THE CAT'S PERSPECTIVE OF READING, WRITING AND LIFE.: new year

2016 In Review

Feline Fury Series Came to your Amazon town in 2016!

Feliz Navidad!!

Merry Christmas! I Hope you all had a wonderful day.

I am not one to look at the past nor to shut the door on it either, but I became a published author this year. During the process of writing my first book, I learned to scratch up memories and stretch my experiences in order to ~~bat around~~ create a good ~~yarn~~ story.

In review, 2016, was a cat walk, a walk in the park, and a leap of faith all rolled into one big year.

My decision to break out on my own was scary, exciting and life changing, but I pinned back my ears and began my project, strutting and hissing with the confidence of a cat activating the lion mode.

On my blog, The Cat's Perspective of Reading, Writing, and Life, I released a sample Chapter One of ACTIVATE LION MODE, the first book in my new FELINE FURY SERIES. I put this kitten on the shelf this April 2016.

A feline blogger friend form Texas

When I first began writing on my own, I envisioned the process as a walk in the park, but instead it became the work of a demented cat.

A feline friend who just received the news he had to do another rewrite.

My entire life became scratching out words, covering them up, only to claw out different words and bury them as well.

Writing is scratching out words ‘til your claws bleed, covering them in sand, and then swatting at new words, and painfully killing them off, too. Judy had warned me,

My traveling editor, Tika, and I go over the storyline

writing is rewriting, but I pointed my tail skyward, twitched it, and strutted off.

For twelve months my calloused paws kneaded the pages of my manuscript and my mind trod over imaginary waters.

But now my story is incredible! ACTIVATE LION MODE carries a message for young adults, adults and cats who have one or more lives ahead of them.

“Living the life and becoming independent is an honorable goal, but not at the price of turning your ~~tail~~ back on those who love and care for you.”

You will discover that the message in ACTIVATE LION MODE the first in the series FELINE FURY, And the book is changing lives. After the book's release last year, my fans, feline and human alike, clapped and howled as I pranced down the cat walk, presenting ACTIVATE LION MODE at each book ~~marking~~ signing event.

After I wrapped up 2016, Judy and I hit the road again. I am twitching my tail with excitement to tell you about becoming a full time cat RVer. But that will have to wait. First you need to know about all the seminars and engagements lined up. Check out Judy's itinerary.

Please, mark your calendars.

In January Judy presented two seminars at the 29th Annual FMCA Rally in Indio, Ca. Where is the Inspiration? and What Makes A Good Story? She also he sat on an Author Panel for the Inland Empire California Writers Club at the Ovitt library in Ontario California. While staying at the The Golden Palms Village in Hemet, Ca. she presented one of her most popular seminars, What Make A Good Story? January left little time for me.

Judy’s seminars are well attended.. Even if you have gone to her workshops before, she is famous for setting your inspiration on fire. Her seminars are free, and if you are not registered to attend the Rally in your RV, walk-ins are welcome. Day passes into the rally itself are only $10.00.

The rally is not only an opportunity to attend Judy’s seminars, it offers a wealth of information about anything you want to know about the RVing lifestyle. The Rally in the Valley is the venue for all you cat friends on Facebook and those of you who have been following my blog, The Cat's Perspective Of Reading, Writing, And Life .

Take the leap of faith. Live a life like mine, purring rich in the freedom of prowling on the road. RV rallies are packed with information and friendly folks who gladly share their experiences and opinions.

Mark your calendars for Rving and Writing events during the month of March. There are so many that you'll be running around like a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.
Below is information for a Mini Writing Conference Judy will be presenting in Chandler, Arizona. (Near Phoenix)

But that's not all the hair raising excitement and caterwauling that's going on in this New Year!
When you finish in Chandler, you MUST come to the Tucson Festival Books, one of the largest book fairs in the country.

Don't miss the TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKS.! One of the largest book festivals!! I will be signing books at The Adult Fiction Author Pavilion on Sunday, March 12th, 10am to 12pm. Please stop by and say hello!!

