The Loss of a Cat

I love cats. I have three -- one new little kitten that sniffs my eyes at three in the morning. So when I sat down for a final read on my latest work before submitting it to the Gods, I was crestfallen to realize -- I lost my cat.

About mid-point in the story, my heroine gets a kitten. A nice little side story to peel back layers of her character. But somewhere in the next few chapters, the cat disappears. Whoops. ROOKIE MISTAKE! 

Derr. So I've spent a few days trying to squeeze a cat into scenes where he really doesn't fit. [Don't worry -- I  had the good sense not to include him the sex scenes. He's sleeping or mousing or otherwise occupied at those times]

In Ring Around the Sun, Teal's husky becomes a big part of the story, and it was fun to write him in. Heck, I even made him the hero in the end. With my little gray cat? Hmm. I sure as heck don't want to bring a downer on the story and have him hit by a bus, but I have to say, I'm learning a lesson. Keep track of your pets. In life and in writing!

Gem

Inventory

This weekend I bumped into my sister in the mall parking lot. An odd chance meeting, but my town is not that big. Her car was loaded with "junk" she was taking to the second hand store. By the time we parted company, most of the items from her car were transferred to mine. I chastised myself all the way home. 

Did I really need that puzzle? It had a Dutch windmill. That blouse that she never wore because it made her look pregnant? Nope.

When I got home, I looked around my house and did a one-minute inventory of my shelves and closets. I'm a clutter bug. Once a year or so I do a big sweep and clear out a truck load of things that never made it out of the closet. That faux-pregnancy blouse will probably go at that time.

This post has nothing to do with my writing. Or maybe it does. I saw a sign once that said, if a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what does a completely empty desk say? I think my life is cluttered because I am constantly gathering data. I am creative and see potential in everything. 

My next story is about a Dutch woman trying to fool everyone into believing she was pregnant when in fact....