Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Avalon's last cat cartoon

Avalon's last cat cartoon


Thank you so much for having followed along all these years. To keep Avalon's beautiful spirit alive I'm writing a memoir about him. He'll also have a prominent place in all of my future novels, short stories and screenplays. Avalon will stay in my heart forever and I hope that there's something that will linger on in your hearts as well, because this special cat is so worth it.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

I will love you forever, my sweet little soulmate

Avalon

The day started perfect with Avalon's long-stretched daily ritual of kisses and cuddles in bed. I had planned to stay the rest of the day with him. I went for groceries early in the morning to be sure that nothing or no-one could separate us later that day.

When I came home 45 minutes later, Avalon had vomited all over the place and was pleading for help. I called the vet and he told me he would be there between two and three pm. Ten minutes later, I was already on my way to the vet myself because Avalon's situation had gotten worse. He was drooling and panting. At the vet's, Avalon put his little head against my belly and his front paws around my waist while the vet was performing several tests and treatments.

Less than an hour after we arrived, the vet discovered that the muscle around his heart had grown to a point that he could hardly breath anymore. He had no more than two weeks to live and would be in constant pain.

Avalon died peacefully in my arms today while I told him how much I loved him, how he had always been the one for me and how happy he had made me.

Never had I expected to love a cat so much. He was the one who taught me about love, about what it meant to love unselfishly. Our relationship was so fusional we could never be more than a few hours without each other. How I am supposed to live the rest of my life without him, I really don't know.

With Avalon I lost my soulmate, my purpose, my inspiration, the one great love of my life. Our love was the kind that transcended time and, I'm sure, will even transcend death.

I will love you forever, Avalon.

Avalon
Avalon
Avalon

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Must Worship Cats

Must Worship Cats Edie Ramer
Do you worship cats? Then our giveaway of Edie Ramer's Must Worship Cats should be right up your alley.

About Must Worship Cats

Only two years old, Cat is tired of being sent to stay with humans who don't appreciate her. She escapes the latest mismatch, deciding this time she'll choose who she stays with, not the other way round. But finding the perfect home is more dangerous than she thought, and for Cat, food and shelter are no longer enough. They must worship her.

About Edie Ramer

Edie Ramer is the award-winning author of Cattitude, Must Worship Cats, Miracle Pie and Mo's Heart, a series of cute books in which cats and other animals play an important part.

Giveaway details

To enter to win an ebook copy of Must Worship Cats, leave a comment below telling why you worship cats or if you know someone else who does. You can gain extra entries by sharing this post on Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and/or on a forum. Or by following this blog on Pinterest, Bloglovin, Facebook, Twitter and/or Google+.

Giveaway is open worldwide and ends June 17. Good luck!

Purchase

Monday, May 20, 2013

The Ex & Chasing Victory {book giveaway}

Today's giveaway is courtesy of Joanne Jaytanie and Sharon Kleve who are giving away ebook copies of their latest novels Chasing Victory and The Ex to one lucky reader of this blog. To enter to win, leave a comment below with your name and contact information. Giveaway is open worldwide and ends May 27. Good luck!

About Joanne Jaytanie and Sharon Kleve

Bestselling authors Joanne Jaytanie and Sharon Kleve met at a Peninsula Chapter, Romance Writers of America meeting. They found they had a lot in common. They both write paranormal romance and both incorporate animals in their books.

Animals have very important and special roles in both of their writing, but for different reasons.

For Sharon, it's all about her love for animals. She's written about horses, flamingos, drug detection dogs, a nutty ferret, mourning doves and a sweet puppy named, Cookie. They all have something to say and she wants to write about it.

In the Corny Myers Series, her heroine, Corny can speak to animals. She has a ferret sidekick that keeps her on her toes.

In Josey's Christmas Cookie, a sweet puppy brings happiness back into her Josey's life for Christmas.

In Valentine Special Delivery, a pair of mourning Doves play match maker.

Sharon has a sweet cat named Ardy, who is the most important thing in her life, except her husband of course. Time is always set aside during the day to play, love and feed Ardy. What she gives back is unconditional love.