Tucson Festival of Books | Authors

The Presenting Author Schedule is live! View our offerings and make a personalized list of sessions you'd like to see. Ticketed events are identified with a small ticket icon in the upper right corner.

tucsonfestivalofbooks.org

If you love books, this is the place to be. Judy will have a limited number of copies of ACTIVATE LION MODE signed with my paw print signature. These books will become collectibles when I climb to the top of the tree as the top ranking cat author on Amazon. Here is just one of many reviews even thought the reader is giving all the credit to Judy!!

"Judy Howard has written a very charming novel with an amazing protagonist and narrator, Sportster the cat. I love the way the author gets inside the head of a cat, and Sportster thinks just the way I imagine a cat would think. I was right with him all the way, feeling all the emotions he felt. Along the way, the author gets in some interesting informational material about motorhome travel, microchipping pets and veterans' issues. But mostly it is a fun read--full of emotion, humor and heartwarming relationships. This novel will enchant cat lovers and everyone else."

And finally, you can't curl up and take a nap just yet. My friend, Johnny Cat is the son and the muse of , author Deb Sanders will be presenting her seminar, Gold, Ghosts and Gravel Roads at the The 2017 Escapade March 19th - March 24th, also in Tucson.. Judy and I will be hanging out to co host the AUTHORS ON THE ROAD - Sharing Writing, Wine, and iWsdom Party.. Date and time to be announced.

In the meantime, don’t forget to carry the message concerning our veterans into the new year and beyond.

Check out Judy Howard's books on Amazon

MASADA'S MARINE - COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST - GOING HOME WITH A CAT AND A GHOST

This is an empty dish. the sign of a neglectful caretaker.

This time of the year Judy and I review our dreams for the New Year. Me? Sure, I live for the moment, but I worry about my future when my dish is empty,

Looking forward to a new day, a new week, a new month....

or when I want to explore the campground and mom is still in her pajamas.

Before the present year is scratched out, covered up, and a new year pounces forward, Judy reviews our past and sets our goals. She dreams impossible dreams. And me? I reach for the stars.

In Judy’s recent blog, The Writings Of A Wandering Widow, she describes how to prepare for the coming year. Cleaning and organizing.

Me? I’ve got the cleaning part down. I lick my fur until it shines. And Judy takes care of my organizational chores, storing my many, many toys in one basket. If I remove one, Judy’s impatience prevents her from waiting for me to return the toy to it proper place.

Before I set my goals I ponder exactly what I want, but I’m a cat, so that’s easy.

I always dream impossible dreams. As a kitten, separated from my mom, I hovered in the bushes, cold and hungry. I envisioned warmth and purring contentment. My dreams brought me through and I never gave up. Back then, I didn’t know what impossible meant.

But really, nothing is impossible. I wanted a warm home and a savior appeared and took me to Judy, who gave me more than I even could have imagined, two warm homes, my stick house and my motorhome.

Once I wished for a larger litter box, and Judy took me to The White Sands National Monument in New Mexico,

and this last trip, to The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley, California.

The Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes. A huge litter box.

So you see, what could only seem like an elusive sand castle can become real and more amazing than anything I ever fancied.

What do I dream of in the coming year? I want to do something that will blow my mind. I want to be an Adventure cat.

I want to see the aurora borealis, WikiTravel - Northern Lights and chase the thousand rays of lights dancing across the night sky.

I want to travel the Mother Road, , Route 66, from California to Judy’s home town in . Springfield Illinois.

My advice to you. Live in the moment. Be content to find the joy of a little thing, a bird flitting by, or a whiff of catnip. And believe in the impossible.

The Rhyolite school

Yeah but, you say? What happened to the people that lived in this ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada? What about their impossible dreams? Looks pretty sad, but I’ve prowled the streets of this Rhyolite ghost town.

The Cook Bank in Rhyolite

This was a three story building in Rhyolite that cost $90,000 to build. It housed the stock exchange.

The ghosts and their stories linger on the desert breeze and I sense their presence and hear their voices. “Go for it!” They shout. “No regrets!” They explain what I see, what is left is their legacy. They reached for the stars and are not sorry for it.

Thanksgiving is a time to review my struggles, which for me, have been few. I spent much of this year comforting Judy as she bid her sister good bye. As difficult as it was to see my mom so sad, I was grateful to be there for her.

And what do you know? As great as Judy’s loss was on October 13, the next day, after sixteen years of estrangement, the universe reunited Judy with her daughter and family. Judy now has a new littler of folks to love.