house, but right now we have two cats and one dog, and everyone gets along well.

A pet triangle on the couch.  Don't worry, guys,
I'll find another place to sit...

Otis came to us via PetFinder, a wonderful website that connects people looking to adopt a pet with animals available either in their area or even farther away, if transportation is available.  When we found Otis, I was looking for a younger dog, since we already had an older dog at home.  With two teenage boys and a husband who loves to jog long distances, we thought we would be a good fit for a more active dog that needed plenty of exercise.  Otis at the time was a 6-week-old puppy, likely a Border collie mix, who was found by the side of a highway in Alabama, along with his brother and mother.  A kind person brought them to a vet before they could get hit by a car, and from there, they made their way to foster care and were put up for adoption.  Once our application was approved, Otis (and his brother, Milo) were transported to New England via an amazing tag team of volunteers who take turns driving animals from states with overpopulated shelters to states with room to spare or new families already waiting. 

This was a tough case to crack

As a puppy, Otis would nap under the stool I sit on at the kitchen island that serves as my writing desk.  Knowing my tendency to lose myself in my fictional world, I would make sure a leash connected him to the stool’s leg so I would know he wasn’t sneaking off and getting into trouble.  Apparently he’s smarter than I am, because he quietly chewed though three leashes to sneak off without me knowing.  For the most part, socks, gloves, and papers were the only losses, but those were the puppy days of mischief and teething.  Now, Otis is a well-mannered and beloved part of our household.

Otis and Jinx

Our cats came to us via a local shelter.  About a year after Otis joined us, our beloved 17-year-old cat passed away, 4 years after his brother.  I was devastated.  But I knew it was an opportunity to provide a forever home to some cats in need.  I like to adopt cats who are already in bonded pairs, as they can sometimes be more difficult to place.  And I particularly love black cats, which might be related to my affinity for all things considered spooky and mysterious.  After all, I do write stories set in haunted houses.

Jinx and Max are another set of brothers, littermates who shelter volunteers hoped could be adopted together.  They keep each other entertained with their sneak attacks and their wrestling matches, and one thing they can agree on is that they’re always hungry.  They know how to bring that to my attention, too—they take over my writing space if they feel I’m not getting the message.

We interrupt this scene for a hungry alert 

Because I love pets so much, I tend to create characters that also have animals.  The heroine of Haunted Souls is actually a vet tech, and she and her son have a rescued tabby cat named Terrance.  And when a ghost follows them home from a haunted tour of an old jail, Terrance is immediately aware that an otherworldly presence is in the house…

A damaged soldier, a secret baby, and a
haunting mystery collide in HAUNTED SOULS
Steamy Romance spiked with Spooky Suspense

Thanks for stopping by, and share your furbaby stories below, I love comments :)

Celebrating #blackcatappreciationday + researching #superstitions! #cats

Max and Jinx - 2 yr. old brothers

It’s black cat appreciation day!  I absolutely love black cats…I have had many in the past, and I have two right now.  Most people ask if this is due to my fascination with the paranormal, as most of my novels involve spooky ghost mysteries.  And that’s probably part of it—but a few other things weigh in.  For one thing, I think black cats are beautiful.  But I also am a strong supporter of pet rescue and adoption, and black cats are over-represented at shelters, which could be in part because many people are consciously or even subconsciously affected by the superstition surrounding black cats.  So, today’s post is dedicated to how this idea that black cats are unlucky came about.

The ancient Egyptians believed cats had magical powers, and regarded them as sacred.  In fact, they worshiped a feline goddess known as Bastet.  On the other hand, Druids feared cats.  All cats are nocturnal and appear dark as they creep through the night, sure-footed and stealthy even with no light to see by.  This gave all cats a mystical aura, but the color black has often been associated with sinister forces.

Black cats, along with bats and spiders, have long been considered by some to be bad omens.  Some cultures believed witches could turn into cats in order to avoid capture.  Black cats were also thought to be familiars—low ranking demons tasked with serving and protecting a witch.

