Thursday, January 26, 2017

#Feline Black Brings Joy--#Cats This Week by Karen Rose Smith


We all know the saying about the necessity of having that basic little black dress in our wardrobes. Our feline family also has its beautiful black member who has added much "Joy" to our lives. She has just a dash of white under her chin and on her tummy, suggesting the formality of a tuxedo.
Zoie Joy was rescued from a shrub in our back yard when she was just 1 1/2 pounds. From the moment my husband placed her in my hands, I knew she was going to join our two older inside cats. We named her Zoie after a wayward character in one of my romances and Joy because of the unexpected burst of Joy she brought into our lives. 

After Zoie was cleared by the vet, she remained sequestered in our sun room until the flea treatment had a chance to take effect. Then the slow integration with our other two cats began, with Zoie first staying in my office, then slowly working her way into the rest of the house. She considerably annoyed Ebbie who was my soulmate and constant companion. She just wanted to play and do "kitty" things, but Ebbie didn't want her world disturbed. London, our other older cat, didn't seem to mind the new arrival. Even to this day, as London is spending most of her senior years in an upstairs bedroom, at night when Halo and Paddington (who she highly resents invading her space) are settled in my office with the door closed, London ventures downstairs, plays with a laser light with Zoie and and spends the night with her. 

 When Ebbie crossed the rainbow bridge, Zoie became my comforter. She immediately began to deepen her bonds with me and now I miss her terribly when she chooses to sleep elsewhere. I love falling asleep rubbing her tummy or holding her paw. 





Zoie is the peacekeeper, the gentle one, who loves to romp with Paddy, naps on the chair with Halo (who is still at times protective of Paddy) and keeps London company. 



Each member of our feline family has their own personality and they each bring joy in their own quiet ways. But Zoie has become my companion, my comfort, my joy. May all your furry friends always bring you joy. 
   

****************

FOREVER IN HER EYES
Search For Love series, Book 9





The Search for Love romance series includes:



SEARCH FOR LOVE series website 



****************
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 97th novel will be released in 2017.
Karen and Paddy

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens.  And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 



©2017 Karen Rose Smith

at 4 comments:

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Inseparable #Felines--#Cats This Week by Karen Rose Smith


Felines develop bonds that are as strong as the human bonds that we cherish in our everyday lives--siblings, spouses, parental, friends. All of these bonds are special, but occasionally we are fortunate enough to develop a bond that almost transcends the ordinary and natural and gives true meaning to Natalie Cole's lyrics:
Inseparable, that's how we'll always be,
Inseparable, just you and me...
Natalie Cole, 1975
In our furry family, we have witnessed two such inseparable bonds--one between siblings and another between a mother and daughter.

 Bonnie and Clyde, our outside visitors have been inseparable since the day they first appeared in our backyard. We know nothing of their history, except that they were part of a rescue, neuter and release program, because they have clipped ears. It is obvious that they are siblings and have fended for themselves since they were released after being spayed and neutered. From their hesitance to trust humans, we can only assume their experiences at the clinic were frightening. They are constant companions and wait for each other to arrive before they will eat without being on constant alert. Clyde often sits outside the door while Bonnie is eating in the basement to protect her from other strays.





After a full year of interacting with them, Clyde has finally allowed me to pet him, but Bonnie still shies away. They have come trust us enough to allow us to close the basement door after their evening meal so they can spend the cold winter nights indoors in a heated area. We would never consider closing the door, though, before both of them are in the basement.
The trail camera has taken pictures of the two of them on a casual stroll around the basement in the middle of the night. They often sit guard for each other as one uses the litter box or feeds on dry food. In the morning when they hear my steps on the floor upstairs, they sit together in the middle of the basement until I come down the steps to feed them and open the door for them to begin their outside activities.            



Halo and Miss Paddington's inseparable bonds had a completely different foundation. We rescued Halo as a pregnant stray and Paddy was her first-born kitten. We witnessed the birth and often assisted Paddy in finding her mom's nipple so she could nurse. Halo was a wonderful mother and has always been very protective of her babies. 

When Mason and Tia left for their forever homes, the bond between Paddy and Halo seemed to become even closer. They ate, slept and played together. Paddy nursed much longer than the literature we read said she would. Two and a half years later, their bond is still strong. While Halo has somewhat pushed her away to fend for herself at times, they still sleep together at night and feed together each day. At the slightest disturbance, Halo is on alert, more than ready to defend Paddy against any aggression by the rest of our feline family. 
I have watched in wonder at these inseparable feline bonds that have developed between Bonnie and Clyde...and Halo and Paddington.  They give me pause and incentive to look at my own relationships and truly appreciate the special bonds that have been and still are a part of my life. 


