Abbie the cat and a girl named Cat
Thank you so much for having me on your lovely blog,
Barbara! Since Abbie isn't a fan of other cats, she's particularly happy to be
featured on a dog blog.
I have been a cat (and dog!) person my entire life, but I've
been a crazy cat lady since July 5, 2002. That's the day I walked into a rescue
shelter looking to adopt a cat. If it had been possible, I would have adopted
every single cat there... and then crossed over to the dog section and adopted
all of them as well. Pets were an important part of my childhood and, when I
moved out on my own to go to University, I yearned to have a cat. But I lived
in a tiny one bedroom apartment where I barely had space to move. It didn't
seem fair to bring a pet into that space. When I finished school and moved into
a bigger apartment with large windows and actual rooms to move around in, I
knew the time was right.
And then I met Abbie. While all the other cats were trying
to get my attention, she just sat quietly in her cage—a scrawny, thin gray
kitty with a defiant attitude. "Pick me. Don't pick me. I don't
care," she seemed to be saying. I knew we were meant to be. When I told
the rescue shelter worker that I wanted to adopt her, she asked "are you
sure you want that cat?" Yup. And I was even more sure when I took her in
my arms and she nuzzled her little face in my shoulder. The only information
they had on her was that she'd been picked up from an alley the day before and,
by the state of her teeth, they estimated she was about five years old. I had
no idea where she came from or if she belonged to anyone. After a few minutes
spent together, I knew that she was mine now.
I named her Abbie for Westminster Abbey and the gray London
sky I love so much. Things were a bit rocky at first--Abbie had a health scare
a few weeks after I adopted her. And then a few months later she had an asthma
attack and I was afraid I was going to lose her again. She had behavioral
issues as well, which I blame on her possibly shady past. She wasn't always the
nice, cuddly kitty she is now. There was a time where she would either keep me
up at night with constant meowing or wouldn't let me sleep past four in the
morning. I call her "tempestuous" now because she's still a bit of a
rebel and can't resist knocking things (almost always breakable) off tables or
waking me up after deciding I've had enough sleep.
Abbie is the perfect writer's cat—even though she
occasionally likes to sit on my notes or my laptop. In my second novel, ZOEY
& THE MOMENT OF ZEN, the main character has a cat but Mocha isn't based on
Abbie. I still haven't been able to write a fictional version of this little
creature with the big personality who's been in my life for the past twelve
years. I hope to be able to do that one day and, if this future book cat is anything
like Abbie, it's going to be affectionate, adorable and just a little bit
crazy.
About the Author:
Author Cat Lavoie
Cat
Lavoie was born in the small town of Jonquière in Québec, Canada. At the age of
nineteen, she packed up her things (mostly books) and moved to the big city of
Montreal where she currently lives with her tempestuous cat Abbie–who is both
adorable and quite possibly evil.
An incurable Anglophile since her university days where she studied English Literature, she can often be found daydreaming about her next trip to London. Since she’s an expert at the art of procrastination, Cat is easily distracted by cooking and home improvement shows–even though she’s not particularly good at either.
Cat grew up watching soap operas and legal dramas and–had she not decided to be a claims analyst by day and write chick lit by night–she would have probably become a designer suit-wearing lawyer. Or a character on All My Children (which is what she really wanted to be when she was twelve).
Cat is not sure whether she’s a geek or a nerd–and is afraid she might be both. She is the author of BREAKING THE RULES and ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN and is currently working on her third novel. Visit her website to read more.
An incurable Anglophile since her university days where she studied English Literature, she can often be found daydreaming about her next trip to London. Since she’s an expert at the art of procrastination, Cat is easily distracted by cooking and home improvement shows–even though she’s not particularly good at either.
Cat grew up watching soap operas and legal dramas and–had she not decided to be a claims analyst by day and write chick lit by night–she would have probably become a designer suit-wearing lawyer. Or a character on All My Children (which is what she really wanted to be when she was twelve).
Cat is not sure whether she’s a geek or a nerd–and is afraid she might be both. She is the author of BREAKING THE RULES and ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN and is currently working on her third novel. Visit her website to read more.
About The Book:
When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession
with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of
fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him
once and for all.
But Zoey's relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort's owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane's grumpy friend—to the mix, and you've got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.
When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn't completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn't the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.
But Zoey's relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort's owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane's grumpy friend—to the mix, and you've got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.
When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn't completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn't the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.
Abbie
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