Even with a limited understanding of diseases, societies throughout history were also able to see the connection between cats and outbreaks of plague.  Cats control rodent populations, and rats are carriers of many diseases deadly to humans.  This added to the idea that cats had powers beyond human comprehension.

Thus, an association with witchcraft and the occult, superstition, fear, and awe combined to make black cats a symbol of Halloween, the night when the barrier between the paranormal and physical worlds grows thin.

So, there you have it…a few reasons black cats are considered unlucky by some.  Personally, I cross paths with my Max and Jinx dozens of times each day, and so far I’m no worse for the wear.  So celebrate your beautiful black cats!  And, if you enjoy a little spooky suspense like me, try one of my books…there’s some steamy romance in their as well, so something for everyone!

HAUNTED SOULS

GULL HARBOR

SILVER LAKE

DIVINE FALL

My #Cat Had Non-Recognition Aggression #cats #pets

My beautiful mom with 3 of
our pets, circa 1970

I've had pets my entire life, as far back into my childhood as I can remember. Usually at least three in the house, but never less than one.  I thought I knew quite a bit about pet behavior after all these years, and I did know enough to guess one of our cats, Max, had a possible bladder infection two weeks ago, and that something like that was serious enough to warrant an immediate trip to the Emergency Vet (of course, it happened on a Sunday).  I recognized some of the same symptoms displayed by a cat we had when I was a teen, and remembered male cats are more susceptible to bladder issues.  I was in the right ballpark, but it was much more serious than an infection--Max had a complete blockage of the urinary tract.  A life-threatening condition.  He was whisked into the back room, shaved and sedated, and then catheterized.  

This was, of course, terribly upsetting for the humans who love him.  And then I also worried about the effects of his absence on his biological brother, Jinx. These two kitties were born in a shelter together, fostered together until the reached the required age for adoption, and then adopted together by our family.  They had never even spent a night apart.  And Max required hospitalization for three days.

Jinx and Max on their favorite perch

I couldn't wait to reunite the brothers once I excitedly hauled the cat carrier back into our house.  I gently pulled Max out and set him on his favorite perch on the cat tree.  Jinx came padding down the stairs to greet me, and I scooped him up and set him beside Max, exclaiming, "Look who's back!  You're brother's home!"  

Jinx took one sniff of Max, then let out a nasty hiss as his fur lifted from his back.  With a low growl, he leapt away, tail swishing.  For the rest of the day, he stalked poor, tired Max wherever he went, swatting at him when Max was in range.  I was beside myself.  I've had cats all my life, and I've never, ever seen anything like this.  I even checked Max over to make sure I had brought the correct cat home from the Emergency Vet.

Once I had verified Max's identity, I called up Google, trying to figure out exactly what to type in.  Finally, I think I wrote something like "My cat came home from vet and other cat" at which point "hissing" filled in as a suggestion. Good enough.  I clicked and quickly discovered that this had happened to other people who had cats who were best buds before one headed off to the vet.  In fact, it had a name: Feline Non-Recognition Aggression.

On the one hand, I was relieved this was an actual thing, and not terribly uncommon either.  On the other hand, I was devastated.  My cats were so close, inseperable brothers, and now Jinx LITERALLY did not recognize his litter mate.  Max smelled different, like the other animals in the hospital and the IV meds that had been pumped into him for days.  His legs were shaved to allow access to his skin and veins.  And he'd been absent for three days.  Jinx behaved like I'd brought some unknown enemy cat into his house, and he was not happy.  And poor Max had no idea why Jinx was behaving that way. Could a serious illness and three days at the vet erase the two years they'd spent together, since birth?

Max's new haircut

There are a number of posts and articles that discuss how to handle Feline Non-Recognition Aggression, so if you're experiencing it yourself, there are suggestions out there.  Basically, you have to take things slow, and go through the motions of re-introduction as though the two have never met before.  I wish I'd known about the possibility of this occurring before I tossed them together, but at least I was able to find help quickly and start trying to fix things.  And thankfully, with all the pets we've had over the years, I've had lots of experience successfully introducing animals to each other.  The one thing I didn't know about was a type of diffuser that emits an odorless (to us) substance that calms cats.  I purchased one quickly here and plugged it in where they spend the majority of their time.  I kept everyone apart at night until things got better.  And, things DID get better, much to my relief.  So take heart if you've found this blog because you are experiencing something similar.  Max began to smell like himself again, Jinx figured out who he was, and their cozy relationship was back to normal after about four days.  Best buddies again!

