Sunday, October 7, 2018

New Editions of Dulcy's Books





Today’s posting is about two books that many of you have already read. Both are about Dulcy, the cat with whom I lived for 17 ½ years. She died of kidney failure on July 6, 1989. Two days later, she began to give me the story that ultimately became the book A Cat’s Life: Dulcy’s Story.

In it, she shares the depth of our relationship—how we met—how she trained me—how we both came to treasure Bartleby who came to us as a kitten—and how we became essential to one another’s happiness and contentment.

Crown first published the hardcover of A Cat’s Life: Dulcy’s Story in September 1992. Eight years later, a small press published the trade paperback. It is that paperback that some of you read way back in 2011, when I first began to blog.

Now, I have self-published—with the help of my niece—a twenty-fifth anniversary edition of A Cat’s Life. Its format has been modernized, but the major difference between this edition and the earlier paperback and hardcover is that I’ve added an Introduction.

In that intro, I explain how the book was given to me by Dulcy; how I searched for a publisher; and how it came to be published—without an agent—by Crown. The Introduction covers the detours and disappointments that accompanied both the book’s journey to publication and my journey to introducing the sweetness of Dulcy to more than 14,000 readers.

If A Cat’s Life: Dulcy’s Story interests you, please click on the top icon to the right of this posting. It will take you to Amazon where a paper copy is available as well as an e-book.







I have also recently self-published Dulcy’s second book, entitled A Cat’s Legacy: Dulcy’s Companion Book. Wayman Press published it in November 2011, and many of you read it at that time. This second edition has a new cover as well as a refreshed format.

This second Dulcy book contains twelve habits that Dulcy shares with kits and cats who seek the bliss of a relationship with a loving human. For each of those habits, which she describes in an anecdotal story, I write my own anecdote about how the the habit influenced my life.

If A Cat’s Legacy: Dulcy’s Companion Book interests you, please click on the second icon to the right of this posting. It will take you to Amazon where a paper copy is available as well as an e-book.

You will note that there are three icons on the right side of this blog. Each takes a reader to Amazon where the two Dulcy books as well as the convent memoir that I self-published in March of this year are available.

I want to thank all of you who have read these books in the years between 2011—when I first began to blog—and today. I’m hoping that those of you who are just now learning about Dulcy’s books will discover for yourselves the wonder of the relationship she and I shared. A relationship that you, too, may share with a feline.

Peace.


28 comments:

  1. Thank you for this information, Dee. I've already read all your books and have one on my bookshelf. I loved the Dulcy story and the convent memoir very much. :-)

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    1. Dear DJan, I've always been grateful that you read Dulcy's books when I first announced their availability on my blog back in 2011. The support of so many bloggers at that tim was wonderful! And I'm glad that you read and liked the convent memoir. Thank you for your writing about it in your blog back in April. Peace.

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  2. Best of luck with your books. I'm not a cat person but I used to belong to a community of bloggers who blogged using their pet's voice so I know how cute and engaging that format can be.

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    1. Dear Jean, if you're still in communication with any of those cat-loving bloggers, I'd so appreciate your passing on the information about the availability of Dulcy's two books. Thank you. Peace.

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  3. Way to go! You had great luck with your first printing, let's hope this next edition finds new readers.

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    1. Dear Judy, a big press like Crown reaches an enormous audience and so Dulcy's first book sold well. But with self-publishing we are talking about a couple of hundred sales instead of 14,000. But no matter how the books do, I'm just grateful to Dulcy for giving them to me. Peace.

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  4. Many of the relationship I have had with cats over the years have sustained me. I am so glad you have re-released Dulcy's books.

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    1. Dear Sue, yes, my life was at sixes and sevens during the 1980s and Dulcy's unconditional love did "sustain" me. Peace.

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  5. Dulcy lived a long life. She must have been a very special kitty to have inspired you to write about her. x

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    1. Dear Bea, yes Dulcy was so special to me and somehow her words came from the deep center of myself where Oneness dwells--where she and I were One in death as we had been in life. I treasure her stories. Peace.

