A Gift From A Book by Eileen O'Finlan

             

 

                                     

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I grew up hearing lots of family stories from my mom about her youth in Bennington, Vermont. She often spoke fondly of a neighbor named Carleton Carpenter. She was very close friends with him when they were kids in the 1930s and '40s. After high school they went their separate ways - she to college, then a teaching career, marriage and family and he to New York and later Hollywood to act on Broadway and in movies. If you don't recognize his name, you will certainly remember his famous co-star Debbie Reynolds with whom he appeared in several movies.

About seven or eight years ago, I found out that Carleton Carpenter had written a memoir called The Absolute Joy of Work: From Vermont to Broadway, Hollywood, and Damn Near 'Round the World so I purchased a copy for my mom knowing that she would be interested in reading about the life and career of her old friend.

I got to thinking how great it would be if I could reconnect these two childhood friends now both in their nineties. It took some doing, but I finally managed to track down an address for Mr. Carpenter and wrote to him explaining who I was and why I was writing. I didn't tell my mom that I was doing this. I didn't want to disappoint her if it didn't work out.

Before long, I got a letter back. Well, two letters actually. He wrote one to me thanking me for contacting him and another letter to my mom. I'll never forget how surprised and delighted she was when I explained what I'd done and gave his letter to her. He also included his phone number. So began the renewal of an old friendship through letters and phone calls in which they caught each other up on all that had happened in each of their lives during the decades since they'd last seen each other.

Carleton Carpenter passed away on January 1, 2022. By then my mom was in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's Disease. I chose not to tell her since she spent most of her time living in her childhood and to her, he was once again her neighbor and playmate. Mom passed away in December of 2023.

Recently, while looking through my book collection, I came across the copy of The Absolute Joy of Work that I'd bought for my mom and decided to read it. The first part of the book is about his childhood in Bennington, Vermont. Mom had underlined the names of people and places that, obviously, she remembered from her own childhood there. 

Reading this part of the book was not only interesting in and of itself, but it also gave me an added connection to my mom. I love the stories she told of growing up in Vermont. I've been trying to keep them alive in my memory. My mom had a fascinating life and I would like to fictionalize her reminiscences for a future novel. She was the last of her siblings to pass so there is no one left to ask about that time and place. I must rely on only what I remember her telling me. 

Seeing the places in the book that my mom had marked have added to my cache of knowledge about the time and place of their childhoods. It was an unexpected gift as I felt as though Mom was speaking to me again, telling me more about her stories, sharing more details of her past, and letting me know that she's never truly gone from my life.

I consider books among the greatest gifts in life. Sometimes, they bestow their treasures in the most unexpected ways.

 

More Book Launch Plans

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My book launch for my new mystery novel A Killer Whisky is less than two weeks away. I've spent the past month on preparation, and there's still plenty to do. 

An easy task was to create a Facebook Event Page and invite about 160 Facebook friends who live in the Calgary area. So far, nine have said they're going. This might not seem like a lot, but some will bring a friend, not all attendees confirm, and part of the purpose is to let people know my new book is available. I drop into the Event Page daily and make occasional comments to generate interest. One friend told me my Event Page shows up regularly on his Facebook feed, possibly because he presses "like" whenever the page appears. From other "likes" to the page, I notice that friends I didn't invite have seen it. Thus, the page becomes continuous promotion for relatively little effort on my part.  

For friends who aren't active on Facebook, I created a poster that I email to them individually. This takes more time than a mass mailout, but I think the personal approach prompts more people come. People usually reply, whether they can go or not, and it's fun to catch up with those I haven't seen in months or longer. I contact everyone who's shown an interest in my writing and especially those who have attended previous launches. It helps to keep an attendance list and look back at previous launch pictures.  

In addition, I've sent notices about the launch to my writing groups for inclusion in their weekly or monthly newsletters to members. Few people will attend as a result of these announcements, but some might buy the book and read it if it strikes them as interesting. 