I caught them grooming each other last night - yay!

Now, to figure out how to make them both like Max's new "special food"...

My Sick Kitty :( #cats #pets #cat emergency

Jinx (sitting) and Max (lying down)

Writing is my outlet, and it often helps me to deal with emotional situations.  So instead of the happy post I thought I'd be writing today, detailing our recent trip to Punta Cana, instead I'm sharing my anxiety over finding my cat extremely ill this morning, and then having to leave him at the Emergency Animal Hospital, in the hopes organizing my thoughts will help calm me down.

First off, I'm blaming myself, because the stress of being left with an unfamiliar pet sitter may have led to this, according to the vet.  But it's unrealistic to never take a family vacation, and we've certainly gone away before in the two years since we adopted a pair of brothers named Max and Jinx.  This isn't the first time we've had someone stay at the house, either, since we also have a high-maintenance (read: timid/fear-aggressive/high energy part-border collie) rescue dog.  But this time, I guess a combination of factors led to Max's illness, which has been diagnosed as FLUTD, Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease.

We arrived home late Friday night, around midnight, and the cats seemed fine...although I didn't spend a lot of time with them since I was exhausted. The next morning all seemed basically okay, and the cats were excited to go out in the yard for the first time in a week, since the pet sitter did not want to let them outside while she was responsible (understandable...I wish the two cats were happy indoors all the time, but they are not, and we compromise by allowing them out for a few hours a day.  Somehow this actually works and they don't go far).

But when Max came in, he didn't want any food, which is very unusual. Both of them usually eat quite a bit.  As the night wore on, I noticed he still wasn't eating much, although with two cats, it's sometimes hard to tell who is doing what--especially in terms of litter box activity.  But Max did let out a few plaintive meows, when normally he's much less vocal than his brother.

In the morning, I couldn't find him, and my husband just assumed he was sleeping in one of our sons' rooms.  But at that point I had pet-mom's intuition, and I absolutely knew something wasn't right.  I raced around the house, looking in all the regular hiding spots, terrified I would find a worst-case scenario.  I finally found him someplace he never is, lying against a wall behind a table in the basement, and when I touched his abdomen, he mewled in pain.

Of course this would happen on a Sunday, when our beloved regular vet is not in, so I raced Max to the closest 24-hour Animal Hospital, which was still a half-hour away.  It was $500 to even get in the door, but my gut was telling me this was an emergency, and I was right.  I told the front desk I felt like he might have a bladder infection, since I remember one of our childhood cats having similar symptoms.  They said that absolutely is an emergency and whisked him away.  But it was even more serious than an infection--he had a complete blockage, which meant he was unable to urinate at all.  Left untreated, he would die.

The first line of treatment was to prepare him to be catheterized, so they sedated him and also administered medication for the pain.  I was able to see him after that, and he appeared very calm for a cat who is usually quite skittish.  But I think he knew he was getting help, and certainly the drugs already flowing into his legs were helping.  I gave him a kiss and said goodbye.

Max and Jinx - Jinx and I and the rest of the family
can't wait for him to get home

The vet will work to eliminate the blockage and drain his bladder tonight, while also checking blood work and urine for infections.  Best case scenario is that Max will be able to urinate on his own tomorrow, after the catheter is removed, and I can bring him home in the afternoon.  A diet change may help to keep this from happening again, but apparently he will always be susceptible.

I don't want to think about anything beyond best case right now, but worst-case involves kidney damage, which would be awful.  From the initial tests, his levels are off-the-charts (bad), but that could come down with time if there's no permanent damage.  I also can't think about the already enormous bill, because I love my pets and there's no question I have to do whatever I can to help him, even if it causes some hardship in other areas for a while.

