Clothes, Cats, Christmas
Welcome to the (Australian) summer edition of my newsletter!
Hello My Beautiful Reader,
Welcome to the (Australian) summer edition of my newsletter!
What a year 2020 has been! I feel like we have all ridden a giant wave and found ourselves washed up on the shores of December. Some of us have surfed gracefully, while others no doubt feel as if they have been dumped unceremoniously on the beach and now have sand in their hair and cozzies*.
In whatever circumstances you have arrived, I want to wish you and your family a safe and peaceful festive season. Please remember how resilient and adaptable you are, and that sometimes our greatest moments of growth and triumph come out of challenging situations.
It is still a season for joy, and in that spirit, I’ve compiled a newsletter full of delightful things to amuse and inspire you. Have fun!
Love Belinda XX
*Australian slang for ‘swimming attire’
PS - Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you my dear reader, I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
HOW TO DRESS LIKE A CHIC CAT LADY – NOT A CRAZY ONE!
The traditional image of the ‘crazy cat lady’ is a dishevelled and deranged woman in a dowdy dressing gown. But I believe that ‘cat lady chic’ is now a thing.
In this blog I’ll share some of my favourite chic cat lady outfits and perhaps inspire you to develop a chic cat lady style of your own.
ARE YOU SEEKING GENUINE FEEDBACK OR VALIDATION?
Good feedback is essential to writers to improve their work. But how do beginner writers find the feedback they need?
Read my personal insights into this topic in my subscribers’ only blog: Are you seeking genuine feedback or validation?
SHOULD I DRESS MY CAT AS A CHRISTMAS ELF?
Christmas is the season for over-eating, over-shopping and perhaps even over-sharing on social media. But what about those elaborate Christmas outfits some kitties are dressed in on Instagram? Are they good fun or do they distress the cat?
Pebbles, the agony uncle cat of The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady’s Guide to Woman’s Best Friend, offers his thoughts on the matter when one reader asks him:
Should I dress my cat as a Christmas elf – or not?
SIGNED COPIES!
Despite all the upheaval this year, I did manage, thanks to my excellent publishers (HarperCollins Australia and Murdoch Books), to publish two books. Read about The Mystery Woman and The Divine Feline tours, and find out where you can get signed copies for Christmas here.
THE CATS OF THE DIVINE FELINE
Find pictures of the beloved cats that have been part of my life.
Snuggy – A GIRL AND HER CAT
Snuggy initially belonged to my neighbours but by circumstance and Divine fate became my first cat – and my first love!
Fluffy – CAT LOVE
I grew up with Fluffy. She was my confidant. I used to sign cards to my friends with ‘Love, Belinda and Fluffy XX’
Gardenia and Lilac – GUARDIAN ANGELS
These two beloved and gorgeous sisters watched over me as I wrote my books White Gardenia through to Southern Ruby. I believe they watch over me still!
The Car Park Cats – FROM FERAL TO FABULOUS
Sophie – Grandmamma
Rainbow – Mother of Valentino, Versace and Lou Lou. Aunt to Gucci and Lucky.
*Lou Lou with her mummy Rainbow above
Gucci – Valentino, Versace and Lou Lou’s half-brother and cousin (they share a father but have a different mother)
Lucky – Gucci’s brother who happens to be twice his size
Lou Lou – So pretty and will always have a place in my heart because of how she used to brighten up as soon as I picked her up for a cuddle
Rosie – who found her forever home with Bev
Valentino, Versace and Gucci – who are now mine.
With Lilac and Gardenia – and the reason why I could never read in bed
HOW TO BE A FABULOUS FELINE FOSTER CARER
With so many of us now working from home, there has never been a better time to help out an animal shelter by fostering cats and kittens.
Ann Smith, experienced foster carer with the WLPA, explains what foster caring involves and why it is so rewarding.
SUMMER EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS
♥️ eBOOK BACKLIST: Belinda's eBook backlist (titles not released this year) from HarperCollins Australia are $4.99 for a limited time until Wednesday 16th December:
Amazon • Apple Books • Google Play • Kobo
♥️ INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Great news for my UK, US and European readers! The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady’s Guide to Woman’s Best Friend will be published (In English) on February 2, 2021 and is available for pre-order now from online retailers! Please support your favourite book shop or you may use the links below:
America - Barnes & Noble • America - Amazon • Canada - Indigo Books • Canada - Amazon • UK - Waterstones • UK Amazon
♥️ EVENT: Tuesday, December 8th, The Divine Feline Online Event at Ku-ring-gai Library 6.30pm - 8.00pm. Join me online for a chat about my latest book, The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady’s Guide to Woman’s Best Friend.
♥️ EVENT: Thursday, December 10th, The Divine Feline Online Zoom Launch.
Join me for the launch of The Divine Feline: A Chic Cat Lady’s Guide to Woman’s Best Friend with the wonderful folks at Avid Reader. Click here to register.
♥️ BOOK SIGNING: Saturday, December 19th, The Mystery Woman and The Divine Feline book signing at Dymocks Books Castle Towers, Castle Hill. 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm
♥️ EVENT: Tuesday January 19th, Reading by the Moon Book Club Online Event. 8.30 pm NSW, 7.30 pm QLD.
For more information: josephinemoon@live.com.au