New Release - The Grandfather Cat

Announcing  

The Grandfather Cat - Cat Tales #7 

Just Released!

Nadia, a busy professional realtor, is excited to land a new listing: a quaint older home that she hopes will sell quickly. But after a hasty cleanup effort, the owners leave something important behind. And Nadia, already overburdened with work, must now deal with a bad-tempered, unwanted old cat.

This one is available right now on Amazon, and shortly will be available on B&N, iTunes, Kobo, and most other ebook distributors.

Let me shed a little light on how I came up with the theme for this story. My husband and I are of the age where our parents, and many of our friends' parents are nearing the end of their lives, or need to be in a retirement home shortly. And because my mind wanders is this direction, I always want to know what happens to their pets? What about the dear dog or cat who spent years giving comfort to a senior: keeping that person company, giving them emotional support and a reason for living?

Will someone take them in? Or will they be discarded like useless furniture?

The Grandfather Cat is the story of one old man's unwanted cat, and what becomes of him. I hope you like it.

And just for fun, I ended up introducing a couple of the characters from one of my earlier Cat Tales into this story. Hope you can find them!

Here's a little contest: Be the first person to identify them, and tell me what Cat Tale they were in - and I'll send you a free eBook edition of any of my other Cat Tales, or any novel of mine.

Enter your answer in the comments, and I'll contact you if you're the winner!

Thanks everyone! Hope you enjoy this one!

http://www.amazon.com/Grandfather-Cat-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B01CWCV5MK

The Accidental Kitten

Announcing - THE ACCIDENTAL KITTEN - Cat Tales #6 is now available.

As you know, we accidentally acquired another kitten, which I  blogged about here. That probably inspired the title, but not the story line. This one is a bit of a coming-of-age story, as a young man moves away from his family for the first time. And then of course there's a kitten . . . oh well, here's the actual plot summary:

Brian has left his parent's ranch and struck out for a life of his own. But renting a run-down apartment takes most of his money, and finding a job in the city proves difficult. When he meets a quirky young woman and then rescues a tiny kitten from certain death, things become more problematic. Brian can't afford a pet, and besides, he doesn't even like cats. What good are they?

This one, like the others in the series, is also priced at $0.99. Here's the link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Kitten-Cat-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B00X2P5YVK/

Hope you enjoy it! As long as you keep reading these Cat Tales, I'll keep writing them!

The Cat Who Came To Stay

A few weeks ago a friendly, half-grown bright orange cat wandered out of the woods below our house, meowing loudly. My husband was working there, and called the little thing to him. Then, kind man that he is, he cradled the small cat in his arms and walked it up the hill to me. "I think it's hungry," he said.

And indeed it was. The little orange cat tore into the dish of dry food like he hadn't eaten in a week. Then, starved for attention, he crawled into every lap he could find, and asked for all the petting we could give him.

But where did he come from? As the cat rested and made itself at home, I began calling neighbors (we don't have many) and even going further afield to some outlying houses. No one knew of a small orange cat.

Because we live in the country, I assumed that someone dumped this adorable cat. But then, he might have snuck under someone's vehicle and accidentally been transported from somewhere else. I watched the ads for awhile, and made some overtures to find an owner, but I kind of knew that was a lost cause.

We figured him to be about 4-5 months old. An absolutely gorgeous cat. We thought about keeping him, but that was a ridiculous idea. We were already overloaded with three lovely tabbies, and guess who's in charge of feeding and litter box duty?

Our cast of lovely felines included: Lucy, eleven years, our ex-barn cat, (found as a tiny kitten in a briar patch) who now arthritically totters around the house in her old age.

Lucy

Bugs, whose adorable face on the website of the local animal shelter made me drive there and bring him home.

Bugs

Fred, AKA Fred the Bad Cat, also adopted from the animal shelter. This cat morphed from trouble-making kitten to mouse and rat-killer extraordinaire.

Fred

How would my current cats take to a stranger? Alas, not well. When Fred walked in the door and spotted the orange newcomer, he began yodeling in an eerie, high-pitched "I will destroy the interloper" voice. It scared the heck out of me.

Little orange cat, however, just stretched out in the hallway and napped. "Do your worst," he seemed to say. "I'm pooped."