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  6. I have had both these books for a while & have reread them several times. I encourage all your readers to buy them. They are wonderful!!

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    1. Dear Fishducky, you have always been so unstinting in your support of my writing. Thank you for all your enthusiasm; it refreshes my soul. Peace.

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  7. Thanks for this post I was only thinking over the weekend that I want to send my daughters links to books I would like for my birthday next month

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    1. Dear Jo-Anne, I do so hope that if Dulcy's two books are ones you'll tell your daughters about you'll enjoy them. Let me know! Peace.

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  8. My life has always held cats, and the current cat was a four week old feral kitten, lost by his mother in Pennsylvania. My first feral cat, and completely unlike a domestic cat. Right now he has ear mites and is on his way to the vet this week. After I read Dulcy, I may tell him what he's missing, boycotting the domesticated version.

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    1. Dear Joanne, all her life, Dulcy went outside each night to hunt and prowl the yards beyond our home. I never knew just how far she roamed. I've never adopted a feral cat, but I have read the classic "The Fur Person" by May Sarton. And the cat in that story came to realize just what he was missing by being outside all the time. Peace.

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  9. I have read your books also and think this new release might make a great Christmas gift. Wishing you all the success in the world.

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    1. Dear Patti, thanks for thinking of Dulcy's books as Christmas gifts. Back in 1992, her first book was published in late September/early October and it did become popular as a Christmas gift. She remains one of the blessings of my life.

      I so hope you are feeling better now after that flu shot. I hope also that your immune system will now have the power to resist any flu that comes along. Peace.

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  10. Hi, So good to hear from you. Hope you are doing well now... I hope you do get back to Yellowstone sometime... Such an amazing area of our country. The Grand Teton National Park (south of Yellowstone) is my favorite area out there. AND--it's never as crowded as Yellowstone....

    Good Luck with your Kitty-Books.... That's great to re-release them now.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. Dear Betsy, the next time I visit friends out in Idaho, I"ll ask them if we can fit in a visit to the Grand Teton National Park. Thanks for suggesting it. And thanks, too, for wishing we luck with Dulcy's books. Peace.

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  11. I love these books. I love how Dulcy came to mean so much to you and you to her. I love how you much you loved each other, it was a very special relationship. Please get these books if you haven't read them.

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    1. Dear Inger, thank you for your enthusiasm for Dulcy's two books. I'm so glad that you read them and that they touched your life. And thank you for the endorsement! Peace.

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  12. Yes I was one of the old bloggers who got both. And I still have my Ellie who is approaching 13. Self publishing is a cool new way to move forward.

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    1. Dear Heidrun, my Ellie will soon be 12! So we both have an Ellie who is aging. I am enjoying self-publishing because for nearly 25 years I tried to find an agent and no one was interested in my writing. So I left myself feel morose and then I took myself by the scruff of the neck, shook myself out, and ordered myself to get with the 21st century and self-publish! Peace.

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    1. Dear Sandi, the cats with whom I've lived since Dulcy first came into my life in 1972 have been and continue to be my family. Peace.

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  14. this must be a powerful and warm touching lovestory of both of you dear Dee!

    when i was in my teens my mother brought an injured kitten and helped her with healing ,she lived with us until i was 20 and got married she was part of our family and well mannered fellow and used to sleep on bed near mom's feet always for my grandma (maternal) this was unbearable to have any kind of animal as pet as she was sooo conscious about cleanliness though mom was same on her standards yet she disliked mom's decision

    later mom shifted in Islamabad city and our mano (name of cat) and her kids were departed

    i still miss her playing with mom's knitting yarn and our rubber ball etc
    hugs!

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    1. Dear Baili, cats are a never-ending source of delight and entertainment. I've learned so much from them about living in the present. I'm so glad you got to live with mano for several years and that mano warmed your mom's feet! Peace.

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