When I heard bestselling cat writer Gwen Cooper was publishing her Curl Up With a Cat Tale Series into one book, I knew I had to get it ASAP and do a review. This article is dedicated to My Life in a Cat House: True Tales of Love, Laughter, and Living with Five Felines. I’m also going to post more on projects Gwen is doing to financially benefit cats caught up in the California wildfires.
My review of My Life in a Cat House
I purchased my copy on Amazon Kindle for $9.99 (costs for Kindle books tend to fluctuate almost daily. At the time of this article the Kindle edition is $12.99) because I didn’t want to do a review where the book had been given to me free of charge. People tend to think a “gifted” book would make for a biased review.
My review is below, which is the same one I posted to Amazon.
“I thought I had laughed as hard as I could laugh when I first read Homer’s Odyssey. Not true! From Gwen talking about the bruises her cats have put on her to the affectionate name calling (that from anyone but Gwen would be a bit rude to the cat), I predict My Life in a Cat House:True Tales of Love, Laughter, and Living with Five Felines will be a bestseller among cat addicts for some time to come.
It’s very hard to put down at night. Thanks for keeping me up half the night, Gwen. You really should make a movie out of this one!”
My favorite scene from the book was when Gwen’s husband Lawrence went from the first floor up to the third floor to avoid cleaning up a “cat mess.” He asked if it would end up as a scene in her book (as if he thought he’d get out of that one!)
The brilliant idea to turn the Curl Up With a Cat series into a book
I was curious, so I reached out to Gwen on how the idea to turn the Curl Up With a Cat series into a book. I’m interested in this concept because I’d love to write a book much like this about my own cat experiences (although I doubt I could be nearly as entertaining as Gwen).
“Basically, when I saw how much subscribers were enjoying the monthly stories, I knew that I should make them available in print to people who might not have yet heard about the series, or who might like to have a print copy that they could give as gifts to others during the holiday season.”
Promotions by Gwen to benefit cats
If you sign up for upcoming monthly e-short story series, Curl Up with a Cat Tale by Sunday, December 2, 50 percent of the $14.99 subscription fee will go to UC Davis to support their work saving cats rescued from the Camp Fire.
Gwen is also holding a raffle where for only $5 you can enter to win one of these two ONE OF A KIND, wood-framed cover blow-ups–printed on canvas (NOT poster paper!), framed in wood, and PURR-SONALLY AUTOGRAPHED TO THE WINNERS!
You must act quickly on the raffle, as the drawing is on Thursday. PayPal gwen@gwencooper.com and each $5 ticket will get you one entry.
Gwen is also holding a fundraiser for Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. where she is donating all of her royalties from copies sold of “My Life in a Cat House” from Black Friday through the following weekend to the St. Pauls. NC-based rescue.
Gwen’s future plans
Gwen announced on her Facebook page November 26 that she has plans to start a Facebook Live Story Club where she’ll personally read from the Curl Up With a Cat Series. I’ve kept up with Gwen for many years and it’s been very entertaining to watch her sit in the floor of her home in her pajamas and entertain her followers. I mentioned her evening “pajama-fests” to my daughter and she said, “She’s doing WHAT!”
Gwen, you are one of a kind. I keep referring to her as a comedian because her writing is so entertaining. She’s an amazing woman and cat advocate who I’m proud to call my friend. I plan to read Homer and the Holiday Miracle in the near future and review it as well.
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All photos courtesy of Gwen Cooper. Click here to learn more about Gwen and her love of all cats.
Gwen may have solved my most difficult issue in writing a book. To do individual cats that are stand-alone then put it all together into book form after so many are written. My problem is losing the flow. I’ve always said when I do write a book I’ll do it all at once over the course of a day or two. Binge writing.
The only negative reviews I’ve seen are where people state they could write a cat book just as entertaining. My advice to them is to go ahead and try. Gwen has a very entertaining style that would be hard to match. I’d love to write a book on my cats but doubt I could do so with the style Gwen has in describing her cats. She’s one of a kind. Anyone may can write a cat book but few can write as many bestsellers and have the following Gwen has.
Yes, I agree. Writing a book appeals but it is very hard to achieve the desired quality. Thanks for this Elisa.