But I was sure a fight would happen soon. Would I have to lock them in separate rooms? Frantically, I phoned a couple of friends who had recently lost their old cats and might be ready for another. We had to find a home for this small cat. We could not keep him.

One couple came over and visited, but did not totally fall in love with him. "Take him with you," I pleaded. "Please." But the cat stayed.

Another friend offered to take the cat, but was leaving on a trip and wouldn't be back for 9 or 10 days. "Okay," I said, tentatively. "Maybe. Unless . . ."

I knew the window of cuteness was closing fast for this handsome young cat. Everyone wants adorable tiny kittens, and older cats are almost impossible to place. If I expected to find him a home, I needed to do it now. So I should have said "Yes. You can have him. Definitely."

 

The Toy Basket

But I am afraid to say (against all of our better judgment) that this little orange cat was worming his way right into our hearts. The first night he slept tucked up close against my husband. Then he proceeded to find every old bit of string or ancient toy mouse in the house and throw them up in the air for hours, before leaving them all over the hallway for us to trip on.

And of course I vaccinated him. And then I wormed him. And then I vaccinated him again, and got him a rabies shot. Now, he has an appointment to be neutered. Oh, did I mention that we named him Chester?

Chester

He and Fred are the best of friends now. They rumble all over this property, and tear through the house like wild ruffians every night. And I suppose we are now a four-cat family. *sigh*

People sometimes ask me where I get all of the ideas for my Cat Tales.

Silly People.

*grin*

Brand New

Hi Everyone - I am pleased to announce that all four of my Cat Tales are now available in one edition. And priced at only $2.99.

Available on Amazon, here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Tales-Books-Linda-Benson-ebook/dp/B00P5KMD28

These heart-warming stories, celebrating the bond we have with our pets, are suitable for the entire family and can be read in any order. Now enjoy the first four of the series in one volume - guaranteed to warm your heart in any season.

THE WINTER KITTEN - Brianna doesn't know how she'll make it through her first winter in Portland. When she finds a kitten trapped in the garage, nothing goes as planned.

THE SPRINGTIME CAT - When Dee finds an injured tabby, she has no idea of the surprises ahead. Can one cat heal an entire family?

THE SUMMER CAT - Spuds is missing, and Hannah's whole world comes crashing down. Did the horseshoer have a hand in the cat's disappearance?

THE AUTUMN KITTEN - Life becomes complicated when Grace falls for a pair of blue eyes she spots online. Will she let a kitten decide who she should date?

I would love to know which one of these is your favorite. Please share!

And very soon, I hope to have some more great news about one of my most popular books.
So stay tuned!

Coming Soon . . .

Hi Everyone! What have I been doing this Summer? Working.

Besides cutting blackberries, and endlessly watering plants and garden during a very hot summer, I've been writing The Autumn Kitten, which is the fourth in my series of short fiction called Cat Tales.

And I can't wait to share it with you! Pegged for a September release date, I'll post the cover as soon as I can.

But here's a bit of a teaser: the main character is Grace, a widow. Usually happy by herself, she does suffer from loneliness, and unwittingly gets involved in the Internet Dating scene. But then there's that pair of blue eyes staring at her through the screen of her new iPad, which causes her to act impulsively in a life-changing way.

Think these Cat Tales are merely little lightweight animal stories? Think again.

Oh, by the way: this time, the cat is a Siamese mix. Except for the old rescue cat, who . . .

Well, More Later!

Announcing - The Summer Cat

Big News, everyone! The third in my series of short fiction about cats, called
The Summer Cat, was just released.

When Spuds goes missing, Hannah's whole world comes crashing down, and an interloper who shows up only makes things worse. Can a faraway friend help find this special cat, or is it already too late?

Available as an ebook on Amazon for only $0.99, this is the third in a series called Cat Tales, all featuring different cats and their people. The other two are The Winter Kitten and The Springtime Cat (which leaves one season left, she says, fingers burning up the keyboard.)

The Winter Kitten and The Springtime Cat have been selling quite well. In fact, in the UK, they've often been in the top ten in their category, with The Winter Kitten even hitting #1 in Children's Books>Animals>Cats, more than once! (Thank you, Readers and Cat Lovers!)

