cats

Interview with Author – Tracy Ahrens

Interview with Author – Tracy Ahrens

I have been a journalist and editor for newspapers, magazines and websites since 1992. Currently, my stories about raising my pets can be seen through websites and print publications, including: dogster.com, catster.com, Simply Pets magazine, wagthedogUK.com, American Pet Magazine, Russell Publications and Momence Progress Reporter.

As of 2020, I had earned 66 writing awards statewide, locally and nationally. I am a member of the Illinois Woman’s Press Association, National Federation of Press Women, the Cat Writers’ Association and Dog Writers Association of America.

For years I’ve volunteered for animal rescue groups. I am also an artist, creating graphite pet portraits and chalk illustrations. My illustrations have been showcased on note cards for the Kankakee County Animal Foundation in Kankakee, Ill. I have donated portraits for fundraising events at Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago, the University of Illinois Wildlife Veterinary Clinic in Champaign-Urbana, Ill.; Critter Corral guinea pig rescue in Steger, Ill.; Hospice Hearts rescue in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. and Crossroads Shih Tzu rescue based in Joliet, Ill. In the past I offered pet portraits through the University of Illinois Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital to help raise funds for their Humane Connection Fund.

My portrait of a cat titled Jackson Brown is on display at the Cat Fanciers’ Association Foundation cat museum in Alliance, Ohio. My portrait of a rabbit named Bosley is on display in the House Rabbit Society’s Rabbit Center in Richmond, Calif.

I have also written four children’s books: Cloud Jumpers, What if the Moon, Sammy Sparrow’s First Flight and Come with Me. Aside from my children’s books, I have written two non-fiction books titled Giant Hero and Raising My Furry Children. Raising My Furry Children features a guest story by pet expert, Steve Dale. Proceeds from Sammy Sparrow’s First Flight assist several humane organizations within Illinois. Come with Me supports the Kate Amato Foundation for children’s cancer research based in Florida. I have also published two books of poetry through Finishing Line Press titled Nature will heal and I am.

Photos I have taken of my cats and dog have appeared in several calendars by Workman Publishing.

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Interview with Author – Debbie De Louise

Interview with Author – Debbie De Louise

Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Long Island Authors Group, and the Cat Writers’ Association. Her novels include a paranormal romance, standalone mysteries, the Cobble Cove cozy mystery series, and a romantic comedy novella. Debbie has also written a non-fiction cat book and a time-travel novel. She’s contributed to several Red Penguin Collection anthologies and their Bloom Literary Journal. She also writes for Catster Magazine. Debbie lives on Long Island with her husband, daughter, and three cats.

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Interview with Author – May J. Panayi

Interview with Author – May J. Panayi

My name is May J. Panayi and I’m 57. I have been a writer since I was a kid. Okay not anything earth shattering; just a poem in the local paper at age five, then a newsletter to the neighbourhood age ten. I hobby wrote poems and short stories throughout my teens and early twenties, then various magazine submissions, and a lot of activity in the underground fanzine scene of the eighties; contributing to others as well as producing my own. I started writing books around 2000, and currently have fourteen titles published. I moved onto just writing fiction novels with the occasional short story collection. I became a full time self employed writer in 2014. It’s been an interesting journey so far and one I hope will long continue. I write across a variety of genres, my friends call me the eclectic indie. My Sun series, in which there are two novels so far, a third coming soon to complete the trilogy, is my most popular style. It is travel romance/mystery; bit hard to categorise. My horror is next most popular though a bit graphic for some. I live by the sea in Brighton, UK, and write whilst looking out at the boats. Inspiration comes from life, the universe and everything. It never stops.

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