Friday, September 07, 2012

Kitties and Keyboards

Whoop! It's Friday! And as you read this, I am winging my way up north to York. So it's a good thing that I have the lovely, Montréalicious Cat Lavoie here today, covering for my absence.

Before turning the blog over to her, I want to say a huge apology to several bloggers whose comments I found trapped in my spam filter. I haven't been ignoring you -- I just didn't know you were there!

And now, without further ado, here's Cat:

Thanks for having me, Talli!

Today, I wanted to talk about the challenges of being a writer. But instead of focusing on how hard it can be to find time to write or how I have panic attacks when—after reading a draft for the twentieth time—I still find sneaky typos, I wanted to chat about the particular challenge of writing… with a cat on your keyboard.

I've been accused of being a crazy cat lady and I embrace that title with open arms. Besides, I think you need to have at least ten cats to qualify as a real crazy cat lady. And I only have one. Her name is Abbie and she does not support my writing career. In fact, I think she's actively trying to force me into early retirement. Since I spend most of the day at the office, I should give her all my attention when I get home, right? Sadly, that's not always the case.

When I adopted Abbie from a shelter ten years ago, she was already five years old and set in her kitty ways. I don't think she had a clue that she was being adopted by someone who spends most of her free time staring at a computer screen and having animated conversations with imaginary people who live inside her head. A crazy person, basically.

So what does Abbie do to get my attention? She takes my computer and my notes hostage.

When she eventually falls asleep, I scoop her up and whisk her over to her favourite chair before she even has time to open her eyes and realize that she has fallen asleep on the job. 

Sometimes she'll have a change of heart and try to reward me for all my hard work. Just the other day she caught a bird in our backyard and tried to bring it back inside the house. Thankfully, he was able to escape her grip. The bird was meant to be a present for me, surely, and not a warning of what will happen if I ignore her for too long.

Even though she sometimes makes it hard for me to focus on writing, Abbie is—by far—my favourite distraction. There's nothing better than days when she doesn't feel like fighting me and will fall asleep next to (and not on) my computer. The soft rumblings of a happy—or resigned—kitty is like music to my ears.

Just don't tell her that I'm working on a second novel.

When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef. While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about. Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?


Thank you, Cat! You can purchase Cat's novel on Amazon here. Have a great weekend, everyone.

28 comments:

  1. Thank you Abbie, I'm sure my cat would agree with you on many points! I hope your writer friend has a fabulous time in York.

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  2. Gorgeous cat. I don't have a cat distracting me from writing but I do have two daughters who like to keep me away from the computer (even though I only write in the evenings when they're supposed to be in bed).

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  3. Awwww yay for Abbie the most furriest and floofiest and fantastic-est writerly distraction ever!!

    Lovely to meet you Cat and your most harassed and overwhelmed Roxy!!!

    Safe journey Talli!!
    Take care
    x

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  4. Awwwwww, Abbie is lovely! Great post! You make me wish I had a kitty to 'help' with my writing!

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  5. Bird in the house - no!
    That photo says it all. Cattitude.

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  6. I love this post Cat! How hilarious ;)

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  7. Thanks for having me (and Abbie!) on your blog today!! Have fun in York!!
    Hope everyone has a nice weekend! :)

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  8. Aww! I want a cat so bad! But we can't have one, due to allergies. Sigh.
    Have fun in York Talli!

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  9. Beautiful cat! Wish I had a pet. I'd love that kind of distraction!

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  10. My cat does the same thing! I keep telling her that if I make it big as a writer she'll have better kibble--but she refuses to budge.

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  11. I have 3 cats at home and it definitely is a challenge to do any writing with them around. If one isn't sitting in front of my monitor then another is getting into a fight with the other that I will eventually have to break up. But, I love my kitties, and they are definitely the best part of my day!

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  12. Your cat is so pretty and this post made me miss our cat who passed away several years ago.

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  13. My cat is my favorite writing companion as well, and I rescued her and her sister from a shelter too! My writing life is never lonely thanks to them.

    And congratulations on your novel Cat, it sounds great. I love the play of words on the title and main character.

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  14. The book sounds good, Cat!

    And I'm very much a cat person, of course. They are the ultimate form of life on the planet, after all, and must be treated as such.

    Abbie looks adorable. And in charge.

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  15. And I regularly check my spam folder, Talli. I've found comments in there that belong in the regular comments. Have no idea why that happens occasionally...

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  16. I love the Cat! Your book sounds so interesting.

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  17. Abbie seems adorable.

    Good luck with the Breaking the Rules, it sounds intriguing! All those complications of life, it happens to the best of us.

    Jai

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  18. Ah, cats . . . they can certainly get in the way of things. :P

    Sounds like a great book!

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  19. Awh bless! I have two kitties who make their needs known when I'm on the computer too. The 'don't tell her I'm writing a second novel' cracked me up! Good luck with Breaking the Rules.

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  20. Lovely guest post - cat's always perch themselves just where they ant! Have a great week, Talli

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  21. Abbie's picture says it all. : )

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  22. OMG - weirdness - my mom has just adopted a cat whom she has named Abbie who looks like your Abbie! My mom lives on Vancouver Island though so at least we can be sure Abbie isn't going around adopting herself out to several owners to indulge in extra pampering. Love the look of your book cover by the way, good luck getting book number 2 written.

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  23. Breaking the Rules sound interesting. Congrats on its release!

    I have four kitties and love them!

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  24. Good Meow-orning Montréalicious Cat Lavoie and to you Miss Abbie. I am only 4 months old and I aspire to your devotion to duty Miss Abbie. When She (ie Mommy Cat aka Dolly) is away from this flat box with funny little buttons on it, I like to have a stroll across it just to hear the click-click noises. My brother Mario thinks I am silly.

    Whilst doing so this morning I saw my name, Roxy, in print which is very exciting. I hear Her coming back so I must scoot back to the window sill now.

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Coffee and wine for all!