Sound Clip from Vampire Close

http://coffeeminx.tumblr.com/post/133545243064/example-i-used-at-rwa-national-conference-of-an

If you're interested: here's the audio book on Audible

*cough* Pre-Order Alert *cough*

I'll just leave this here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/girl-out-of-time/id1052700495

Laurence Fox Music

Interview with NICHOLAS LEA

Interview with Nicholas Lea at DragonCon 

Sunday 6 September 2015

Periodically I ask People I Really Like if I can interview them for the segment of my website I call The Chatty Cat Cafe. 

Nicholas Lea being one of those People, I requested an interview at DragonCon. He graciously agreed.

However, you think YOUR DragonCon is busy? I got a glimpse of how busy it can be for the guests.

First, we were going to do lunch, but he never got a lunch break. We rescheduled for late afternoon, but the fans kept coming. 

Mr. Lea - ever humble and self-effacing - was certain people would stop arriving at his table on the Walk of Fame any moment. They never did. He severely underestimates the size and dedication of his fan base. There was always someone who wanted to tell him what they'd seen him in and what it meant to them. 

So we ended up doing this interview in between fan visits on the floor of the DragonCon Walk of Fame. 

Note: Mr. Lea's words are in ALL CAPS just to make this easier to read. He wasn't shouting. Well, except to be heard over the din. :)

EDIT: Changing "Nic" (which should be "Nick") to "Mr. Lea" since it's really presumptuous of me to be calling him anything other than that or Sir. :)

Me: Right. Okay. Pretend we’re at a cafe. What’s your favorite hot beverage?

NL: COFFEE. STRONG. USUALLY WHAT I DRINK WHEN I GO OUT TO GET COFFEE IS DARK ROAST WITH A LONG SHOT OF ESPRESSO.

Me: Do you have any pets?

NL: I HAVE THE BEST DOG IN THE WORLD. I’LL SHOW YOU A PICTURE. HIS NAME’S JIMMY STEWART. HE TURNS 10 IN ABOUT A WEEK. AND WHEN YOU COME IN THE DOOR HE SMILES AT YOU. 

THAT’S HIM SMILING BECAUSE HE’S SO EXCITED.

*shows photo of adorable Jack Russell terrier showing every last one of his teeth in a huge, wolfish grin*

Me: (laughing) He looks ferocious! 

NL: I KNOW BUT HE’S LIKE, HE’S MY BEST FRIEND. I’LL SHOW YOU A GOOD PICTURE. 

*shows photo of same handsome Jack Russell terrier looking straight into the camera with soulful, deep brown eyes* 

I DON’T THINK I’VE LOVED TOO MANY THINGS IN MY LIFE MORE THAN HIM. HE'S GOT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EYES. I COULD TALK ABOUT MY DOG ALL DAY. 

Me: Jimmy Stewart, you said? Is that your favorite actor or did your dog’s personality remind you of him?

NL: IS JIMMY STEWART MY FAVORITE ACTOR? HMMM….YEAH. YEAH, I’LL SAY THAT. IT’S LIKE SAYING ‘WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE BAND?’ BUT….YEAH. 

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS.

Me: Of all your roles, which comes closest to your dog’s personality?

NL: I DID A MOVIE CALLED SHOT IN THE FACE THAT YOU’LL NEVER SEE. IT’S A COMEDY. I’M A FUMBLING BANK ROBBER. HE’S AN IDIOT. HE’S A COMPLETE IDIOT. 

Me: But good-hearted we assume?

NL: UMM. SOMEWHERE IN THERE. YEAH.

Me: If money were no object, what would you do?

NL: IN TERMS OF ACTING?

Me: In terms of anything.

NL: OH, I THINK IF I COULD BE DOING ANYTHING, I’D EITHER BE SINGING, PLAYING AND SINGING, OR PLAYING GOLF PROFESSIONALLY.

I MEAN, LISTEN, WHAT I DO, I LOVE. 