I've also started work on the launch program, which will centre on my PowerPoint presentation. I enjoying doing PowerPoints and work hard to find the right image or bullet points to compliment what I want to say. My talk will focus on my inspirations for writing A Killer Whisky, setting locations in Calgary, and the novel's historical background - the story takes place during the 1918 Flu Pandemic, World War One, and Alberta Prohibition. I still need to create more slides and tweak existing ones to make the newspaper headlines, advertisements, photographs, and cartoons more effective. 

A week before the launch, I'll get a dress rehearsal for the PowerPoint presentation at the Pincher Creek Municipal Library, where I'll discuss the historical events relevant to an audience in Southern Alberta. Both the Pincher Creek Author Talk and Calgary Book Launch will include readings from the novel, which I still have to select, practice, and fit into the program.  

Other ingredients for the book launch event are food and drink. Since "whisky" is in the novel's title and plays a key role in the story, I've pursued my idea of serving "wee drams" of whisky and whisky cocktails named for the story's characters. A few weeks ago, I knew little about whisky cocktails other than that I'd liked Whisky Sours when I was younger. From the internet I've now learned about bitters, muddlers, and channel knives for making lemon twists, and I've found cocktail recipes that my husband and I are experimenting with this week. Our first attempt was a success! Cinnamon Maple Whisky Sour will be the signature drink for my protagonist Katharine, a Canadian patriot who supported the Great War.  

Between now and the launch on March 25th, I'll need to shop for snack platters, lemons for my mixers and twists, and door prizes related to the book. I still need to finalize arrangements with my bookseller, Owl's Nest Bookstore. No doubt myriad details requiring attention will come up. Let's hope for no last-minute disasters, like a snowstorm - not unusual for Calgary in March - or a key person like me coming down with the flu.  

Is the book launch worth all this time, effort, money, and stress?

I don't know. 

But it is fun to plan a party. 

Cheers to everyone who loves writing and reading books! 

        

Old Fashioned - our second cocktail experiment 

     

 

Meet Louisa and Vivian by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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Last month I began introducing the new Cat Tales characters with Buster Parker. This month I'd like to introduce Louisa and Vivian.

Louisa is a great blue heron and Jasmine's business partner. If you've read the first book in the Cat Tales series, All the Furs and Feathers, you'll know that Jasmine is a Russian Blue cat and Smokey's best friend, and you may remember Louisa who made a very brief appearance as part of Jasmine's web design team for Oneness Park. In All in the Furry Family, Jasmine and Louisa have teamed up to form Blue Landing Web Design. Smokey's not sure how she feels about Louisa. She finds her standoffish, but if she's being honest with herself, she's really a little jealous of Jasmine's growing friendship with Louisa and worries she'll lose her best friend.

Vivian is a flamingo and an old college friend of Louisa's. When she stops by to visit Louisa on her way to meet her dance troupe for a competition in the Canary Islands, Louisa brings her to a Hunter's Moon Night party at Smokey and Autumn Amelia's cottage. 

In this excerpt from All in the Furry Family, Louisa and Vivian regale their hosts and the other party guests with tales of their college exploits. Vivian has just described a prank Louisa pulled on one of her professors. The guests ask for more stories and Vivian obliges:

"Well, there was the time she had a huge test she was not ready for. So, on the morning of the test, instead of studying, she made a huge banner with the words, 'All classes canceled this afternoon' and flew over the campus with it tied to her tailfeathers, hoping no one would show up for class and the test would have to be rescheduled."

"Did it work?" asks Rivet.

Vivian snorts and Louisa groans.

"No," says Vivian. "But she did get out of the test after she flew straight into a tree and spent the rest of the day in the infirmary."

"Louisa!" Jasmine exclaims.

"Don't remind me," says Louisa, covering her face with her wing. "That was the worst headache of my entire life," she tells Vivian. "You were at that party, too."

"But I did not have a test the next day."

"Oh, yes, the model student. But what about the time we went to the Bahamas?"

Vivian sits taller. "We had a lovely time."

"Sure, until the last night. Remember the beach party?"

"Oh. That," says Vivian, trying to stifle a giggle by wrapping a wing around her bill.

