Tag Archives: cute cats

Stanley & Katrina’s Book Blasty Tour

I’m thrilled to be the first stop in Stanley & Katrina’s Book Blasty Tour for the new book “The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals” written by Felicia Maziarz, which has already received a 5 Star rating from Reader’s Favorite.

My Reviewish Thoughts

Stanley the dog and Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge are the main characters and sort of authors of “The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals.”

Obstreperous means “resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly” or “noisy and disruptive.” I’ve been an English teacher and I had to look it up! What a great word. I wonder if that has been one of Stanley & Katrina’s Words of the Week yet. Anyhow…

The book is more a series of sassy and silly anecdotes about Stanley & Katrina’s lives and adventures instead of a full story. I found myself wondering how many of those stories had a little basis in fact, like the ones in my books.  Some chapters are from the perspective of one of the characters, and some from an all-knowing narrator (who is occasionally corrected by Katrina von Cat). I loved it and can see why it is getting such great ratings. I will be posting one myself on amazon.com today. 5 stars from me as well!

Kimba wanted me to be sure to mention that she felt that Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge was horribly maligned and mistreated throughout the book, and clearly Stanley and the owners do not understand that Katrina is not only a famous ice skating cat from Europe but she is also an alien — like all cats — and deserves more respect. She hopes Katrina will be the only star of any future books. Felicia can take that all with a grain of salt, as I’m sure she does with all advice coming from cats.

I should also offer huge congratulations to Felicia because on October 1 she won the Silver Award from the 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards in the “Best Book by Youth Author (Under 18) for her first book (she was 9 when she wrote it), The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets. Go Felicia!!

Celebrating

Stanley and Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge are celebrating the release of their second book, The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals, by hosting their very own “Book Blasty Tour”. Thank you for taking the time to visit this special stop along their tour and be sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book

Title: The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals

Authors: Stanley & Katrina, Pet Authors

Year published:  2014

Number of pages: 106

Recommended ages: 10+ Independent Readers; 5+ Read-Aloud

Summary (Amazon): Cat and dog. It is a love/hate relationship. Stanley and Katrina are back to share more humorous glimpses into their exciting lives in their second book via short stories. Yes, the pets are at it again but this time compete in a slam poetry contest, visit a pet psychic, and much more.This cat and dog writing team makes you stop and wonder what happens at your house when you’re not there.

Book Preview Video

Click Here For The Video Preview!!

Amazon U.S. * Amazon U.K. * Amazon Canada

Barnes & Noble

The Buzz

“All the animal snippets are very funny. If you like animals and a good laugh, this is the book for you.” ~Carly K., Age 10

“Hilarious! Instantly became my favorite book!” ~Stephen E., Age 12

“You did it again! I loved reading about your crazy adventures!” ~Rachael S., Age 13

“Another one? How do they do this?” ~Stanley & Katrina’s owners

About the Authors: Stanley & Katrina

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Stanley and Katrina are the pet authors of The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals.

Stanley is a three-year-old black Labrador/Rottweiler mix who does his best to ignore Katrina. Stanley enjoys snow, attention and turkey.

Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge is an eight-year-old grey tabby cat who loves her toy mouse.She enjoys treats, naps and bossing the dog around.

Neighbor Girl (Felicia) is the human who knows us (Stanley& Katrina) the best and helps us with everything. She loves writing, reading, acting, singing, reading gymnastics, doodling, reading, ice skating, painting, reading, doing computer stuff, oh… did we mention reading? She is the co-creator and co-host of “The Write Chat.”

You may visit the entire gang online at www.StanleyAndKatrina.com.

Twitter * Facebook  * Google+

Pinterest  * Goodreads * YouTube

* Free Printables For This Book! *

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Kid Lit Printables has created fun and FREE printables for The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals and will be adding more in the future. Click here to view all available printables now.

Get the First Book in the Series Free

10/6 & 10/7/2014

The pets are offering their first book for free, via Amazon Kindle, the first two days of the Blog Tour. Click here to download Book 1 in the Stanley & Katrina series now.

Stanley & Katrina’s

Book Blasty Tour Stops(2014)

*Denotes Book Review Stops

October 6

Meg Dendler’s Site*

Mother Daughter Book Reviews*

Michigan Saving and More

October 7

The Book Lovers’ Lounge*

October 8

BeachBoundBooks*

Writer Side UP!

October 9

Amanda’s Books and More*

October 10

Spark and Pook*

October 11

The Squishable Baby*

October 12

Bookaholic Chicks

October 13

Education is Special*

Kid Lit Reviews*

October 14

Adalinc To Life*

October 15

Stitch Says*

We are the DinoFamily*

October 17

Talking Animal Addicts*

October 18

Jemima Pett, Author*

October 19

The Sassy Schnauzer*

October 20

Lobo’s Follies*

October 21

Hey, Miss Adventures!*

October 22

Bookworm for Kids

October 24

My Devotional Thoughts*

* $25 Book Blasty Tour Giveaway *

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest runs:October 6 to October 31, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter by clicking here.

Terms and Conditions: A randomly drawn winner will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or any other entity unless otherwise specified. If you have any additional questions, feel free to send us an email at stanleyandkatrina (at) gmail (dot) com.

* This giveaway is sponsored by the authors, Stanley & Katrina.*

 

 

Read An Ebook Week & Freebie

Freebie of “Why Kimba Saved The World” this week! In honor of Read An Ebook Week, I have put out a coupon code at Smashwords so you can get Book 1 of the Cats in the Mirror series for free. This includes gifting it to someone else. I tested the system today, and it is beyond easy. If you have the email address, you can send a copy out for free in about 10 seconds. It’s really that easy. Share the love!

Click on this link to go to the Smashwords page and get or share a free copy of Kimba’s book right now.

With this special week going on, I also decided to leave the .99 kindle sale for both of my books up at amazon.com through March 9th. Grab a copy of the award-winning books!

Click here for “Why Kimba Saved The World”

New book cover with Mom's Choice Award in place.

New book cover with Mom’s Choice Award in place.

 

 

Click here for “Vacation Hiro”

New cover with Mom's Choice Award in place.

New book cover with Mom’s Choice Award in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other fun news, I had an interview posted recently at Between The Covers. Thanks, Anita! You can follow her at twitter at RacePointUS.

I am also really excited to be attending the Northwest Arkansas Writers’ Workshop meeting on Saturday, March 8, in Fayetteville. Last year’s meeting was fantastic, and I got some great ideas for “blinging” up my writing. That’s hard to do with middle grade books, but I was inspired to add almost 3,000 words of bling to “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main” that made it so much better. Can’t wait to see what I take home with me this year–along with a few new books from the authors present as well, I’m sure. The conference is free, so sign up and come on down!

The only other things going on around Serenity Mountain Publishing right now are the final revisions on “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge.” You know, this is the time where I over-think every detail and fuss and bother with commas until I go a wee bit mad. We are snowed in once again, so there’s not much else to do anyhow. Cover art is already in process, and I can’t wait to share it all with you in a few months.

Stay warm! Spring will be here someday, even if it feels like it never will.

Look for great sales at Smashwords and other ebook sites this week. Give indie authors some love and try one for free!

Look for great sales at Smashwords and other ebook sites this week. Give indie authors some love and try one for free!

Guest Blogger Cat McMahon: Abby’s Secret Identity

Friends, here’s a special treat for you to enjoy this week: A guest blog from Cat McMahon at Cat’s Stories!! If you enjoy it, please be sure to visit her blog and follow her too.

Abby’s Secret Identity 

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 1

“You must attack me unexpectedly,” Dodger commanded Abby.  “I must keep my hunting skills and vigilance sharp!”

“Yes, sir!  Inspector Catso, sir!”  Abby (aka Cato Fong, feline manservant extraordinaire) snapped to attention, stifling a snicker.

Dodger thought he was king over all, but he wasn’t the boss of her!  She reigned as queen of the castle and was only too happy to exert her influence as he requested.

Finished giving directives, she watched him retreat with pomp into the brushy hedgerow.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 2That he was a great king Abby gave no dispute as she had no interest in becoming street smart and outdoor savvy.  Whereas Dodger was inclined to believe in relationships of vertical alignment with her as second in command, Abby made it her duty to alter his “reality”. 

