The Best Kind of Distraction - Jeannie Watt

I'm having trouble concentrating lately.

And every time I leave my manuscript unattended...

...it seems to write itself. And not necessarily in a good way.

Introducing my new kittens, Lizzie and Fiona. Lizzie writes. Fiona likes tea. 

I'll be truthful--I'd hoped to get a couple of Siamese-mix kittens when I headed to the Human Society to adopt my new babies. The Siamese were all spoken for, but there were a pair of tabby sisters in the next cage over. One of them reached through the bars at me and that was it. Lizzie and Fiona became to the newest four-footed members of my family. 

I also got a two-footed member, Bitsy, to keep my two-year old budgie company after he lost his companion.

The moral of this story is: Do not get babies while on deadline. It's distracting...but in the very best way.

Have a great day,

Jeannie

For more information on my latest releases, please visit my website.

Kitty excitement - Kandy Shepherd

Two exciting events for me in the last month:

EXCITING EVENT No. 1

I joined the ranks of the Harlequin Romance authors, with my first book to be published by Harlequin Mills & Boon, UK, early next year. I am, needless to say, thrilled and looking forward to sharing the details of my new story over the next months.

Meet Alfie and Ivy, the cause of great excitement in our household!

EXCITING EVENT No. 2

The excitement of adopting two little rescue kitties took some of the pain of losing my beloved Ancient Albert, who died last month just short of his 22^nd birthday.

A few weeks after Albert died—and I was feeling utterly miserable—our vet called. “We’ve just found a litter of kittens living rough in a McDonald’s car-park—and they look very like Albert.”

It was love at first sight for my daughter and Alfie

We rushed across to the vet almost straight away. Some part of me was hesitant, thinking we should choose a new cat completely different to Albert and his beautiful sister, Kira, who we lost age 18.

Alfie is such a handsome little boy!

But when we saw the kitties, and their poor little mother who was just skin and bones from looking after her babies under such adverse conditions, we knew it was the right thing. We decided to take two, brother and sister, so they had company in the scary new world (of being utterly spoiled!) we were taking them to.

Ivy, age 11 weeks,  keeps me company as I write

Meet Alfie and Ivy (the very apt names chosen by my daughter) who came home with us a week after we saw them, age eight weeks. They were terrified of us, and spent most of the first week under the bed, treating us to ferocious kitty hissings that made us smile.

They soon took over the bed!

Three weeks on, they are getting friendlier and happier with us every day. Is there anything more amusing than kitten antics? I spend half the day laughing—and being distracted from writing. I particularly love it when they leap up in to the air from all four paws, as if they had springs in them, turn around in mid-air, and pounce.

Animals who have had a bad start to life, and who have perhaps had cruel treatment from humans, are a little more difficult to settle in than those born into loving environments. But when they trust us enough to snuggle and purr with us, we feel honored...

In case you don't like cats but do like chocolate, I thought I'd share this!

What about you? Have you adopted a rescue animal—cat, dog or other? Was it a rewarding experience? Please leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

Her new contemporary womens fiction e-book, Reinventing Rose, is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and other e-book retailers. (And, yes, there’s a cat or two in it!)

Kandy’s romances include the Amazon bestseller The Castaway Bride, Something About Joe, and the award-winners Love is a Four-Legged Word and Home Is Where the Bark Is.

Watch out for her first release from Harlequin Romance in 2014.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com