So all I can do at the moment is wait to hear, and say some prayers, and ask for prayers or good thoughts from anyone stopping by.  I'll post updates at the bottom once I get any.  And now I'm off to scour the internet for more information and the best ways to keep this from happening again.  Thanks for any healing prayers you can send!  

Celebrating #blackcatappreciationday + Researching #Superstition about Black #Cats

Max and Jinx - 1 yr. old brothers

It’s black cat appreciation day!  I absolutely love black cats…I have had many in the past, and I have two right now.  Most people ask if this is due to my fascination with the paranormal, as most of my novels involve spooky ghost mysteries.  And that’s probably part of it—but a few other things weigh in.  For one thing, I think black cats are beautiful.  But I also am a strong supporter of pet rescue and adoption, and black cats are over-represented at shelters, which could be in part because many people are consciously or even subconsciously affected by the superstition surrounding black cats.  So, today’s post is dedicated to how this idea that black cats are unlucky came about.

The ancient Egyptians believed cats had magical powers, and regarded them as sacred.  In fact, they worshiped a feline goddess known as Bastet.  On the other hand, Druids feared cats.  All cats are nocturnal and appear dark as they creep through the night, sure-footed and stealthy even with no light to see by.  This gave all cats a mystical aura, but the color black has often been associated with sinister forces.

Black cats, along with bats and spiders, have long been considered by some to be bad omens.  Some cultures believed witches could turn into cats in order to avoid capture.  Black cats were also thought to be familiars—low ranking demons tasked with serving and protecting a witch.

Even with a limited understanding of diseases, societies throughout history were also able to see the connection between cats and outbreaks of plague.  Cats control rodent populations, and rats are carriers of many diseases deadly to humans.  This added to the idea that cats had powers beyond human comprehension.

Thus, an association with witchcraft and the occult, superstition, fear, and awe combined to make black cats a symbol of Halloween, the night when the barrier between the paranormal and physical worlds grows thin.

So, there you have it…a few reasons black cats are considered unlucky by some.  Personally, I cross paths with my Max and Jinx dozens of times each day, and so far I’m no worse for the wear.  So celebrate your beautiful black cats!  And, if you enjoy a little spooky suspense like me, try one of my books…there’s some steamy romance in their as well, so something for everyone!

HAUNTED SOULS

GULL HARBOR

SILVER LAKE

DIVINE FALL

Meet My New #Kittens! #ShelterPets #Adopt #Rescue #Cats

Spazzy & Shadow when they
were kittens

Last month, I wrote about losing a cat I'd had for 17 years. That was so very hard for me - we adopted Spazzy and his brother, Shadow, when my oldest son was only six months old.  Now that kid is driving!  I miss both cats every day--Shadow died at 13--but I'm glad we were able to enjoy their company and share their lives for so long.

I'm a big proponent of pet adoption, so I decided since we have room in our home and our hearts, the best way to honor Spaz and Shadow would be to rescue two brothers from a shelter.  While I often try to go for the older animals that have a harder time finding new homes, our situation right now made younger animals the best fit.  A few years ago, we rescued a border collie puppy who was found on the side of the road in Alabama.  He rode a doggie train north to come to us, and adjusted very quickly.  But at three years old he is still a very energetic pup.  I decided a pair of older cats might not be as willing to adjust to his rambunctious behavior.  At best, they might be annoyed--at worst, they might not want to come out from under the bed.

I have an affinity for black cats--maybe that has something to do with my preference for writing suspenseful ghost stories and watching spooky movies.  I did a very popular post on why some people think black cats are unlucky.  Obviously, I don't - but this old superstition does hinder black cat adoption.  So when I found a shelter on PetFinder (a fantastic site!) with a newly surrendered pregnant black cat, I filled out paperwork for two male kittens (males are often less popular as well, but throughout my life, all my animals have been male except for one female cat, so I figured it's worked out well so far!).

At their Foster Mom's - what
wonderful people fosters are!

My application was approved, and once the litter was weaned, two of the boy kittens who seemed very attached to each other went to a foster home to stay until they weighed the required three pounds.  It was hard to wait! The foster mom put pictures up on Facebook in the meantime, and I got to see them grow.