"What happened?" asks Sam.

If you'd like to know what happened, you'll just have to read All in the Furry Family, but let's just say when you party on the beach with drunk iguanas things can get out of control quickly.

If you'd like a chance to win a signed copy of All in the Furry Family, go to the "Giveaways" page on Goodreads to enter anytime before March 30, 2025. Winners will be chosen in April.

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The Unexpected Gift Inside a Book by Eileen O'Finlan

 

                        

                                           

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I grew up hearing family stories and reminiscences from both of my parents, especially my mom. She told many of them so often I eventually knew them by heart. My mom often spoke of her old friend, Carleton Carpenter. They grew up together in Bennington, Vermont. She talked about how close they were as youngsters and the many things they did together growing up in the 1920s and '30s. She would reminisce about how Carleton used to write plays and get all the kids in the neighborhood together to put them on, directing everyone with authority. This is no surprise when you realize that he went on to act on Broadway and in several movies, often playing opposite Debbie Reynolds.

One day, several years ago, when my mom (and Carleton who was the same age) were in their 90s, I found out that Carleton Carpenter had written a memoir called The Absolute Joy of Work: From Vermont, to Broadway, Hollywood, and Damn 'Near Round the World. I bought a copy for Mom which she loved. 

Then I got the idea of trying to see if I could reconnect these two old friends. They'd lost touch after high school so it was a longshot but worth a try. It took a while, but I finally tracked him down and got an address. He was living in New York. I wrote to him, explained who I was, and hoped he'd remember my mom. He was, after all, in his 90s, and I had no idea what he might or might not remember. I was so excited when I got a letter back from him saying that he certainly did remember his old friend, Barbara, and was so glad that I had contacted him. He included a letter for my mom in the envelope. I don't know who was more delighted, Mom or me!

I had given Mr. Carpenter our phone number in the letter I sent to him and he put his in the letters he sent to us. I set up a date and time with him to call my mom. After that call, she spent the day looking like she was in a blissful daze. She just couldn't get over the fact that she had been reconnected with a dear old friend who she hadn't seen or heard from in over 70 years. They continued to write to each other and talk on the phone frequently. She caught him up on her life, who she'd married, her kids, where she'd worked and lived. And he told her all about her acting career and his close friendship with Debbie Reynolds and how sad he was at her recent passing.

It was only a few years later that Mom slipped so suddenly and deeply into dementia that she had to be moved to a nursing home. I learned that Carleton Carpenter passed away on January 31, 2022. I chose not to tell Mom because by then she thought she was living in Vermont and he was her neighbor. It would only confuse and upset her. Mom passed away almost one year later.

Recently, I came across Mom's copy of the memoir he'd written and decided to read it. It begins with his childhood in Vermont. As I read, I noticed that Mom had underlined the names of several people and places he mentioned. Obviously, these were people and places she remembered. Now, as I read it, I imagine what it must have been like for her to read that book and be taken back to her childhood and the happy days she spent with Carleton and their friends and neighbors in Bennington.

I have also found that it is a gift for me because I feel as though through the underlined passages she is pointing things out to me, once again telling me her stories and sharing her childhood with me. I am so glad I found this book and decided to read it. I had thought that there was no way I could ever have that experience again and yet, here it is. I've always found books to be a great gift, but this one has given more than I could have hoped for in a way I never would have expected.

 

  

 

Meet Buster Parker by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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All in the Furry Family, Book 2 in the Cat Tales series was just released on February 1st. Many of readers' favorite characters from All the Furs and Feathers are back, but there are also some new ones. I'd like to introduce you to one of the most important new characters, Buster Parker.

Buster is Smokey and Autumn Amelia's new neighbor. He's a white cat with large black spots.  His face is white on his mouth and cheeks and in a wide line that narrows as it goes up. The black fur starts at his eyes and goes back to the top of his head and ears. There is a black triangle from his nose to his mouth that Autumn Amelia finds simply adorable. In fact, his markings remind her of a miniature cow. Also adorable, according to Autumn. Could part of her attraction be that Autumn, who fantasizes about being a pirate, found out he owns a boat on Niptucket Island? Well, she liked him before she knew that, but it sure doesn't hurt. Fortunately, Buster likes Autumn Amelia, too. Before long a romance between the two cats begins to brew. 

