Gratitude. That’s the only way I can adequately describe what I felt during my days at the BlogPaws/Cat Writers’ Association conference held at the gorgeous and tranquil Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass Spa and Resort in Phoenix last weekend. It was an odd dichotomy—both calming and spiritually nurturing, based on the Native American roots of the hotel—and typically hectic as a result of the whirlwind of events jammed into a 3-day time frame. Being an ambassador for BlogPaws also elevated the interactive notch to extremes my normally introverted self wouldn’t pursue. I’m the kind of cat that has to hide under the bed a bit before she warms up to company, but that’s okay. Pushing the personal envelope isn’t always a bad thing. Read more

Cats, computers, books, blogging, writing… yup… that about sums me up!

It’s almost impossible for me to believe, but I’ve been blogging for almost 6 years now. It started as an afterthought – I was writing my first book – The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary and it was brought to my attention at a writing conference that I needed a blog. So I started a blog. I got business cards. I set up an LLC. All without having the foresight to realize that even though I knew Zee and Zoey were two of my cats that inspired me to change my life, unless you knew me personally, or bought the book, the rest of the world probably didn’t. Read more

Cats, hats, books, reading, and Dr. Seuss – it truly doesn’t get much better and that’s why today is one of my favorite days! Click image to enlarge.

When it comes to me and my life, a cat on my lap will more than suffice.

A cat on my lap with a good book to read, I can tell you honestly that’s all I really need.

A cat on my lap for me to pet, I really would be absolutely set!

Perhaps a cup of espresso too, if you wouldn’t mind, thank you.

And while you’re at it, if it’s not too much trouble, could you rush it and make it a double?

That’s all for now, my leg is asleep, the cat won’t move and I don’t dare make a peep… Read more

Me with Janiss at last year’s BlogPaws Conference. She was promoting her Rescued book and I was promoting Purr Prints of the Heart – who knew a year later there would be a connection?

Rescued. When it comes to my cats, regardless of how they came into my life, each of them has captured my heart and rescued my personal well-being at one time or another when I needed it most. So when Janiss Garza (Summer/Sparkle Cat) put out a query looking for stories for Volume 2 of her popular Rescued series, I decided to submit a proposal. Read more

Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond. Photo credit: ZZP Publishing, LLC .

Coral Springs, Florida  – As someone who has had pets all of her 50 plus years of life, award-winning author and blogger, Deborah Barnes, knows only too well the heartache of having to say goodbye. With estimates from the American Pet Products Association that over 65% of American households have pets – some 80 million dogs and 96 million cats – along with other fur, finned, scaled, and feathered creatures – she knew she wasn’t alone and that many others could relate to the pain of losing a beloved pet. That is how and why her most recent book, Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond was born.

Barnes, creator of the popular blog, Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles, originally shared her emotional and difficult decision to help her dying 15 year old cat, Mr. Jazz, cross the Rainbow Bridge with her blog readers. The love and support she received was overwhelming and it was then she realized an outlet was needed for people to share grief that was not a clinical “self-help” format. Everyone wanted to share a similar personal story and the comments on her blog became therapy of sorts, not just for her, but for her readers as well.

Taking that comforting and nurturing approach, Barnes decided to write the book as a meow memoir in the voice of Mr. Jazz so he could share his life and death journey with readers and offer them guidance and understanding through a pet’s perspective as to why sometimes letting them go can be the greatest gift you give them.

Barnes also wanted the story to be much more than a book on pet loss. At its core, Purr Prints is a sweet and inspiring story replete with memorable moments that will have readers laughing, crying, and nodding in recognition. From his days as a kitten nobody wanted, to finally being adopted into a loving human and multi-pet filled family that had its share of ups and downs, to his final months whereby his health was declining and he had to deal with things like frequent visits to the vet, being force-fed food, resentment issues, litter issues, and the finality of coming to terms with the fact he was dying and needed to convince his beloved humans to let him go – its a story any pet lover can relate to.

The book ends with a resourceful “Coping With Pet Loss” section to help readers on all levels – emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and even physically to empower them with ways to honor the journey of the pet lost as well as ways to find the strength to heal and mend a broken heart. The reviews have been fantastic – 5 star rated on Amazon with endorsements from Steve Dale, CABC, syndicated radio host, and syndicated newspaper columnist; Bonnie Poirier, pastor at Ministry of St. Francis of Assisi; Marty Tousley of Grief Healing.com, and  Alice Villalobos, DVM (Quality of Life Scale) among others:

“Deborah Barnes has created a supportive gift with a book that soothes the broken hearts of bereaved pet lovers of all ages as her cat, Mr. Jazz, unfolds the story of his life and end of life with her. Readers enjoy the quirks of pets living in multiple pet households with other cats and dogs. We are all enriched by Barnes who gives us a psycho-emotional glimpse into the wonders of the human-animal bond and the natural feelings of grief and denial during end of life decision making and the difficult days of pet loss.”
~Alice Villalobos, DVM, FNAP~

“I read this book within days of the sudden loss of my 14 year old cat – my best friend, my confidant, my traveling buddy, and my healer. Told from a cat’s perspective, it’s charming and amusing as he tells his life story, but it’s also full of words of strength, wisdom, and comfort to help you through the process of grieving the loss of a treasured friend. This book was a great help to me in a time of great sorrow. I’m sure I will return to its pages many times while learning to say goodbye and thank you to my beloved pet.”
~Denise Pittman, Amazon Customer~

Purr Prints of the Heart is a timeless book for all ages and a multitude of circumstances. It is a gentle hug in book form to help heal broken hearts and is the perfect gift to give someone who has lost a pet and is struggling with how to make sense of it all. For further information, reviews, or purchasing information, please visit www.purrprintsoftheheart.com.

Deborah Barnes resides in the tropical paradise of South Florida with her fiance and feline family of seven. She is the author of the 5-star rated books, The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey – A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary and Purr Prints of the Heart – A Cat’s Tale of Life, Death, and Beyond as well as the award-winning blog, Zee & Zoey’s Cat Chronicles that continues to cover the everyday journey she shares with her cats along with topics from the humorous behaviors of cats to very serious subjects on pet responsibility. Deborah was awarded 2013 “Writer of the Year” by Friskies Purina on behalf of the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) and she is also a CWA Board Member.  She is also Secretary for the nonprofit, Pawsitively Humane, Inc. of Miami, Florida, whose mission is to create public awareness and reduce the numbers of animals on the streets and in shelters through an extensive educational campaign.

Contact Information:
ZZP Publishing
Deborah Barnes
954-993-8253
info@zzppublishing.com
Website: www.zzppublishing.com

###

Deborah autographing copies of Purr Prints for her fans and readers!