How a Cat Writer’s Conference begins… it’s all in unpacking the boxes for the kitty swag!!

I apologize for the break in blogging, but I have just returned from the Cat Writers’ Conference in Los Angeles and will admit to a serious bout of jet lag. Now that I have collected myself (relatively speaking), I must say that it was well worth the trip and that I am overwhelmed by the talent of the members, the generosity of the sponsors, the quality of the seminars, and the amazing job done by those involved who coordinated the event.

The Cat Writers’ Association is a compilation of not just writers, but artists, photographers, poets, journalists, fiction writers, non-fiction writers, bloggers, editors, publishers, and everything in-between that has to do with the subject, love, and passion for cats. Celebrating its 20 year anniversary, I felt like it was a trip down the red carpet as we were educated, entertained, wined and dined, and socialized to the hilt for three days! Read more

Sitting at the dining room table with a little help from my feline family as my life as a writer begins...

I love this picture because it symbolizes so much of who I am and where I came from. No matter the circumstances or surroundings, the one thing in my life that remains constant is the love I feel for my cats and vice versa. This picture was taken several years ago – long before I had an office, a blog following, or an ISBN number. I did not even know there was an association for people who wrote about cats, let alone that I would become a member and receive two Certificate of Excellence Awards by my peers – one for my online writing series on mainstreaming feral cats and the other for my series on the cats in the aftermath of the Tsunami disasters in Japan.

Yet, here I am, just days back from BarkWorld in Atlanta, packing to go to the Cat Writers’ Association in Los Angeles… This will be the second conference for me and it will be special for many reasons – I will get to catch up with some of my great writing friends, Jackson Galaxy will be attending and I will finally get to meet him, and this year will be the 20th Anniversary for the Association, so that makes it even more special.

I still have a lot more packing to do, so just wanted to wish you all a wonderful weekend and special prayers and thoughts to all those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

You can’t see my desk and computer from the picture, but I have now graduated from the dining room to an office. The surroundings may be different, but the cats remain constant with me in the background. My favorite part of this picture – Mama Zoey bathing her now 3 year old daughter, Mia.