The Magic City

The Magic City
Showing posts with label #FuzzyFriday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #FuzzyFriday. Show all posts

Friday, August 7, 2015

Jerry, Sammie, and Thor Invade #FuzzyFriday. All your bases are belong to us.


Lap Man accidentally caught 
Thor using his laser eyes 
to peer into the pantry
At the request of the soft human who gives treats, we three superior lifeforms have agreed to an interview with our like-bodied companion J-Dog. Our mission is to somehow learn from the many fingered humans how to open the tasty bags of treats she has placed on a high shelf. Once we have mastered this skill, we will be gods among cat kind. Until that time we live peacefully, accepting the soft human’s treats and sitting in the warm spot provided by her partner, lap man.

What is Mommy currently reading?

We have noticed that the soft human has too many books. She has half read books in the dining room (Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs), books in the living room (The Cat Made Me Buy It by Alice Muncaster), books in the bedroom (Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters) and even books on her light up toy that she’s always carrying and tapping on (Charlotte & the Pirate by Patricia Green) and the large lighted toy that she types on in front of the big moving window in the living room (The Boys on the Mountain by John Inman). We see her reading all of them at the same time. She moves from room to room and picks up a different book for each room. It is most peculiar.

What was the most recent thing I did to get in trouble?

Jerry physically restraining the soft human to 
encourage her writing productivity.
The soft human and the lap man are often admonishing us for not adhering to their human ways. One day they washed all the throw rugs in the house and laid them out to dry on the tile in the kitchen. This made the rugs smell terrible, so we took the catnip from the pantry and spread it all over the rugs. We three enjoyed it very much. And then we shoved the baggie of catnip behind the stove so they wouldn’t find it until their next spring cleaning. They did not appreciate our efforts. We have resigned ourselves to continuing to educate them on the attractiveness of catnip.

What are my observations of Mommy's writing process?

Sammie uses his death glare to keep the soft 
human writing on her deadline
The soft human has to be supervised at all time during her writing process. We take shifts. The five a.m. writing hour is covered by Thor. He likes to get up early and sits on the couch while she types on the big lighted toy. It’s early and they don’t talk much but she knows he’s there. At night, Sammie is in charge. He burrows under her arm so he can view the screen and make sure she’s not writing anything objectionable, i.e., anything bad about cats. On the weekends, it’s Jerry’s job to help her drape the lap blanket over her legs and then hold her legs down on the couch so that she cannot escape, thus helping her productivity.

What is Mommy currently writing?

The soft human is working on more than one project, predictably. That is all Sammie reports back. He has seen the different pictures she attaches to each one. One has ghostly images and teenagers. Another has strange flying humans in a sepia toned Western background. And another involves a colorful and sinister carnival.

Why you should buy my Mommy's most recent book b/c pet treats aren't cheap

We were very disappointed that there are no cats in the current book the soft human published. Instead she has a human with tentacles which made Jerry and Sammie think of seafood. Thor only eats chicken. She read some of it out loud. The tentacled man helps a space man buy a rocket. The tentacled man likes the space man but the space man doesn’t likes his tentacles. Again there are no cats in the story. But she told us that more treats would be forthcoming if people bought the story. We think more people would buy it if there were cats in it.

Meet the Soft Human

Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee's to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.


The Soft Human's Book

When the right space pilot walks into his bar, a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into business and his bed--but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn't sure he can deal with a two-armed lover, much less one with six.

As the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.
Still smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise, but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.
At the edge of the galaxy's spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?

Excerpt:

