GOBBLE, GOBBLE—Or NOT

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Dear Reader,

I’m writing my newsletter as Hurricane Iota is charging toward Nicaragua as a Cat. 5. It is November, 2020, and Thanksgiving is a week away. The concept of winds 157 mile an hour lashing at an area that is so incredibly beautiful and so poor makes me truly sad. They are expecting 30 inches of rain. It is horrible to think about. I’m still dragging broken trees out of my fences from Hurricanes Zeta and Sally, but I have some resources with which to deal with these problems. Many people do not.

Between the hurricanes and the COVID safety measures, 2020 has not been a year I’ll look back on with a lot of fondness. Good things have happened, certainly, and for those I am grateful. But this year has brought a lot of suffering to many of my friends. They have lost family to the virus and to the erratic and dangerous weather. It’s just been a very hard year in many ways.

For a lot of writers, book publication and promotion has gone completely off the rails. Like it or not, I’ve learned to ZOOM and FB live and do a number of other things I never thought I’d do. And in some regards, I do like these technological marvels. In fact, I’ll be doing a special ZOOM event on December 5 at 7 p.m. CST with Donna Andrews, Ellie Alexander and the gang from Murder by the Book bookstore which is located in Houston, TX. BUT you don’t have to be in Houston because this event is online in the comfort of your home! Just download the Zoom app on your computer or device. S.C. Perkins will moderate the event and will be chatting about all things Christmas and Cozy Mysteries! This is a ticketed event. Zoom access will be granted with the purchase of either a $5 ticket or the purchase of a book by participating authors. Signed bookplates are available and we’ll also be giving away some swag during the Zoom event! Here’s a link to grab your ticket: A Cozy Christmas Zoom Ticket

I’ve put the finishing touches on INDEPENDENT BONES, set for May, 2021, and the book has gone to production. Here’s a preview of the terrific cover! And just this week I turned in an idea for the next Sarah Booth adventure. I’ll see what my editor thinks, and if all is well, I’ll dig into that story! Sarah Booth is a busy woman and that is good because she keeps me in cat, dog, and horse food!

I found a terrific but very wormy black lab juvenile right after hurricane Sally. I named him Atticus and I have never seen a more loving dog. He was so alone and in sad shape, but I took him straight to the vet, got him all fixed up, brought him to Casa Carolyn for a several weeks and just last week I found a new home for him. I really miss him, but he is well loved by his new owner. There are so many pets in desperate need—if you can adopt a dog or cat, please check out your local shelter. There are wonderful pets of all ages and types who only need some love to thrive.

This is Atticus.

With the virus all around us, my family is not planning a holiday celebration. We’re going to tough it out and hope for a blow-out next year. Whatever your holiday plans are, please be safe and take all precautions. We must live to feast another day.

Don’t forget Beth Terrell’s terrific story in YEAR-ROUND TROUBLE—it’s a fun mystery with that sassy black cat strutting his stuff.

And if you’re the mood for some holiday festivities, some mayhem, and a bit of naughty behavior, pick up a copy of A GARLAND OF BONES. Sarah Booth and the Zinnia gang travel to Columbus, MS to sample the Christmas cheer in that small city.

And now, push away from the table and do the turkey dance! Click on this: A Turkey Dance
I’m teaching it to the cats. They are grumbling about revolt and a guillotine. I refuse to listen to them.

Gobble, gobble, gobble,
Carolyn and the Critters

CONTEST ALERT: From now through November 29th, U.S. readers can enter to win a collection of 6 cozy mystery titles, including A GARLAND OF BONES! Click on the photo to enter this holiday giveaway.

Dear Jitty, My fiancé has finally popped the question and put a ring on it. There’s only one problem. He doesn’t like my cat, Misfit. He wants me to rehome the cat before we move in together. This doesn’t appeal to me at all. I love Misfit. We’ve been a team for four years. I’ve been up every night for the past week trying to justify rehoming my cat to placate my fiancé. I know you’re a huge advocate for love and romance, but is this asking too much? I’d really like for him to rehome his mother. She’s far more annoying than Misfit. Signed, Torn between two loves * * * Dear Torn, I’m all about finding a mate and getting on with creating a family, but there are lines I won’t step over, and baby girl, I’m hopin’ that you can draw a line in the sand right now. Where I come from, a pet is a family member. We don’t give them away because someone tells us to. So I would say your beau is a total jackass. He wants you to give up your cat—to please him, to create the home space he finds enjoyable. What about you? What civilized human asks another to toss away a beloved family member for his comfort. There are two approaches to resolving this issue—walk away and find someone who loves you enough to love the creatures you love. OR, put a fine point on it and tell him sure, you’ll re-home Misfit when he severs all ties with his mother. Tit for tat. Perhaps he will wake up to what he is actually asking of you. If he doesn’t, put his ass on the road and get that naked ring finger back in the game. There are plenty of men out there who can love a woman and her…kitty. Signed, Dear Jitty P.S. For everyone reading this, let me guide you honey chile. Get some advice by writing me at Jitty@carolynhaines.com