Meanwhile, I made kitty preparations--new toys, fresh scratching pads, vet appointments, etc.  And I needed to name them!  I did a google search, and wow, there really isn't anything you can't find on the internet!  Lists of hundreds of suggestions for black cat names came up.  I knew I might change my mind when I met them, based on their personalities, but initially I liked Jinx and Jet.

On the shelter FB page, the foster mom later asked me if I had picked out names yet.  She said in the same comment that she'd been calling them Jinx and Max.  What a coincidence!  Of ALL the possible cat names out there, we'd chosen one in common.  Jinx was clearly meant to be.

Inspiration for GULL HARBOR's Max :)

And the name Max has significance for me as well.  My second novel, GULL HARBOR, has a special place in my heart.  This second-chance romance + ghostly mystery is everyone's favorite, it's been a #1 Amazon Bestseller on several occasions, and it is set where I live, on beautiful Cape Cod.  The male main character's name?  Max.

So, both names seemed meant to be.  And my kitties arrived here two weeks ago, and they are settling in nicely. They are even getting along with Otis (tuna fish is the best olive branch there is).  And they are just precious.  There's something so soothing about lying down to read with a pair of kitties curled up on your lap. Hopefully one of these days I'll be able to tell them apart without looking for the telltale tiny patch of white on Jinx's chin!

Max and Jinx at home!  Jinx is on the right (I think)...he has
a little white patch under his chin.  But his face is a bit more
angular too.  Max has a rounder face and is a bit more
outgoing while Jinx is more cautious but more affectionate.
They are both purr machines!

Saying Goodbye to a Beloved #Pet - #Petloss #Pets #RainbowBridge

Spazzy's picture for the 2014
Christmas card...isn't he
handsome for 17?

It's taken me a few weeks to be able to write about this.  My cat of 17 years, Spazzy, died in my arms on Sunday, April 12th.  He was very old, but still enjoying life, and while I knew he couldn't live forever, I also knew I would never be ready.  In a way, I'm somewhat glad I didn't have to make a painful decision about when it was time...that was taken out of my hands.  He began panting and stumbling, and it was over within the hour...he died in the car on the way to the emergency vet.

So I'm dedicating this post to Spaz and his brother, Shadow. I've always loved animals, and I grew up with a house full of pets and a horse that resided in our friend's barn.  That stable in Maryland was the site of many wonderful childhood memories, and it became the inspiration for the setting in my novel DIVINE FALL.

I managed somehow to have a dog, Bailey, throughout grad school, even though I had to live in a very undesirable apartment complex in order to have a dog with me.  He became my husband's dog too when we married, and he moved with us to Cape Cod when I was pregnant.  Once we had settled in to our new location and I'd had our son, I decided it was time to adopt more pets from the local shelter.

Spazzy and Shadow on their
first day in their forever home

My husband is not a cat person, but I convinced him, despite the fact that we had a 6-month-old child.  He came with me to the shelter, and a little black kitten came up to us quickly with a sort of "get me out of here" rush of affection.  I have an affinity for black cats, and I fell in love with this 6-month old black kitten (same age as our son!).  Then I promptly scooped up that cat's littermate, a black and white kitten, and explained to my husband that we couldn't possibly separate them...and two isn't much more work than one!

Their personalities dictated their names.  Shadow was loving but cautious, and it took him a little while longer to establish a friendship with Bailey.  Spazzy was...spastic.  He had no fear.  He would jump right in my son's little play yard and gently play with the baby.  In that instinctual way of animals, he seemed to understand he was dealing with another infant, and the claws never came out.  Spazzy was also obsessed with straws, and he learned to fetch them when we threw them.

Buddies

I had every intention of keeping them inside, but they were curious cats who found their way out time and again.  We installed cat doors and it worked perfectly.  My second son was born three years later.  I would put one child in a jogging stroller, strap the baby to my chest in a carrier, put the dog on the leash, and walk around the block every day.  And two cats would follow me.  People stopped their cars to stare at our bizarre parade.  When the kids got older, the cats would follow us to the bus stop on the corner.