Jimenez opened the bar’s airlock and the urge to run out again washed over him like a splash of cold water. He commanded his frozen legs to shuffle forward and inside. This could turn ugly if he lost his concentration for even a moment. But he wouldn’t. He’d been practicing, becoming accustomed to groups larger than this for revs now.
He could be just like everyone else.
None of them would see the scars on his back or the brand of his tattoo that had marked him since puberty.
Men and women filled half the tables and booths, some laughing and drinking, a few puffing blue smoke. The gaming tables on the side were empty, while a lone player at the billiard table opposite pocketed ball after ball. The room rang with loud voices, clinking glasses, and raucous music.
Jimenez slid into an empty spot at the pale stone bar and caught sight of the clearest, happiest eyes he’d ever seen, a shade lighter than the man’s tousled brown mop above. A dimple quirked at the side of his full lips, mesmerizing Jimenez. The loud voices behind him slid away and for a moment, it was quiet in his mind. Jimenez flinched when his shoulder was jostled and the spell broke.
“Hey, you okay, buddy? First time? What can I pour for you?”
Jimenez blinked, realizing the tall bartender was speaking to him. The man’s smiling eyes crinkled at the corners of his bronzed face. Jimenez swallowed, and he ducked his chin, trying not to stare again, trying to hide his hot cheeks. He’d never been so close to such a handsome man.
“Did you want a drink?” The bartender quirked an eyebrow.
“Yeah… I mean yes. Whiskey neat.” His voice came out gruffer than he expected.
“Bourbon, Scotch, Rye…?”
“Surprise me.” It was a game Jimenez played. He’d order whiskey and discover what the bartender served. If he reached for the rail bottle closest to hand, it meant he would pour either the cheapest or the local favorite. If he pulled something from the top shelf, the bartender angled for a bigger tip. But if he grabbed a decanter off to the side or behind another bottle, he’d score the bartender’s personal pick.
“Coming right up.”
The bartender raised a tentacle in greeting, calling out to another patron.
Oh, God. The man was a Pod.
Of course he was.
In a joint named the Klockwerk Kraken, who better to tend the bar than a tentacled man?

Find the Soft Human on the Internet:


***

In recognition of alien, ahem, feline superiority, J-Dog is giving away to one commenter a $10 Amazon Gift Card purchased through Amazon Smile to benefit the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic. The good people of the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic stem the time of unwanted and abandoned companion animals by offering low-cost, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries. For more information, go to: http://alspay.org/



Friday, July 31, 2015

Author Annie Adams' Fur Baby Wilson Arranges #FuzzyFriday with Floral Flair


My name is Wilson. I’m a yellow Lab, technically speaking, but my mom describes me as cream colored, like a Vendela Rose, whatever that means. A few weeks ago, the doorbell rang at my house, I barked like I’m supposed to and the humans I lived with opened the door. A stranger, a woman stood at the door and it was love at first sight. I jumped up on her and half an hour later I let the new stranger take me to her house and I’ve lived there ever since.


I also go to work at the flower shop with her and Daddy every day. What a strange place. Every day, there’s a guy named Keith who backs his big truck up to the front door and Mom goes outside and looks in the truck and then comes back with her arms full of flowers. I like to walk directly under those flowers so I can do a smell inspection. I have to be sure to stay no more than six inches away from her legs as she walks, that way I’m in optimum range for keeping my nose in everything. Got to stay on top of things! My mom seems kind of uncoordinated. She’s always tripping over me as I help her in with the flowers. Lots of strangers come in and out every day to take flowers away with them. I try so hard not to bark at them, because I know my mom and dad don’t like it. I just wish they would let me do my job!

I’m really working on trying not to pull my mom or dad too hard on the leash when I walk them. They’re just so slow! The other day, Mom left a sandwich out on the design table at work for me. I politely waited until she answered the phone, and then once again, for politeness’ sake, I stealthily stood on my hind legs and strenuously reached for the sandwich with my teeth. I swallowed it whole to keep down the mess of crumbs. I try so hard to be thoughtful; I have to wonder why my mom put the sandwich in a place that was so hard for me to reach. I guess she just gets distracted with all the things going on at once. At times like those I wish my humans could speak dog like everyone else.


I love to lay my head on my mom’s lap when she sits at the desk to write or on her foot when she stands at the computer at work or uses her laptop. I think she’s writing books when we do this. She’s working on a novella right now. It’s about a mystery that happens at a New Year’s Eve party. Lots of other authors are going to put their stories in with hers and they will sell it in October. Mom also writes The Flower Shop Mystery Series and right now she’s working on the fourth book in the series. I understand there’s a new dog in those books, but I’m sure he’s not half the flower shop dog that I am. I think Mommy’s books are funny. They tell the story of Quincy McKay, who is a florist with a wacky delivery driver named K.C. They solve mysteries and get in a lot of trouble. Quincy’s love interest is a cop named Alex. I admit I have a bit of a dog crush on him.