She was his equal.

He could think how he wanted.  It didn’t matter to her if he needed to take credit for things and to think of himself as his highness.  She knew how things really stood, despite the elevated view he had of himself.

Precocious?

Perhaps.

After all, she did have her purrfect pride to protect!

Abby trotted back into the house to plot and plan.  She’d spent much time cuddled up to the man of the house, studying marital arts movies with him.  What no one knew was she’d been secretly practicing the moves she’d learned and was eager to exhibit her mastery, feline style.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 3Now, she had Dodger’s permission to put into action what she’d been dreaming of doing for ages.  Little did he know that he had been her intended target all the while. 

Pondering further, she decided to apply some tactics from one of her favorite cats, the Pink Panther.  That flushed feline might look good in comics, but . . . Abby’s sassiness was the real thing!

A Cheshire grin spread across her face as the vision coalesced in her mind.

Cattish delight thrilled her fur tips, and she pushed against it as if receiving a pet from the woman of the house.

With her plan in place, Abby went to work setting up her traps and hiding her tricks.  When the hour of opportunity arrived she’d be ready.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 4The woman of the house started dinner at 5:00 p.m. every evening.  Like clockwork, Dodger scratched at the door to be let inside and ran to his dinner plate.

Situating herself; she laid in wait. . .

. . . 5:00 p.m., Dodger at his dinner plate.

Abby pounced Dodger as he supped and disappeared to watch him from the shadows.

Wild instinct kicked in, and true to his nature Dodger escaped the threat by dodging off into hiding.

Abby chuckled to herself.  She was the queen of “hide and seek”, her favorite game, and she always won!  That she was competitive by nature was a well-known fact; that she hated losing . . . well, there’s a reason for cats to have laid back ears and lashing tails.

Shaking off the annoying “losing” thoughts, she trotted off to roust Dodger from his secret place.

Some secret.

She knew all his hush-hush spots; he just didn’t know she did!

The scent of him stopped her cold at the woman of the house’s bedroom door.  Like radar, Abby tuned all her senses, zooming in on his location.

There!

Dodger lay behind the bed, his most secure of indoor retreats.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 5She crept silently across the carpet to the under-bed tunnel she’d dug through the storage boxes over the last few weeks.  Until now, the tunnel had served as her escape, one of her better hiding places when playing games with her human pets.

She slunk into the darkness, pulling her whiskers close, silencing every breath and waited.

Time passed painstakingly.

Her joints stiffened.  The long wait made her ear twitch.  Her eyes never left his face.

Finally, Dodger’s eyes drooped.  His head nodded languidly.

Abby waited for the tiny, telltale, old-man cat snore.  A few more minutes and he heaved a ragged sigh before the wheezing snore set in.

Easing back out her tunnel she weightlessly sprung onto the bed landing near the edge, where she took up a vulture-like pose, perching over her sleeping prey below.

It was a harsh thing she was about to execute, but she had orders to obey.

He wanted actual battle.

Like Tigger, Abby wound up her internal spring and let go, pirouetting in mid-air to achieve the best bounce.

Landing with a hard thud, she slipped off Dodger’s back end as he shot out from under her with a terrible “yeeeeooooow!”

Her head slapped the wall.  She slid to the floor in a tangle of tail and paws, her fur in uncomfortable disarray.

Victory had not escaped her.  She’d flushed him out, but good!

Slithering from the mess, Abby regrouped and gave pursuit.  She leaped over Dodger as he sped down the hall and hit the slippery dining room floor.  Spinning out until she gained traction, she darted into the living room and dove under the sofa, her chameleon fur instantly taking on camouflage.

Burrowing through the dust motes to the nearest exit, she dashed across open ground and under the man’s chair.  Laying low and peeking below the skirt, she made sure the way was clear.

On nimble paws she crept under the coffee table and took refuge under the woman’s chair.

From the dining room Dodger voiced his humiliation at her surprise attack.

Grabbing the chance, Abby quickly belly-crawled to the wall, flattened her body against it, and edged along to the end corner.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 6She quivered with delicious anticipation.

He was in her sights, still caterwauling.

Sitting duck.

