Monday, January 31, 2011

Writing Buddies Blog Carnival

About every writer I know has a furry companion. I have a cat who loves to curl up next to me while I'm working, and once upon a time, I had a beloved dog who sat under my desk every time I wrote.

They are part of the family, and part of our writing process, too. Our love for them, and their love for us, is unconditional. I can't imagine my life without a pet, even though losing them is one of the hardest things we can go through.

This is my Charlie Brown. He was one of the best dogs - and best friends - I ever had. A Border Collie/Retriever mix, he loved to fetch, loved to chase thunderstorms (translation: he would run around and around the backyard whenever it thundered), and loved to be right by my side. I lost him quite suddenly back in 2008 and really, my life hasn't been the same since. He was my constant shadow and, well, even my adorable kitty hasn't been quite able to fill the void. I paid tribute to Charlie by putting him as a character in my last novel. It's the least I can do for my beloved buddy. (Good grief. Tears are running down my cheeks as I write this...the grief we feel when we lose our pets never really leaves, does it?)

 This is Kathryn. We named her after Catherine the Great, but obviously, we changed the spelling. Ha! My daughter and I rescued her from a no-kill shelter here in town a few years ago. At first, she was very skittish. She was a former stray cat who had kittens and was taken to the shelter. Someone must have hurt her quite badly in the past because she was very, very wary of us for a long time. But I kept working with her, kept loving her, and she is now a content kitty who loves to sit by me while I write, wake me up in the morning, and "talk" to me about her day. She is one of the most vocal cats I've ever owned and it makes her incredibly fun to be around. You can literally have a conversation with her.

See? She's talking in this picture! Probably telling me to QUIT TAKING HER PICTURE, ALREADY.

Without further ado, here are some other writing buddies!

Jasmina Bolanger, a very talented travel and food writer, who blogs at East of Paris, has an adorable dog named Draga. Draga just had a visit with the vet (who made a house call, even!) and is thankfully feeling better, back to sitting next to Jasmina's desk as she writes. :-) I'm so glad Draga is feeling better, Jasmina!

The Second Sentence blogger Elisabeth has an adorable pup named Buster. This guy has an incredibly sweet disposition, according to Elisabeth, but is such a sucker for attention that it makes it hard for her to write!

And oh my goodness, this face will melt your heart! Moe, an Akita-Chow mix, who belongs to blogger Catherine Ensley at Words World and Wings looks like an absolute sweetheart!

Valerie at For the Love of Pete has a dog duo that goes together like salt and pepper.
 :-) I loved reading about these two radically different dogs, Willow and Kona, and how they bring such life and love to Valerie and her family.

Young adult author Christine Fletcher blogs over at Piccalili and has a hilarious post about her three-legged cat, Seamus O'Leary, that LOVES to be part of the writing process! This kitty has some awesome moves!


I'll be updating throughout the day for more blog posts, so be sure to check back.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

11 comments:

  1. Kathryn's definitely "owning" contentment now! Very cute kitty. We have a talker too, she just coos kind of in her throat to us, responding to our questions, reminding us it's dinnertime, that sort of thing. Gotta love 'em :)

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  2. This is fun Melissa! I'm so happy to be a part of it, too!

    I know what you mean about losing a pet-and I know it is something we will have to face in the not too distant future with Willow. I cry over the thought of it all the time. Charlie Brown was sure a handsome fellow!

    It's fun that Kathryn is a talker! It looks like she did have a lot to say when you took her picture! It cracks me up when Willow and Kona come up to us and tell us a thing or two-and Kona is still mastering the art of speech as her mouth gets hung up on her teeth and she looks so silly.

    Yes, our pets are definitely a blessing!

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  3. So you've got me sad downhere:) No writing buddies!!
    Maybe someday.

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  4. Joanne - Oh, she knows how to be content, that's for sure. I'm just glad she came around and isn't such a scaredy-cat anymore. :-)

    Valerie - I swore I'd never own another dog again after my Charlie Brown passed, but now I think I'm ready for it. I guess it's just one of those things you have to accept as a pet owner, that your pets will not be around forever, but to cherish them and enjoy them while they are. :-)

    Terri - You should get a kitty!

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  5. I lost a dog suddenly right before we got Moe. It was such a shock. I thought we should wait a year to get another dog, in order to honor and remember Roxie. But about a month after Roxie was hit by a truck, my husband said we should get another dog. Moe melted my heart, and healed it as well.

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  6. Love this post :) We've got a little, tiny gray kitty that literally sits on my shoulder or arms while I write. Kind of obnoxious, but I love it. Thanks for this!

    Sarah Allen
    (my creative writing blog)

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  7. Catherine - My husband got our family a little cocker spaniel pup shortly after I lost my dog, but I never quite took to the little guy. Guess it was just too soon. I'm so glad Moe came into your life right when you needed him. :-)

    Sarah - Thanks for stopping by! Awww, your kitty sounds so sweet.

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  8. Kathryn looks very content and comfortable in that picture! Buster can be pretty vocal too, mainly when he wants something - and if you tell him no he 'talks back' - he has to get in the last word (or should I say 'last woof'?).

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  9. Elisabeth - Haha...the last woof! What's funny is sometimes I'll put my finger to my lips and tell Kathryn to "shhh!" and she actually does. ;-)

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  10. Dear Charlie Brown...how handsome he was. Kathryn is a darling; I love when cats will hold conversations with you.

    Thanks for doing this, Melissa, it was a lot of fun!

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  11. Thank YOU for such a great contribution, Christine! :-)

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