After we go home, we’ll work in the yard. I don’t know how they did it without me! Then, Mommy will go into her room and work on her books while I go to bed and dream about another sandwich at the flower shop.

Wilson's mom, Author Annie Adams, writes cozy mysteries with a kick of romance.  She is the author of the ARRANGEMENTS series.  When not writing, she can be found arranging flowers or delivering them in her own Zombie Delivery Van.  She's a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Utac chapter of RWA (URWA) and the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA (KOD).
For more information, go to Annie's website: http://www.annieadamstheauthor.com/
You can also find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieAdamsTheAuthor


The Arrangements Box Set

Friday, July 17, 2015

Golden Heart® Finalist Kelly Farmer’s dogs Jack and Al invade #FuzzyFriday and share Puppy Love!

Hi! My name is Jack. Do you have treats? Here’s a kiss on your hand because it has a treat in it, right? Right?

My brother Al will be here in a minute. He’s sleeping. People call us “old timers”, but our mommy prefers to say we’re teenagers. We still act like dogs half our age.

(Al, snorting awake) Huh? What? Is there food? No? Okay. (Falls back asleep)

Want to go for a walk? We’re Mommy’s personal trainers. Since I’m a Labrador retriever and Al is a Lab-husky mix, we love to go for walkies. If Mommy has been sitting in front of that glowing thing she calls a “laptop” too long, I stare at her until she takes me out. I can stare for a long time. Sometimes it’s because I want food, too. Are you sure you don’t have treats? Here, I’ll roll on my back in the grass to entertain you.

(Al leaps up in a sleepy stupor) Where’s Mom? Where’s Mom? Is she in the kitchen? I love the kitchen! Oh, hi. I’m Al. When did you get here? Do you have treats? Here, I’ll sit. And nudge your hand. Everyone says I’m very silly. (They say Jack is handsome, but don’t tell him that. He has a big ego.)

Our mommy does this thing called “writing romance novels”, which is when she stares at that laptop for hours, muttering to herself. Jack and I sometimes think she’s talking to us and we wag our tails. She also talks to “Siri” when we’re out on our walkies and she gets an idea. Oof. Just thinking about walkies makes me tired. (Passes out in the grass)

Jack again. I was busy digging in the mulch. Mommy is a finalist in a contest called the Golden Heart. She’s going to a big conference next week for the Romance Writers of America. That means Al and I get to hang out at Grandma and Grandpa’s house--yes! The book Mommy wrote is called Puppy Love. It was inspired by the time she spent working at an animal shelter. Don’t talk about that with Al--that’s where she adopted him from.

(Al, chasing bunnies in his sleep) Don’t like cages. Don’t like cages.

The lady in the book is a veterinarian who moves to a small town in Southwest Michigan to work at an animal shelter clinic. Some of the cats and dogs in the story were inspired by pets Mommy knows. There’s a naughty husky who talks she says is like Al, and two needy Weimaraners she says are like me. I don’t think so. (Crawls up on your lap) Tell me I’m a good boy. (Al woofs in his sleep)

Our mommy’s a big supporter of giving pets a second chance at a forever home. The man in Puppy Love is, too. He’s a lawyer from Chicago who’s back in his hometown to help his mommy because his daddy “crossed over the Rainbow Bridge”. He rescues an injured dog in the pouring rain at the start of the book. I like him--he has treats. These two lost people find their way together by helping pets in need. It’s like the shelter’s motto: Where Two Hearts Become One.

(Al opens one eye just to make sure a turkey sandwich hasn’t fallen near him)

Mommy is excited about making lots of new friends as she pursues her dream of being a published author. She asks people to “Like” and “Follow” her, which I think means sniffing each other’s butts at the park. If you see us, say hi! Al and I love making friends, too. Especially if they have treats.

Do you have a rescue pet story to tell? Please share it in the Comments!

*****

Kelly Farmer has been writing romance novels since junior high. In those days, the heroes were the star quarterback on the high school football team who drove Corvettes and were named Brad. Now, she writes down to earth stories about the guys and girls next door. Her current manuscript, Puppy Love, takes place at a small-town animal shelter in a fictional Southwest Michigan resort town. It is a 2015 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Finalist in the Contemporary Romance category.


