Tag Archives: Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Book Birthday For “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge!!”

Today is officially the publication day and Book Birthday for “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge!” If you follow my blog, this book is not big news for you, and if you follow me on other social media you are more than aware that this is the big day. Book releases and Book Birthdays are not subtle events!

MissFattyCat'sRevenge-cover

Click on the cover to get your copy from amazon.com now!

Personalized and autographed paperback are also available here at my website, so just look for the shopping cart on the right hand column or go to the Purchase Books page.

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Today is also Samantha’s (aka Miss Fatty Cat) 9th birthday. She is not sure what all the fuss is about as far as the book goes, but she’s hoping for some extra food and love today. I’m sure “Leia” will take care of that. You can celebrate with special prices on “Why Kimba Saved The World” (FREE) and “Vacation Hiro” (99 cents) too.

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Kimba is not too sure about this nonsense about a book that doesn’t have her image on the cover, but I have assured her that it is still all about her and the adventures that she has at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Convincing her that I should spend time on “Max’s Wild Night” where she will only be a side note is a different challenge altogether. Maybe we can distract her with Disney plush toys. Buzz Lightyear was waiting for me this morning on the floor outside my office, so he must have gone for a wild ride. To infinity and beyond, indeed!

I’m really grateful to the bloggers who have supported today’s book launch. I didn’t reach out to as many this time, but most that I contacted answered the call at one time or another in the process. Some have already posted reviews, and I’ve shared them. Today Chris at The Story Reading Ape share a nice interview with me and information about all three books, and Johanna Rae shared a separate interview at her blog. There are a couple of others scheduled that have not been published, so I’ll just have to share them when they come out.

Summer is busy with our guest house business, but fall is when the book tours and fun really get going. There is something nearly every weekend, and I’m so excited to get back out and share the Cats in the Mirror series face to face with new readers and talk with fans. On Sept. 20th & 21st, “Leia” and I will be in Joplin for the Cat Fancier’s show, and September 27th we will be at the Springdale Library for their annual author event. I’m sure I’ll be blogging about that cat show! I’m also participating in two blog tours for other authors this month. Stay tuned!

 

 

 

July Updates

July promises to be an interesting month around here. “Mindy” moves into her own apartment at the end of the month in preparation for starting her junior year at the University of Arkansas, so there is much purchasing of kitchen items at the dollar store and sorting and packing going on. Her beloved cat, Tabitha, is going with her. I always knew this day would come, so “Slinky Steps Out” will begin to write itself as we see how the most skittery cat on the planet handles life as the only cat in the building.

“Leia” is practicing to take her driving test in mid-August, and around here that means driving on hairpin turns with tourists around every bend. As often as I stomp, there is still no brake on the passenger side of the car. “This too shall pass” keeps me going. And don’t even get me started on how much laundry goes with running a guest house. My poor washer is looking forward to fall as much as me. But it gives me freedom to indulge in my self-publishing habit, so I shouldn’t complain.

I’m also enjoying docent duty at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.

Finally got my official shirt!

Finally got my official shirt!

 

"Mindy" enjoying an educational game. She loved the fur samples.

“Mindy,” enjoying an educational game. She loved the fur samples, though the chewed up boomer ball is always a hit.

Two bobcats were released into a brand new grass habitat the morning I was there, and the staff is busy “crashing the compound” and tearing down the old concrete cages today as I write. I can’t wait to see the transformations they have in store.

For the Cats in the Mirror books, I set up a booth at the July 4th celebration on Holiday Island and had fun meeting some new readers. Events like that are not really a hot spot for big book sales. Most people are just there to enjoy the free events. But it was a beautiful day and we are still glad we went. We weren’t able to stay through for the fireworks this time, but that’s high on our agenda for next summer.

“Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge” is available now at amazon.com and directly from me (from the store link on the right of this page). I don’t have the matching bookmarks just yet, but they should arrive any day. Book 3 is sort of in a holding pattern while I wait for bloggers to get to the book and post their reviews. Don’t forget to post your reviews at amazon.com too! It really does make a difference. That’s why authors are always nagging you for them. I refuse to pay for reviews (and you’d be shocked to know how many reviews you read are paid for), so everything I get comes from fans or awesome bloggers who want to support indie authors. “Vacation Hiro” would love some review love! If you read it and enjoyed it, you can post one by clicking here.