Chasing Victory
Joanne Jaytanie is more of a dog person. She purchased her first Doberman for her 21st birthday. Tashia was her soul mate and anywhere Joanne went, Taisha went too. Having Taisha in her life introduced Joanne to the world of obedience and therapy work, and the duo grew and learned by trial and error. After marrying and moving to Washington State and buying a home with acreage, Joanne decided that Taisha needed a canine companion, so along came Misty.

Misty became Joanne's AKC obedience dog and immersed herself into the world of AKC. Joanne became involved in her local All-breed Dog Club, where she has served on the board for nineteen years, nine of which as President. The Doberman Pinscher Club of America and three other Doberman Clubs, where she has also served on their boards.

As the years went on Dax and Kes became part of the family, and Joanne started showing in Conformation. Kes was the first Doberman that she finished an AKC Championship on and then bred, keeping both Captain and Anya. Anya produced an outstanding litter, of which Tristan and Maya became Joanne’s first two homebred champions.

Joanne was on the path of applying to become a AKC breed judge. While in the back of her mind the need to keep writing kept pulling at her. She has left the days of showing dogs behind, but not her love of the breed or sport. There is a thread that runs through her Winters Sisters Series, and that is to portray her love of the Doberman. She does this by showing the reader the dogs intelligence, commitment, dedication, tenacity and unconditional love.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

$25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash giveaway

dolphins book The Storm Bottle
To celebrate the release of the dolphins book The Storm Bottle, author Nick Green is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash to one lucky reader. Giveaway is open worldwide and ends May 26.

About The Storm Bottle

Swimming with dolphins is said to be the number one thing to do before you die. For 12-year-old Michael, it very nearly is. A secret boat trip has gone tragically wrong, and now he lies unconscious in hospital.

But when Michael finally wakes up, he seems different. His step sister Bibi is soon convinced that he is not who he appears to be. Meanwhile, in the ocean beyond Bermuda’s reefs, a group of bottlenose dolphins are astonished to discover a stranger in their midst – a boy lost and desperate to return home.

Bermuda is a place of mysteries. Some believe its seas are enchanted, and the sun-drenched islands conceal a darker past, haunted with tales of lost ships. Now Bibi and Michael are finding themselves in the most extraordinary tale of all.

Praise for The Storm Bottle

‘I loved it… An absolute winner.’
- LA Weatherly, author of the Angel Burn trilogy

‘A writer who knows how to grip the imagination, make you sit on the edge of your chair, and make you laugh out loud.’
- Michelle Lovric, author of The Undrowned ChildThe Mourning Emporium and The Book Of Human Skin

‘If you only ever buy one Kindle book in your life (although that sounds a bit unlikely, now that I stop and think) this has to be it.’
- The Bookwitch blog.

Author Nick Green

Nick Green is a UK children’s and YA author, best known for his trilogy The Cat Kin, published in the UK by Strident Publishing and in Germany by Ravensburger, and also as a BBC audiobook. He has appeared on BBC radio talking about his books, and has been shortlisted for two UK children’s book awards. He regularly does school visits and other children’s literary events. The Storm Bottle is his first straight-to-Kindle novel.

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/26/13
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

You are my champagne

Avalon Turkish Van cat

<< so guilty of saying this to Avalon >>

Have you ever said something extremely mellow to your pet? What was it?

Friday, April 26, 2013

Cat-alogue

Imagine Film Festival
Imagine Film Festival

Do you remember that Avalon could be admired on the big screen at the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam thanks to the horror movie he played in? Guess whose picture the film festival chose to represent the film in their cat-alogue?

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Cattitude {guest post and book giveaway}

Cattitude Edie Ramer
Let's welcome Edie Ramer to the blog today. Edie is the award-winning author of Must Worship Cats, Miracle Pie and Mo's Heart, a series of cute books in which cats and other animals play an important part. She'll talk to us about her love of cats and how they inspired her romance novel Cattitude. Edie is also giving away an ebook of Cattitude to one lucky commenter.

Guest post

Vanessa and Avalon, thanks for having me at your wonderful place. I published CATTITUDE in 2010, and it’s still a special book for me. Before we lived with a cat, my husband and I were dog people. At the time, about twelve years ago, our latest rescue dog was used to being with a pack of dogs, and we actually adopted our cat to keep her company while we weren’t home.

