On the Loss of a Muse by Eileen O'Finlan

 

                              

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On Friday, January 16, 2026, my muse passed away. She was 17 years old, calico, and very fluffy. Her name was Autumn Amelia. She was a gorgeous Maine Coon mix. As anyone who knows cats well can attest, they are excellent at hiding illness and pain. I knew she was slowing down. That wasn't surprising. She'd been considered a "senior cat" by the vet for several years. She'd also been on medication for hyperthyroidism for several years, too. However, it did take me by surprise to find out at her December vet appointment that her liver and white blood cell counts were way off. The vet thought it might a side effect from her thyroid medication and suggested taking her off it for a month and rechecking her bloodwork. If her liver and white cell counts were headed back to normal, we'd know that  was the cause.

A few days before her next appointment, I could tell she was very sick, so I called the vet. They had me bring her in that afternoon. A recheck of her bloodwork showed that not only had her liver and white cell count not improved, but they had dramatically worsened. The vet was certain she had liver cancer and, given how quickly things had gone downhill along with her current condition, felt that she probably only had a few days left. Not wanting her to suffer any longer, I asked the vet to euthanize her. I held her in my arms, told her how much I loved her and what a special cat she'd been. I reminded her that she would live on in the Cat Tales books, and I asked her to send me the next kitties that needed a loving forever home. She left this world peacefully in my arms, soaked with my tears.

Autumn Amelia used to live with me along with a beautiful Russian Blue cat named Smokey. They were the inspiration for All the Furs and Feathers, a novel I wrote while home from work for a month recovering from a major surgery. Smokey passed away just as that book was being completed. My mom, who had been living with me, went into a nursing home due to advancing dementia one month later. She would pass away within three years.

Autumn and I were on our own ever since. We shared a home and a life. She was a great source of love, affection, amusement, and inspiration. She was always with me while I was writing, laying next to (or on top of) my keyboard. I called her my muse for that's what she was. My beautiful, magical muse. She celebrated with me when the second Cat Tales book, All in the Furry Family, was released. I bought cat "wine" for her and we toasted the unboxing of the new books when they arrived. 

She was a regular fixture at the writing group that meets at my house every Wednesday evening. They will all miss her, too.

Autumn and Smokey are the main characters in the Cat Tales series books. Their characters are based on their personalities. Many of their antics in the books were true to life including Smokey's zoomies before a storm and Autumn's penchant for stealing food. Autumn really did take apart my humidifier and eat the charcoal filter when she was a kitten and she really did have a pirate ship that she adored just like in the books.

The Cat Tales series will continue. I have the basic idea for the next book in my head now. Smokey and Autumn Amelia will return with all their furry and feathered friends. 

Autumn Amelia and Smokey

And in the next book, they will have two new friends because Autumn and Smokey completed their assignment very quickly and sent me two new kitties to help heal my broken heart. Zachary and Josette are brother and sister orange cats who are now living with me. I have had one cat or another since I was six years old and simply could not stand being without one. They came from a local shelter and now have a forever home where they will be loved and pampered for the rest of their lives. They will also become characters. I need to finish the paranormal book I'm writing now before I can start on the next Cat Tales book, but that will give me plenty of time to get to know Zach and Josette so that their personalities can shine through in the next story.

Rest in peace my precious Autumn Amelia. Thank you for your wonderful inspiration and for sending me these two new babies to love.

   

                            Zach                                                                            Josette

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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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

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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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.