So I am told that I have been derelict in my duties to the cat-loving public...
Annie, my co-author has advised me that I simply can't take all the credit for Hauntingly Familiar. She was, you may remember, the beautiful cat who first graced the front page of this blog. She recently learned that I changed the photo for one that my sister-in-law took as a possible front-cover photo for the book. I think it looks great, but is that good enough for her?
PHTT! She told me. Which is really quite bad language for a cat of her senior years, but I told her that I had to change it. People were asking things like, "Which one is Virginia?" and "Why are that cat's eyes so red?"
Highly distracting, as you can well imagine.
So I changed it, and did so (apparently) without consulting her. To make up for the error, I have told her that I will try my hand at creating a page just for her comments. (I trust you will understand if there is an unnatural obsession with Temptations cat treats threaded throughout.)
Annie, a Snow-Shoe Siamese (yes, it's a real breed) has been my writing companion for a number of years, and while we acquired yet another Siamese two years ago she hasn't given up her place of honor, the pillow I keep on my desk just for her. She follows along while I type and interjects a well-articulated comment when she feels I am straying from the point. Usually this is accentuated with one graceful paw being raised in the air to swipe at my left ear...
She's been trying to teach Koko (our Chocolate Point) a thing or two and she tells me he's a little slow to learn, but I think he's catching on. He joined our family for Christmas, 2009 and was immediately nick-named "Jingle-Kringle the Angry Elf", as he went from room to room, yelling about practically everything. It turns out he's extremely opinionated, but aren't they all?
It's tough getting the time to write in this fast-paced world of ours, and I do not yet have the luxury of being a full-time author, so Annie's natural tendency to police the cat presence in my office is actually a good thing. I hope you will enjoy her comments, and feel free to leave your own. She might actually read them.
Yesterday, Koko forgot Annie's golden rule:Writing is my gig. Get your butt off my pillow. As I made my way up the stairs to my office, a truly dreadful noise filled the air and cat fur wafted out into the hallway like smoke.
I kept my distance at that point and had a sudden craving for tea.
