Kitty Capers

We adopted our three cats as six-week-old kittens. Their poor mother was killed by a coyote right after they were born, wild, near the corner of someone's house. The people heard the mother being dragged away and rescued the littler of kittens. They were so tiny! We couldn't even bring them home for another two weeks, as they needed certain shots and to be neutered first, plus they had to be able to eat dry kitten food regularly. We drove 50 miles round trip every single day for those two weeks to visit them, hold and play with them, and learn how to cleanse their ears to treat the ear mites they'd gotten from being at the kitten rescue center. (And that was quite a production, let me tell you--it lasted four months before they finally determined the mites were gone, and probably had been for MONTHS, but they then had a fungal infection that cleared up in a matter of days once we had the right medication. Ack.)

That was almost five years ago. Today, they are great big cats who run the house like the kings they

are. Captain Jack is an enormous, long-haired black-and-white tuxedo cat. Commodore Norrington is a sleek tabby, and Mr. Gibbs is a smaller, fluffy tabby. They've destroyed most of the furniture, eaten the carpet, and run us ragged, but we adore them. How could we not? They're our babies.

I do complain about them occasionally, especially after they've torn apart another section of the sofa, but I could not imagine our lives without them. We are cat people. Dog people, too, though we don't have one right now. I miss having a dog, but Jack is bigger than a lot of dogs, so he sort of does double-duty, fur-baby-wise.

What about you? Who are your fur-babies? Share in the comments!

Tempest by Chantilly White Available Now!

Today marks my first new release for the year! Tempest is available on Amazon now.

Tempest by Chantilly White

"Sometimes it takes a storm to clear the air. . .

An emotional, heartwarming, contemporary romance novella from Chantilly White, Tempest is the poignant tale of two damaged souls on the verge of losing the most important thing in either of their lives. . . Each other.

One year ago, Tracey and Adam Wesley's relationship was strong, happy, fulfilling. Now, their ten-year marriage is at a terrible crossroads. They stumble through their days, pretending everything is fine, but inside, they fear their love is dying.

They've set the time and place for the conversation they've both been dreading. Win o rose, the heartbreaking war for the survival of their marriage will end tonight. Will a push from Mother Nature help them remember just how rare and precious their love truly is, or put an end to it forever?"

Lustful Longings

So I’ve been all touchy-feely and do-goodie on the blog for a while. I think it’s time for some good ol’ materialistic lust (just in case I find my pot o'gold today--and by the way, Happy St. Patrick's Day!) Here are five items I seriously lust over:

1. A pair of Louboutin shoes. Oh. My. God.
2. A Valentino handbag—I love the bows!
3. The replica of Harry’s Invisibility Cloak from Harry Potter. Shut up. I want it.
4. The model of Cinderella's Castle that’s covered in Austrian crystals and available at Disney World for a cool $38K. I think I need two.
5. My very own private office. With a door. That locks.

Want to see more of the things I dream about/lust over? Check out my Pinterest boards! Then share your own lustful longings in the comments, below!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I adore my Irish roots! Ireland calls to me in ways I can't explain. I loved it there when I was fortunate enough to visit at the age of 14. I've been craving a return trip ever since, and someday I am going to make it happen! My dream is to live there six months out of every year, or at the very least to take frequent writing retreats there. Somewhere along the Atlantic coast, on a cliff overlooking the sea, with a lovely little village nearby for pints and music in the evening.

Ahhh, what a life that would be. Someday... In the meantime, here's to the wearin' of the green!

May the good saints protect you,
And bless you today.
And may troubles ignore you,
Each step of the way.

Daydreaming And Goal Setting

I’m a dreamer. I always have been. Sometimes that tendency has been used against me as an insult—I’ve been told I spend too much time with my head in the clouds instead of down in the nitty-gritty of real life. Maybe that’s true, but it’s also what has led directly to my career—all writers are dreamers! And it’s helped me identify and achieve some goals I wouldn’t have otherwise. Daydreaming is not always about living in fantasyland. Active daydreaming can lead to genuine discoveries about yourself and what you want out of life.

Now, I’m not a psychologist or a life coach or in any way qualified to give advice or make recommendations to anyone about their lives or problems. But daydreaming has helped me, it’s a fun thing to do, and I do think it can help other people, too, so why not talk about it?

Seven Healthy(ish) Ways To Self-Medicate

I’m a pretty positive person most of the time, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t days when I feel down or unmotivated. I struggle with my weight, which is a daily trial, and other issues that crop up. When blue days come around, it’s good to know a few tricks to help turn those downer feelings happy-rosy-pink again.

Caveat: this is meant to be a lighthearted list. Serious depression is, of course, an entirely different matter than occasional "blues" or bad days and requires professional assistance. If you or someone you know is truly depressed or having thoughts of self-harm, PLEASE get help. Please, please, please.

So... understanding that I am not a therapist, or in any way qualified to give out medical advice, these are a couple of the things I rely on to fix an unhappy day—aside from the usual talking to my mom or a friend, taking a nap, or that tried-and-true (but less healthy) solution, a pint of Ben & Jerry’s:

1. Reading Harry Potter and/or watching a Harry Potter movie. If Harry doesn't do it for you, try a different book (romance novels are always great options!) or a funny movie and see if that doesn't lift your spirits!
2. Spending time playing with my cats--studies have shown that time with animals can make a big difference in people's moods, especially animals of the furry variety. Find a cat or dog to pet or play fetch with!
3. Taking a long, luxurious bubble bath--I love my bubble baths. Love-love-LOVE. And I don't need a bad day as an excuse to enjoy one, but if I am having a downer day, a warm soak cheers me right up. I have a portable whirlpool gizmo that sticks to the side of my tub and creates a ton of bubbles. It's awesome and makes me feel like I'm in a spa.
4. Listening to some favorite music—hard rock only! Love songs and anything else similarly slow-paced need not apply. Give me some AC/DC, some Poison, some Def Leppard… Dancing and singing along at the top of my lungs!
5. Playing my flute or the piano--if rock music doesn't suit my mood, dragging out my own music and playing often helps.
6. Making some childhood comfort food: Black Bean Soup (the recipe is on my website, if you want to try it!), chicken noodle casserole (which is like tuna casserole, only with canned chicken instead), mom’s peanut-butter cookies, or chocolate-chip cookie dough.
7. Working out (if I’m down but also feeling virtuous.)

Those are my top seven methods to self-medicate my way out of the doldrums. What are yours? Share in the comments!