My big “author thrill” recently was to have a complete stranger ask at the library if they had a copy of “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main.” She had read about it in the paper a while back and wanted a copy. Awesome! The manuscript is getting some revision/expansion action over the summer, and I’m almost done, but the traditional route to publishing just takes a really, really, really long time. It’s especially hard on those of us who self-publish and are used to just rolling when we are ready. Based on the time frames for the agent and editor who are interested in “Magnetic and Main,” it could be winter before I decide to continue pursuing that route or just call on my amazing team and publish it myself. You will be the first to know!

I also want to take a minute to give a shout out to an adorable book I read last week.

Click on cover to see it at amazon.com.

Click on cover to see it at amazon.com.

The author contacted me about doing a book swap for reviews (indies do this quite a lot), and I was excited to find that this book is full of beautiful illustrations and delightful stories. I highly recommend this for elementary school kids, though it may need to be a read aloud for the younger ones. Some of the phrasing and words are clearly British, but I think that’s half of the fun. David and his son are reading “Why Kimba Saved The World” right now, and I sure hope they are enjoying it as much as I did their stories. Here’s a link to my full review at amazon.com. 

There may not be any more updates here until more events and promos and activities get rolling in August. Once I get the girls off to their respective schools and the guest house calms down a bit, then there’s more on the writing front to get excited about.

Have a wonderful July!

Docent Day & Miss Fatty Cat Book

Today I hung out with Thor for several hours. Yes, Thor. No, not the one with the big hammer, though he is almost as impressive. This Thor.

Thor the Lion Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Thor the Lion
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Today was my first official day as a docent at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, and so I spent the morning hanging out with Thor and talking to guests about him and BamBam the grizzly bear, who was just a few feet away. It was hot, so Thor looked like this very soon.

Thor in the heat.

Thor in the heat.

I had a tent for some shade, so it wasn’t so bad. I’ve gotten used to seeing Thor and the other big cats, but it was fun to hear little kids (and some adults) encounter him for the first time. It gives you a healthy respect for why having one of these cats in your home is not a great idea. Actually, it’s a TERRIBLE idea. I could show you the bowling ball that Brody the lion bit in two. Here’s a boomer ball that Indie the tiger made short work of.

That took her four days. Solid plastic. 32,000 pounds of bite pressure should never be underestimated.

That took her four days. Super-thick plastic designed for big cats. 32,000 pounds of bite pressure should never be underestimated.

Now if the refuge can just meet their goal of getting all of the animals out into grassed enclosures in 2014. Thor has waiting long enough. I’m looking forward to being back at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge over the July 4th weekend, but publishing & promotion work does not stop over the summer. Just last night we attended a circus-style event in Basin Park here in Eureka Springs.

There were fire stunts.

There were fire stunts…

And a cutest dog contest. Tristan thought our table was the best place to hang out.

and a cutest dog contest. Our friend’s dog Tristan thought our table was the best place to hang out. Especially my daughter’s feet.

Most of my book events are in the fall, but it’s fun to attend some things in town as well.

Most exciting is that Book 3 of the Cats in the Mirror series, “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge,” is available at amazon.com for a soft launch for friends and family. I don’t have any copies available to autograph and send out yet, but if you want to read it as an ebook the files are ready and waiting for you! Click on the book cover to visit the amazon.com page.

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You can also try to win one of 5 free paperback copies through Goodreads. Click here for the giveaway page. 

The official launch date is set for Miss Fatty Cat’s birthday on September 12. There will be some discounted offers on the first two books, but the ebook price on Book 3 will be the same for a good long time. Grab it now. You won’t be missing out on a deal later. And, of course, post a review if you enjoyed it! When you see paperbacks hit the $9.99 mark, that will be their price unless amazon chooses to discount it. Or you can wait a couple of weeks to order a signed copy right from me. Coming soon!

The Arkansas Book Reviewer had this to say about Book 3:

“Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge is a fun and charming tale that will have readers questioning their own cat’s sly looks and supposed unassuming demeanor. Cat lovers of all ages will love this latest addition to the series set in the Ozarks of Arkansas! Recommended for all ages and libraries! Another 5 Star for Dendler!”

You can read the whole review here at her blog.

Other recent media attention has included a nice interview at Cheryl Carpinello’s blog and a great review of “Vacation Hiro” from Erik the Great at This Kid Reviews Books. Several reviewers and bloggers are lined up for posts surrounding the September 12th release, and I love that they are following the series and ready to support it.