I'm hoping for repeated success with The Summer Cat. Early readers have told me they loved it, and in fact, it made them choke up a little.  Lovely cover, too, don't you think?

So that's what I've been up to! Writing. (Also feeding cats. And dogs. And raising baby chicks, but that is another story entirely.)

Here's the link to The Summer Cat on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Cat-Tales-ebook/dp/B00KRPZLVQ/

Enjoy!

114 Books this year? Probably not

Yes, I am an avid reader. I love to read, and in fact it's one of my favorite things to do!

Because I am active on the Goodreads site (where members can post books they've read, want to read, and reviews, as well as find new books that interest them) I have happily accepted their reading challenges for the last three years.

How many books will you read this year? I was asked, each January. For 2011, since I was living in a rainy state which kept me inside for days at a time, I read a LOT. So I decided I could read 111 books.

And I did!

For 2012 - I similarly read 112 books, and for 2013, I chose 113 books!

Completed, and completed.

But I have to admit, last year I struggled. We had moved to an area with better weather, and I was outside hiking and gardening a lot, not to mention starting a new series of my own writing. So, instead of 113 actual novels, I filled in with lots of picture books from the library. (No this is not cheating, I decided. A book is a book.)

So this year, when Goodreads put the challenge up there for me to again accept, my first reaction was to go for 114 books.

But then, I decided I didn't really want the pressure (even though I was only competing with myself - lol.) I wanted to feel like I could dawdle over a book, cherishing it or reading slowly. Maybe I'd even take an entire month to finish something.

And I'm also busy writing more this year. My story The Winter Kitten is doing well on Amazon, and I am putting the finishing touches on a brand new one in the series, called The Springtime Cat.

So, no reading challenges for me this year. If I read 114 books, then so be it. But I hope to enjoy every single book that I do finish! And garden more. And hike more. And write more!

If you want to see what I'm reading on Goodreads, feel free to friend me there: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3421565.Linda_Benson

And stay tuned for details about my upcoming title: The Springtime Cat.

How Many Books do you usually read in a year?

Cats in Baskets

This post is about cats. Cats in baskets, in fact.

To start with, there are Big Cats in Little Baskets.

Of course I fit in here.

See? Just right.

You have a problem with that?

 

Of course, then there are

Little Cats in Big Baskets.

You don't see me.

I am totally hidden.

Oh. You mean you can see me?

 

That's all. Now you try it.

Find a Kitty. Find a Basket. 

Soon you, too, will have Silly Cats in Baskets.

Guaranteed.

Animal Records - A Simple Method

Since many of you that read this blog are Animal Lovers like me, I thought I'd pass on a tip that might help you keep track of their health.

Records. If you are like many people, you jot on your calendar, day runner (or maybe on your smart phone) when your dog/cat/horse/parakeet needs its shots/wormer/flea treatment/etc.

Or, maybe these dates get lost in the daily shuffle of things, and you sit around scratching your head, mumbling "When was it that Frodo got his last vaccination?"

Maybe because I'm a writer, I like to actually Write Things Down. Ha!

Maybe I'm super-organized. Not!

Maybe I've just had lots of pets/livestock over the years, and sometimes it gets really hard to remember.

So I've came up with a really simple system to keep track of everyone.

First, whenever we welcome a new animal into our family, I make a folder for them, which I keep in my file cabinet. Then, I make a little chart to go inside. At the top, it lists Name/Age/When We brought them Home. (We've had Frodo for 6 years? Really?)

I take a clean piece of paper - like this:

You can do this yourself in about 30 seconds, and mark your columns however you like:

Vaccinations/Worming/Shoeing-Trimming for a horse or donkey.

Vaccinations/Worming/Flea Treatments for a cat or dog.

Or whatever works for you and your animals. Yes, if you take them to the vet, the vet writes this stuff down (and sometimes sends you reminders.) But because I do a lot of these things myself, I like to remember when Frodo had his last treatment/shot/etc.

Hope this helps some of you take good care of your animals!

Kisses to all of your horses, cats, dogs, or parakeets (actually, I've never had a parakeet, do they get shots?)

Cat Comes Back

Guess who just showed up, meowing her head off, wanting to be picked up and made over? Lucy - our barn cat, who we haven't seen for about two months. I cried, brought her in the house, opened a fresh can of cat food, and found an old fleece jacket for her to sleep on.

