Max and Tammy

If you've read Monday, Monday in Tails From The Park, 

you met Tammy. Now I'm teaming up with Tammy and we're telling Young Adult stories with a bit of adventure (Hey, it can't be me without adventure!) and a bit of mystery.  The book is coming out this spring. Here's a bit from the beginning.

With that I slipped into the library and stopped in the middle of the room. A large window, (actually the only window) gave us a view of the grassy field. The whole of the room was painted white; along the walls were a series of white book shelves that were mostly half empty. In a corner was a little nook with a table and chairs. On the table was a single table lamp, but there was so much natural light from the big window that Tammy never turned it on.

There, sitting amongst the library things were boxes filled to the brim with books. These were the donations that Tammy and I were going to sort through. My friend immediately started opening these boxes, making stacks of books according to the author’s names. It looked like a lot of work and Tammy was hard at it when I saw my work station high up on the big window. A large empty shelf called out to me; it looked to be just the right size for a plump cat like myself. I leaped up to it easily enough and stretched out to suck up the mid–day sun. Those wonderful rays beat in through the glass, like a cat nap express. All the while Tammy kept making more and more piles of books. Every so often she squealed in her excitement.

She jumped to her feet and picked up a stack of books, she declared. “These will have to go up on that shelf you’re laying on, Max at least for the time being.” With that she placed one book after another and filled the empty space behind me with red, yellow, blue, and black colored books. In no time, I was being forced into a smaller and smaller space.

As she started on another armful of books I needed to move, so I carefully jumped over her hands, and stood precariously on top of this new row of books. Suddenly they started to wobble. Tammy stuck out her hand to help me but my balance was way off. Something which rarely ever happens to me.      

The books tipped over and plummeted to the floor. I stuck out my right paw and hooked a booked entitled Huckleberry Finn. With her other hand Tammy tried to stop me but I swung to one side as Huck and I slipped off the shelf and into mid-air.

 Now's the purrfect time to join the Max Gang. Get personal emails from me about book releases. You'll know when the first Max and Tammy book is ready. So put your paw on your mouse and click Max Gang.

Head bumps,

Max

 

More Max! Book 4 Tails From The Park

Cat Territory

Purrrr! I'm turning in circles. The humans have done it again. My fourth book is now ready to pre-order. It will be live on October 15. Tails From The Park (Series 4)

Every cat has his territory, and he protects it. "Slippery When Wet" tells the story of a new cat coming into my space. There's a beginning which starts like the photo and an end. Read the excerpt below.


Don't forget to pre-order my next book at Amazon.

Triumphantly, he came down the path toward me. The dead rodent’s tail and short little legs hung down lifeless and limp. With his cat eyes flashing and his neck muscles popped out, this ghost held his head up high. Only once did he glance over his shoulder just to make sure he was alone and safe. I watched him intently from my perch. I sat up and hunched my shoulders forward with a paw draped over the edge of my wooden shelf. I’m sure he saw my claws when they gripped the edge just for effect.

From deep inside of me a growl built up as I glared down at him. But even forewarned, he didn’t slow down until he was almost under me. At that point he dropped his kill to the ground and looked up. Nervously licking his lips, he waited. I know fealty when I see it and I was impressed with this youngster.

I could smell the sweet scent of blood as it wafted up to me in the hot air. Even though this was his kill, and me being me, I made him wait for it. For, what you ask? Why…my approval of course. As a poacher he needed permission from me, the yard master. While he anxiously watched, I lay down on my side. Hesitantly he licked his whiskers that were matted with the dead rodent’s blood.

Droplets of red, red blood dripped off his lion’s chin. All I could think of was how slippery fur feels when it’s soaked wet with blood.

Slippery when wet, my grim little joke! 

Meet My Arch Cat Rival, Ivan The Blue

Meet My Arch Cat Rival, Ivan!

Tails From The Park (Series 4) is coming out on October 15. Here's a preview from the chapter Amanda.

A few of his gang became unruly and the lieutenants had to scramble to keep control. Ivan held me down with one massive paw on my upper body. It was getting harder to breathe. His eyes flashed when he turned his head toward me. He opened his mouth and bared his giant fangs. From behind him Amanda jumped onto his back and drove her teeth into his side. He howled and shook her off. I watched as she landed against the sliding glass door. 