BUT I WORKED ON A SHOW CALLED MEN IN TREES, AND THE CREATOR OF THE SHOW FOUND OUT THAT I SING, AND WANTED TO KNOW WOULD I SING ON THE SHOW? I SAID FOR SURE, AND SHE SAID WOULD YOU WRITE THE SONG? AND I SAID FOR SURE. SO WE WENT INTO THE STUDIO AND RECORDED A COUPLE SONGS AND THAT’S AS CREATIVELY FULFILLING AS I’VE PROBABLY EVER FELT. 

Me: You need to do an album. That’s not a question. That’s a command. 

NL: (laughing) DID YOU SEE ME AND DUCHOVNY SINGING ON YOUTUBE? 

Me: Yes!!

NL: IT’S PRETTY FUNNY.

Me: Do you get nervous before going on stage?

NL: TOTALLY.

Me: What do you do to relax?

NL: SMOKE POT. THAT’S THE HONEST ANSWER.

Me: What’s your favorite song to sing?

NL: I’M NOT GOING TO SING IT FOR YOU.

Me: No, no, no... wait. (mock indignation) What? I’m outraged.

NL: I LIKE SINGING THE ELVIS SONG LOVE ME. I WON’T SING IT FOR YOU. BUT YOU’LL FIND IT SOMEWHERE. IT’S A GREAT SONG.

*interviewer stumbles, forgets next question, apologizes for being so nervous*

NL: DON’T BE NERVOUS. HONESTLY, DON’T BE NERVOUS. NOTHING TO BE NERVOUS ABOUT. REALLY. WE’VE MET EACH OTHER ENOUGH TIMES NOW.

Me: You can act, and you can sing. Are you a triple threat?

NL: CAN I DANCE? YOU KNOW, I THINK I CAN DANCE, BUT I NEED TO HAVE SEVEN OR EIGHT COCKTAILS BEFORE I DO IT. AND THAT’S NOT THE MOST….

IF I WERE TO DO IT PROFESSIONALLY…. 

I’M NO CHRIS WALKER, LET’S PUT IT THAT WAY. (laughing) I THINK I’M A PRETTY GOOD DANCER. I HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF TIME. 

Me: So you could be in a musical!

NL: I COULD BE IN A MUSICAL. I’D LIKE TO BE IN A MUSICAL. IN A MUSICAL FILM, NOT ON STAGE. I’D BE TOO TERRIFIED TO DANCE ON STAGE BECAUSE I’D FALL OVER, PROBABLY.

Me: Do you like performing on film better than stage performances?

NL: YOU LEARN MORE ON STAGE. YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU WORK AS AN ACTOR ON STAGE. BUT FILM IS MORE IMMEDIATE AND MORE EXCITING. YOU FIND THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO DO AS MUCH. IT’S LIKE GOLFING. IF YOU HOLD THE CLUB TOO TIGHT AND SWING TOO HARD, YOU’RE IN TROUBLE. IF YOU JUST RELAX AND VISUALIZE AND BE ATHLETIC, THEN SWING EASY, YOU’LL BE FINE.

Me: How did you get interested in golf?

NL: BECAUSE IT’S LIKE ACTING. USES THE SAME SIDE OF MY BRAIN. CALMNESS. CERTAIN KIND OF MENTAL ATHLETICISM AND VISUALIZATION AND TRUST. YOU CAN’T SWING A CLUB WITHOUT KEEPING YOUR HEAD DOWN. THE MOMENT YOU LIFT YOUR HEAD UP TO WATCH WHERE IT (the golf ball) GOES YOU’RE IN TROUBLE. YOU HAVE TO TRUST THAT IT’S GOING TO GO WHERE YOU WANT IT TO GO. 

Me: This is off topic but, how did you hurt yourself?

NL: I ALMOST CUT THE END OF MY FINGER OFF ABOUT A WEEK AGO. GOT SEVEN, SIX STITCHES ON THE END OF MY FINGER. 

Me: (winces) What were you doing?

NL: I WAS TRYING TO PUT UP SOME PLASTIC TARPING AND I HAD TO PUT A HOLE THROUGH TWO PIECES OF PLASTIC USING BRAND NEW SCISSORS AND I WENT (ferociously stabs the air with invisible shears and strikes finger)

I HAD TO GET ON A WATER TAXI IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND GO TO THE CLOSEST HOSPITAL AND…. YEAH. IT WAS DRAMA. UNWANTED DRAMA. 