Assuming her secret identity, Abby became Cato Fong.

Her inner spring wound up again, tighter than ever before.  Feeling her eyes widen, she switched her tail like a whip cracking through charged air.

Dodger rose from his sitting position and strolled toward her, unaware of he was being observed.

Abby’s eyes narrowed to slits.

What luck!  Split-second timing was everything.

Wait . . .

Wait . . .

Her eyes widened into dark pools of abyss.

Now!

She launched herself at him!

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 7He feigned.

Duped, she hesitated for a split second.

His sucker punch came out of nowhere.

Almost before the ambush had begun . . . it was over.

Battered and beaten, and looking like a mangy alley cat, Dodger limped away, triumphant.

 

About the Guest Author 

CatMcMahon

Cat McMahon is a wordsmith who enjoys outdoor discovery, culinary exploration, her cats and making memories with her family.  Her cat, Dodger, is the inspiration for CatsStories.com.  When Cat’s not in the kitchen cooking up mouthwatering gluten-free recipes for her website, GlutenFreeHomemade.com, she’s on the road photographing nature’s amazing wonders for her newest website, RoadTripExplore.com. Her most recent accomplishments include books presenting stunning scenery from locations both on and off road.

Road Trip Weekend, Oregon Central Coast is the first in a series of photo adventures featuring delightful photos, art, and commentary highlighting spectacular sights, tantalizing tastes and cozy getaways from Lincoln City to Yachats, Oregon U.S.A.

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Road Trip Weekend, Oregon, Molalla River Corridor & Table Rock Wilderness contains beautiful photos, rustic clip art and commentary highlighting spectacular sights, rugged venues and breathtaking vistas.

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Vicarious travelers will enjoy an armchair tour of some of the most scenic areas in the world through the eyes of Cat and her family. As travel guides, explorers can use Cat’s books as jumping off points to create their own weekend adventures to wild and remote places.

The projected publish date for her third book in the series is Fall of 2014.

Cat and her family live in the craggy wilderness off the slopes of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest, USA.  You can find Cat on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Google +, LinkedIn and Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

Kimba sings: cat video success

On Thursday, January 9th, I spent a wonderful day with four different groups of students from The Branch School during a visit to Houston, Texas. As a self-published author, school visits are not on the top of my focus list because they want more traditional authors, but I had many friends at this school from working there as a substitute teacher and temporary librarian a few years ago and was happy to accept their invitation to stop by. It was an absolute delight to see those familiar faces more grown up and make so many new friends. More on that visit later as I get photos in next week.

What was really hilarious was to watch a video of Kimba with the 3rd and 4th graders. It is one of my favorites of her, and it took many days of clandestine video monitoring to catch her in the act of stealing my stuffed Disney toys and carrying them around the house, singing. The first graders also watched it during lunch and were very excited to tell me about their favorite parts. All of them did a great impersonation of Kimba singing “Hello!” You can watch the video of Kimba carrying around my stuffed toys and singing right here. Be sure to have the volume on. If you have a cat anywhere in the house, I bet he or she will come running once the singing starts. As cat videos go, I think it’s right up there with the best.

I ran across this photo today from about the fourth day of my secret video taping mission. I think she’s on to my plan. Enjoy the video!

Kimba is not amused.

Kimba is not amused.

First Book Review for “Vacation Hiro” From Arkansas Book Reviewer

What a great beginning for an exciting week!! The very first book review for “Vacation Hiro” was posted today by the Arkansas Book Reviewer, and she gave it 5 stars. That’s a great way to get things going! Please click here to read the whole review at her site, and be sure to click on the social media share links at the bottom and leave a comment for her. I loved the way she ended it: “Best of all, Vacation Hiro ends with a cliffhanger that’ll have you clawing for the next book!” Love it! Nothing like a 5 star review to start of a book launch week with a bang!

Official launch day is Friday, November 15. Getting all of my ducks and links in a row and ready to share with you.

Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series

Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series

Book Review & Author Interview at Magnolia Blossom’s Blog

Wow! I think this is the most detailed book review “Why Kimba Saved The World” has gotten so far. Reviewer Bud Scott broke it down into several categories and commented on each section. I thought it was funny that he assumed the book would be about a giant cat saving the world based on the cover. That’s the first time I’ve gotten that feedback! Click here to visit Magnolia Blossom’s blog and read the whole review and detailed interview with me.