When not writing, she enjoys walking her two large, spunky senior dogs, quoting from Eighties movies, and following NHL hockey. Kelly lives in the Chicago suburbs, where she complains about the weather 300 days a year.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyfarmerauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyFarmerAuth


*****
J-Dog thinks Jack and Al are awesome, and he will be keeping his paws crossed for Kelly during the Golden Heart ceremony July 25 (which you can watch live  - for more info, go here). He's hoping Kelly will write another book called Kitty Crush.  

J-Dog wanted to remind you of the good work the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic does. They provide much needed low cost, high quality spay/neuter services. You can learn more about them on their Facebook page. 

One of the great things the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic does is a TNR program.  Trap-Neuter-Return involves trapping the cats in a feral colony, getting them spayed and neutered, adopting out kittens and friendly cats, then returning the adult feral cats to their territory and providing them with food and shelter.  TNR significantly reduces noise from fighting, odor from spraying, and more litters of kittens.  

J-Dog does all his shopping through AMAZON SMILE. Through this program, Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchase to a charity of your choice, like the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic.  J-Dog is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card (purchased through Amazon Smile to help the Spay Neuter Clinic) to one of the people who leaves a comment. Check back Wednesday to see if you won.

Up next week, Lou Anders's fish Lilly Pad and Blue. The fish turn things on their head and make it #FishyFriday. They'll be talking about the latest Thrones & Bones release, Nightborn. It is going to be awesome. Can't wait! 

Friday, July 10, 2015

Zoe Hernandez Has #FuzzyFriday Fun



My name is Zoe Hernandez. I’m a seven-year-old golden retriever. Here are a few secrets about my mom Gwen Hernandez.


• What is Mommy currently reading?
She’s not allowed to read anything right now because she needs to focus on her writing. But her favorites are romantic suspense and historical romance. Even better is both combined!

• What was the most recent thing I did to get in trouble?
I stole a tennis ball out of Mommy and Daddy’s bedroom, a place I’m not supposed to go. In my defense, it looked just like mine. You know, bright green, round, small enough for my mouth. Never mind that it was out of sight around the corner. I could SMELL it.

• What are my observations of Mommy's writing process?

If I didn’t tell her I need to go for a walk every now and then, she’d sit in her favorite chair or on the couch in front of her laptop all day. She tries to plot out the basics of her book before she starts, often while we’re walking or she’s on a run (without me, because apparently I’m nothing but a "furry boat anchor"). I’m a good sounding board for major plot points, GMC, and characterization, though. Mommy says it looks better when she talks to me instead of herself.

Despite that, she changes almost everything, rewriting the first 10K words about 50 times before she finally figures out the gist of the story. And she’s always complaining that she didn’t get enough written. She started doing meditation and yoga, which helps her relax, but I think she needs more time in downward dog.

• What is Mommy currently writing?
Book 3 in her Men of Steele series (romantic suspense). This one is about Kurt Steele--the founder of Steele Security--and charter pilot, Caitlyn Brevard. He’s a former Air Force pararescueman (PJ) and a double above-the-knee amputee, and she’s an old military friend he’s always had the hots for. Mom says readers have been asking for Kurt's book, and she’s worried about getting it right.

• Why you should buy my Mommy's most recent book (b/c pet treats aren't cheap).
Well, I can’t read, but New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin said, "Packed with action and emotion. BLIND AMBITION is a page-turner!” Mommy was really excited about that!

Here’s a short blurb for BLIND AMBITION (Men of Steele #2).

Former pararescueman Dan Molina’s mission to rescue a kidnapped aid worker from St. Isidore’s rebels falls apart when the woman—who once shattered his heart—refuses to leave the island.

Alexa Alyssandratos won't leave until she’s certain the orphans she cared for are safe from the rebels. On the run from ransom-hungry soldiers, old passions reignite as she and Dan race to save the children before they disappear forever.

Thanks for letting me hang out with you today, Ms. Heather!


Mommy’s bio:

Gwen Hernandez was a manufacturing engineer and programmer before she turned to writing romantic suspense. She’s also the author of Scrivener For Dummies and teaches Scrivener (writing software) to writers all over the world.

She loves to travel, read, jog, practice Kung Fu, and explore the Boston area where she currently lives with her Air Force husband, two teenage boys, and a lazy golden retriever (that’s me!).