What's so special about an old barn cat, you ask? Well, first off, all cats are special in this house. But Lucy, now nine years old, strolls in with a long story behind her.

She was found by my friend, at about one day old in a blackberry patch, one of six kittens and a starving mother. I took them home to my house, fed the kittens formula at first, until the mother gained some strength and was able to take over. Lucy was the runt. She had a tiny, malformed little face and I wasn't sure she would make it. But she did, and at a few weeks old, when we started the kittens on wet canned food, she stood in the middle of the dish growling at her brothers and sisters. That survival instinct must be why she's still here.

Although we found good homes for four of the kittens, and ended up keeping her brother and her mother (all of whom shortly got spayed and neutered) many of them met a bad ending. Coyotes, the road, and even people who think it's fun to shoot cats (don't get me started) all took their toll.

Lucy was once a spoiled house cat, but by choice decided she'd rather live outside. She moved first outside to our barn, and then to a group of tumble-down sheds next door. We have always kept food for her in the barn, and in turn she keeps it absolutely mouse-free. But stay in the house? Lucy would come inside for a little bit, where we'd bribe her with kitty treats and canned food and lots of petting. But soon, she'd spring for the door, wanting to be out in her world again - one that she seems to have mastered.

But because I know how old Lucy is, at nine years, I began to worry about her. Besides that, she has become increasingly feral, not showing her face at all for sometimes weeks or months at a time, or wanting to be seen or caught. So imagine my surprise when mid-day today I heard Lucy meowing in the bushes, over and over, obviously announcing her presence. Silly Cat. Within a few minutes, I had her in my arms and she was purring. Right now she is napping on top of the clothes dryer, perfectly happy. I wonder how long she'll stay this time.

This darn old cat, with a mind of her own, will always have a home with us. Inside or out.

Do you have a cat that comes and goes? Do you worry about them?

A Tale of Two Tabbies

There are birds in that feeder, Fred. If Mom would just let us out there, we could have them for dessert.

You know Mom doesn't let us out after dinner, Bugs. She says something about coyotes. Pfft. I ain't scared of no coyotes. I'd claw their eyes out.

You're an idiot, Fred. A coyote would have you in one bite. You young whipper-snappers don't know anything. I'm staying in here where it's safe. Hey, how 'bout another nap?

Nah, too boring. Let's go run across Mom's lap while she's trying to write. Hahahahaha.

Or, I can scratch on the furniture while Dad's watching the news. He can't even tell us apart, and I always tell him it's you that does it. Bwahahaha.

That's just plain mean, Fred. Anyway, Mom likes me best, and that's what counts. C'mon, let's go see where she put my catnip.

With thanks to my models, who both came from the animal shelter: Bugs on the left, and Fred (aka the Bad Cat) on the right.

To Catch a Cat

We have a long-haired black cat wandering around our place and occasionally peeking in the windows. When I open the door, she is gone like a flash. Is she wild, or did someone dump her? She looks sort of like this one:

I'm assuming it's a "she" because she looks a bit feminine, and lately she looks a bit pregnant. She is probably eating in the barn, because I leave food there for our spayed barn cat, Lucy. But if this black cat is pregnant, I don't want more wild barn cats running around. Not only do we have a big coyote problem (and sad to say, they eat cats) but I think cats should be spayed or neutered, so they don't contribute even more to the population of hungry, homeless cats.

So I borrowed a live trap, to try and catch "Blackie" and see if she is tame, or wild, or pregnant, and then figure out what to do at that point. (Raise and tame the kittens, get her spayed, something.)

Here is the trap:

You basically put food inside it, set the trap with the end wide open (it's in the closed position right now) and when the cat steps on the trigger, it closes and catches them. I've even used a blanket on the floor and a drape over the top so it appears more inviting.

But even though I've seen the black cat several times lately, do you think I can catch her? No.

All I keep catching in the trap is:

Lucy - our 8 1/2 year old barn cat - who is already spayed. And fat and sassy.

But we bring Lucy in for snuggles and loves each time, anyway.

Bet you didn't know I was such a Cat Lady, did you? Wish me luck, I am setting the trap again tonight. This time I'm adding a sign: "Black Cats Only."

