Crazy Cat Lady at Bat

    Nothing goes viral faster than a cute cat video...unless it's a bunch of cute kittens. Crazy Cat Lady Janet Vormittag  has lots of fun stories about furry little folks. But she has some tough facts too about the number of animals euthanized each year. You see, pets are not just fun and games, there's a lot of responsibility too. Janet's books field the foul balls as well as the home runs.
       Janet will be joining more than two dozen other Michigan writers this Saturday at the Writers' Rendezvous in Ludington. This is a great opportunity to meet the Crazy Cat Lady and get some of her books. 

Stats

Name: Janet Vormittag aka Crazy Cat Lady
Homebase: West Michigan
Position: Author and animal advocate; publisher of Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals.
Batting average: Humorous Memoir: You Might be a Crazy Cat Lady if … Fictional SAVE FIVE Series: Dog 281, More Than A Number (#3 is simmering in my brain).
Website: www.janetvormittag.com

 

Opening pitch: 

        Last year I came out of the closet …. as a crazy cat lady. To my inner circle, it wasn’t a surprise. Animal issues are the theme of all my books. Dog 281, a suspense novel, revolves around dogs used in experiments––product testing and medical research. The second in the series, More Than a Number, takes you into the underground world of dog fighting. If you like having your head buried in the sand, don’t read them.  
     You Might be a Crazy Cat Lady if … lightens things up a bit. It’s a humorous look at how I ended up with too many cats. Don’t worry, I’ve learned to say no. Don’t call me if you decided to get rid of your cat. The answer upfront: NO.
       Considering the positions on a baseball team, which best describes your writing and why? People not involved in animal rescue or animal rights see me as a Left Fielder. In reality, I sit on the bench. Too tied down with too many cats.
      Tell us about almost striking out: My first attempt at connecting with the audience was a strike---people found the cover of Dog 281 too sad. How many times have I heard, “I could never read a book with such a sad cover.” My second swing was a little better; the cover of More Than a Number didn’t sadden people but it only got me to first base. My third cover was a home run! People smile and laugh when they see the impish kitten on the cover of You
Might be a Crazy Cat Lady if … . I even had the cover made into a magnet, and they sell quite well.
         No one wins a game alone. Tell us about your team: My nine-member team includes Stretch, Sweetie, Lily, Izzy, GeoCat, Little Gray, Frosty, Sue-Sue, and Whiner. Learn more about them in You Might be a Crazy Cat Lady if …
         So what's your game plan?

On Saturday, July 21, I’ll be at the 2018 Writers’ Rendezvous in beautiful Ludington, MI. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts, 017 S. Harrison St., Ludington, MI 49431.
         On Saturday, Aug. 4, I’ll be at Michigan Authors at the Lakeshore – Holland, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Park Theatre, 248 S River Ave., Holland, MI 49423. Come tell what you think of my covers.

Writers' Rendezvous

     Every now and then you meet a person with so many irons in the fire that you can't help but catch a spark or two yourself.
     Joan Young is just such a person. The list of books she's written requires its own website. She writes fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, poetry and a regular column for the Ludington Daily News. She has a new book coming out this month in her latest series, mysteries for children.
      That would be enough for most people but Joan is also knee deep in promoting the annual Writers' Rendezvous at Ludington Center For the Arts. The event, which is coming up July 21, will feature a couple dozen Michigan authors signing and selling their works as well as chatting with fans and reading excerpts. It's one of those can't miss events for Michigan literary types.
        (I'll be there, of course, with my Jordan Daily News Mysteries. Hope to see you.) 

 STATS:

Name: Joan H. Young
Hometeam: West Michigan- Ludington area
Position: author- it's remotely possible I've decided what to be when I grow up
Batting average: North Country Cache,  Anastasia Raven Mysteries (5 titles), Dubois Files Mysteries (3 titles for children)

Website: booksleavingfootprints.com

Blog: myqualityday.blogspot.com

OPENING PITCH: 

 If you love small towns with all their foibles and yet with a solid sense of community, you'll feel right at home in the environs of Dead Mule Swamp. And if fiction isn't your thing, North Country Cache, my non-fiction account of hiking the North Country National Scenic Trail, received an award from Independent Publishers and has been enjoyed by hikers and non-hikers alike.

Considering the positions on a baseball team -- such as catcher, shortstop, left field, etc. -- which best describes the way you write and why? I'm sure a lot of my friends consider me to be out (way out) in left field, because I'm all over the place. I have written non-fiction about my hiking adventures, faith-based books, mysteries, short stories (humor to horror), poetry, and essays. I like to try new things, and am contemplating the plot of a technothriller.

Tell us about your  double play:  The Dubois Files mysteries are a spin-off from the Anastasia Raven books. One of Ana's friends, Cora, has always lived in Forest County, and she has lots of stories to tell (to middle graders, or adults who are feeling nostalgic) about her growing-up years. She and her friends have adventures, solve mysteries, and learn about themselves. It's been a lot of fun to use the same world that was already created, but to take things back in time by 60 years to the 1950s. The fourth Dubois Files book will be coming out near the end of July.

No one wins a game alone. Who’s on your team? A lifetime spent in small towns and the real-life existence of Dead Horse Marsh sparked the chemistry to create the fictional world of Forest County in the "northwoods." The cast of characters that seem to keep people coming back to the Anastasia Raven books are Ana herself, Adele Volger- Cherry Hill's nosy grocery store owner with a heart of gold, Cora- the self-appointed county historian in overalls, Jerry- owner and editor of the Cherry Hill Herald, and young Jimmie Mosher who is introduced in the second story- The Hollow Tree in Dead Mule Swamp. In the Dubois Files, young Cora Dubois is best friends with the elder Jimmie Mosher (grandfather to the boy in the Anastasia Raven books). Their other friends include Laszlo Szep- son of the Hungarian tenant farmer, and George and Ruby Harris, African-American siblings.

So what’s your game plan? The Bigg Boss (Dubois Files #4) will be out July 21, in time for the Writers' Rendezvous in Ludington, Michigan. I'll be giving a program and will have books for sale at the Montague Library Aug. 8, then Manistee Book Expo Aug. 11, and Shagway Arts Barn (Ludington) vendor event Sept. 15. I hope to have Dead Mule Swamp Mistletoe ready to release for Christmas, and North Country Quest by early May.


COMING SOON: Crazy Cat Lady Janet Vormittag is next at bat.