A Love Affair with Torties

It’s a pleasure and a delight to welcome my friend, fellow blogger, cat expert and author Ingrid King to Thoughts in Progress today to talk about one of the joys in her life – tortoiseshell cats.

Ingrid has just released a new book, TORTITUDE: The Big Book of Cats with a Big Attitude. It’s a fascinating book I review here last Wednesday.

Please join me in giving Ingrid a warm welcome as she joins us to talk about her “Love Affair with Tortoiseshell Cats.” Welcome, Ingrid.

I’ve been owned by tortoiseshell cats, affectionately known as “torties” by those of us who love these beautifully colored cats, for the past two decades. There’s just something about these cats with their unique personalities, often referred to as “tortitude,” that appeals to me. Maybe it’s because I can identify with their strong sense of independence. Maybe it’s because they seem to live by their own rules. Whatever it is, I’m a tortie lover for life.

It all started with Virginia, a high-spirited cat who I first met during an interview for the hospital manager position at a Virginia animal hospital. Partway through the interview, a beautiful tortoiseshell cat walked into the office.  Virginia proceeded to walk over to me, looked up at me, and then dug her claws into my legs and used them as a scratching post. At the time, I wondered whether that was part of the interview – a test, perhaps, to see how I would react?  I certainly ended up using a similar technique many times when I interviewed potential staff members – seeing how they reacted to my office cat sometimes told me more about how they would be with animals than anything they actually said during the interview. In hindsight, I realized that, of course, this was the moment Virginia marked me as her own. For four years, she made my office my home away from home.  When her miscellaneous health problems caught up with her, we let her go on a sunny April morning. I held her on my lap in the office, surrounded by all the people who had been a part of her world, as she took her last breath.

After Virginia came Amber. Amber and her five kittens were brought to the Middleburg Animal Hospital by a client who had found the little family in her barn.  Despite being emaciated and scrawny-looking, Amber’s eventual beauty was evident even then.  She was a dark Tortoiseshell color, with an amber-colored heart-shaped spot on top of her head, which became the reason for her name.  Her kittens found new homes in fairly rapid succession. 

However, nobody was interested in the beautiful mommy cat.  She spent her days in the big adoption cage in the hospital’s waiting area, but with the constant inflow of homeless kittens that is typical for spring and summer, nobody wanted to adopt an adult cat.  I had recently lost my almost sixteen-year-old soul mate cat Feebee, and the grief over his loss was still very fresh.  I did not think I was ready for another cat, but coming home to an empty house was becoming increasingly difficult.

One weekend, I decided to take Amber home, “just for the weekend”.  She never left my house again until her passing in 2010 after a sudden, brief illness. Amber was a wise old soul in a feline body, and the inspiration for The Conscious Cat.

Buckley came into my life in the spring of 2005. After Virginia died in 2002, my office at the animal hospital felt empty, but the right cat to succeed Virginia in the very important position of office cat had not come along – until that spring day, when I walked into the kennel area of the hospital and saw a cute little tortie in one of the cages all the way in the back. It was love at first sight for me. After that first encounter, I knew that she would become my new office cat.

A year later, I left my job at the animal hospital to start my own business. Initially, I thought I could live without Buckley, but eventually, I missed her too much, and a couple of months later, Buckley came home with me, and shared Amber’s and my life for the next two years, before she passed away from complications related to her heart disease. Buckley changed my life in ways I never could have imagined and inspired my first book, Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher.

I currently share my life with Allegra and Ruby, two young tortoiseshell cats who came to me at seven and nine months of age, about a year apart. You can follow some of their adventures on The Conscious Cat (www.ConsciousCat.com) and on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/consciouscat). They both have tortitude in spades.

Ingrid, thanks for joining us today and sharing your love of torties with us. Having been owned by a tortie myself, I can say they are amazing creatures and will forever have a place in your heart once you’ve been around one.