Me: Last question - we spoke of imbibing many cocktails before dancing earlier. How drunk would I have to get you for you to agree to narrate a smutty, erotic audio book for me?

NL: SMUTTY EROTIC? 

I DON’T KNOW. YOU KNOW, I’LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT. 

BUT… PROBABLY NOT THAT DRUNK. 

This then devolved into plans for world domination procedures for giving him a choice of audiobooks to narrate, before we ended the interview and he kissed me goodbye. 

Whereupon I was a complete professional and did not swoon on the Walk of Fame floor. I am very proud of myself for that.

Although I might possibly have been seen running around in circles on the sidewalk, with flailing Kermit-arms, yelping:

*SQUEEEEE*  NICHOLAS LEA KISSED ME  *SQUEEEEEE*. 

But... let’s keep that last bit between us, yeah?

The End

Interested in audiobooks I already have available? CLICK HERE

Interested in more interviews? Check out THE CHATTY CAT CAFE

Looking for a LIST OF MY BOOKS?

Wondering if the hero on the cover of my latest intentionally bears a striking resemblance to Krycek? 

And if you've seen SHOT IN THE FACE, let me know in the comments!

DESERT TRYST AVAILABLE NOW

The cat-and-mouse game between professional assassin Dmitri Dzerzhinsky and FBI Special Agent Thomas Dalton may be developing into something more, at least for Dmitri. Blurring which side Dmitri’s on can’t continue. Hoping to get rid of his desire for Thomas, Dmitri goes to 1Night Stand for help. 

Unaware of the assassin’s interest, Thomas is attracted to Dmitri as well. So, discovering Madame Eve has given the Special Agent a night with the man of his dreams seems too good to be true. 

Sometimes it’s dangerous to get what you wish for. Can two men on opposite sides of the law find common ground beyond their mutual attraction? 

AVAILABLE ON:

Amazon (only 99 cents through June 3!)

Apple iBooks / iTunes

Google Play

Kobo

Smashwords

PRE-ORDER TODAY

If you pre-order DESERT TRYST on Amazon TODAY it's only 99 cents!

http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Tryst-1Night-Susanne-Saville-ebook/dp/B00Y3O5WY8

Facebook Party May 19, 2015

Come to the Facebook Party TODAY!! I'll be there from 4:20 - 4:40pm Eastern (2:20 - 2:40pm Mountain) time. Come chat with me! Click here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/471379986347936/

Please.

Seriously.

Don't leave me alone on Facebook.

Lots of other authors will be there throughout the day, of course. Giving away PRIZES. FREE STUFF. So go party!

YOU NEED MORE STUFF.

CLICK THE LINK.

I'll see you there.

Chile Ristras and Petroglyphs on the Volcanoes

These are chile ristras.

This photo is from the Petroglyph National Monument website, which has lovely ones on display at their Visitor Center.

If you ever get to Albuquerque, do make a point of going to the Petroglyph National Monument.

You may not know it, but New Mexico is one of the most volcanic states in the union. There are three volcanoes here in Albuquerque. They're examples of fissure eruption ("curtains of fire," like from Kilauea).

Into this volcanic rock some 400 to 700 years ago, Ancestral Pueblo Indians carved petroglyphs. Or scratched. Chiseled. How they made the petroglyphs is actually unknown. These images were spiritually important to them.

Spanish settlers saw the designs and added their own (easily identifiable Christian iconography). You can walk multiple trails of varying difficulty to see these cultural symbols (both Puebloan and Spanish) in their natural habitat.

But back to chile ristras.

Colonial settlers on the east coast of North America used the pineapple as a symbol of hospitality. 

You'll find pineapples (some more stylized than others) on entryways, staircases, and in dining decorations.

The pineapple was also a Christian symbol to these British colonists, as well as a symbol of Empire. But that's another story.

In the same way, chile ristras came to symbolize hospitality in the southwestern Spanish colonies. 