She got back up onto her paws and growled. When she stepped out, the floor seemed to jump under us. The deck became a mass of grey bodies as the gangsters flung themselves in all directions, trying to beat a hasty retreat as best they could. In a matter of seconds only Amanda, Ivan, his two lieutenants and I were left on the deck. I had double vision but I could see that the kitchen light had come on. The door’s lock unlatched and a whoosh of hot air ruffled Amanda’s fur. Unnerved Ivan’s lieutenants growled in that guttural foreign tongue of theirs. He moved and the pressure on my shoulder let up enough for me to pull myself out from under his big paw. Free, I backed up, which forced Amanda against the sliding glass door. The vertical blinds slapped wildly back and forth as the light threw itself and its shadows across the deck as my mom appeared over us. 

Spooked, the lieutenants backed away, almost falling off the front steps finally Ivan turned and then slowly almost casually he walked down the steps. 

I heard Mom’s voice, “Max, who’s your little friend there…honey?” How she missed seeing my tormenter I could only guess. My dad appeared, his head sticking out into the cold.

My other books are available on Amazon now.  Get more Max and a lot of Maxitude!

Max

Writing Is Work

But Storytelling Is Fun

Usually I leave the computer work to +Tim Hammill but every once in a while I like to...play around on the keyboard.

I had fun telling the stories in the latest book. Do you have Tails From The Park (Series 3)? Here's a little bit about how I got really cool with sunglasses.

She followed my gaze to her jewellery, and exclaimed, “I know, I can make you look really, really cool.”

She flung herself out of bed and from a chest of drawers pulled out a pair of blue jeans. Sticking one long leg then the other into them she forced herself into the tight pants. She grabbed a T-shirt that proclaimed, ‘custom shades by Stormi.’ Pulling the garment up and over her head, she flipped her mass of blonde hair about in the air. Now, she was ready to make me cool.

She picked me up off the bed and we ran down the hallway. She placed me on the work table, rummaged through a box on the floor, and pulled out a clear plastic bag filled with sunglasses marked ‘Baby shades-2 years old’.

“Oh, this is going to be a blast!” she exclaimed.

She worked in a frenzy, popping the dark lenses out of the frames. Placing them off to one side of her work bench, she cut the frames in places, and added plastic pieces where needed. We went through six or seven pair before she got her adjustments correct. They sat on my nose just fine and weren’t too heavy. The problem was with the ear pieces.

“You see, kid, your ears are in a totally different place than my usual customers. I’m going to have to make an extra bit of plastic that fits over your head a little on both sides and then mold the ear pieces around the back. Then, I’ll add a band of elastic to keep the glasses on.”

After the last of the final adjustments she slipped the glasses onto my head. I was sleepy so it didn’t bother me in the least. When she was finished, I curled up into a ball and nodded off to Z land.

Head bumps!

Max

The Fixer - Tails From The Park (Series 3) Excerpt

Food, An All-Time Favorite

How I Steal The Show

In my new Series 3 of Tails From The Park I get into trouble in the story The Fixer...of course. But I also steal the show from the food personality. You can get the book here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013AOZ6C4

Enjoy this tasty excerpt:

My time had come. This was going to be my best and maybe only chance to grab some of that heavenly, stinky fish. Instantly, my night vision turned on.

I leapt onto the table, brushing against a young girl who said “What’s that?” I sniffed the first bowl, no, the second no, the third bingo, anchovies…I was there. I was just about to dip into that utterly beautiful grilled fish when the light came back on. When that young girl, who I bumped into saw me and screamed.

Wendy rushed forward to my rescue. She stood in back of me as Tony strode up to us saying in his jovial voice, “And what do we have here?”

He leaned forward, with a dish of meat and grilled fish in his hands. The smell from the new dish got my attention. I reached out my paw, and I made contact with his hand. This brought me to an almost standing position. I let out an extremely polite “Meow” short but to the point, followed by a loud steady purr. Now you have to understand that my purrs are quite different from most cats. Not having a mother to learn from, I sort of made mine up much later in life. It turned out loud and rough.