Now for those who aren’t familiar with Ingrid, here’s a bit of background on her.

Author Ingrid King with Ruby

Ingrid King is the author of five books, including the new Tortitude: The BIG Book About Cats With a BIG Attitude. Tortitude is available from Amazon now, and will be in stores February 5.

For more information about Ingrid, please visit www.ConsciousCat.com.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during Ingrid’s visit. Have you ever had any interaction with a tortie? Be sure to drop by Ingrid’s website for loads of information about cats, even if you aren’t owned by a tortie.

Adventures in Veterinary Medicine by Ingrid King

We all strive to find a career that not only provides for our family’s wellbeing, but is also fulfilling and enjoyable to pursue.

It can sometimes be a difficult task to discover such a job. However, author Ingrid King has learned that sometimes finding that perfect career is closer than you imaged and comes from the most unusual source.

In her latest release, ADVENTURES IN VETERINARY MEDICINE, King tells how she unexpectantly came to have a career in veterinary medicine. At the time she had been employed in a completely different field and had never really considered a career dealing with animals.

This charming book also gives a behind-the-scene look at what really goes on in a veterinary hospital. King’s impressions are through the eyes of a former practice manager, as well as a pet owner. These insights are told by way of heartwarming stories about animals and incidents King observed first-hand while working in the veterinary field.

King shares delightful tales about pets, their owners and the people she worked with during her career. She explained the work was sometimes difficult, but always rewarding. She also expressed the joy, as well as the sorrow, she and the veterinarian staff encountered while working with various animals throughout the years.

If you have ever spent time in a veterinary waiting room, ADVENTURES IN VETERINARY MEDICINE is a must read. Even if you’re not a pet owner, this book will give you some insight on finding that dream job, This is a quick read that will have you smiling and probably shedding a few tears too.

Author Ingrid King’s website is www.IngridKing.com and she also blogs at www.ConsciousCat.com.

Adventures in Veterinary Medicine: What Working in Veterinary Hospitals Taught Me About Life, Love and Myself by Ingrid King, The Conscious Cat, @2013, ASIN: B00EF5X8DW, Digital Download, 192KB, 34Pages 

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Thanks for joining me today. Hope you’re having a fun Saturday and find time to read.

Purrs of Wisdom by Ingrid King

I was delighted some time back to discover that my friend, fellow cat lover and blogging buddy Ingrid King was publishing a new book. Learning the book was compiled from work Ingrid has done through her blog, The Conscious Cat, I knew the subject matter would be both informative and entertaining.

I was right on both counts and much more. With that in mind, I’d like to share my thoughts on Ingrid’s latest release, PURRS OF WISDOM. Before I do, however, let me stress that while the book does incorporate the love cats and their actions -- it is most definitely not just for cat lovers. There is much to learn from this engaging book whether you are a pet owner, pet lover or not.

PURRS OF WISDOM: CONSCIOUS LIVING, FELINE STYLE by Ingrid King

While dealing with pets can sometimes be frustrating and nerve-racking, for the most part pets provide unconditional comfort, love and joy in our lives.

It is with the latter in mind that PURRS OF WISDOM comes to life. Author Ingrid King skillfully illustrates how pets, especially those of the feline persuasion, can enrich and calm our lives if we pay attention.

The author has compiled this book in such a way as to draw you in, relaxing your tension as you read. She relates how various cats have come into her life and helped her, sometimes taking her life in unexpected new directions.

Through short essays about conscious living, King points out how one can center themselves and gain a bit brighter outlook with a little practice. She gives examples and explains that paying closer attention to our cats and their attitude can also give additional insight to helping us feel calm.

King highlights various faucets of life from multi-tasking to lack of energy to negative outlooks and more. She gives simple, concise tips on managing not your life, but how you react to what life deals you. One example is learning to be grateful for even the simplest things amid all the ups and downs of life.