In concluding the review and interview, the web site says:

“The Bestowing of the Blossoms…
It certainly looks like Meg Dendler’s book ‘Why Kimba Saved the World’ was the  cat’s meow for reviewer Bud Scott as it earned a total of 88 out of 100 points giving it a very strong 4.85 (and a wee little bit more) blossom rating. That’s an exceptional thing to say about a book that, because it wasn’t actually written for the ‘older’ set so to say, kept the attention of the reviewer well enough that he not only has said he’ll recommend it to others and that he was able to see the personalities of the cats shine through. We are so pleased that Meg asked The MBR to review her book, Why Kimba Saved the World and hope that you, Kind Reader, will check it out for yourself – especially if you know of a child who might enjoy it. What’s more – perhaps you could get a copy and donate it to your local school’s library! Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to not only spread the love for reading to our youth but also to shine a bright light on a terrific writer for an age group that is in sore need of some quality, high interest books!”
Be sure to click on the link and give their blog some traffic and read the whole book review, as well as other book reviews at the site. I’m always so grateful for the book lovers who agree to review independent and self-published books!

Next Blog Tour Book Review of “Why Kimba Saved The World”

Today’s blog tour stop is with the Heart of a Philanthropist web site for a book review and giveaway for “Why Kimba Saved The World.” Click here to visit her site and read the full review. Also take a moment to look through her information about the Village of Hope orphanage in the Philippines that is struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in the region. I’m joining Kim in her letter writing campaign to offer support and prayers as they work to rebuild. Good work is going on around the world! Thanks, Kim, for taking time to review and share my book.

“Vacation Hiro” Book Cover Reveal!!

I suddenly realized that it’s going to happen today. When part one of my interview with the Arkansas Authors web site goes live this morning, it will include the book cover reveal for “Vacation Hiro,” so I guess I should officially reveal it here as well! The ebook and paperback are in the final stages of production, and we have set a date of November 15th for the official book launch. I’m so excited to share more of Hiro and Kimba’s adventures with you. So…here’s what the front cover looks like!

Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series

Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series

New “Kid” Book Review of “Kimba”

I love it when a child has a chance to do a book review for “Why Kimba Saved The World.” That who it is written for! Adults sometimes come at reviews with a lot of literary baggage, but kids just want to enjoy the story. I’m so glad that Rhiannon did! I shipped a copy of “Kimba” all the way to Australia for her (much to the dismay of our small town post office who had no idea how to accomplish this task), and it was worth it. Click here for the link to her review, but here’s my favorite part:

“This is one of my favourite books and anyone who likes cats will think that this one is a winner!”

Thanks Kidz Review Krew!

 

Book Review from Arkansasbookreviewer.com

Thrilled to share a new connection and a new book review from Arkansas Book Reviewer’s web site. Click here to read to full review at her site, but here’s just a sample:

“Meg Dendler’s debut novel, Why Kimba Saved the World, her first in the Cats in the Mirror series, is a charming fantasy book appropriate for middle grade youth, cat lovers, or any animal lover in general. A chapter book, perfect for school rooms and personal libraries, comes complete with added photos to personalize the experience.”

She gave “Why Kimba Saved The World” 5 stars at amazon.com and at goodreads.com. Yay!

I have actually been diligently working on some technical revisions to this book for a few grammar changes. Earth should be capitalized the way we are using it (thank you www.askjanis.com for catching that in the next book). Some changes are just for continuity between “Kimba” and “Vacation Hiro.” There will also be a link at the end of the new version of the “Kimba” ebook to click and buy the next book right away and more live links for my web site, twitter, and Facebook pages. I’m learning how it all works as I go and am grateful for the freedom self-publishing offers to make whatever changes I want and keep my books up-to-date!

We are still waiting for the cover art for “Vacation Hiro.” Lesley already had some other projects lined up (of course she did, she’s fantastic), and we are waiting just as patiently as we possibly can. Once that’s all set, the book will be available quickly. Very excited!