That didn’t work out too well. The cat was scared of the curious, active and (to her) giant dog. They tolerate each other now, but as far as the cat is concerned, my office is her go-to place. (She’s curled on the chair beside me as I type.) She claimed me as her special person, and I immediately fell in love with her.

Though she’s small, she has a BIG personality. Like Belle in CATTITUDE, she can be a sweetheart to people she loves. And she has an attitude sometimes, too. But that’s where the resemblance ends. She inspired the book, but once I started writing, the fictional Belle was separate from the real cat.

Since then, cats and kittens have shown up in many of my books, from major roles to walk-ons. They’ve had speaking roles in three books: CATTITUDE, MUST WORSHIP CATS and MIRACLE LANE. In my work-in-progress, four cats have speaking roles. You can tell I’m a fan of cats now (fancatic?). I have dogs in my books, too, but not as many as cats.

Mostly I do this because in my real world, I like having cats and dogs around. Why not in my fictional world?

Now that I've told you about my cat, what would you like to tell me about yours?

About Cattitude

Have you ever wished to wake up one morning and be a cat? I know I have.

This is exactly what happens to the gorgeous heroine of Cattitude. Belle the cat isn't too happy with her new furless looks though and she will do anything she can to get back into her feline body.

It's just that she didn't count on falling in love with her former owner... Or that a CEO and beauty queen want to use up her nine lives...

Now is the chance to prove that anything a human can do, a cat can do better.

Giveaway details

To enter to win an ebook of Cattitude by Edie Ramer, tell us something about your cat in the comment section below (or, in case you don't have a pet, the reason you want to win this book).

You can gain extra entries by sharing this post on Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and/or on a forum. Or by following this blog through Pinterest, Bloglovin, Facebook, Twitter and/or Google+.

Giveaway is open worldwide and ends April 30. Good luck!


Purchase

Monday, April 8, 2013

Avalon at the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam


The Strangers Outside, the horror movie in which Avalon had a starring role, will play at the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam on April 12 and April 14. A unique chance to see Avalon on the big screen. Meanwhile, here's the trailer to get you in the mood.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Most popular dog breed in the UK

Most popular dog breed UK

Choosing the right breed of dog to suit your lifestyle requires careful consideration and thought. Each breed of dog will have different characteristics so it is worth thinking about factors such as how long you can spend walking the dog, the size of dog that you want and if you have a family then it is absolutely vital to choose a breed which is known for being good around children. The Kennel Club state that the most popular breed of dog in the UK is currently the Labrador and they have been a consistently popular choice for many decades. The breed is particularly known for its friendliness and patience which makes it the perfect choice of dog for a family with small children. A Labrador will also have a playful nature and will require firm training to curb their over enthusiasm but their intelligence and willingness to learn usually makes training easy. The friendly nature of a Labrador does mean that if you are looking primarily for a guard dog then a Labrador is definitely not the best choice. A Labrador may bark at an intruder but their playful nature means that they will normally greet all humans with enthusiasm as they delight in human company and attention.

A Labrador is not a small breed of dog. The Kennel Club specifies the height of a full grown male as 22 to 22.5 inches. A Labrador will require regular lengthy exercise and space to run around in during the day so they may not be the best choice for someone without a garden. Choosing a smaller breed may be the best option in these circumstances and Springer Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels and Golden Retrievers are also very popular breeds in the UK. Labradors also thrive on attention and human company so they may not be the best choice of dog if you are out at work all day and they would be left alone.

Many breeds of dog can suffer from specific genetic health issues and unfortunately Labradors are no exception to this. Many can suffer from joint problems such as arthritis in later life particularly if they become overweight so taking out dog insurance to cover potential vet’s bills is very important. Regular health checks by the vet will also help monitor any potential problems or weight gain. This is also one of the reasons why regular exercise is vital for a Labrador.

If you have the time to devote to training and to provide the exercise and stimulation needed then you cannot choose a better breed of dog than a Labrador. Their friendly nature and desire to please their owner will make them a wonderful companion and addition to your family.

* This is a guest post on behalf of RSPCA

Picture source: Labrador Retriever

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Animal Wise: The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures {book giveaway}

Animal Wise: The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia MorellToday's giveaway is courtesy of Random House who is giving away a hardback copy of Animal Wise: The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia Morell.

About Animal Wise: The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures

If you're as much in love with animals as I am, then this book will make you love them even more!

