Out of Print

Two of my books are going out of print: Explore Your Destiny with Runes and 10 Spriitual Lessons You Can Learn From Your Cat. I had intended to get fancy and make both titles links to Amazon, but it's late and I'm feeling a tad lazy. If you look on the right side of the page you'll see a picture of the books with links to Amazon. Much easier that way.

Get'em while you can cuz soon they will be no more. Well, except for used copies. And foreign editions. In fact, I received the letter telling me they were going out of print and two days later I received the Hungarian edition of the Rune book. One must assume the "going out of print" thing refers to the English versions only.

I'm sad to see them go, but that's publishing. They've both had a good run. Besides, they'll still be hanging around on bookshelves for awhile yet.

Pets

A couple of days ago I mentioned the rune book I'd written. If you look on the right side, you'll also several books about cats and dogs. When I was growing up, we always had a dog. They're a fantastic pet and I love them dearly. But when I moved away from home and got an apartment, cats seemed a better choice for a pet. I had two cats, sisters, and they were some of the dearest friends I've ever had.

You can read the story of Trace and Ilsa on my website. I shared a bond with those two that was deeper than I'd ever felt with another animal. We were constant companions and adored each other, all three of us. When Ilsa passed away, Trace and I turned to each other in our grief (and if anyone tries to convince you that animals don't feel grief, they're full of it).

Am I one of those crazy cat ladies? Maybe a little. I miss my girls terribly. For awhile, I couldn't even consider getting another pet. But now I really want a kitten. Unfortunately, I can't afford one right now. I don't mean I can't afford to buy a kitten – there are free kittens if that were the case and I never go for pure breeds anyway. I mean that pets take resources. Food, litter, and vet bills all add up. It would be irresponsible of me to take on a pet without the finances to fully support her.

So I wait. When I sell another book, the first thing I'll do is get a kitten. Not that selling another book will make me rich or anything. But it would make me feel a little bit better about taking on the responsibility. Until that time, I'll go on missing that extra heartbeat in the room, those sweet soft purrs, and the feel of downy fur under my fingertips. Now go hug your pet!

Starting something new

I was born the middle child of a middle-class family in the Midwest. I am currently middle-aged. That's about as much middleness as one person should be expected to handle. In my youth, I rebelled against this middlosity by moving to the west coast to live in Los Angeles, California. I did not go the husband and kids route. Rather, I focused on having a career.

I had two loves: voice-acting and writing. For several years, I tried to get my voice-acting career into the big time. It never quite made it. So I switched my focus to writing and I faired a bit better. I wrote for TV with dreams of someday switching to movies. I wrote nonfiction with dreams of someday switching to novels. Right now, I'm in the middle (there's that word again) of the latter, trying to get a career as a novelist going while attempting to keep the nonfiction career, as well.

I wanted to try my hand at blogging for a number of reasons, but I'm finding my choice of date to start up a little unsettling. Today was my father's birthday. Tomorrow is the anniversary of his death. Because of its proximity to Halloween, I'm not much of a fan of the holiday. I don't go to costume parties, decorate my apartment, or do anything more than try to ignore all the orange and black. A strange day to start a new venture like this. After all, he never lived to see a computer in his home, use the term "worldwide web" or heard of an activity called "blogging." Therefore, in his honor I will root for the Badgers and Packers. I will also blog about the life of his middle child.