Sunday Smatterings
/
Happy Sunday, friends!
Many of you know Jameson, the smaller of the two thriller kittens, managed to get a chunk of toy mouse lodged in her duodenum and needed a surgical intervention to remove it. She is currently asleep by my side on her heating pad, dressed in a surgical suit (aka an infant onesie) and healing well.
I have a new appreciation for the phenomenon I’ve heard about that second babies are easier than the first. We went through this five years ago, when, on New Year’s Eve, we returned home from Christmas at my parents only to have to rush Jameson to the emergency vet. That was a full blockage caused by 6 inches of Christmas ribbon and a chunk of plastic. She’s malingered for so long she was put on ten days cage rest. She was in an E-collar, and every three hours I had to feed her, hold her tail whilst she used her cat box, feed her pain medication, and otherwise try to love and entertain a two year old torpedo without letting her rip her stitches.
It was like having a newborn. Except after ten days, it was over. Mad props to you new parents out there, BTW.
But the second time around... the onesie is a VAST improvement over the E-collar. She has a donut collar for overnight which acts like a pillow, and she likes that. She is not on cage rest, nor does she need me to hold her tail. The pain meds are every 8-12 hours, which means sleep is possible. It’s been easier on all of us.
But my GAWD, will she ever learn?
It’s good timing for moving. I will not be bringing any of her old toys that have any kind of plastic or chewable parts to the new house. We’ll be able to find the hundreds that have been lost (or partially digested) over the years and dispose of them. If you have any suggestions for all natural soft, edible cat toys, do let me know! I’m going to put her back on crunchy dog bones for something hard to chew on.
You can imagine how much writing I got done this week. But I’m not worried. I’m cogitating. Lots going on in the background means lots of words getting ready to spill out.
Onward!
THE LATEST ON THE INTERNET:
11 New Thriller and Mystery Books That Will Make You Want to Stay Inside This October. Are any of these on your TBR?
'Utopia' Showrunner Gillian Flynn Isn't Interested In Writing Likable Women. "The question should be less, 'Is this character likable' and more, 'Is this character interesting'? Do you want to talk about them? And do you want to see what they do next?"
Mark your calendars for the Friends & Fiction event with me and Hank Phillippi Ryan! On November 18 at 7pm ET, we’ll meet up with Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, and Mary Alice Monroe to talk about writing, books, and life--and offer you some special opportunities. Hope to see you then!
Beyond Good Writing: Two Literary Agents Discuss What Matters Most. “Querying is a little bit like dating. You’re trying to find the person who falls in love and can champion your work.”
James Patterson Donates $2.5 Million to Teachers During Covid-19. What a great guy.
The Best New Movies Based on Books Premiering in 2020-2021. Taking notes. Rebecca is at the top of my list.
Top 10 books about social media. Have you read any of these?
38 Great Books To Read This Fall, Recommended By Our Favorite Indie Booksellers. I love seeing which books booksellers are excited about!
More Than 650 New Words Have Been Added to Dictionary.com—Here Are 50 of Them. Language is always evolving. Do you have a favorite new word?
The Futura Is Now: Why YA Cover Design Looks The Way It Does. So interesting.
This Goodreads giveaway of HER DARK LIES Advanced Reader Copies ends this week. (US only.)
CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 by Lisa Unger
I've been a fan of Lisa for years, because she just keeps getting better and better at her craft. Last year's awesome THE STRANGER INSIDE blew me away, and this new one, CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45, didn't disappoint either. Fans of the long con will love this book, and those of you who think everything is okay at home will rethink every interaction you have. A wonderful, twisty, engaging read.
What are you reading?
That’s it from me. Burn some leaves, play with your fur babies in a safe and responsible manner, and I’ll see you next week!
Peace and hugs,
J.T.