That’s all the excitement for now. I hope you are having a wonderful summer and enjoying some stress-free vacation time. Maybe you should read a good book… about alien cats…

 

 

 

 

 

Turpentine Creek Volunteer Day: Putting My Actions Where My Mouth Is

I have done several posts about my love for Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and the good work they do. Just recently I even posted an award-winning story I wrote about a tiger getting the chance to run and move freely in a larger habitat area. Today I had the chance to prove how important those habitats are by helping to build some of them.

Rescue Ridge expansion work. I'm in the purple coat, securing fence for the welders with some wire. My husband is in the blue, digging trenching for the fences with a pick ax.

Rescue Ridge expansion work. I’m in the purple coat, securing fence for the welders with some wire. My husband is in the blue, digging trenching for the fences with a pick ax.

Glad I didn't have to climb up there! Volunteers securing fencing at the top of the new yard area. Glad the tiger living there was locked up tight.

Glad I didn’t have to climb up there! Volunteers securing fencing at the top of the new yard area. The tiger living there was locked up in his house. Whew.

When the work on Rescue Ridge first began, my family and I went right away to help build. I think today was our third trip to that section of the refuge. As part of a Volunteer Day, we helped to hang fencing to allow more tigers the chance to run and move and lie in the grass. Each enclosure already has a small yard area, but these larger sections are about 10x the size. The cats in Rescue Ridge are mostly from one very large rescue event, but we learned today that this section is also helping the older cats who cannot manage the hilly areas where most of the other large yards are located. Rescue Ridge is serving as a place for the rescued cats who don’t care for humans to be separate from the tour groups and loudness of the main sections, but it is also a retirement area for the older cats who need some flat ground, as well as peace and quiet. 

My husband and daughter, tying off a section of fencing for the welders.

My husband and daughter, tying off a section of fencing for the welders.

It’s important to stand behind the causes we support. If you are going to shout about pet adoption, you’d better be ready to volunteer at a shelter or foster some of those displaced pets yourself. We have four rescue cats and a rescued dog, so I’m safe on that one. I’m grateful that I often get the chance to volunteer at Turpentine Creek. So when I say I think it is vital for those rescued tigers to have habitats with open spaces and grass and nature available to them, I can stand behind those words because I have hacked at the earth and carried fencing and spray painted and picked up rocks (and donated money when I can) and done whatever else is necessary to give those tigers that space. It may be years, if ever, that I get to personally see those exact tigers roam in that exact space. Rescue ridge is not open to the public. But I still know it is there and it is happening. That’s enough for me. As we walked back to the trucks, it made my heart so happy to see tiger after tiger, lounging in the sun in the already completed yard areas. One was belly up, feeling safe and comfy regardless of the people and machinery all around him. He was home.

Willy was just released into a large yard area after many months in a small concrete enclosure. He is so amazing! We could hear him caroling from Rescue Ridge today.

Willy was just released into a large yard area after many months in a small concrete enclosure. He is so amazing! We could hear him caroling from Rescue Ridge today.

Ivy, the volunteer coordinator we have worked with many times, mentioned that they may soon be ready to demolish all of the small concrete enclosures at the front of the refuge. Every tiger and lion and cougar there now will have a real habitat. You can be sure I will show up for that demolition day, and I’ll bring my own sledgehammer.

What causes makes your heart happy? How can you put your actions where your mouth is today?

“In Sonya’s Steps” and Love of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

I had promised to post one of my winning pieces from the Ozark Writers Conference, and today seems like a perfect day for this particular story because the setting for it, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, is celebrating the success of a matching funds campaign to help build more of the large enclosures that are also celebrated in my writing. My daughter and I have gone twice to help build, clean, and prepare these grassy areas that provide open space for the tigers and other creatures at the facility to play and move and have fuller lives. Those still in the holding enclosures, waiting for their turn, have even watched us.

My daughter, spray welding marks so they won't rust, with a curious tiger watching. This enclosure is for BamBam, the adorable grizzly bear.

My daughter, spraying welding marks so they won’t rust, with a curious tiger watching. This enclosure is for BamBam, the adorable grizzly bear.