In the following excerpt from All in the Furry Family, Autumn and Smokey have gone out for a walk when they see a moving van in the driveway of a house that has just sold and the new owner standing in the driveway. They decide to introduce themselves. Autumn, a locally renowned chef whose reputation is spreading far and wide, wants to welcome him to the neighborhood by making a meal for him.

From All in the Furry Family:

"I'd like to make dinner for you and your family. How many will I be cooking for?"

Buster's eyes widen. "That's awfully nice of you, but it's just me. I figured I'd grab a bite somewhere."

"Oh," says Autumn. "How about lunch? I can drop it off when I leave for work."

"Don't go to any trouble."

"It's no trouble," she says.

"Autumn is a chef," Smokey interjects. "She runs Mama Cat's Kitchen at Oneness Park in Faunaburg. Have you heard of it?"

Buster's eyes grow wider. "You're that Autumn Amelia?"

Later, as they walk back home, Smokey and Autumn discuss their new neighbor.

From All in the Furry Family:

"He's very handsome," says Autumn Amelia.

"You think so?" asks Smokey, unable to keep the teasing from her voice.

"Don't you?"

"I suppose. I think he liked you."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw how he looked at you. He probably can't wait for you to drop off that sandwich."

"It's the sandwich he's interested in, not me."

"Well, you are that Autumn Amelia, after all. I still think he's interested in you."

Autumn and Buster have many adventures in All in the Furry Family as they begin dating and continue getting to know each other.

Buster's character is based on my neighbor's cat of the same name. Here he is enjoying a Christmas gift from my own Autumn Amelia:

Buster Parker is just one of several new characters that I can't wait for readers to meet. Next month, I'll introduce Louisa, a great blue heron, and her friend, Vivian, a flamingo visiting her from Palm Ray.

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Meet Smokey and Autumn Amelia by Eileen O'Finlan

 

                           

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All in the Furry Family, Book 2 in the Cat Tales series is scheduled for release in February. The main characters of the series are two sister cats, Smokey and Autumn Amelia. For those who have read the first book. All the Furs and Feathers, this is a refresher and for those who haven't read it, an introduction.

Smokerina "Smokey" Koshkyn:

Smokey is the elder of the two Koshkyn sisters. She is a Russian Blue cat, taking after her father's side of the family. Smokey is an architect employed by Fluffington ArCATechure, a highly successful business owned by Abigail Fluffington. Her best friend is Jasmine, also a Russian Blue and a web designer.

Coloration: Solid bluish gray

Strengths: Highly competent at her job and most other things, self-confident, formerly a superb mouser

Weakness: Terrified of coyotes
Quirks: She gets the zoomies about an hour before a storm and when excited. If it happens at work, she has to go to the basement to keep from zooming around the office.

Regrets: She feels responsible for making Autumn Amelia believe she's not a real cat.

Autumn Amelia Koshkyn:

Autumn Amelia is Smokey's younger sister. She's a calico Maine coon like their mother. Autumn is a baker and chef. In All the Furs and Feathers she works from home for Furry Confections, a bakery owned by Tabby Furry.

Coloration: Calico - white, burnt orange, and various shades of gray

Strengths: She is a culinary genius. Her lovable personality naturally brings furs and feather together.

Weaknesses: An overload of odd quirks and the fact that she's not sure she's a real cat because she's never caught a mouse.

Quirks: She snacks without realizing it while she's cooking because it gives her inspiration for new recipes. She can't go to restaurants because the aromas put her into a trance-like state that makes her take food from waiters' trays or other patrons' plates without knowing she's doing it. More than once, she's found herself in a restaurant's kitchen improving their recipes. She has a secret fantasy about being the Pirate Queen of the High Seas.

Regrets: She has never caught a mouse, not that she'd know what to do with it if she did catch one.

