Tuesday’s “Cat Tails”

Today’s Rescues:
Puff
Tigger

Puff and Tigger

These two kittens had a rather fiery beginning. For months, we had a stray long-haired black female cat hanging around our garage and other cats. We tried to catch her to take her in to get spayed, but she ended up pregnant last spring. We knew she was close to giving birth but hadn’t seen signs of the kittens yet.

Unfortunately, a neighbor found the kittens when she started a bonfire. The mother cat had hidden her babies in the boxes that were meant to be burned. The neighbor heard the crying and immediately doused the fire. Two of the kittens were singed. One died from the injuries, and another had a bald spot. The other two were unharmed.

With the neighbor’s help, we reunited the three living kittens with the mother and kept them in our bathroom until they were weaned. We let the mother cat go back outside, as clinics were closed for spaying/neutering at that time. We posted photos on Facebook for free kittens. Only one person responded, and adopted the kitten with the bald spot. That left us with two.

We named them Tigger and Puff. We gave them lots of love and attention as we fostered and continued looking for homes for them. Tigger is a cuddler. Puff is a little mischievous. They like to play-fight together and chase each other through the house.

At four months, we took them to a clinic for spaying/neutering. Shortly after, a family member saw some photos of the kittens and decided to adopt both of them. Since the family is going on vacation this month, we will hold onto the kittens for them until they return. For these last few weeks with them, I am making sure to get all of my snuggles in and take some precious photos to remember them by.

The home they are going to will be a safe and loving place for them. I’m glad they are going together. They will bond well with their new family, and we hope they will have a long and healthy future.

“Cat Tails”

Stories about our rescued cats.

Ann and Elsa at four weeks

In 2016, these two kittens were born to a feral mother cat. She showed up at our garage with them when they were about four weeks old. We had a bucket tipped over on its side near the steps, and they crawled inside.

We decided to bring them into the house and tame them. We named them Anna and Elsa, after the Frozen characters. They were scared of us at first and hissed and spit when we tried to hold them. After a few weeks, they warmed up to us.

It was hard to tell them apart at first. As they grew older, they developed their own personalities. Elsa is very adventurous and you never know where you will find her.

Anna is queen of the household cats. She likes to rest on the desk while I’m working at the computer, not caring if she is in the way.

They have lived with us for 4 years now. We can’t imagine what our lives would be like without them.

Something New from Anaiah Press

I’m excited to take this moment to introduce you to the Anaiah Press StayCay Subscription Boxes.

Anaiah Press has teamed up with Salty Sisters Gourmet Popcorn to bring you a fun staycation experience. Each box includes two great Anaiah Press books (selected by our staff based on your reading preference), two delicious flavors of Salty Sisters popcorn, and one–two bonus items to help complete your staycation. You’ll get a new box every three months! 

You can choose from 4 different customizations based on your reading preferences: 

All Romance: sweet contemporary, historical romance, and romantic suspense books

Sweet Romance: sweet contemporary and historical romance books

Young Adult: YA romance novels

All Adult and YA Romance: an assortment from all of our romance categories for adults and teens.

You can learn more about it here: https://www.anaiahpress.com/staycay

Watch a video about it here: https://bit.ly/2Yr9gCp

Meet the Author: Gaynell Parker

Today I am interviewing Gaynell Parker, author of the contemporary Christian romance Dear Maddie. Gaynell, I’m excited to have you here with me today. Let’s start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I’m happily married to a wonderful man, we have 7 children and 4 grandkids.  When I’m not writing I’m painting – and try to read as much as possible.  I love nature, especially flowers and birds.  I live in a lovely area of Utah, but I’d love to live on the beach or way up in the mountains so summer would be cooler!

What is Dear Maddie about?

Maddie writes a lovelorn column for a local paper.  It’s decided that she has to run a contest for a date with her.  Picking the date is the most difficult thing she’s ever done, and then she falls for the winner.  It’s a sweet romance that has a few twists.

Do you have a day job?

Yes, I work for a school district, so summers are my favorite time of year.  I discovered a site almost 15 years ago called NaNoWriMo that encourages aspiring writers to write 50,000 words in a month.  That has taught me a lot about meeting a set goal of words each day.

Are you a plotter or a panster? 

I am a pantser!  Though, there have been times I’ve fully plotted a story out, and I’ve been glad I did it.

What are your three favorite books? 

That’s a hard question!   Coast Road…which is a romance.  The Summer House…which is kind of a romance, but a bit of fantasy; and Beauty – a retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast.

What does your family think of your writing?

 Fortunately they think I’m pretty good at it, and they’re pretty patient…  I’m lucky that there aren’t any little children and everyone can contribute to making dinner and cleaning so when I really get going, the house doesn’t totally fall apart.

Do you experience writer’s block? What do you do to get through it?

 I don’t experience it very often…and usually stepping away for a bit and then coming back helps.  Or, working on something else.  Sometimes even a mad-write will do the trick.


Excerpt from Dear Maddie:

My heartbeat was loud in my ears as I watched him approach, his eyes warm. I opened my mouth to say something, but he pulled me into his arms and kissed me. I was vaguely aware of the audience clapping and hooting, but my world shrank to the strong arms around me and the warm lips on mine. Oh my.

As suddenly as he’d kissed me, he let me go and steadied me on my feet. I gulped and tried to get my brain to function.

Jason frowned and inserted himself between us. “Okay, young man, there’ll be no more of that.”

Nick wasn’t the least bit repentant as he grinned at me, and I was glad, despite my blushing cheeks. “My name is Nick.” He told the audience, who were still cheering. “I’ve wanted to kiss her for a long time.”

Where can readers find you online?

My Website: Gparkerartwork.com  

Twitter: @GParkerartworks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gaynell-Parker/e/B0714BL3Z6?r

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16577174.Gaynell_Parker

Dear Maddie releases August 18, 2020!

https://www.anaiahpress.com/s/shop