CAT SUMMER, NEW SCI-FANTASY by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

One summer day, I found my big tuxedo cat, Dirty Harry, snoozing under the green fan leaves of a hosta plant. His paws twitched as if dreaming. My writer’s imagination could only guess as to the subject of his kitty dreams. 

That was the wisp of fantasy from which Cat Summer, and subsequently the Cat Seasons Tetralogy, was born. Though mystery is my usual genre, these sci-fantasy tales are my heart’s favorites. Through them, I— or I should say, my cats— save the world! 

There has been nothing quite as satisfying as taking away all the problems of today, but in order for resolution, new crises must be posed. The heroes must make their journeys, the reluctant participant must be convinced only she can do the job, and the evil must be so vast that only great effort, dedication, and sacrifice can hope to defeat it.

CAT SUMMER (CAT SEASONS TETRALOGY) by Mollie Hunt

Coming August 28, 2019

Lise has a special destiny: to help a clowder of sentient cats save the world from an evil older than history itself. It is a terrible battle, but Lise and her feline comrades prevail, putting an end to war, poverty, ignorance and want. The world is a better place.

Or is it?

A century later, it becomes clear that something has been lost. The new civilization produces no artists, no musicians, no scientists, no philosophers. Inertia has taken hold. Lise, now at the end of her life, must join her cat-friends once more to restore the Spark of the Human Spirit, but the goal cannot be reached without sacrifice. Is there enough time left for them to save the world for future generations?

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I began my relationship with Fire Star Press in 2015 with a cat story produced in the anthology, Nine Deadly Lives: An Anthology of Feline Fiction. Since then I’ve written a monthly blog post and have very much enjoyed reading blogs from other Fire Star and Prairie Rose authors. I’m so excited to finally be a full-fledged Fire Star author. Check out my author page! I hope to see more books on there in the future! Next up: Cat Winter.

Cat Summer is now available for pre-order! Delivered to your Kindle or Kindle App on August 28, 2019. Cat Summer is released through Fire Star Press at only $3.99 — Order here.

SUMMER READS, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Artwork Credit: Cats-napping, Rosehill Studio

This is the time of year when every bookseller platform is boasting a plethora of “summer reads.” Some are even more specifically “beach reads.” I’m not sure what these books are called for the rest of the year, but once the sun begins to shine, “summer reads” abound. 

What exactly constitutes a “summer read”? Something light, that doesn’t involve a lot of thought? Something with thrills and chills? Something romantic, where the handsome young Scotsman, after many trials and tribulations, is finally, passionately united with his lass? Something funny and a bit gross?

Art Credit: JP Ferrara - Scotsman Carrying Woman

Fact is, “summer reads” can be whatever someone might like to read while on vacation. Since many people read more books on a two-week holiday than they do in the entire year, they must pick their material wisely. 

I recently advertised my cozy cat mysteries as a “summer read,” to which one of my fans from the other hemisphere asked about reads for those who are now settling in around the fireplace for the coming winter. This got me thinking. Shouldn’t we have “winter reads” as well? Maybe something weighty with portent? Or poignant nonfiction? Poetry? The Classics? 

Or, as I suspect, are “winter reads” really the same as “summer reads”? Shouldn’t we be reading whatever we wish whenever we want? Let’s face it: these vague genres are a marketing device, nothing more. So go ahead and take that copy of “War and Peace” on your trip to the Bahamas.  Snuggle up in front of the fire with a romance or a faery tale. When it comes to reading, the choice is up to us.

  

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!

WHAT THE *BLEEP* IS A CAT WRITER? by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Today is the final day of the 25^th Annual Cat Writers’ Association Conference, and I’m sad for it to end. The time went by fast, with presentations, networking, and good meals among old and new friends. People won awards, made connections, and learned things about cats and cat writing. I enjoyed it all, from the fiction panel in which I participated to the book sales and signing event. If you are a cat writer, artist, blogger, photographer, or pursue any creative aspect of the cat, you, too, might consider joining the Cat Writers’ Association. It has been very helpful for me. (And fun, too!)

But what exactly is a cat writer, you ask.

When you Google Cat Writer, you really don’t get a whole lot of joy. Most of the links go to various paws of the CWA. But there you have it: If there is a Cat Writers’ Association, then it logically follows that there are cat writers. That these fur-tive storytellers are difficult to define makes perfect sense when you consider the mysterious and unique nature of the animal they emulate.

It’s really very simple: cat writers write cat-centric books and stories. They write both fiction  and non-fiction, anything that features felines in a majority of the content. (A cat on the book cover or sitting on Grandma’s lap in chapter seven does not a cat book make.) Cat non-fiction includes but is not limited to cat memoir, cat help, cat poetry, and cat behavior. Cat fiction can be just about anything: cat mysteries, cat cozies, and cat sci-fi are only a few of the more popular sub-sub genres.

