Book Signing for Catscapades

Lily posing with our poster

Lily and I are looking forward to our debut book signing at Noah’s Apothecary in Ojai, CA Saturday, May 22 from 1-3 pm. I thought about taking Lily with me—she is a great ambassador for the book. But I decided that she is better off at home where it is quiet, there are no nosey dogs and people aren’t poking their fingers into her pen trying to touch her soft plush fur.

So I’ll be going it alone at the signing table greeting guests and talking about Catscapades, True Cat Tales, which includes stories about our newest addition, Lily, as well as many other cats.

A lot is happening fairly quickly with this book. Steve Dale featured it recently in his column, which seems to be syndicated everywhere—I’ve seen it in a St. Louis newspaper, one in San Diego; and another one in Gainesville, Florida, so far. The book is displayed at several pet and cat-related sites. The latest is Flippy’s site in Melbourne, Australia.

I’m getting orders and so are Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Oh yes, I notice that the stores downtown that have the book for sale are also selling copies.

I sold all the copies I had with me at a recent mini-class reunion—we call it the Old Broads’ Gathering. Several former classmates had their own cat stories. I’m collecting stories for the sequel—so send me yours, too. PLFry620@yhaoo.com

Lily is old enough now to have her booster shots and we’ve scheduled an appointment. She had such an awful reaction the last time we had shots, that I am going to request the antidote—which I believe is something on the order of Benedril—for allergic reactions. We used to request it for Winfield, our white odd-eye cat because his first experience with kitten shots was just awful. He was really, really sick. We had to rush him back to the veterinarian immediately upon returning home for a second shot and, still, he was sick, not eating, had a high temperature and seemed to be extremely sore to the touch for about 24 or 48 hours afterward. The vet assured us that if we had the antidote with the shots, he would not have another severe reaction. And this was true for the rest of his life.

Winfield died of cancer of the throat/mouth at the age of 14. That’s Winfield at the top of this blog page above little Lily’s picture.

Can’t make the signing? Order your book at http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

New Cat Stories Book to Be Released

We’re almost ready to go to print with the new perfect-bound (real print book) version of Catscapades, True Cat Tales. Some of you may recall that the original subtitle was, “Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats.”

This new edition includes over 40 stories and vignettes featuring over 3 dozen cats and kittens and 46 charming photographs. The stories are amusing, they’re touching and they’re real. If you like cats, you’re going to enjoy this book.

I will be offering a special discount for those who order the book during the weeks it is at the printer. Here’s the deal—pay $12.95 (the actual price of the book) and I’ll pay the shipping AND send you a FREE gift along with the book as soon as we receive it from the printer. If you’d like to get a jump-start on this offer, send me a check for $12.95 (per book desired), along with your shipping address (one address only). We will deposit checks when we ship the books. (California residents, please include $1.06 tax.)

Send you check to this address:

Matilija Press
PMB 123
323 E. Matilija St., Ste. 110
Ojai, CA 93023

Or call with your credit card information:
805-646-3045

Email me with any questions: PLFry620@yahoo.com

This offer is good only until the book arrives here from the printer—estimated date March 15, 2010.

Lily Is In Show Business

Lily has been awarded a place in Terzo’s Mewsical Society. She’ll be 5 months old September 1 and she is a pure delight. We are so pleased to see her doing so well after her horrible accident in June. As far as we or the vet can tell, Lily is at 100 percent again. Of course, she’s facing a little operation late next month—that’s when she gets spayed.

About her acceptance in the Mewsical Society—I got an email from Terzo’s mom, Bobbi Florio Graham saying that they had lost a few kitties from the line up and I thought she was asking for auditions. I responded that Lily would like to audition. Bobbi said that Terzo wanted to keep the number to 33 total and there was no room, but to send her photo along and that she would mention Lily in an upcoming blog. Welllll, I sent a photo of Lily playing the piano and another one of her lounging in a newspaper tunnel. Terzo saw the photos and immediately instructed Bobbi to write back and invite her into the fold.

It seems that they needed another composer (and because she knows piano…) And they thought that since she can read the newspaper, she could help with publicity. In Bobbi’s letter to me after I sent Lily’s photos, she said, “Ooh, I am so smitten.”

Lily is such a dear creature. She is probably the most trusting and social kitty I’ve had in a long time. After we’d had her for about two months, I ran into Nona, the gal who owns the property where these 15 kittens were born (to 3 different moms). She asked if Lily was friendly. I said, “Oh yes. She loves people and even little kids.” Nona said that she was surprised because all of the kitty moms are feral—so wild you can’t touch them—and the kittens were handled very little. Boy did we luck out. Nona also said that the mother cat is not pretty at all. Wow, the daddy must have been a gorgeous, loveable ragdoll cat.

Visit Lily, Max and all of the other adorable and clever kitties in Terzo’s virtual Mewsical Society at http://www.simonteakettle.com/musical.society.htm. Lily is toward the bottom and she’s the only one who has THREE photos.

Catscapades: The Book, Now Has 80 Kitty Cat Photos

It has taken us four generations of Catscapades books over the last several weeks in order to finally present the quality photos we were hoping for in the ebook and comb-bound book. We bought a new printer. We’ve asked for expert help. And we’ve experimented like crazy while Max and Sophie (our two formerly feral fur kids) looked on. When they gave their nod of approval, we knew we had it.

Max sauntered out of the room in search of a mirror so he could begin preening for his certain fame and Sophie began dancing in celebration of our success, while images of Golden Globes and Oscars swam around in her little tortie head.

As soon as I break through the learning curve and figure out how to add new photos to this blog, I’ll post photos of Max and Sophie (and many other cats—maybe even yours). The picture that glorifies this blogsite so far is of Winfield, the handsome dude who graces the cover of Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats. As you will read in the book, Winfield was no ordinary cat.

Order your copy of Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats today in either ebook or comb-bound form. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html.
In the meantime, have a furry, purry day.

Launching Catscapades

 How exciting is this? We finished the revised, illustrated edition of Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats today—on the same day as the Catscapades blog went live.

Welcome to Catscapades, where the subject is cats, kittens, kitties, felines—those furry, purry critters that we love to love. As soon as I learn how to post photos (maybe today), I will be sharing some of the pictures from the book, those that you send in and other random cat photos. I believe that I have enough kitty cat pictures currently on hand to post a new one to the blog every day for ten or fifteen years.

Here, we will share stories about our cats. We’ll discuss cats in the news, heroic cats, famous cats, ordinary cats and issues related to cats. I envision creating a community where good writing and good cat stories come together for the purpose of entertaining, delighting and, perhaps, enlightening those who appreciate cats.

So chime in, leave a comment, tell us about the cats in your life.

FYI, the revised, illustrated edition of Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats is available for purchase at http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

The ebook version is $10.00 and the color print comb-bound book is $14.00. Catscapades now includes over 80 photos of over 40 cats and kittens, and features 36 true stories and numerous vignettes about my own cats and those of others.

Do I have cats? Yes, I do. Currently, Dennis and I have Max, a robust 11-year-old formerly feral brown and white boy. His coloring resembles a snowshoe or a ragdoll cat. And we have Sophie, a petite 4-year old formerly feral tortie. Actually, she is technically a calico because of a white patch on her tummy, but from the topside, she looks all tortoiseshell.