Without falling into the trap of anthropomorphism (believing animals have the same feelings as humans), Animal Wise discusses the emotions and cognitive abilities of animals. Each chapter digs into one scientific study, one animal and one emotional or cognitive ability. With easy to understand wordings, Virginia Morell explains the nature of the study, how it was conducted, the devices used, the results and the most likely interpretations. A fascinating read that will have you turn the pages wanting to find out more about our fellow creatures.

Here are a few examples of what you will discover in Animal Wise:

* Rats laugh. They love to be tickled (even more than petted) and they have a great sense of fun;
* Parrots are able to count and distinguish between colors and materials;
* Elephants have memories;
* Ants teach. They can quickly communicate new insights (such as the way to a new home);
* Parrotlets give each other names;
* Fish feel pain. Some fish can make quick, complex decisions;
* Some dogs have a vocabulary of more than one thousand words.

Animal Wise will give you new insights on the emotional lives of animals and I'm sure you will be citing this to your friends and family. As one of the best animal books of the year, Animal Wise is not to be missed. Let's to hoping this book receives some sequels.

Giveaway details

To enter to win, leave a comment telling me why you want to win this book. You can gain extra entries by sharing this giveaway on one or more of your social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, forum etc) or by following along through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and/or Bloglovin). Six possible entries per person.

Contest is open worldwide and ends April 5th. Good luck!

Purchase
Amazon *
b&n * Kobo

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Whiskers and Hairballs {book giveaway}

Whiskers and Hairballs
Today I'm giving away a copy of the book Whiskers and Hairballs: My Life As A Cat to one lucky reader of this blog.

About Whiskers and Hairballs

Whiskers and Hairballs: My Life as a Cat is a humorous, photo-illustrated picture book that chronicles the daily ups and downs of life as a house cat. With short, simple prose, this book is perfect for beginning readers or for anyone that loves cats!

Giveaway details

To enter to win a copy, leave a comment telling me why you want to win this book.

You can gain extra entries by sharing this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Google+ and/or a forum or by following this blog through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and/or Google+. Six possible entries per person.

Contest is open worldwide and ends March 25. Good luck!

Purchase

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Happy birthday, Avalon


Eleven years ago today... That's when my little Avalon came into my life. I fell hard for this cat and little by little, my focus, my love, my entire being it all shifted. Every day I am more smitten than the last and I love him more than anyone could ever imagine.
Happy birthday, sweetheart.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Unwanted Kittens {book giveaway}

Vinny & Violet, The Unwanted Kittens by Maranda Russell
Today's giveaway is courtesy of Maranda Rusell who is giving away a copy of her book Vinny and Violet: The Unwanted Kittens to one lucky reader of this blog.

About Vinny and Violet: The Unwanted Kittens

Based on a true story. Vinny and Violet: The Unwanted Kittens is about a couple of cats who were cruelly abandoned and left for dead by their owners. One of the kittens is extremely ill, so when they are found by a little girl named Ashley, it soon becomes a life or death situation.

Vinny and Violet: The Unwanted Kittens is perfect for animal lovers ages 7-12. Not only will the story warm your heart, it will also teach an important lesson about empathy and proper animal care. This story can be read aloud or enjoyed by independent readers.

Giveaway details

To enter to win an ebook of Vinny and Violet: The Unwanted Kittens, leave a comment below about why you want to win this book.

You can gain extra entries by sharing this post on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Google+ and/or a forum. Or by following this blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and/or Google+. No more than six possible entries per person. Open worldwide and ends March 22. Good luck!

Purchase

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Mama, I want to sing

Mama, I Want To Sing


What would you do or where would you go if you could traverse a wormhole through space or time just once? One safe round trip passage. Would you go back in time and talk some sense into a younger you? Go five years into the future and bring back the Wall Street Journal? See just how the heck the Great Pyramids of Giza were really built? View what the other side of the universe looks like? Kill Hitler?

Can I be cheesy? I would just like to go back to the day Avalon was born. I found him on the streets when he was about one and a half and I would love to know what he was like as a kitten :-)

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A Cat Named Mouse - The Miracle Of Answered Prayer {book giveaway}

Today's giveaway is courtesy of author Anna Alden Tirrill who is giving away a signed copy of her book A Cat Named Mouse: The Miracle Of Answered Prayer.

