WHAT'S NEW?
….several exciting things, at the moment! A number of updates have been added to this page, so scroll on down. A quick recap follows-you can read further for nitty-gritty details.
Authors write alone, of necessity, but not in a vacuum. Writers cannot hope to succeed without readers-one cannot exist without the other! This page offers YOU the opportunity to participate in the writing process by telling what kind of information you want to read, and why.
Send in your comments and suggestions-or if you'd rather not be that bold, simply forward along a "howdy" to amy @ shojai.com (just remember to remove the spaces). If you're interested in having me speak at your event, check out the Speaking page for further information.
You can follow me on Facebook--I post links to the latest articles (even a few Sweet Tweets from Twitter). Check out the nifty graph below for the latest.
Cat Writers' Association 18th Annual Conference will be held in White Plains, New York the weekend before Thanksgiving. This is one of the most economical conference around.
As one of the founders, I've attended every conference from the beginning. You can see some fun pictures from the 2010 event at my RedRoom Blog.
I always get to dress up and wear sparkly jewelry and in 2010 was honored to win several prestigious awards, including the Tidy Cats Behavior Award (the silver bowl); the Friskies Writer of the Year Award (the Baccarat cat); and three Muse Medallion awards for articles that appeared in Catnip (Tufts) Newsletter, and cats.About.com.
I also had the privilege of presenting the annual Shojai Mentor Award, a $500 honorarium and plaque, this year to Bobbi Florio Graham. The image on the plaque is a pair of hands holding a kitten up so he can reach the star that's hung from the moon. As writers, we all reach for our own stars. The Shojai Mentor Award honors that CWA member who has given another writer the boost they need to reach their particular star-goal. To me, that's a basic goal of the CWA, to mentor each other to reach our best. This year's winner is ...I can't tell you yet, you'll have to wait for the banquet!
Each year the CWA conference grows bigger and better. As in the past, the conference remains open to the public. Hope to see you there!
I again attended Thrillerfest held each July in New York. What an outstanding event! It's become an annual must-do event where I get to re-connect with friends and make some new ones. I've posted some video and photos from the event over at my Bling, Bitches & Blood Blog.
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Conference held its conference April 1-3, 2011 in Warwick, RI--what a terrific event! IAABC is a professional association for the field of animal behavior consulting, and represents the professional interests of behavior consultants throughout the world. IAABC acts as a resource for people who love pets and need behavior assistance. I am a Certified member and am pleased that my book PETiQuette is listed as recommended reading for organization members. You can read more about the organization in one of my online articles on that page.
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More than any other, this page offers an insider's look at the author's life and work. A book begins as an idea, then evolves with research, questions asked and answered, pictures added or subtracted, and edits made, until every intricate piece fits together like the myriad jigsaw pattern of fine stained glass. When successful, the published work shines-the individual parts no longer stand alone, but instead work as one to make a single glorious work of art.
Of course, I'm never alone when I write--and always have a past, current or (perhaps?) future furry-muse hanging around to inspire my work. That's "Magic von Fernheim" with his nemesis. This special German shepherd has already been featured in several of my newspaper columns and television segments, as well as a "case study" in the IAABC professional journal, and has quickly become a big part of our lives. The cat, Seren(dipity) has not yet succumbed to his charms, though, which keeps things interesting.
BREAKING NEWS! I'm now the PUPPIES GUIDE providing health, care, behavior and fun articles and advice (plus SQUEEEEE! cute puppy pictures!) on all things puppies. You can post your own cute puppy pictures and stories, too. Check out the blog and subscribe to the newsletter, all for free and covering all-things-puppylicious at 
