I am so pleased to have Grace Elliot, cat lover, veterinarian and author extraordinaire with me here today on Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf!!!
One Writer's Kit - A Cat!
~~Grace Elliot
When
I first read Melissa's blog, instantly I recognised I was in the company of a
fellow cat lover. So, being a bit nuts about cats myself, I
thought it would be fun to post about Widget, my writer's cat!
Widget
is key to my word count. Without Widget I get distracted and am more likely to
make cups of tea, snack, or spot a shelf that needs dusting…or the hundred and
one other things that can seem more appealing than writing when the muse has
left you. So how does Widget help me apply myself to writing? Simple! I write
on my laptop, whilst sitting on an old sofa and Widget snuggles up against my
thigh. From time to time she purrs for no good reason, which is in itself very
soothing and conducive to concentration.
There's
also the fact that her warm, furry company is enjoyable, and so I'm more likely
to sit still so that I don’t disturb her - cats take their naps very seriously
you know. I wouldn’t want her to think me so restless that she had to sleep
somewhere else.
But
the real reason she helps me write productively is that if I get up - she
immediately steals the warm patch where I was sitting. Then when I come back,
she has a range of expression from surprise to hurt, from disbelief to
resignation and quite frankly, makes me feel terribly by moving her just so I
can selfishly sit down. Solution! Don’t get up in the first place. The last
thing I want is a cat with the RSPCA on speed-dial because of her heartless
owner.
Cats
are such wonderful creatures. Widget was a stray wormed her way into my life
and now I couldn’t bear to be without her. Unusually, for a cat, she's more
fond of people than places and so regularly comes on holiday with us. But
animals are like that, they have a way of getting what they want and we don’t
even realise we've been manipulated. In my latest release, Eulogy's Secret,
there is even a feline character - Gilbert, an old ginger tom. In this excerpt,
when Gibbe decides to make himself comfortable, he helps the heroine, Eulogy;
see a softer side to Jack.
"Eulogy's Secret" -in this
excerpt Eulogy takes tea with Jack
Bright, moss-green eyes blinked back at her, as
Eulogy realized he [Huntley] was waiting for her permission to stay. Her heart
skipped and wondering if she’d misjudged him, cautiously, she nodded.
As the housekeeper fussed with the fire, Eulogy
fought the discomfort Huntley stirred in her. His voice resonated deep in her
body, and when he smiled she wanted to stare, to drink in that strong face, so
masculine with its angles and planes, and yet somehow vulnerable. His presence
filled her with unnamable sensations as she fixed her gaze firmly on the
teapot.
They made an awkward party with Huntley gruff
as a bear and Eulogy skittish as a colt. It didn’t help that she couldn’t make
up her mind what to think. One moment he seemed high handed and arrogant, and
the next a kind word to Mrs. Featherstone and her heart melted. Then there was
the way his large hand folded round the teacup, that something so big could be
so gentle did strange things to her insides.
Gilbert jumped onto his lap.
“No, Gibbe, get down this instant.” Eulogy
leapt to her feet, trying to shoo the cat from a comfortable perch on Huntley’s
long thighs and immaculate buckskin breeches. But Huntley just smiled, ignoring
the cat’s sooty feet, and started stroking the stripy ginger coat causing
Gilbert to erupt into purrs.
“He really should get down. He’ll ruin your
breeches.”
“It’s quite all right. Really.”
As if to emphasize the point, Gilbert bunted
against Huntley’s hand as he found the sweet spot below the tom-cat’s ear.
“Oh. He obviously likes you.”
Eulogy sank back, nonplussed by this man who
was overbearing, arrogant, domineering and yet strikingly handsome and utterly
charming when he wished. That Huntley tolerated the old tom cat was
unmistakably attractive and set Eulogy wondering if his bluster was just
that…an act. His hooded eyes lifted to meet her gaze, and a moment of
understanding passed between them that shook Eulogy to the core.
THE BOOK:
Eulogy’s
Secret - a story of greed prejudice and a
stolen identity.
In the four weeks since her guardians’
death, Eulogy Foster has lost everything. Penniless and alone she seeks the
help of her estranged brother, Lord Lucien Devlin. But Devlin throws Eulogy
onto the streets and the mercy of a passing stranger, Jack Huntley. As Eulogy
seeks the truth behind her birth, she is drawn into the world of art and
artists, where her morals are challenged and all is deception.
Jack Huntley: bitter, cynical and betrayed
in love. He believes women are devious, scheming, untrustworthy creatures - and
when he rescues a naïve Miss from being raped, his life is about to change
forever. As his attraction to Eulogy grows, caught in a deadlock with both
denying their true feelings, events take a sinister turn as someone seeks to
silence Eulogy….forever.
Find Eulogy's Secret: Goodreads | Smashwords | Amazon US | Amazon UK
THE AUTHOR:
Grace Elliot leads a double life as a
veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace works in a
companion animal practice near London
I love this post! Being a cat person myself, so many of things ring true. Widget (if that's who is with Grace in the picture) is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting me, Melissa.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, Yvonne, that is Widget. She's such a special girl, we even take her on holiday with us! She loves being one cat amongst 4 people instead of the less favourabe 5 cats to 4 people when we're at home.
Your kitty looks wonderful - very chilled.
Very recognizable! In fact I have a purring Bingley on my lap, which I always love even if his size means I have to stretch my arms out in front of my to reach my keyboard over his dear bulk! :)
ReplyDeleteAdorable pic. I love cats and I love cat people! Enjoyed reading this, Grace. I totally relate. I have four little felines in my home, and the three strays I couldn't take in, now live in a house we built them in our backyard. It's a real house with two cat doors, windows and window seats, carpeting, beds, lights, and even electric heating for the winter. My husband recently joked that we need to hook them up with cable TV. Yes we are nuts, but feel so much better in inclement weather to know they are safe and sound. You can even see them cuddled in their beds from my den window. I couldn't live without cats either. They are the best company for a writer and put smiles on my face every day! Thanks for a great post and thanks for hosting Melissa!
ReplyDeleteI just turned into a puddle because of that cat in the picture... I wanna rub its tummy!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love that you love cats Melissa! I don't have a cat but my dog Macy has such cat-like tendencies that I swear she could pass for one sometimes :) Animals are the best!
ReplyDeleteMegan @ Storybook Love Affair
Lovely! I know my behavior is often regulated by my four-footed housemates. Good that you can make productive use of the time.
ReplyDelete:)