Originally, the chiles were strung together and hung up to dry for future consumption, but this utilitarian storage solution meant one had beautiful bright red garlands hanging on one's porch, and the more you had, the more bountiful your future feasts would be. 

So it's easy to see how the display of numerous hanging ristras about the entryway could become associated with generous, welcoming hosts. 

Unlike pineapples, which are now associated with antique decor, chile ristras are still used in modern decoration in New Mexico. Consequently, they had to be mentioned in DESERT TRYST. 

Any Bed & Breakfast worth its chiles would have a ristra or two out front. I hope touches like this help make the story feel authentic for the reader.

Of Hatch New Mexico, Chiles, and Cheese

image from http://www.centralmarket.com/hatch

You know you're a local New Mexican when the waiter can ask you "Red or green?" after your breakfast order and you know exactly what he's talking about. 

He's talking about chiles. 

Do you want red chile or green chile?
Yes, chile sauce can be served at breakfast. Chiles can be served with anything. On anything. All the chain fast food restaurants have chiles on their menu, including Pizza Hut. Yes, there are chiles on the pizza. 

There are even chiles in the Chinese food in New Mexico.

Seriously.

You can't enter New Mexico without being introduced to the chile - especially the green chile. New Mexican green chiles, also known as Hatch green chiles - Hatch, New Mexico being where the main (some say best) farms are located, are unique. 

They aren't a subset of another type of chile. They are their own breed, developed by Fabian Garcia and officially released in 1917 ("Improved Variety No. 9"). Today you can purchase several varieties of Hatch chiles, such as Big Jim (noted favorite, medium hot, big and meaty) and Sandia (hot and flavorful).

Fabian Garcia, first director of New Mexico A&M's Agricultural Experiment Station, also worked on onions, cotton, and pecans - all of which grow around Hatch to this day. But none of them are as famous as his chile. 

In case you're wondering, red chiles are the same chiles as green chiles, they've just been left to ripen more before they're picked.

Roasting the chile crop is a yearly tradition in New Mexico. You can watch at restaurants, farmers' markets, or temporary roadside stands.

You can also roast your own chiles at home.

This is where the hoarding begins, because if you're a chile fan, you've got to buy and preserve enough chiles to last you until the next harvest.





What can you do with your chiles, now that you have them? Well, chile rellenos are popular.

Find this Hatch chile rellenos recipe HERE

But I have found that many people like the mix of chiles and cheese. There's something especially tempting about the taste of melted cheese and hot peppers.

The Dog House Drive In, located in Albuquerque, is famous for its chile cheese dogs.

And practically everywhere has a green chile cheeseburger (including all of the fast food chains, such as McDonalds).

There is even a Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail, if as part of your tourist journey you would like to cheerfully munch your way across New Mexico state.

Several burger joints claim to be the inventor of this iconic sandwich. One of these is The Owl Cafe, which was the inspiration for the bar where my characters meet in my 1NS story DESERT TRYST.

So of course, green chile cheeseburgers have a cameo in DESERT TRYST. How could they not?

It's not New Mexico if there aren't chiles.

COVER REVEAL

*drumroll please*
Yes! Here it is! Remember that oddly dark yet adorable m/m romance short story I wrote last autumn? I moaned about it several times on Twitter back then. Well... its publication date is FINALLY ALMOST HERE.

And as the first step in the promo process, I bring to you now: THE COVER.

The beautiful, beautiful cover by Fiona Jayde.

You will notice by the branding on the cover that it is being published by Decadent Publishing as part of their 1Night Stand series.

What does that mean?

All the books in the 1Night Stand line share one thing in common: Madame Evangeline ("Eve") and her 1Night Stand (1NS) dating service. Her exceptionally exclusive, never advertised, online dating service. You tell her what you're looking for, and you're promised the date of your dreams.

Although I suppose it's actually a blind date, because until you show up at the location she gives you, you have no idea whom you're meeting.

But don't worry, these being romances, Madame Eve is almost magical in the way she can pair up soul mates.

So that's the framework upon which each unique couple begins their story. Look for this one to be released May 26!

Chatting with Lovecraft about Sex

SCENE: Young, exuberant REPORTER sits opposite quiet, horror-writing legend H.P. LOVECRAFT in a small New England sitting room filled with spindly antique furniture which has seen much use. 

Reporter: You can't believe how excited I am to be here. There are so many questions, so many questions, that fans and academics have been yearning to ask you. We all want insight into the worlds you created, the fantastic characters and places, the things named and unnamed. So let's start, shall we?

H.P.: Please do.

Reporter: Right then. How is your sex life?

H.P.: I beg your pardon?

Reporter: Describe your sex life for us. Are you homosexual? Are you asexual? Is that why sex is absent from your stories?

H.P.: (*long pause*) When I write weird fiction, I give you weird. When I write horror, I hope to horrify you. I don't write romance. If I wrote romance, I would include romance. Do you ask Edgar Allan Poe why he doesn't write more about lollipops and sunshine?

Reporter: But you created an entire mythology, and a dream-cycle, and no one has any sex in either of them.

H.P.: My characters are generally fighting for their lives or their sanity. Just when, exactly, do you propose they stop and have sex?

Reporter: Right. Of course. So how long would you say it takes you to achieve orgasm?

H.P.: What did you just ask me?

Reporter: These are actual questions people have discussed. Articles have been written. People want to know!

H.P. (*shifts in his chair uncomfortably*): I am a very private person from an era when a gentleman did not discuss such things and a place where being Puritanically uptight and uncommunicative was a sign of eminent respectability. What on earth or in the Outer Darkness makes you think I would ever discuss a topic as intimate as sex with utter strangers? I don't even discuss it with my friends.

Reporter: Aha! So you're squeamish? You don't like sex?

H.P.: (*now really irritated*) Squeamish? Seriously? Have you read my writing? (*sighs*) If you absolutely must know, I take my husbandly duties very seriously. I researched the topic thoroughly before marriage.

Reporter: Researched.... Does that mean you were a virgin? You were, weren't you! You must have a low sex drive.

H.P.: No, I have a modicum of self-control. I live in an age without reliable birth control, when unwed pregnancy is considered an unredeemable social sin. What sort of gentleman endangers the health and reputation of the woman he loves? Besides....

H.P. STANDS, CROSSES TO MIRROR ABOVE LARGE HEARTH

H.P.: You may have noticed, I am not particularly pleasing to the eye. My own mother said I was "grotesque" and advised me to go outside only after dark, so as not to frighten the neighbors. Advice I continue to follow to this day.

H.P. TURNS, SHUDDERS A BIT AS IF TO THROW OFF OLD MEMORIES, AND RETURNS TO HIS CHAIR.

H.P.: Thus it will be of no surprise to you that I was not overburdened with offers from the opposite sex. Sonia was the first woman who ever kissed me, apart from family. Had she not been determined to prove to me I was lovable, I doubt I ever would have known the congeniality of... of the.... (*hesitates, clearly searching for the perfect words*)

Reporter (*steam-rollers over HP's thoughts*): And is your wife satisfied with your performance? In bed? Your sexual performance? I hear she had more experience than you. I don't mean to say she's a slut or anything.

H.P.: (*very formal, with icy anger*) You are my guest so I shan't punch you. But you will leave this house at once.

REPORTER, SUDDENLY COWED AS HE REMEMBERS JUST EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE GRUESOMELY IN THIS AUTHOR'S STORIES, STANDS.

ENTER SONIA, Lovecraft's wife.

Sonia (*smiling*): Wait, don't go. You want to hear about our sex life first-hand, don't you?

Reporter (*looks at HP nervously, stutters*): I...I....ummm....I....

Sonia: My husband is a very sophisticated and conscientious lover who knows how to please a woman. I have to initiate our encounters, yes, but that's because he was brought up to believe no woman would have him and he doesn't wish to impose himself on me.

Reporter: (*backing toward the door*): So he pleases you. That's good.

Sonia (*her righteous anger slipping past her polite smile*): I didn't just say he pleases me, I said he knows how to please a woman. HE HAS TECHNIQUE.

ENTER FANGIRLS, peering in the windows from outside.

Fangirls: Did she say technique? Do you realize how rare technique is, even today?! Get out of the way, Lame Ass Reporter! Lemme see this guy!

Sonia (*approaching Reporter, who is fumbling for the doorknob*): (*accusingly*) You just want there to be sex in his stories so you can read about women who enjoy their sexuality being ripped apart by eldritch horrors.

Reporter: What? No!

Sonia: He doesn't slut-shame, he doesn't denigrate women as a gender, and sex isn't a part of my husband's stories because sex isn't a punishable crime in his universe. So there must be something wrong with him? It that it?

Reporter (*stumbling out the door*): No! It's not like that. Not all men....

Fangirls: (*pouncing on Reporter*) NOT ALL MEN. He said it! He said the thing!

H.P. (*sotto voce to Sonia, who has returned to his side, indicates Fangirls*): Why are they doing that?

Sonia (*strokes HP's hair affectionately*): Ignore them. That's an entirely different discussion.

The Unexpected Evil of Obesity

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have noticed it took FOUR MONTHS for my sick cat to be correctly diagnosed.

Four. Horrible. Months.

When I first noticed something amiss, I took my cat to the vet and told them he was losing weight very quickly. They weighed him and confirmed he'd basically dropped almost a pound a week from his last visit.

They said as he had been overweight it was good he was losing so much.

I pointed out that this was a dramatic reduction and I hadn't changed anything with regard to his food and exercise.

They said not to worry. Losing weight is a Good Thing.

And set us home.

And, to my shame, I bought into that because, as a fat person myself, I'm constantly being told I should lose weight. Losing weight when you're fat is Always Good. It's the only thing for which society will consistently congratulate a fat person.

Meanwhile, my cat kept losing weight. His hip bones became prominent. So did his spine. (Turns out he was losing muscle mass at this point.)

I took him back to the vet and told them I knew this was Not Right. Have you seen Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch? Looking back on it, this visit sounds similar.

Me:  This is not a healthy cat.

Them:  Sure it is. Lovely cat, the Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage.

Me:  NO. THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY CAT.

So they took an x-ray. And referred me to an animal heart specialist.

We went to the animal heart specialist and she took another x-ray. She diagnosed my cat with very mild heart disease.

The end.

My original vet was done. No follow up appointments needed.

Nothing.

And yet, even I knew very mild heart disease did not answer the question of why my cat was losing weight. Why he was now vomiting and having diarrhea and ate very little.

I contacted my old vet (3,000 miles away or I'd have gone to her first). She asked if they'd checked the condition of his stomach. (Answer: No.)  She asked if my cat had been given an ultrasound. (Again: No. Such an option had never even been mentioned.)

In that moment, I realized my current vet sucked.

So I found a new vet. And just for good measure, when we got in, I demanded an ultrasound. Luckily, he was thinking ultrasound anyway.

He diagnosed my cat as having a thyroid problem.

And arthritis.

And he thought he saw something during the ultrasound, so we were referred again, to an Animal Internist.

This time, the specialist doctor ran an endoscopy and discovered a mass in my cat's stomach. He took a biopsy and we were informed that my cat had large cell gastric lymphoma. And we were referred to the animal cancer center.

Finally.

After. Four. Months.

I have to wonder what the situation for my cat might have been had he been diagnosed with cancer in AUGUST as opposed to DECEMBER.

I also have to wonder if part of the original vet's incompetence had to do with the popular demonization of fat.

He'd been fat and he was losing weight? That's automatically A Good Thing.

You're losing weight incredibly fast? Why question your good luck? Don't look behind the curtain!

Had he been a thin cat, would they have looked harder for the reason behind his weight being in a tailspin?

And could such a thing could happen to a person?

Are fat patients shamed because fat is automatically unhealthy?

Do doctors write off symptoms as being due to weight without looking for any more dangerous cause?

A quick internet search revealed something quite unsettling---doctors desiring to deny any health care whatsoever to fat patients:

In Britain in 2012, a survey found 54% of doctors thought they should be able to deny treatment to the obese. 

Also in 2012, a Massachusetts woman was denied health care because of her weight. She's about my size. Obese but active. The female doctor said her office was unable to accommodate that weight.

Like there'd be a structural collapse? WTF?!

You want something more recent? February 2015 in the UK - David Cameron proposes to strip obese people of their benefits.

Fat-shaming is one of the few prejudices it's widely acceptable to practice.

It's so prevalent, we fat people---consciously or unconsciously---shame ourselves. We accept there's something wrong with us just because we're overweight. We accept that our body shape is open to being mocked, and that it's our fault, not the bigoted mockers.

So stop it.

Right now.

Realize that there are other people out there just like you and that you're all beautiful.

There are awesome companies out there, like Hips and Curves and Chubby Cartwheels and Pyramid,  that specialize in beautiful plus-size clothing.

And learn from my experience - be assertive in your pursuit of health.

Know your rights. Fight for yourself.

If you think your doctor might suck, get a second opinion.

If you know/feel something is Wrong and you're not being listened to, get a second opinion.

Not all vets/doctors are equal.

And, at least in the US, remember - YOU are paying THEM. (Quite a lot, actually.)
They're not doing you a favor by seeing you. They're your employee. If their work is not up to scratch, fire them and move on.

Never let an asshole be in charge of the health of you or your loved ones.
In that context, assholes can kill.


*PS - Like the lady with the teacups? It's a stamp on Etsy!

The Cat Who Lived

My cat has cancer.

Large cell stomach cancer. Had it been small cell, he'd have a good chance of recovery, they said. But this is large cell.

Stop talking about What You Could Have Done If It Were Different and TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH THE REALITY I HAVE, I thought.

This was the beginning of December. They said I could start him on chemotherapy, but it would be more a Quality of Life thing than a fix. Especially as he also has a thyroid problem. And arthritis. They hinted I might consider euthanasia. They said he would be dead by the end of January.

My cat is still alive.

Through the first couple chemo doses, I stayed up with him all night. Making sure he had fluids. Making sure he ate a little every few hours. Making sure he kept the food down and giving anti-nausea pills if he could not.

He has a cream for his thyroid and I give him shots for his arthritis, and vitamin B12 shots as well.

He tolerates this as well as can be expected. Some days he's more annoyed than others. But he's still plugging away. His brain is still sharp as ever.

You have to understand, he was my first cat. I found him at a shelter. He'd had bad experiences with humans so it took some time for him to trust me. Since my previous pet experience was my family's pug (a very cat-like dog), I inadvertently approached him as such. I taught him words.

This cat has as large a command vocabulary as my pug had. At feeding time, I'd tell him to go sit and he'd go to the kitchen and hit the specific mark where he's supposed to sit. If he's not precisely on the mark, I can repeat the command and he will scoot over the inch or two to be precisely on his mark.

He knows how to heel without a leash when we go on walks. I can allow him to get ahead of me to explore and then call him back and he'll come. He'll complain at me ("Meow, meow, meow!"), but he'll come.

He also likes to play games on tablets and phones. But only if he can win. He doesn't like games that go on forever, he wants a Decisive Victory. It's pretty funny.

The vet techs at the cancer center are constantly amazed by him, his good nature, his chill personality. We go in without a carrier and hang out. He purrs.

Now we are approaching the end of his chemo. He gets an ultrasound next Monday. I am hoping for Full Remission. If it's not gone, he'll have to undergo a second round of chemotherapy treatments.

And yes, I've already decided that's what we're doing. If we have to, we're going down fighting.

I was told by one disapproving person that they would have euthanized the cat at the beginning rather than spend the money on chemo. So I knifed them.

No I didn't.

Bloodstains are sooo difficult to get out.

But they are correct, it is expensive. So.... if you've been on the fence about purchasing my writing, or ever even vaguely considered maybe buying one of my books, I would encourage you that now would be the time to do so. You could think of it as a donation, with the book as your free gift. Most of my ebooks are the same price as one cup of coffee. You'd buy me a coffee, right?

In any case, please keep us in your thoughts.

SusanneSaville.com/Books