Tony bent down. He held up his hand for quiet. I lifted my head closer to his ear and purred in my broken husky style. He exclaimed, “Now that’s what I’m talking about here, a fan of your grilled fish.”

 The humans are working on Book 4. And...
A paperback collection of all my stories which will be out for the Holidays. It's so great being a cat, telling my stories, and having the humans do the work.

Let me know what you think of this new book. I love my readers. Purrrrrrrr.

More Max FREE for 5 days!

Fun Cat Adventures

My second book of Tails From The Park is on Back to School Special.  Read more cat adventures with me and my friends and enemies in the park. Get your copy at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0112FF2E0

Here's a sample. A cat fight from the story The Burglar:

I dropped down onto the door sill and slipped out before the screen door had shut. I snuck around my Dad’s legs as he turned to answer Mom when she yelled, “Damn that cat. Honey, Max just got out and he’s on the deck.”

I went around the corner and stood at the top of the steps. At that moment Victoria, a broom in her hand, was swinging at my new nemesis. She almost got him, too! But he dodged all of her attempts and looked terribly upset with her. Winded, Victoria dropped the broom to the ground. Thinking she was finished, he crossed over to the street. As he did, Victoria made one last mighty effort and swung her broom at him in a wide arc, inches above the concrete. If she had connected with him he would have left in a hurry.

Not this alley cat… no way.  He stood his ground, ears pinned back and with a deep hiss, he turned. In the blink of an eye he leapt onto the broom and swatted at Victoria’s legs. She screamed and fell backwards onto her back steps. Taking his time, my foe turned and strolled away from her as if he owned the place. At the corner of her trailer , he backed up to the wall and let loose his scent. Now this beast had gone too far!

But, from The Burglar’s point of view , going "too far" was exactly his intent. Like all bullies, he always pushes to see who will and who won’t push back.

Mom poked her head out of the doorway. Dad spoke up, asking “Are you okay, Victoria?”

As Mom pushed Dad to the steps, she yelled out “Do something!”

Its OK, Mom. I thought I could take care of this bad boy myself, and jumped from the deck onto the blacktop. As I dashed across the street, The Burglar looked me straight in the eye. His eyes were dark, maybe even black, and showed no emotion as he reared up. I could see the muscles in his hind legs bulging out. His scraggily tail switched back and forth, slowly, not expending too much energy. He was saving himself for the battle to come.

He was old and twenty pounds at least. His head was gigantic, much bigger than I’d realized. And with that swipe of black fur across his face, it made him look dangerous – no EVIL.

Because I had to cross the street, to confront him, I had lost some control over the fight already. It was a poor choice on my part, for when we made contact in the end, I knew his greater weight would tell. My only chance was to meet him as soon as I could and that meant in the air.

My claws made that tippity tappity sound on the blacktop, the fur on my tail extended out like one of my mom’s cleaning brushes.  My ears were pinned back. I let out a deep savage “Moarhhhh” (that’s my fighting howl) to let him know it was me he had to deal with. I left the ground and soared through the air, claws extended. The burglar had now risen up to his full height. He leapt, too, and met me about three feet off the ground.

We hit each other with a loud bone-crushing thump. All at once we were a turning, snarling, blur of grey and white fur. You probably couldn’t distinguish where one of us started and where the other left off.

Suddenly it was hard to breathe and, to make matters worse, this beast stunk. The odor was like the alley cat he truly was. We hit the ground hard, he on his back and me hovering over him. Both of us were desperately trying to make contact with the soft flesh of the other’s neck. From behind me, I heard a movement. I could feel a human hand on my back and the sensation of being jerked away from my foe.

Read all the stories.

Life is best with Maxitude.

No Where Man: A misty morning.

All Buicks Great and Small: A Buick and a lost friend.

The Fortune Teller: Max get’s his fortune read and creates some word magic.

The Earth Moved Under My Paws: A leash, a quake, a dream, a run.

Pete and Repeat: Short and snappy.

Ka-Bing: Max goes to jail.

Heidi Fang: Adventure with a beauty.

The Burglar: A real cat fight!

If you like them as much as I had fun telling them, don't forget to join the Max Gang! 

Head bumps!

Max