The characters Smokey and Autumn Amelia were inspired by my own cats of the same names. Sadly, the real Smokey went to the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago. Autumn Amelia, though getting on in years, still lives with me. She does not cook, but she does like to eat.

The real Smokey and Autumn Amelia

Christmas Celebrations - Mexico-style!

 

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My husband Will and I have developed the habit of spending part of November and/or December in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. During our visits these past four years, we've noticed that as soon as the Day of Dead (Nov 1-2) celebrations are over Christmas decorations appear on buildings and streets. We northerners find it a bit jarring to see Santa Clauses in snowsuits and boots, reindeer, and our traditional Christmas trees juxtaposed with palm trees and swimsuits.  

A lucky girl rides the burro pictured below

Real burro stands beside restaurant Santa Claus and burro

No doubt Mexicans dress up their streets, restaurants, and hotels partly for snowbird tourists, but the locals seem to enjoy the festivity. Our hotel desk clerk was pleased when I admired the suggestion box she'd creatively decorated. 

Perhaps part of the appeal is that the traditional red, green, and white Christmas colours happen to be the colours of the Mexican flag. 

The Mexican flag flies above a beachfront cafe

Most Christmas decorations sold in stores are similar to ones available at Canada Walmart, although occasional stores displayed Mexican piñatas. Unfortunately, they were too bulky and fragile for us to bring home in our suitcases to add a Mexican flair to our own Christmas decor.  

 

Mexico is a predominately Roman Catholic country and Christmas is ultimately a religious celebration. From December 1-12 about 400 processions wind through the streets of Puerto Vallarta and culminate at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. These parades commemorate the appearance of

the Virgin Mary to the peasant Juan Diego on December 12, 1531. Our Hotel Los Arcos organized a procession for staff members and invited hotel guests to attend. They asked us to wear white although the procession's dancers appeared in colourful costumes. 

Waiting for the procession to start

            

According to Google translate, this sign at the start of the procession says: Virgin of Guadalupe here are your children of Corporative Los Arcos thanking you for all the favors received and asking you to preserve our work and Directives.

The candlelight processions include both Aztec and Christian costumes and motifs, mariachi bands, and singing by all participants (the organizers gave us song sheets). Food stalls filled the park in front of the destination, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.     

We found it a beautiful way to welcome the Christmas season. With luck we'll continue our Mexico habit next year. 

Happy Holidays to you!

Coming in Early 2025: All in the Furry Family by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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I am delighted to announce that the second book in the Cat Tales series, All in the Furry Family, is scheduled for a February 2025 release. If you've read the first book, All the Furs and Feathers, you've met sister cats, Smokey and Autumn Amelia and their friends in Wild Whisker Ridge and Faunaburg. Now, join them for the wedding of the century when Abigail Fluffington marries their cousin, Greyson. That is if Abigail can stop being a bridezilla long enough to finalize the wedding plans.

On top of all the wedding chaos, Smokey is now Abigail's partner at Fluffington ArCATechture and Autumn Amelia is running Mama Cat's Kitchen in Oneness Park. It seems they've both achieved their dreams, but something odd is going on. Smokey is being stalked by two strange cats, and Autumn Amelia is running her paws off trying to juggle managing her own restaurant and bake two days a week for Furry's Confections. When Autumn meets her new neighbor, a handsome cat named Buster, and wants to spend more time with him, she knows something has to give. But what?

Join Smokey, Autumn Amelia, and all their furred and feathered friends as they try to navigate the many changes in their lives. Lots of new characters and loads of surprises await readers in All in the Furry Family Book 2 of the Cat Tales series.

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How to Write a Book Review by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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Book reviews are very important for authors, especially those of us who are not household names. Not only do they help potential readers decide if a book might be to their taste, they also have an effect on the algorithms. The more reviews, the more a site promotes it.