PURRS OF WISDOM is an ideal book to add to any cat lover’s library. However, one doesn’t have to have a cat or even like cats to find enlightenment in this charming book. The reader merely has to want to improve their outlook on life and how they handle life in general.

With the holiday season upon us, we are more rushed than normal trying to accomplish everything on time and perfectly. Taking a few minutes here and there to enjoy PURRS OF WISDOM might just help you survive the madness of the festivities and live a more serene life year round.

The newly released paperback edition of this book includes additional chapters and photographs.

Author Ingrid King’s website is www.ingridking.com

Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style by Ingrid King, The Conscious Cat, @2012, ISBN: 978-0988343702, Paperback, 144 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure - An eBook copy of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you take time amidst the chaos of life to give thanks for simple things like the sunshine or that delicious first cup of coffee in the morning?

Author Deborah Barnes: How Does One Become An Author

I am always amazed at the intriguing people you can meet while blogging. I have meet one such person in author Deborah Barnes, whom I meet through another wonderful friend, Ingrid King at The Conscious Cat.

Please join me in welcoming Deborah. She is the author of THE CHRONICLES OF ZEE & ZOEY - A JOURNEY OF THE EXTRAORDINARILY ORDINARY, a nonfiction book that combines a warm, humorous, and conversational style of writing with stunning photos and charming artwork. Readers are immediately immersed into the world of Zee, her lovable male Maine Coon cat, and Zoey, her high-spirited female Bengal cat, as they share their amazing relationship and bond that formed between the two of them. What makes this story so compelling, is that Deborah narrates the journey of the cats through the personal trials and tribulations of her own life and how they ultimately taught her to be a better person during a very difficult time in her life. Readers will easily be able to relate to the many moments she share with the cats – from moving, to divorce, to single parenting, to unemployment, as the story is wrapped into the general context of everyday life.

Deborah is here today to share her take on ‘How Does One Become An Author?

For as long as I can remember, I have been a writer. It was not until now, with the completion of my first book, THE CHRONICLES OF ZEE & ZOEY -- A JOURNEY OF THE EXTRAORDINARILY ORDINARY, that I could claim I was an author. My writing began in typical fashion – scribbling with lipstick on the bathroom mirror as a toddler that  elevated to a career as an Executive Assistant for over 25 years, whereby brilliant business letter after brilliant letter were crafted, only to have the credit taken by the manager in charge who signed his or her name to my words. I was also always assigned with the task in my family of writing the perfect verse for a greeting card or a signature for gifts and flowers. Granted, I was honored to be asked, but the task hardly had publishers knocking at my door.

Zee

Although I had always wanted to write a book and was encouraged many times throughout the years to do so, like so many others with dreams, I put it off thinking, “Yeah, maybe one day I’ll get to it,” without actually believing it. Well, completely unplanned, one day did come in the form of two major events – Zee, my lovable male Maine Coon cat, and Zoey, my high-spirited female Bengal cat fell madly in love and subsequentlyy had a litter of kittens together. The other event – I was unexpectedly laid off and had a lot more free time on my hands.

The birth of the Chronicles began unsuspectingly as a weekly series of emails that I sent to various family members and friends documenting the growth process of Zee and Zoey’s kittens with a humorous narrative that was complimented by photographs taken by my fiancé, Dan. These emails were sent out religiously every Friday morning and soon became a sensation, as many recipients clamored for a book. All seemed well and good, but literally seconds after I hit the “send” button on week 7, I was called into my supervisor’s office and life forevermore changed as I was out of a job. 

Zoey

The process that followed was a long and difficult road, filled with many deep, dark holes, uncertainty, and severe depression. I knew I wanted to write a story about my cats, but emotionally, I was not capable of being an author with any authority or talent. Being unemployed in my late 40’s was a lesson in humility and I found it difficult to function. I had envisioned a cute and sweet story filled with adorable kittens and humorous antidotes – being that I couldn’t even muster the energy to smile, this was a task too large for me to tackle. As it turns out, my cats and kittens were far wiser than me and were about to teach me some invaluable life lessons.

It was through them, that I began to see life through their minds eye and the personal revelation was profound. Cats live without judgment and in the moment. They do not dwell on circumstances, and, as long as they are loved, fed, have clean litter and a lap to nap one, then life is good. It was then that I realized I had a story to tell and a message to teach – I wanted to use my cats as more than a cute story about kittens climbing up a curtain. I wanted to use an honest, conversational, warm, and humorous style of writing to share a story that really explored the very real core of being a cat – how they express feelings and emotions, not just with one another, but with the world at large. I felt whether you were a “cat person” or not, that the journey of the chronicle itself, is something we all can relate to in one way or another and I became convinced I needed to share my positive feelings as they did, i.e., to “embrace the ordinary in life and dare to make it extraordinary.” 

Once I grasped that simple but profound concept, from that point on, I really truly understood how simple the message was and how rewarding, limitless, and fulfilling the possibility could be and I tried to look for those silver-lining moments all the time to help me appreciate my life all the more, despite how it seemed on the surface sometimes. If an explanation is in order – just imagine a bug walks across the floor – for a cat, in a split second, life magically transforms from “ordinary to extraordinary” as they spend endless minutes in fascinated pursuit of this non-descript moment in their lives. It’s all in how you perceive the moment. As people – take a rainy day for example. Rather than find it to be a hindrance, perhaps it is a stolen moment for a much needed nap or a chance to snuggle on the couch to watch an old movie. 

The writing began to flow with abandon after that point and I knew I wanted to immerse my readers into that simple concept. I felt by creating a heartfelt and inspirational story that was narrated through everyday events that anyone could relate to, coupled with stunning photos and exquisite artwork, that the reader would experience the very concept of “from ordinary to extraordinary.” I wanted this book to be an experience for my readers and I truly think I have achieved that goal.

I cannot wait to share this story – I know it has made me a better person today and I hope it will give people a few laughs and inspire them to think in a different way about their lives as well.
 
Authors Note: I am thrilled to announce that November 1st, 2011, is the official launch date of the book release and the unveiling of my new website and book trailer. Please mark your calendars to stop by www.zeezoey.com for a visit – I can guarantee you that I continue my vision of “from ordinary to extraordinary” as you are treated to a visual masterpiece from the moment you enter the site! I will also be on tour with “Pump Up Your Book Promotions” from November 14 to December 16, 2011 and you can find all the details at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/10/12/the-chronicles-of-zee-zoey-virtual-book-publicity-tour-novemberdecember-2011/

Deborah, thanks so much for guest blogging today and sharing your journey to writing your book. It is truly awesome what our furry friends can teach us if we just take time to learn.

Now let me share a bit of background on Deborah. Born in Lansing, Michigan, and moving dozens of times in her life, Deborah currently resides in the tropical paradise of Coral Springs, Florida, with her fiancé Dan, and their seven beautiful cats that were the inspiration for THE CHRONICLES OF ZEE AND ZOEY. She has two sons - Chris, 26, and Joe, 21, - who have long since moved out on their own. She has worked as an executive/marketing administrator for over 25 years in various fields, but has always found writing to be her primary passion and true calling.

Have you learn lessons of life from your animals? If you’re a writer, do you include animals in your stories? If you’re a reader, do you enjoy stories that include pets? I hope you enjoy the photos of Zee, Zoey and their kittens. I couldn’t pick just one so I decided to share all.

Guest Blogger, Helen Brown

Today I’d like to welcome award-winning author and journalist Helen Brown as the special guest blogger here at Thoughts in Progress as she makes a stop on her virtual blog tour.