Why write cat? What is it about the feline species that propels it to such literary popularity? When did writers first begin to introduce cats as a vital part of their stories? Why do readers lap them up like a saucer of cream?*

Do you have a favorite cat book or cat writer? If so, let me know, and I will do my best to reply. (Be aware that I’m still having problems with that. For some reason, no matter how many times I log in to Blogger, it doesn’t recognize me and my comments just disappear! I’ve tried everything short of a new computer, which isn’t going to happen. Sometimes it works perfectly though, just to drive me crazy.)

*(PS: milk products, including cream, are not good for adult cats and will likely cause diarrhea)

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!

SHUT UP AND WRITE, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Artwork: Mike Maihack

Christmas is coming! The emails for holiday book events are piling up in my inbox. Some of my best events are during the holidays, but it just adds more stress to an already stressful time.

When I get all balled up in promotion, I sometimes forget why I’m doing this in the first place. I long ago accepted my writing would never make me rich or famous, but a few bucks and a few fans mean a lot, so the promo must go on. What also must go on is the writing, itself. The story must continue, because that’s what it’s all about.

I love writing, though it isn’t terribly easy for me. After a stint at the computer, I feel like I’ve hauled a few truckloads of hay, then run a five-mile marathon. Carted a boulder up a steep hill. But I love that boulder and will do it again soon as my mind recovers enough to carry on. (The purring cat on my lap reminds me to mention that writing is a perfect opportunity to spend time with a favorite feline, as long as you don’t plan on moving too much.)

So even now I am being distracted from my stories. Blogs, announcements, posts, event pages, not to mention the daily living stuff like vacuuming and feeding the cats. All important, all reaching out to me like needy children vying for attention.

“Yes, kiddies, “ I say to the chorus of demanding cries. “All will be done in its own time.”

I press save, exit the program, turn away from the computer, and—tea in hand—move to my internet-less laptop which is where the stories happen.

The cat follows me, curling up for a quiet nap.

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!

Changing the World Through Fiction, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

The following is a summary of the presentation I gave recently at the Cat Writers' Conference in Houston Texas.



Today’s society calls for more from a fiction writer than a fluff-piece. It’s our obligation to bring light to the causes and conflicts of our world. In my presentation, Changing the World Through Fiction,  I offer methods that even the coziest of writers can implement to gently present their values within their story.
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If you feel something strongly, it’s easy to talk about it. Sometimes ad nauseam. I’m like that when it comes to cats. I love cats, have cats in my home, I foster sick cats and volunteer at a cat shelter. I attend classes about cat health and behavior. I write cat mysteries and cat poetry as well as a little cat fantasy sci-fi.
It’s not just a cute kitty thing with me; it’s a lifestyle, a relationship, and with it comes responsibility. A lot of bad things happen to animals in this world, and that must change. Indian visionary Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” I’ve chosen to be a cat advocate, both in real life and on the page. It may come down to saving one cat at a time, but it’s okay. No kindness is ever too small.
Sometimes I get carried away talking about shelters, rescues, or animal aid. People’s eyes glaze over, and they begin to hear only the words: cat cat cat cat cat. If that happens at a meeting, they can just walk away, but if I bore them on the page, they will put the book down and may never pick it up again.
As fiction writers, it’s important to remember the point of our writing is to tell an entertaining story, but that doesn’t mean we can’t educate and enlighten at the same time, without using soapbox rhetoric or putting our readers to sleep.

1. Pick your battles, and your cause. You can’t champion everything. Choose 1 or 2 matters significant to you.

2. Tighten up. Keep your cause-talk short, but make every word count.

3. Establish your place. Use epigraphs, quotes, or an afterward as the vehicle for your cause.

4. Why so serious? Don’t forget to include your cause’s lighter components.

5. Show, don’t tell. Weave the cause into your story instead of pitching it on its own.

6. Whisper, don’t shout. Be subtle: don’t give in to the urge to lecture or preach.

7. Write to entertain. Make it fun. After all, that’s why people read fiction.

“Eliminate the negative.”

As my father-in-law often sang:

   “You've got to accentuate the positive,
Eliminate the negative,
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In Between.” 

    –Music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Johnny Mercer; singer: Bing Crosby 1944 
All causes are based on something bad that needs to be changed, but keeping your attitude “positive” will leave your readers feeling optimistic about both your cause and your book.



Thanks for playing along, and please let me know if you have any questions. Now, go out and change the world!

Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer
www.lecatts.wordpress.com