Friday, July 3, 2015

Woof To You Too by Pepper and Gravy Flynn for #FuzzyFriday

Pet me.

No, really. Pet. Me.

Dont make me repeatedly nudge you with my paw. Pet me.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Thats much better.

So, Im Pepper Flynn and this is my best friend Gravy.

*Gravy cocks head.* Play?

Not right now. We have to talk to these people about the crucial role we play in how our person, Avery Flynn, gets her work done.

*Gravy whines.* Play?

I think one of the Flynn kids left a Lego out. Go find it.

*Gravy sprints away.* Play!!!

Anyway, now that shes gone, we can get down to brass tacks.

Gravys job is to sleep under Averys desk and stretch out so she lays on top of Averys feet. If she didnt do this, Averys toes would fall off because her office is in the basement and is pretty much freezing all the time. While Avery doesnt type with her toes, she gets grumpy when she gets too cold and ends up cursing at her glowing typing pad.

My job is to jump up on my hind legs and pat her with my front paws if shes in her office chair for too long. If I didnt do this, she would never go outside and see the sunshine. She cant type out there, but she gets all bleary eyed and mumbles a lot about fictional people otherwise.

*Gravy wanders back into the office chewing the last bit of a Lego.* Nap.

Oh no. I can hear here coming down the stairs. *sniffs* Yep, shes got coffee. Gotta go but dont worry readers, well keep her working hard!


Until next time, keep petting me.





Friday, June 19, 2015

#FuzzyFriday Love from Kimberly Lang's Cupid

~Peeks out from behind the internet~ I'm Cupid. I'm very shy and very scared of pretty much everything, but my mommy, Kimberly, promises this is a safe place and that y'all are nice people. And she says if I do the interview, I'll get a pig's ear with peanut butter as a reward. Those are my favorite.

The folks at the Humane Society called me Cupid when I lived there because if you look at the white spot on my neck the right way, you can see it's shaped like a little heart. Mommy says we were meant to be -- something about the fact she writes romance and needs a Cupid in her office. My family adopted me three years ago and brought me to my new home where I have lots of toys that are all mine.

I like long walks around the neighborhood, playing in my pool, running with Daddy and AC in the backyard, and digging to China in the flower beds.  I don't like getting hosed off after I finish digging, though.

What are my observations of my mommy's writing process? She sits in her chair and I sit behind her, under the printer table, and take long naps. My snores provide a calming background noise.

What is the most recent thing I did to get in trouble? I sat under Mommy's desk, farted really bad, and then left the room. Mommy says that's not cool and not conducive to writing love scenes.

What is Mommy currently writing? Mommy has a new series set in Magnolia Beach, Alabama, and is writing lots of books set there. The first one is called Something to Prove. I know all of this because Mommy talks about it all the time.  She says the cover is the prettiest thing she's ever seen, and I know that can't be right because I'm the prettiest thing ever.

Want to win something? Leave a comment and a compliment for me and you could win one of my mommy's books (paper or e, winner's choice). She'll also make a donation to the Greater Huntsville Humane Society in your honor.



Cupid's mommy is also known as USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Lang. When she's not writing, she and Cupid do yoga together -- Up Dogs and Down Dogs mostly.  You can connect with Kimberly and Cupid on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberlyLang), Twitter (@booksbykimberly), or through her website,www.booksbykimberly.com.

In the small waterfront town of Magnolia Beach, Alabama,  people may forgive, but they never forget—especially when it comes to scandalous reputations, juicy gossip, and a sexy new flame.
 
Former wild child Helena Wheeler was happy to leave behind her hometown—and her sordid past—for Atlanta twelve years ago. But when her grandmother suffers an injury, Helena has no choice but to return, even if it means facing down all the people who have shunned her.
 
Ryan Tanner went from being a football legend in high school to Magnolia Beach’s young, hot bachelor mayor. As a teenager, he never wanted anything to do with a girl like Helena. But when she hires Ryan to do some construction in her grandmother’s house, he finds that she’s grown up into a different person—one he quite likes.
 
For Helena, confronting her past has its share of surprises—and falling for the resident golden boy was definitely not on her to-do list. But will her reformed ways be enough to get her back in the town’s good graces, or will her reputation keep Helena and Ryan apart for good?