It is one of my favorite places in town to visit. Besides being allowed to stand only a few feet away from an enormous white tiger while he has his dinner, I am just immensely grateful for the staff there who work tirelessly to provide as much care and comfort as they possibly can for these displaced animals — sometimes rescued from horrible and life-threatening situations. Their stories are sometimes just sad, but others are heartbreaking. There may come a happy day when facilities like this are not necessary and all big cats can live in freedom, but that time is nowhere near at hand. So I love to go and share my time and energy helping make their lives better when I can. Turpentine Creek will be one of the settings in my next book, “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge” because, according to the Cats in the Mirror series, tigers and lions are aliens too.

My husband, spraying the welding marks on the new enclosures on Rescue Ridge in last winter.

My husband, spraying the welding marks on the new enclosures on Rescue Ridge last winter.

Me, picking up rocks to help clear the way for BamBam's new habitat.

Me, picking up rocks to help clear the way for BamBam’s new habitat.

The piece of writing I’m sharing today was specifically written in October for a conference I attended here in Eureka Springs. The challenge was to write a story “walking in someone else’s shoes” and to be creative with it. One of the dear tigers that had just been a part of a huge rescue effort at Turpentine Creek came to mind, and I wondered about that moment when, after a lifetime of nothing but a small, concrete cage, those soft paws finally had the chance to touch grass and run and play. “In Sonya’s Steps” was the end result, and it won first place. If after reading this you are inspired to make a donation to Turpentine Creek to help build more enclosure for the dozens of big cats waiting for them, I would be absolutely thrilled. I promise to personally go help build them.

 

Here is “In Sonya’s Steps.”

In Sonya’s Steps

Soft. The ground beyond the open, black gates is softer than anything I have ever felt, like a vast sea of well-groomed fur. I carefully put one foot through again and press down gently. So soft.

I’m amazed to find the gate open from the new, small enclosure where I woke up. The doors in my world are never open. The concrete floor is chilly and hard, sensations I’m familiar with, but beyond that open gate is something I have never experienced before.

A gentle breeze blows past me, and I inhale deeply. Pine trees and rocks and the first hints of spring are all familiar. Even the smell of that soft stuff outside the gate is one I recognize. I’ve just never touched it before. A fence was always in the way.

Tentatively reaching a second foot through the gate onto the soft surface, I chuff out a gust of air, hoping to calm anyone else who might be lurking in that immeasurable expanse of softness. My eyes have never tried to focus so far away. The distant edges are blurry. Instinct warns be to be wary.

As far back as I can remember, I have never felt anything under my feet but the solid gray concrete of my small home. Gray fencing stood between my eyes and the landscape of freedom beyond it. Gray fencing covered my view of the sky. Every day. Just the same.

There was a small wooden box for shelter, a bowl for water. Before night fell, the old woman would come by and throw me some bits of meat for my daily meal. Some fresh water was poured in the bowl. Then I would be alone again, except for the faint sounds and smells of others like me. Others trapped just like me, all around.

We could count each other’s steps. One, two, three, then turn. One, two, three, then turn. That was all there was. Stretch out on the hardness of the concrete for a nap, inhaling the bitterness of it, then up and pace some more. One, two, three, then turn. One, two, three, then turn. Listening to the others around me, waiting for something to happen that never did.

Some days the woman would stand by the cage and talk to me. Her voice was quiet and kind, but she never opened the gate and let me out to run free. She never opened the gate and came in to join me either. The fence was always between us. Day after day. Year after year.

Until today.

The morning had started out like any other. I could hear the chuffings and murmurings from the others around me, but there was also the low rumble of a machine approaching up our quiet hill. A huge grumbling monster, rancid smells wafting out behind it, ground to a stop in front of my home. The old woman climbed out of its belly, but there were other people too. They all moved slowly, approaching me just beyond the gray wire mesh of my small home.

A tall, blonde woman moved to a far corner of my enclosure. She squatted down and spoke quietly to me. I was intrigued. Stealthily moving toward her, our eyes locked, I snuffed the air but did not recognize her smell. Then there was a cracking noise and a sharp pain in my side. Turning toward the noise, I saw that one of the men held a long, thick stick. He was watching me intently and speaking softly, just like the woman.

He hurt me! Did he jab me with that stick? It will be the last thing he ever does!    I’ll find a way to get past that fence and show him what comes of causing pain to a creature like me!

I turned to face him, but my legs felt weak and wouldn’t cooperate with my directives. I tried to glare, to terrify him with my gaze, but the man and the fence were suddenly blurry and seemed far away. The old woman stood silently behind the man with the stick. She shook her head softly, but she didn’t attack him. She didn’t defend me. She just stood there, watching me.

