Animal Stories ... In the beginning

Yes, I know I promised the escapades of K.C. and Pooh, but I thought it might be more appropriate to show the progression of pets first.

Once upon a time, my (ex) husband and I went to a shelter to find a dog (for him). When we got there, this woman (me, who is a cat lover) went into the cat room and fell in love. I bonded with my new friend, and went looking for my (ex) husband. He "HAD TO HAVE" a dog. Except he couldn't decide which one.

Ex: This one. No, that one. No, wait.
Shelter worker: Do you want a big dog or a little dog?
Ex: Big one. No, maybe a medium sized. What about that one?
Shelter worker arches eyebrows: I think you should go home and think about it, and then you can come back tomorrow.
Me: I want this cat.
Shelter worker: Happy to help you, ma'am.

We go home. Sulking ensues.

Ex: We went to the shelter for a dog, and you came home with a cat.
Me: But you couldn't decide. They wouldn't give you one just to give you one.

After much discussion, and since it was just a whim for him, I made the decision. Told him which dogs I'd be willing to live with (since he didn't know, as long as it was a dog).

We found a beautiful dog from a litter in a private home who changed my mind about being a doggy mommy. Dog and cat "grew up" together and were great friends all their lives. And the dog? Guess who got her in the divorce? (hint: not the one who HAD TO HAVE a dog - he left her behind. Instead, she stayed with the one who loved her).

Pets and Friends with Pets

A little something different today.

As I'm writing the next Epitaph installment, both my main characters are on-the-go, travel a lot, busy kind of people. Workaholic, even, to a certain extent. That doesn't mean they both wouldn't LIKE a pet. One of the things I considered for them on a first date was a trip to a shelter to socialize some animals, play with them, scratch that itch. One of the characters (I won't tell you which one) opted out for the reason they weren't sure they could leave without one, and that wouldn't be fair to the animal.

As many of you may (or may not) know, I share living space with a cat. She's been with us a very long time now, which amazes me considering she was a couple weeks shy of being a feral cat. She was found in a dumpster and *someone* decided I needed to keep her. I had another cat at the time, and was trying to wean myself, but I am also a believer in having two pets when one works so they can entertain each other while you're not there to love and cuddle them. Her "older brother" died a few years back, and as a senior citizen, she's happy not to have to contend with anyone else right now.

Once upon a time, I also had a dog (one of the rule of "two"). A beautiful Sheltie. I'm not a dog person, per se, but I loved her for the time I had her, which was longer than her cat sibling lived.

Animals are funny. Some dogs are friendly, some - not so much. Some cats are social, others not so much. I have a bad habit of scooping up a cat when I'm visiting a friend's house, and the cat doesn't always appreciate that. But I love cats (I saw in a whiny voice). One of my friends' jaw dropped when I picked up "Mac the Cat" and he didn't put up a fuss. He was probably just as taken off guard as she was, and he let me cuddle and pet him before I realized I wasn't expected to do that and set him down gently with a sheepish smile. But me and cats? well, we understand each other. Dogs on the other hand? I always ask before I try to pet a dog. And asking "is he/she friendly?" isn't always the right question. Any animal on any given day might not be! So I ask, "Can I pet him/her?" and then I allow the dog to smell my hand first so it can "accept" me.

I could tell you dozens of stories about my two cats, about how the one would lay in the middle of the floor and wouldn't care if you petted him, and the other was "invisible." I could tell you stories about the games they played with each other, but then you'd be spending all day reading this post!

{clearing my voice, adopting announcer voice} Tune in next week for the escapades of K.C. and Poo-Pooh.

Do you have pets?

Running Just to Catch Myself

So as I was contemplating what to share with you all this week, I had an idea about recycling an old post. I may have mentioned this is the busy time of year for me, a time when I struggle to maintain my sanity. As I was scrolling back in my posts to find that brilliant idea I wanted to expound on, I realized I posted the same thing twice. Granted, it was two months apart, but with all the other things going on in my life right now, I just plain forgot. What other things, you ask? A couple of deaths in the family, making an offer on a house. You know. Nothing stressful.

Anybody else have those moments when you lose track of what you're doing because you're juggling too many balls? And then one hits you *smack* in the head? How come nobody pointed this error out to me? 😨💬

These are the moments where you stop, take a deep breath, and regroup. For me, these are the times I usually retreat into my writing cave to decompress, but since these are all things that require me to be "present in the moment," I can only dart to that cave for small spaces of time.

I'm thankful to have family support to help me through the rough spots. A walk with The Big Guy. Spending time with my daughter and her little bundles of love. A visit from One Young Son. Support from my sisters. I am well and truly blessed.

And I am getting *some* time in that writing cave. The next book in the Epitaph series is coming along - maybe slower than I'd like, but I'm managing to get words on the page. While I'm getting my act together, you can buy that first book in the Epitaph series for less than a cup of coffee this month. EPITAPH is on sale through March. Start at the beginning (although I should mention these books are all stand-alone) and if you find you like the families, each of the siblings has their own story.

Thanks for your support.

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My favorite reads of 2017

I'm a bit late with this - my apologies, but 2018 has gotten off to a rocky start!

I've gone back to take a look at my favorite books of 2017 and thought I'd share them with you. While I enjoyed many other books, these are the ones I gave five stars too, the ones I would read a second (or multiple) time(s). If you'd like to read my reviews, you can pop over to Goodreads at this link and it should take you to my "reviewed books" page.

Perfectly Reasonable - Linda O'Connor

The Cinderella Deal - Jennifer Crusie 

The Girl with the Make Believe Husband - Julia Quinn

Perfectly Honest - Linda O'Connor

The Duchess Deal - Tessa Dare

Until There Was You - Kristan Higgins

Heather and Velvet - Teresa Medeiros

First Star I See Tonight - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper - J.L. Bryan

The Governess Affair - Courtney Milan

Animal Magnetism - Jill Shalvis

Perfectly Planned - Linda O'Connor

Ravished - Amanda Quick

Just the Way You Are - Christina Dodd

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