books Archives - Cat Lady in the CanyonCat Lady in the Canyon

My long-time dream of making a book has come true. When I was a kid, I used to make books for my parents. I’d write stories, illustrate them then staple the pages together. And now I have a book that’s “real”, published by FriesenPress, a project that’s been in the making since 2008. That’s a long gestation period, but worth the wait.

It all started one night while gazing at the full moon on my deck while holding Lexington. Clouds moved in and covered the moon, which caused the question I asked of Lexington, “What happened to the moon? It disappeared!”

Find out what happened to the moon through the adventures of Topper and Lexington in Two Cats, a Mermaid and the Disappearing Moon. For those of you who’ve been following my blog since 2014, you know these characters and their mother, Miss Bella. I’ve kept these beloveds alive in this story, capturing their personalities as they explore the canyons and coves of Laguna Beach trying to find the brilliant full moon that’s oddly, disappeared from the night sky.

Topper and Lexington

Miss Bella

Although the story targets kiddos, let’s face it we’re all 6-year-olds at heart. Your kids and grandkids will love it, but go pour a cup of tea or glass of wine and escape into a magical world that actually exists. Mother Nature is pretty amazing. Check out my new page, “My Children’s Book” for the details!

And what does Samantha Jo think…?

As she helps me open the boxes of books, I can hear her whisper, “Mama…this is really cool, but when are you going to make a book about me?”

Getting to know Samantha has been not only entertaining but also very enlightening. It turns out that Samantha and I have quite a bit in common:

Samantha the Bookworm. Although I tend to be drawn to historical fiction and memoir, with my most recent favorite good read, The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, Samantha sticks to books that contain the word “cat” in the title, with her favorite being Men & Cats by Marie-Eva Gatuingt.

Music. Who knew that Samantha would be into music? I now get a helping paw when picking out CDs. In the below photo she selected a CD by the Rolling Stones, Forty Licks. After that we played Live at Blues Alley by Eva Cassidy (one of my favorite female vocalists—you must hear her arrangement of “Over the Rainbow”), which includes a sassy rendition of “Stormy Monday.” Some of Samantha’s favorite musical talents include Cat Stevens, The Pussycat Dolls, and The Animals, and her eyes light up when she hears Tom Jones belting out “What’s New Pussycat?”.

Yoga Kitty. Samantha amazes me with her flexibility and determination to hold an asana (yoga pose). And when I roll out the yoga mat she is right there with me watching my every move. When I’m in downward dog pose, Samantha reclines underneath me, forcing me to hold the pose as long as possible. And although she does a mean downward dog herself, I think her favorite pose is shavasana (a relaxing, meditative pose at the end of a yoga session).

Asana entitled: Spiralled Head to Knee

Shavasana

Cat Dancing. When I dance around the house, Samantha prances along with me. She even has ballet in her genes like Cat Lady, often standing in a perfect first position, and becomes mesmerized with the ballet steps I can still execute, especially pas de chat (cat’s step).

Vintage Furniture. Besides the bookcase, Samantha has a thing for the vintage chair where she spends hours on and under this lovely piece.

Samantha is purrrfect for me in a different way from Bobcat, Lexington, or any other of my beloved cats. We are both starting new chapters of our lives together. We’re both recovering from surgery and helping each other heal from recent trauma; for me—a life threatening disease and for her, negligence by her former owner (I will not dignify that woman by calling her a cat mom).

I look forward to our growing bond, our respective transformations, and to seeing where our lives together will lead us.