My two oldest cats—Truman and Sydney—turn 17 tomorrow. They are litter mates I rescued when they were about four weeks old. They weighed an ounce either side of one pound when I got them. They were tiny little furballs of personality.
They are elderly in cat years now. They both have renal disease but we’re managing that as best we can. Truman broke his leg three years ago this week. He shattered his right thigh. We still don’t know exactly how he did it, but we think it involved a miscalculated jump and an awkward fall from the bannister onto the stairs.
Despite their health issues, they are still full of personality—fantastic, whimsical personalities.
Much like the cats in our latest volume of The Year of the Cat, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith: A Cat of Fantastic Whims. Here is the synopsis:
Most cats pursue the business of their lives in ways both fantastic and whimsical.
In this entertaining volume of stories, cats perform as muses, inhabit fairy tales, consort with ghosts and zombies, and one cat even reigns as fantasy queen.
Enter the fantastic world of whimsical cats and enjoy!
Includes:
“Searching for the Familiar” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Speechless in Seattle” by Lisa Silverthorne
“Queen of the Mouse Riders” by Annie Reed
“The Kingdom of Cats and Birds” by Geoffrey Landis
“Cat Leading the Way” by Dean Wesley Smith
“A Powerful Friend” by E. Nesbit
“Clyde and the Ghost Cat” by Jamie Ferguson
“Dead Fred” by Liz Pierce
“Un-Familiar” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The book is available now in ebook and trade paperback here. And be sure to check out the rest of the series here.
While my cats prefer napping these days—especially if I’m reading and there’s a lap available—they still chase each other around the house from time to time. How is it that such small creatures can thunder around the house making more noise than even the most frenzied storm?
It’s a mystery. Just like the mystery surrounding a very different kind of storm in the latest entry in Kris’ award-winning Diving series, which publishes tomorrow. Maelstrom is a standalone novella in that series, and a powerful story, but I suspect its significance in the Diving Universe will be revealed at some point in the future.
Here’s the synopsis:
Nedda Ferguson-Lithe lost her father on the Gabriella’s final mission. The ship’s disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of the sector.
But as Nedda interviews the crew’s survivors, she finds more questions than answers.
No one knows who or what causes the maelstroms that make exploring Nájar Crater on Madreperla so dangerous. But everyone knows that the rumors of the crater’s riches prove far too tempting despite the danger.
Every time a ship ventures into that crater, a maelstrom drives it out. Or destroys it. Ned-da hopes to find out which fate met the Gabriella—and her father.
Nominated for the Asimov’s Readers Choice Award for best novella, Maelstrom proves a heart-wrenching addition to Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s award-winning Diving Series.
Maelstrom is available in ebook, trade paperback, and hardcover. Click here for more information starting Tuesday.
My cats fully support this bevy of new releases. They say the more books humans read, the longer that laps are available for napping.
So, help a cat. Read a book.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.