The blonde woman moved around my home so I could see her again. She made soft chuffing noises. She spoke quietly and leaned in closer to my fence. Yes, just a bit closer, I thought, reach your hand right in here. Then everything was dark as night.

The next thing I knew, I was here in this strange place. New, but very much the same at first glance. Chilly, gray concrete floor. Fence between the world and me, but this fence was heavier and darker. For a long time I just lay on the concrete and stared at the fence.

What happened? I wondered. After that man with the stick poked me, I just fell asleep. I’ll have to get him later, I thought, a low growl rumbling in my throat. Right now, however, I could barely move.

As time passed, I was able to lift my head and look around. The world beyond the fence smelled similar, but the rising ground beyond me was in different shapes and the trees were thicker and taller. Instead of a wooden shelter, there was a large concrete box off to one side of my new home. Peeking inside the small door, I could see that it was dark and empty inside. It would do to get out of the heat and the rain, but not terribly interesting.

But looking in the other direction, I realized that there was nothing between my gaze and the world. The gate stood wide open. Beyond that door was a sea of that softness that I was now strong enough to step out into.

Is it a trick? I thought. Will the man with the stick come poke me again if I venture out? There’s no sign of the man, but I can smell the blonde woman on my fur. Was she touching me while I was asleep? I stop and lick my side carefully, my rough tongue removing the offending odor. Then I stare back out into the openness.

The thought of exploring that wide, limitless space is thrilling and terrifying at the same time. My heart aches to step out onto the softness, but my heart is racing with a fear of the unknown, untried, untested. Maybe I should wait and watch for a while. Sniffing the air again, I can tell that the others who were around me before are around me here.

Are they still sleeping? Are they already out in the softness? We have never been face to face. Will they attack if I step out?

My sensitive ears twist and turn, searching for answers. I hear nothing but the birds and the breeze. Focusing on the open door, I cannot hear anything beyond it. No breathing but my own. Tuning in even more carefully, I cannot detect any heartbeats close by. Nothing but quiet and softness.

All senses on alert, I step out, putting my full weight into the softness. The ground yields gently under my foot. Then the next foot. Again I wait, testing the sounds and the air. No one attacks. With greater confidence, I step fully out of the door, all four feet now buried deep in the freshness and softness of that ground beyond the concrete. It has a warmth and energy and aliveness to it that the concrete is not capable of. The sensations of the ground vibrate up my legs and all along my spine. This is what the earth is supposed to feel like, and now it is mine. If someone is waiting to attack, he will find me ready. I will not easily yield this new territory. Come and try to take it, I growl at the openness.

One stride, then two, then an even longer one, my huge padded paws take me farther than I ever imagined. No pacing back and forth, only a few steps at a time before having to turn back again. I stretch out my long, stiff legs and try three trots at a time. I pause and smell the air. Four trots. Pause. Five trots in a row. Then I reach the fence.

It is there. I’m not free, but as I turn and look back, the immensity of this new space looms around me. I look back toward the concrete room and the concrete house, and I feel something rise up deep inside me. There’s an instinctive urge to attempt something I’ve never done, not once my whole life. I crouch low, I spring forward in a giant leap, and I RUN! No pacing or trotting only a step or two. I leap and leap and leap, my orange and black stripes a blur over muscles so weak they soon give out and need rest, but I did it, if only for a while. I RAN.

Exhausted, I collapse onto the softness, my sides heaving in and out, gasping for air in larger amounts than I have ever needed. Contentedly, I lift my head and stare at the fence. It is still there, but it is so far away I can make out the world beyond it without feeling suffocated. Is that the blonde woman, hiding downwind in the trees?  I bare my teeth and snarl a warning. Come close at your own risk. Then I peer up above me. There is nothing but openness. No gray bars. No fence.

I notice the sky, really notice it for the first time in my life.  A rich sunlight pours freely over every inch of my fur. There is still fence around my sides, but it is far away from where I lie. Overhead, there is an infinity of space.

I’m not free, but this is close. Stretching my legs out to the front and back, a move that would have left me touching the edges of my home just that morning, I roll onto my back and snort and allow the glorious smell of the softness to cover me.

*****

Sonya is an imagined name for one of the 27 tigers recently rescued by Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. 

Copyright, Meg Welch Dendler, 2013.

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