Fred the Bad Kitten - the Ambush

Fred the Bad Kitten is growing up. He's ten months old now - is that still a kitten?

He plays outside during the day, and catches voles and mice (good kitty.)

He hasn't learned how to catch birds yet (thank goodness) but he's trying.

His newest method - The Ambush (as demonstrated below):

If I sit here perfectly still, I know a birdie will fly by.

(They can't see me, can they?)

Waiting. Waiting . . .

Oh well. Bor-ing. Think I'll get down now . . .

except this is harder than it looks . . .

Maybe I'll just wait down here on the ground for the little birdies.

Here Birdie, Birdie . . .

Must Love Cats

We've been thinking for awhile of getting another dog. As I've blogged about before, we currently have the Best Dog Ever - a lab mix named Homer.

But the truth is, Homer is lonely. Oh, he won't say it in so many words. But as an outside dog, he spends his days looking in the window or waiting at the door for someone to come out and spend time with him. And although we do play with him every day, when I'm at the computer for hours writing, Homer spends a lot of time at the window. Waiting.

But it's hard to find another Good Dog. We don't want a puppy, and I'd never get a dog from a breeder, because there are too many wonderful dogs waiting at the animal shelter that need to be rescued. Still, we have a lot of qualifications for a new dog, and we're picky. Here's what we're looking for:

1) Must Love Cats. Have you read Kathi Appelt's wonderful book called The Underneath? One of the characters is a hound dog named Ranger, who adores and protects cats and kittens. Our dog Homer is like this (all of our four cats LOVE him) and we need a dog who has been around cats and won't chase them.

2) Short hair, low maintenance, must live outside (except for brutal weather conditions when we do bring our animals inside.) Size - medium to medium-large.

3) Must be good with livestock, and not inclined to chase donkeys or horses. (For obvious reasons.)

4) Must be all around good natured, with no biting, fighting, or excessive barking.

5) Must stay home. We don't allow our dogs to wander, and we much prefer a dog who just likes to lie on the porch and sleep. *grin* A bit on the lazy side is just fine.

Yes, that's what we're looking for, and hopefully it's a dog that Homer will like and get along with. If the dog is still young enough and not too set in its ways, maybe it can learn from Homer how to be another Best. Dog. Ever.

I'll let you know how the search goes.

So tell me - do you have a good dog?

How did it end up coming to live with you?

A Friend to Animals

I was going to write a post about our adorable kitten Fred, sometimes known as Fred the Bad Kitten, or Fred the Sweet Kitten, or Fred Get Out of the Sack of Ribbons, or Fred Get Away from the Christmas Tree Before You Knock it Over, and other such nick-names. We got our wonderful kitten Fred from the animal shelter about three months ago - and he has filled our home with love and laughter (mostly.)



But on the way home from town, with my last minute shopping accomplished, I thought of all the other animals up the shelter, and I swung into the grocery story one last time and bought a sack of cat food. I drove by the animal shelter to drop it off, and while I was there, I stroked the fur of a few lonely cats starved for attention.



Then I put a leash on a black lab, took it outside for a walk in the grey December chill, let it run free in the outside pen for a bit, gave it lots of love, and afterwards shut it away inside its concrete kennel.



I wanted to do so much more. I really don't want to spoil your Christmas by announcing the percentage of these animals who will never make it out of the shelters. But it's high.

But what if we all cared a little more? Made a donation to the Animal Shelter? Bought a sack of pet food and dropped it off at the nearest shelter, either before or after Christmas. Took one half hour of your day occasionally to walk a dog or pet a cooped-up cat. Spread the word to your friend or neighbor about the importance of getting their dog or their cat spayed/neutered.

Or maybe go down to that shelter and see if there isn't one of those animals that wants to come home with you this Christmas? Or for the New Year?

Be a Friend to Animals!

Fred, and his friends still left at the shelter, say

"Thank You Very Much!"

The Nap Cat

Fred, our shelter kitten, got his feelings hurt when I posted a picture (see my last post) of a darling sleeping kitten that I borrowed off the internet. No sooner did I mention that Fred never slows down and always zoom-zooms around, he promptly fell into an adorable nap . . .

in my purse.
"I may be 3 1/2 months old now, but I'm still cute too, right?"

*Yawn*

"Right, Mom?"