One of the most common reasons readers don't leave reviews is because they have the mistaken idea that they are expected to write it as though they are a professional literary critic. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To write a book review, the reader only needs to keep three questions in mind:

1. Did you like the book?

2. What was your favorite part? (no spoilers!)

3. Would you recommend this book to others and why?

Putting the answers to these questions into a coherent paragraph is all an amateur reviewer needs to do. Failing that, at least leave a star rating. Even a review that consists only of "I really liked this book" is better than no review at all.

Another reason some might not leave reviews is because they are intimidated by the technology and don't know how to do it. It's actually very easy. Here is a Youtube video explaining step-by-step how to leave a review on Amazon. The steps for leaving reviews on other sites are similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyXrmVZv21w

Happy reading and reviewing!

Mixing Business with Pleasure by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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Near the start of September, I had the pleasure of doing a book tour in Vermont with my fellow BWL author, friend, and cousin, Eileen Charbonneau. Eileen was promoting her book, Spectral Evidence, while I was promoting The Folklorist.

A lot goes into preparing for a book tour. Presenters have to decide upon which aspect of the book they want to focus and either write a script or assemble notes (the former for me, the latter for Eileen C.) For this tour, we each created PowerPoint presentations to go with our talks. For us, it was an easy choice since Spectral Evidence has a strong connection to the Salem Witch Trials and The Folklorist to the New England Vampire Panic. Witches and vampires make a good team so we decided to focus on the folklore behind both that European immigrants brought to America. The title we decided on, "Witches and Vampires: When Old World Nightmares Invaded the New World" seemed to express well the essence of our presentation.

While working on our talks, we had to contact libraries and bookstores explaining our presentation and availability in hopes that they would agree to host us. We endured our share of "no thank you's" as well as a number of no responses, but were gratified to be enthusiastically welcomed by four Vermont libraries.

Once all of our dates were scheduled, extra book copies ordered (both the featured book and backlist), talks practiced, and arrangements made to stay with my cousin in Ferrisburgh for when we headed to the Champlain Valley for our last talk of the tour we were finally ready to go.

Packing boxes of books, swag, awards, table cloths, and whatever else might be needed along with my suitcase, that by the time I was through I could barely lift, into the car definitely qualifies as work. But once I was on the road headed up to Bellows Falls, Vermont, the pleasure part kicked in.

I should explain that Vermont is my favorite place as both of my parents came from that state and the very best memories of my childhood and teen years were made there during visits to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Not to mention, the state itself is incredibly beautiful. The fact that I was on my way to stay with Eileen and her wonderful husband, Ed, only added that much more joy to the adventure.

All of our talks went well. Every one of the librarians were gracious and helpful hosts. We were delighted to meet and engage with interested readers. Chatting with attendees after our talks concluded was the best part for me. As is always the case, we encountered both larger and smaller than expected turnouts, but in either case, those who attended were enthusiastic and made us feel more than welcome. Overall, it was a successful book tour.

                                       

        Reading from The Folklorist at the                                              Presenting at the Rockingham                Springfield Town Library                                                             Public Library

Eileen O'Finlan and Eileen Charbonneau taking questions from the audience

In addition, there was the pleasure of spending time with Eileen and Ed. Whenever Eileen and I get together we always have a great time. I want to thank Ed for playing roadie for us, driving us to all locations, lugging all of our books, setting up our laptops and getting us online, and generally making sure we were ready when it was time to start. In addition, Ed did most of the cooking when we ate at their home - another bona fide treat! (Eileen, please let Ed know that I still want his recipe for lentil soup.)

While in the Bellows Falls area, we also made time to visit the local farmers market, hit up the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham, and enjoy a fabulous dinner at a French restaurant in Walpole, New Hampshire followed by dessert at Burdick's Chocolates next door, and take in the new Beetlejuice movie.

That was some good hot chocolate!

Once the first leg of the tour was complete, we headed up to my cousin's home in the gorgeous Champlain Valley. Two nights at her house with Lake Champlain in her backyard was heaven.

I was especially grateful that I got to visit with my 90-year-old uncle who is the last one left of his generation. I have been mining him for family history and stories ever since I realized that he's the only one left who knows them. Sharing them with me seems to be energizing him as he keeps supplying me with answers and requesting I ask him even more questions. 