Helen’s latest release is CLEO, THE CAT WHO MENDED A FAMILY. In this book, Helen recounts the tragic accidental death of her nine-year-old son, Sam, and her struggle to come to terms with her loss. A few weeks after her son’s death, a friend comes bearing a gift: the new kitten that had been promised to Sam as a birthday present. Although Helen is initially wary of taking in the pet—claiming she’s “not really a cat person”— her surviving son, Rob, falls in love with the kitten, and Helen is eventually won over by Cleo’s playful attitude and loving heart. Cleo becomes an integral part of the family, seeing them through depression, divorce, sickness, several moves, and—eventually—new love, including the birth of Helen’s two daughters.  

She’s here to answers a few questions for me. In addition, I have copies of her book to giveaway to 2 lucky visitors commenting on this post. The giveaway is only open to residents of the U.S. (sorry) and will end at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16. Be sure to leave your e-mail address if it’s not included in your profile.

 
Before we get started, thank you for inviting me into your vibrant blogosphere. It’s an honor to be included.

You ask what inspired me to write “CLEO”. Back in 1983 when our nine year old son Sam was run over and killed our lives were blown apart.  We were traumatized and there was very little grief counseling could offer. A couple of times I believed my life was over.

Strangely enough, I was writing a humorous newspaper column about everyday family life at the time. The way I saw it I had three options – 1. Stop writing altogether (by far the most tempting) 2. Try to keep writing amusing little stories as though nothing had happened (hard work but possible). 3. Share our devastation with my readers. If the reaction was negative I’d have no qualms resigning.

In the end I chose the third option. I still remember sitting up in our bed, weeping into my portable typewriter (those things are in antique shops these days!) and relating the stark events around Sam’s death.

Within days letters from people I’d never met – readers – started pouring in. I was astonished by their generosity and compassion. Some of the letters were from other parents who had lost children. They were like flags waving across a stormy sea “The same thing happened to us,” they said. “We survived. You can too.” Those letters were the most comforting grief counseling I received. I spent the rest of my life feeling indebted to those wonderful strangers who’d been brave enough to share their sorrow.

It took nearly three decades for me to repay the debt by writing

“CLEO.”  If our story could help one grieving parent somewhere in the world I would’ve considered it a success. The most precious part of my website (www.helenbrown.com) is a Parents’ Section with responses from “CLEO” readers who have lost children. What I wasn’t prepared for was for “CLEO” to become an international best seller, embraced by a wide range of people, young and old, from different cultures all over the world.

The success of “CLEO” has shown me how human beings are all very much the same, no matter what their language, religion or

skin color. We tend to concentrate on the differences, but we all love our children and pets.

You ask if I have a writing schedule. My working day is based around a caffeine addiction. Once I’ve bullied everyone out of the house off to school and work I hurry across the street to a cafe that serves fantastic takeaway cafe lattes (I’m ashamed to confess the proximity of that cafe is one of the reasons we bought this house three years ago). One or two coffees will get me through to lunchtime, by which time I’ve usually done my best work.

Afternoons are for editing yesterday’s work, or taking a walk around the corner to buy food for the evening meal. My study walls are painted red. There’s a view through leadlight windows to an ancient apple tree. When the fruit is ripe parrots raid the tree and laugh at me from the branches.

Do I have another book in the pipeline? I’ve had countless emails from people saying they didn’t want “CLEO” to end. Fortunately, we have a new cat, Jonah, who’s crazy, vain and dysfunctional. The perfect subject for a sequel.

Helen, thank you so much for guest blogging here today. I appreciate you sharing how and why CLEO came to be. Looking forward to find out more about Jonah in the future. 

A little additional background on Helen: she is an award-winning New Zealand journalist and former writer of a syndicated weekly newspaper column. She is the author of nine books in addition to CLEO, including CONFESSIONS OF A BRIDE DOLL and FROM THE HEART: LAUGHTER, LOSS AND LIVING IN AUSTRALIA. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit her website, www.helenbrown.com. 

Helen is also answering questions for Ingrid at The Conscious Cat today, be sure and drop by there as well.