Fred

Can I just say that I've been trying very hard to write a literary post about writing or revision, or to have another author interview on this blog (which I promise I will very soon) but everytime I sit down to write one of these very important things, I cannot get anything done at all because something jumps in my lap and that something is this very adorable kitten we just got named Fred.


Actually Fred is my husband's cat. I went to the Animal Shelter last week and adopted him because although we have one barn cat named Lucy, and one animal shelter cat named Bugs, and one feral cat we found in our attic that is not very tame at all named Xena, none of these cats would come to my husband because they are all very shy and so he needed his own cat. So I picked this cat out for him because he is not a bit shy and so my husband named him Fred and he sleeps in my husband's lap and when he is not sleeping he is getting into everything and being bratty which is why I am typing so fast so I can get this blog post written before he wakes up:

Because I forgot that when little kittens are not cuddlingpurringnapping they are racingchasingattackingeverything and whoops, he's awake now I gotta go . . .

Shelter Animals - Writing your Passion

When we first moved to this area over six years ago, I went to the local animal shelter to volunteer my time. I am a staunch animal lover, and wondered what I could do to help. After a short afternoon of training, I was allowed to walk the dogs and pet the cats, with the idea that it would help their loneliness and perhaps allow the animals to become more adoptable.

I kept up this routine for a few months. I'd take a choke chain and leash, wander down the concrete aisleway, bombarded with the frantic barking of manic dogs standing on their back legs with paws against the chain link gates that held them in. I'd pick a dog that appeared fairly friendly and looked like it wouldn't knock me over. I'd slip the chain collar over his head, drag him (or it would drag me) out the front door of the shelter and give the poor animal a few minutes outside the confines of his prison. Sometimes I would turn the dog into a fenced outside yard and allow him to sniff and smell around. Eventually I moved on to the cats.

We adopted two of these kittens.

Cats are my most favorite animal in the world. Seeing them trapped in their tiny cages, plaintively wailing to be let out, or depressed, hunched in a ball in the back of their cage, blocking out the world, almost broke my heart. Still, I persisted, stroking them under their chins, cuddling the pitiful kittens, crowded in cages together for sometimes weeks at a time.

It broke my heart, especially knowing the awful percentages: roughly 50% of dogs and 75% of cats in shelters are euthanized each year. And I'm certainly not knocking animals shelters. They do the best they can with limited resources and the overwhelming onslaught of unwanted animals. But I kept thinking - surely there is something more I could do? Raise money for the shelters? Volunteer at pet give-aways? Give speeches to educate people on the need to spay and neuter their animals?

But how much of a difference could I make? Really. One person. And then, as I became more focused on my writing career, I started to realize that perhaps I am making a difference, in the best way I can, my own way. Because without being directly aware of it - kindness and compassion for animals creeps in to every single story I write.

illustration by Nancy Lane, from my novel FINDING CHANCE

The main character in my novel might be a girl, or a boy, but in every single novel I've written so far - a starving dog, a neglected horse, a lost cat, or an animal that needs to be saved - has crept in under the radar. Not by direct choice - because I've never been a fan of books for kids with overt "lessons." But these situations find their way into my books in a more subtle way.

One of the reasons I'm such a big advocate of putting children and animals together is that caring for/about an animal (even in the pages of a book) is one of the ways young humans develop compassion, responsibility, kindness, and respect for living things.

And just as one unspayed mother cat and her offspring can reproduce more than 400,000 kittens in her lifetime - can the power of one child, or many children, reading about animals - help them develop traits that will ultimately make the world a better place for humans, as well as a more compassionate place for all animals?

Although I cannot take in every animal I'd like to bring home, I hope I've found the very best way to help dogs and cats and kittens in shelters everywhere. I will stay home and write about them.

A Winter's Morn

The thing about dogs is that they're always happy to go . . .even if it's just to the barn to feed on a thirty degree foggy morning.
Did I hear the barn doors open?

These ears don't miss a thing, and I got here first, hee hee hee.

Wait. . . wait. . . don't give her all the grain.

I'm coming. I'm coming . . .

I'm Here! Is that my grain pan you are rattling?

Catch any mice last night? Lucy get off the hay, please.

Are we done yet? Is it my turn now? Finally . . .