About A Cat Named Mouse: The Miracle Of Answered Prayer

The story of A Cat Named Mouse is an adorable and heart-warming story that will touch kids especially. Mouse's owner is a precocious 12-year old girl named Annie whose family loves Mouse as much as she does. But as Mouse is napping on a first floor windowsill one day, something happens - she tumbles out and she is lost to her family. This would be a nightmare for any pet owner, and no less for Annie and her parents.

The writing is appropriate for a middle school age-group and the word pictures painted are those that animal lovers would appreciate, including the formulating of an organized plan (including family prayer) to find their lost pet that they consistently follow daily until Mouse shows up again in what is clearly a miraculous way. Annie prays for God to protect Mouse and bring her back.

Giveaway details

To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me why you want to win this book.

Contest is open worldwide and ends March 11. Good luck!

Purchase
Amazon b&n * Kobo

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Love Saves The Day by Gwen Cooper {book giveaway}

Love Saves The Day by Gwen Cooper
Today's giveaway is courtesy of Gwen Cooper, who is giving away a signed hardback copy of her latest bestselling novel, Love Saves The Day.

Summary

When five-week-old Prudence meets a woman named Sarah, she knows she's found the human she was meant to adopt. For years their lives are filled with love and the unchanging routines Prudence craves. Then one day Sarah doesn't come home. Prudence realizes that her life has changed forever.

Suddenly Prudence finds herself with Laura, the daughter who hardly ever came to visit Sarah. It could take years to train her in the feline courtesies and customs (for example, a cat should always be fed before the humans, and at the same exact time every day) that Sarah understood so well. Prudence clings to the hope that Sarah will come back for her while Laura tries to push away bad childhood memories. With Prudence's help the hidden love and good memories will come to the surface and Laura will learn that the bond of love between mother and daughter never dies.

Review

If you love reading pet blogs (and I suppose you do if you're here), this will be just the book for you. Love Saves The Day is written in exactly the same style as many pet blogs: told mainly from a cat's perspective, easy to understand wordings and phrasings, and with the familiar cat wit and philosophy.

But Love Saves The Day is more than just the story of a cat. It's also the story of the cat's family and friends and how the bond of love holds them together in times of difficulty.

Sounds sentimental to you? Well, it is. But aren't we all sentimental when it comes to our pets and family? I have to admit that I was a little slow to get into this story because it was so obvious, but by the end Gwen Cooper succeeded in making me cry on nearly every page of this cute book.

Giveaway details

In order to win a signed hardback copy of Loves Saves The Day, you have to do one or more of the following:

* Leave a comment below telling me why you want to win this book;
* Share this giveaway on one or more of your social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, StumbleUpon, Tumblr, forum, etc);
* Follow this blog through GFC, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and or Pinterest).

Leave a separate comment for each action you took so I can count it accordingly. No more than six entries per person.

Contest is open to US only and ends March 7. Good luck!

Purchase
Amazon * B&N

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Klutzy Love by Sharon Kleve {book giveaway}

Klutzy Love by Sharon Kleve
Today's giveaway is courtesy of author Sharon Kleve who is giving away a dog pin and an e-copy of her cute romance novel Klutzy Love to one lucky reader of this blog.

About Klutzy Love

Corny Myers possesses the unique ability of speaking with animals. She pursues her lifelong dream of becoming a pet detective while an unexpected romance blossoms with a handsome narcotics detective. Throw in a prankster ferret and you have the perfect recipe for an entertaining read.

Giveaway details

To enter to win a dog pin and a copy of Klutzy Love, leave a comment telling me why you want to win this book.

You can gain extra entries by sharing this giveaway on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, StumbleUpon, Tumblr and/or a forum. Or by following this blog on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and/or Google+. Leave a separate comment for each action you took so I can count it accordingly (with a maximum of 4 possible entries per person).

Giveaway is open worldwide and ends February 24th. Good luck!

Purchase

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Hollywood's next big thing

Avalon in the horror movie The Strangers Outside
Avalon in the horror movie The Strangers Outside

Screenshots of Avalon's appearance in the horror movie The Strangers Outside. What do you think? Is this feline movie star Hollywood's next big thing?
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