****************

FOREVER IN HER EYES
Search For Love series, Book 9





The Search for Love romance series includes:



SEARCH FOR LOVE series website 



****************
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 97th novel will be released in 2017.
Karen and Paddy

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens.  And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 



©2017 Karen Rose Smith

at 1 comment:

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Beautiful #Feline Dreamer--#Cats This Week by Karen Rose Smith


Research has shown that petting our feline and canine friends can lower blood pressure and have a calming effect on our stress-filled bodies. Since Halo has joined our family of feline rescues, she has also provided another stress reliever for me. While any picture of a sleeping cat can have a calming effect, Halo is a truly unique and a beautiful sleeper. She is a picture of complete peace and repose without the complexities of every day life igniting sparks of unrest that interrupt her sleep. 



Watching her serenity and unusual body positions has brought me many moments of inner quietness and overshadowed daily stresses with a gentle smile.



Considering Halo's history, much of which we don't know, she has become a calming force in our home. After appearing on our patio for the first time, it became obvious that she had chosen us to provide her furever home. 

Although she was pregnant and suffering from malnutrition and chronic colitis, we made the decision to bring her into our feline family and nurture her through her pregnancy. It was a long process and, at times we feared we were fighting a losing battle. But we (and she) persevered and she has become a loyal family member who never seems to forget her past and show her appreciation for the home we have provided. Yes, at times she can be stubborn and persistent (especially when she is hungry), but we are as appreciative of the lessons in motherhood and faithfulness that she has taught us as she is for the family that we have given her.

So enjoy the pictures of our beautiful sleeper. They truly depict a feline deep in dreams of serenity that have replaced the nightmares of her past.          














****************

FOREVER IN HER EYES
Search For Love series, Book 9





The Search for Love romance series includes:



SEARCH FOR LOVE series website 
****************
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 97th novel will be released in 2017.
Karen and Paddy

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens.  And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 



©2017 Karen Rose Smith

at 1 comment:

Thursday, January 5, 2017

#Feline #Tortoiseshell Mirror Images--#Cats This Week by Karen Rose Smith


Before we rescued Halo, a pregnant stray who appeared on our patio two years ago, I had had no experience with Tortoiseshells. But that was all to change when Halo's firstborn was a beautiful little split-face Tortie. Even the vet quickly noted that she was her favorite in the litter of three. Oddly enough, the other two kittens were quickly adopted which left us with our first Tortoiseshell cat. We quickly learned about the unique personalities that these kittens possess. We spent equal time with all three kittens but Paddy slowly developed an independence that was unlike other cats that we had rescued. She loved to snuggle with Halo or her siblings but shied from human contact. She would (and still does) seek a quiet space on a condo or a chair and nap by herself. She was curious and liked to be in the middle of activity but was not a lap cat. Now that she is two years old, she still goes off by herself but she does like us to stop by her resting place and acknowledge her and pet her. She is a sweet cat with a matching personality but definitely marches to the beat of her own drum.

And then there's Bonnie...

Bonnie
Bonnie and her sibling Clyde appeared in our yard over a year ago. They were sleeping under a neighbor's porch and followed another stray we cared for to feeding stations. They survived the harsh winter we experienced last year, including a 30 inch snowfall. I knew I had to try to befriend them enough through the summer that they would trust me enough to come into our basement so they had shelter for this winter. Bonnie was a Tortoiseshell whose markings, aside from the split face, were very much like Paddy's. As the pair spent more time on our patio and began coming inside the basement for their feedings, I quickly noticed that not only did Paddy and Bonnie look alike, but they also had similar personalities. While Clyde has slowly let me pet him before and during feedings, Bonnie is definitely hands off. She does make eye contact, responds to our voices and comes running when we call. But if she is in the field mousing or has her attention diverted by some other outside disruption, she will totally ignore our calls. She often eats and then runs out to wash herself at some distance. She, like Paddy, is sweet and often brings us "presents" from her excursions in the field. She too marches to the beat of her own drum.

Paddy
So I guess I have come to learn about Tortoiseshell cats and their unique markings and personalities by caring for Bonnie and Paddy. While they are definitely not snugglers, they are special in their own way. Both Bonnie and Paddy have provided many laughs and have become special parts of our feline crew.

This week's photos are mirror images of Paddy and Bonnie that show their similarities, yet also capture their own personalities.    


Bonnie
Paddy


Paddy and Halo
Bonnie and Clyde



 




*****************

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SHADES OF WRATH on Barnes and Noble


****************
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Karen Rose Smith is an only child who delved into books at an early age. She learned about kindred spirits from Anne of Green Gables, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew and wished she could have been the rider on The Black Stallion. Yet even though she escaped often into story worlds, she had many aunts, uncles and cousins around her on weekends. Her sense of family and relationships began there. Maybe that's why families are a strong theme in her novels, whether mysteries or romances. Her 97th novel will be released in 2017.
Karen and Paddy

Readers often ask her about her pastimes. She has herb, flowers and vegetable gardens that help her relax. In the winter, she cooks rather than gardens.  And year round she spends most of her time with her husband, as well as her four rescued cats who are her constant companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding her life isn't all about work, awards and bestseller lists. Everyone needs that rainbow to chase.

Karen looks forward to interacting with readers. They can find her at the links below. 




©2017 Karen Rose Smith

at 2 comments: