I spend more time than I want to admit (ok, LOTS) looking at kittens and puppies on socials - the closest I've come to being a stalker myself.
I've always been a cat person - sorry, Scooby - but in the interests of balancing marital harmony and desperately wanting a pet, went for a dog for the very first time. And although I love Scooby dearly, there are times when I just wish she could learn to purr and make biscuits, you know?
Then came all the political fuss about childless women with cats in the US, and suddenly there were even MORE cats and kittens, everywhere!! Especially on Threads, where I get much of my cat fix. My last psychological thriller, The Stepdaughter's Lie, featured a rescue cocker spaniel, who very much helped rescue one of my characters. It seemed the time was right to go feline in my new book, The Stalker.
One of my favourite follows on Threads is kitten and cat fosterer @joann.welsh, so when I decided one of my characters was going to have a rescue kitten, I asked her to name it - the above kitten is a photo of one her past fosters. She requested the name Laraine, a founder of Kitten Korner Rescue in the US. This is a nonprofit agency started by Laraine VanBlarcom and Kerri Sher, and she tells me they've helped hundreds of cats and kittens throughout Rochester, NY and the Finger Lakes region.
And below is a small excerpt from The Stalker with Laraine, the kitten.
How I became friends with Melanie in Canada on Facebook is lost in the mists of time now, but I'm fairly sure we had a mutual friend and I saw her cats and then said PLEASE FRIEND ME. Cats have that effect on me. Also I've always been intrigued by the majestic Maine Coon cat, and she has TWO! Their names are William and Elsbeth. So when I decided to give another character two Maine Coons, I used their names. I can't show you that excerpt as it is very near the end of the novel and a bit spoiler-y. Melanie is also known as @stessbakerphd on instagram.
(William to left, Elsbeth to right)
And finally we have Ginger Biscuit, another Facebook find - who also appears in The Stalker. This one is from Philip Ardagh, kids lit author. Though he says Ginger Biscuit is really his son's.
To set the scene from The Stalker below, the point of view character left home without her shoes - these things happen sometimes. She stopped at a services and the only available footwear were fluffy bear claw slippers, so that is what she is wearing when she arrives at her friend's place.
And next - because you can never have too many images of cats and kittens in a blog post - below we have:
Ginger Biscuit's belly, more of William and Elsbeth, and finally, some foster kittens and the very handsome Fez, from @joann.welsh on Threads.