With Uncle Harold and Aunt Theresa

It was a great trip that generated what I'm sure will be lasting memories.

Eileen and I have one more talk to do together, but this time she'll be coming to Massachusetts. On Tuesday, October 29th we will present at Tidepool Bookshop in Worcester at 5:30 p.m. The format for this one is a bit different. Instead of each of us giving a talk, we'll be interviewing each other about our books. If you're in the area, we'd love to see you there!

Meet the Cat Tales Characters by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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I recently acquired a new skill - creating images using A.I. I know there's a lot of controversy over A.I., but the images I've created likely don't fall into a controversial realm. They are all images of the characters in my Cat Tales series. These characters are all highly anthropomorphized animals. They hold jobs, drive cars, go shopping - all the stuff humans do while retaining most of the characteristics associated with their species. They also have to learn to live in harmony with one another. That's not easy to do when Smokey is designing a cat park that will abut Rodent Way. Not if Jerome J. Rately has anything to say about it. And, he does have plenty to say.

I learned how to create these images a few weeks ago while I was home recovering from COVID. I had noticed that my friend and fellow author, Jane Willan, had been creating images of her characters and using them in her Facebook posts. They looked terrific so I asked her to teach me to do it. In one Zoom call, she showed me how it's done. Then I got to work making my own. It's actually very easy to do. And it's fun. So, here are a few of the characters from the first book in the Cat Tales series, All the Furs and Feathers:

                                                  This is Smokey, one of the main characters.

                                                  She's employed as an architect at Fluffington

                                                  ArCATechture.

                                              This is Autumn Amelia. She's the other main 

                                              character, Smokey's sister, and a baker who works

                                              from home.

                               

    Here we have Greyson. He's cousin                                 Abigail Fluffington is the owner of

    to Smokey and Autumn Amelia. He's                              Fluffington ArCATechture and Smokey's

    the retired CEO of PAWS UNITED.                               boss. She's a very astute businesscat.

                          
    This sweet kitty is Dusty Fluffington.                                Jasmine is a web designer and Smokey's

    She's an amazing designer and seamstress.                        best friend. They're both Russian Blues

    She's also Abigail's sister. They both live                           and are often confused for twins.

    in Abigail's luxury apartment, but poor

    Dusty is terrified to leave the building.

    Until she meets Autumn Amelia, that is.

Not all the characters in the Cat Tales series are cats. There's a wide variety of animals in the series. Here are just a few of the non-cat characters:

                                     

    This is Rufus Tailwagger. He's a PR                                       Jerome J. Ratley is the head of the         

    professional. Rufus is a great guy. Just                                   Rodent Placement Agency. He's also

    stay out of the way of his maniacally                                      an activist for rodent rights. And he's

    wagging tail.                                                                            not at all happy about the idea of the cat

                                                                                                    park Smokey is designing that will abut

                                                                                                    Rodent Way.

                                                 Sally is a sous chef who works for                                            Here are Simon and Sam Squirrel

    Chef Gustav, a snooty world-famous                                        on their tandem bike. They work for

    chef, at Miguel Gato's private club.                                           Autumn's boss, Tabby Furry who owns

    Sally likes Miguel, but she'd rather not                                     Furry Confections. The Squirrel                have to work for Gustav.                                                           brothers are curriers who deliver the                                                                                                           baked goods Autumn makes to be sold

                                                                                                       at the bakery.

These are only some of the images of the characters from All the Furs and Feathers. There are more on my website. You can check them out here. More will be coming in early 2025 when the second book in the Cat Tales series, All in the Furry Family, is released. Meanwhile, here is a sneak peak of a couple of the new characters from the second book:

  

                                          

    Meet Buster Parker. He's a printer,                                               Give a warm welcome to Professor

    but he also owns a boat. I don't want                                            Chewy. He teaches botany at Verdant

    to give anything away, so I'll just say                                           University. He's also Smokey and

    he'll become important to Autumn Amelia.                                  Autumn Amelia's new neighbor.