Welcome Laura Alden!!!

Laura is the author of Murder at the PTA, which was released yesterday and is a wonderful debut of what is sure to be a truly entertaining series.  I was so thrilled to learn this story was set in Wisconsin in a fictional town just minutes from where I live.  It is a great honor to have her here today!!!  I was so excited when her post arrived and if you read my FEEL GOOD FRIDAY post, you surely will know why.  So without further adieu, Here's Laura!!!

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Thanks for inviting me to guest post! And another round of thanks is in order today -- writing a book is a long and occasionally lonely endeavor, so I’d like to take a moment to thank two someones who haven’t yet been thanked: Eddie and Sinii, my two cats.

The acknowledgements in the front of my book give grateful nods to my mom and dad and husband and agent and editor and friends and fellow writers, but not once did I mention my cats.

No wonder they’ve been cranky.

They know how important pets are to a writer’s life, and a public acknowledgement is the least I can do. (They’d prefer a door to the outside that they can open and close at will, but they’re not going to get that.)

I’m sure there are writers out there who don’t have pets, but anecdotal evidence says the percentage is extremely low. We love our pets. Even more, we need our pets.

But Laura, you’re asking, everyone loves and needs their pets. How are writers any different?

Good question.

Did I mention that writing can be a lonely business? While I find that being shut up in a room hour after hour with only a computer and my characters for company is a wonderful way to spend a morning or an afternoon or an evening -- or all three -- it’s nice to have someone around who doesn’t require a lot of conversation.

Take dogs. Dogs require being walked and for many dogs the longer the walk the better. This is good for writers. We need to get out of our chairs. We need to breathe fresh air. We need changes of scenery. And you never know, a glimpse of a neighbor mowing his lawn just might send your brain off into a side journey that gives you a top notch subplot.

Dogs also give you unconditional love when your characters won’t cooperate with each other, let alone with their creator. Dogs will nap on your feet and listen sympathetically and will even, sometimes, give you advice.

Or cats. When you’ve been working too long, cats will walk across your keyboard and demand your complete and total attention. There’s nothing like a cat for rearranging your priorities.

Cats will sit on your lap and purr when you’re deeply afraid that every word you’ve written is absolute dreck and should be sent to the trash post haste. A purring cat is a gift to any writer with lowish self-esteem, and that’s almost the only kind of writer there is.

Dog, cat, rabbit, gerbil, fish, or ferret, our pets are important to us whether we’re writers or readers. 

Thanks for the purrs, Eddie. Thanks for the snuggles, Sinii. I hope we’ll have many, many more years together.

LAURA

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Okay, does Laura's Eddie look like my new feline friend Sherlock or what.  I have now learned that not only is Laura an excellent storyteller, she has wonderful taste in her pets. 

If you haven't picked up her book yet, be sure to put it on your must read list and get it as soon as you can, or click this link below and order it today!  It is the perfect time of year to curl up with a good book and this one sure fits the bill.  Be sure to check out her website http://www.lauraalden.com/  to learn more about Laura and how she became a writer.  It is really interesting.

Thank you Laura so much for stopping by today, I hope you will come back when the next book in the series is released.  I already can't wait to read it.