As they got older, though, they spent the majority of their time indoors...mostly on our laps or on our beds.  Sadly, Shadow died at the age of 13.  By that time we'd said goodbye to Bailey and rescued Winston and Sweetie, two dogs, via the Petfinder website.

Otis and Spazzy,
hoping for a treat

Saying goodbye to a cat I've had since my oldest son was a baby was incredibly painful.  I miss him terribly, especially when I lay down to read.  He'd often settle right on my chest, fighting with my book for attention.  He'd plant himself on my lap when I was at my computer writing.  At dinner time, he and our newest rescue, a border collie named Otis, would wait patiently in hopes some tasty morsel of food would drop.

Spazzy and Shadow had wonderful kitty lives, and I take comfort in that.  I can't even imagine all the adventures they had.  And when I'm ready, I'll return to the shelter and pick out my new companion--and his or her companion--because two is better than one :)

Happy Holidays for Shelter #Pets - #ShelterPetLove

I love animals.  And I come from a long line of animal lovers, on both sides of my family.  Growing up, we had at least 2 cats and a dog in the house at all times; we also owned a horse that lived at my mom's best friend's barn (that's the setting I used as inspiration for the stable where Jamie keeps her horse in my Young Adult novel DIVINE FALL).  I have many fond memories of playing with the barn cats and "camping out" with the other kids on the patio, under the stars, while all the dogs that lived on the farm tried to squeeze into our sleeping bags.

My mom, waking up with 350,
plus two cats.  I love this pic.

We often took in rescues from shelters.  When my parents married, our first family dog was a St. Bernard named 350.  Why?  Because that was his cage number at the shelter, and that was how much his adoption fee was - $3.50.  Of course, this was 1969.

Sadly, my mom is gone...but I've continued the tradition of making animals a big part of our lives.  Right now at home we have a rescue cat (he's 16 now, and he's had several brothers over the years, both his actual brother and a few other rescues, but he's the only cat at the moment) and a rescue dog (see his story here) who is a 2-year-old Border Collie mix who could power the entire U.S. if we could figure out how to tap into his energy supply.  Luckily, my husband is a runner who takes him on 10 mile jaunts almost daily.

I wish I had a bigger house, a bigger yard, and a bigger income to be able to afford more.  If I could, I'd rescue them all.  Maybe someday we can have a farm too, that would have enough land to support a lot more.  In the meantime, I donate what I can to organizations that help homeless animals.

My younger son playing with one of the shelter cats

A few years ago, I decided our new Christmas tradition would be buying all the things on the local shelter's "wish list" and delivering it during visiting hours, with my kids, so we could also give the animals some extra holiday love.  The very first year we did this, the strangest thing happened on Christmas - a psychic medium at a party (who had never met me), gave me a message from my mother about this trip to see the animals.  More on that story here. While I write romance mixed with ghost stories, I'm a bit of a skeptic about "readings" and such.  But this was enough to make me believe some gifted people can talk to spirits, and I truly believe my mother wanted me to know how happy she was that we made that trip.

This is the stuff my sister got for
the dogs - she had a cart of
treats and supplies for cats too

This year, I posted some pictures on Facebook, in the hopes I might inspire others to visit their local shelters.  My sister saw the post and immediately said she'd do it too.  We live eight hours apart, which I hate, but I was thrilled that this gesture connected us in a small way for the holidays.  And I hope this tradition reminds my children of the importance of showing kindness to all the creatures of the world, especially those in need, and of the joy you can get from picking out presents for animals without a family.  My hope is that my boys, and my sister's girls, will continue the tradition with their children someday.  Happy holidays!

Black cats, Halloween, & a ghost story #giveaway

I love black cats.  I adopted two from a shelter 15 years ago, when they were about 6 months old.  Sadly, Shadow passed away last year, but the other is still going strong, even in his advanced years.  Spazzy has some white on his face and paws, and earned his name as a crazy kitten.  He is constantly on the prowl for a lap to snuggle in, so the minute you sit down in my house, be prepared to stay put a while.

Shadow’s name fit him as well.  He was skittish and wary, but also sweet and loving.  He was scared of most people, yet I saw him chase neighborhood dogs off our property more than once.  Shadow was completely black—dark and sleek and beautiful.  I would never think of him as a symbol of bad luck, but I can see how people might view black cats as mysterious and otherworldly.



I miss my Shadow kitty dearly

The ancient Egyptians believed cats had magical powers, and regarded them as sacred.  In fact, they worshipped a feline goddess known as Bastet.  On the other hand, Druids feared cats.  All cats are nocturnal and appear dark as they creep through the night, sure-footed and stealthy even with no light to see by.  This gave all cats a mystical aura, but the color black has often been associated with sinister forces.

Black cats, along with bats and spiders, have long been considered by some to be bad omens.  Some cultures believed witches could turn into cats in order to avoid capture.  Black cats were also thought to be familiars—low ranking demons tasked with serving and protecting a witch.



Even with a limited understanding of diseases, societies throughout history were also able to see the connection between cats and outbreaks of plague.  Cats control rodent populations, and rats are carriers of many diseases deadly to humans.  This added to the idea that cats had powers beyond human comprehension.

 

Thus, an association with witchcraft and the occult, superstition, fear, and awe combined to make black cats a symbol of Halloween, the night when the barrier between the paranormal and physical worlds grows thin.  Silver Lake, my debut paranormal romance, revolves around a restless spirit—the ghost, Brandy, is desperate to communicate with her living friends.  In order to help, Rain and Jason must reunite, and together they’ll face not only a haunted lake house, but their own painful past. 

My Spazzy kitty
loves boxes

            And while not central to the story, our heroine, Rain, owns a black cat named Minx.  I hope you’ll take a moment to read Silver Lake's excerpt and blurb below!  If you'd like to enter the giveaway for a free e-copy, please leave a comment with contact info.  Happy almost - Halloween J

Blurb:
 

Rain Anderson can't decide which is more unsettling—encountering the ghost of her missing friend, or reuniting with the man whose love she foolishly rejected. But one thing is certain: the past has come back to haunt her, quite literally.
 

Five years ago, Rain's tight-knit group of high school friends unraveled when one vanished during their senior year. Now, a parent's deathbed request has reunited the friends at Silver Lake, including Jason Lansing, the man Rain discarded. Rain and Jason discover the powerful attraction between them has survived, but though Jason is willing to forgive, he can't let himself forget. The possibility of falling for Rain again is too risky.
 

Slamming doors, crashing objects, flaring fires—clearly the ghost has a message to share. As Rain and Jason struggle to unravel the truth, they must face a desperate spirit in need of help…and a burning passion that refuses to die.

Excerpt:

            “I saw...a figure.  A figure with dark hair, and I think it was Brandy.”  She shuddered and put her forehead back on his chest. 

Reluctantly, he moved their bodies apart a bit and scanned her face.  He held on to her shoulders and asked calmly, “You saw Brandy?  Brandy is here?”

            She shook her head.  “No, I saw… like… an image of Brandy.  I woke up, because it was cold, and I saw something moving.  It was Brandy, I’m sure of it, although I didn’t see her face clearly.  And then she, um, disappeared.”

            “An image of Brandy?  Are you saying you saw a ghost, Rain?”  He was pretty sure she’d had another nightmare, but the way she had flown out of her room gave him the impression it had been an extremely vivid one.

            “I know, it sounds ridiculous.  But that’s what I saw.  And she sort of, well, went through the wall.  I’m sure you don’t believe me,” she added miserably, lifting her stormy eyes to his.

            He pulled her back into a hug before he could stop himself.  “I absolutely believe you.  Whether you were awake or asleep, you saw Brandy and that’s scary.  I don’t think we can deny that weird things are happening here.”

            Jason smoothed her hair and waited patiently for her trembling to subside.  If a ghost really was lurking in her bedroom, there wasn’t a whole heck of a lot he could do about that.  A rare sense of powerlessness caused his jaw to clench in frustration.

He stopped watching the door and instead focused on the gorgeous woman in his arms.  She clung to him, and his body responded to hers with a familiar ache.  He knew he was losing the battle to keep his feelings platonic.