I’m excited to announce the release of my 6th thriller WIN OR LOSE in my September and Shadow THRILLERS WITH BITE series. It’s available on all Ebook platforms and in trade paperback.
WIN OR LOSE: A September & Shadow Thriller #6
“Colorful characters, including the unusual perspective of Shadow the dog, make this series an enjoyable read for any animal lover.”~Toby Neal, USA TODAY Bestselling Author of the Paradise Crime Mysteries & Thrillers
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR AMY SHOJAI’S WIN OR LOSE!
“If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. I loved this book! For everyone that loves dogs, cats and a fast moving mystery, this is a book for you.” ~Wanda S.
“This story has so many twists and turns it made me dizzy and the suspense was intense. I could not put it down!” ~Julie Y.
“A fast-paced thriller with the endearing pet roles. This page turner will keep you glued to the book…it’s riveting.” ~Petra H.
“This is not a cozy, though it does show great relationships between animals and their humans. I read the first two books in this series a few years ago and enjoyed the thriller action as well as the viewpoint of the “good dog” Shadow.” ~Jacque S.
A kidnapped girl. A merciless killer. Can this stressed-out dog trainer stop a callous murderer claiming innocent lives?
September Day can’t shake her mounting wedding-planning angst. Too overwhelmed to pick up a dropped-off shelter dog she once trained, she finally leaves the house to check in on a missing vet clinic employee. But when she gets there, she’s terrified to find the girl’s brother hanging on the edge of death and the poor young woman abducted.
Discovering the hound got dumped by the same vicious criminal, September and Shadow race out of town on a dangerous rescue mission. But when a body surfaces and the kidnapper seizes more victims, September fears she may be too late to prevent further bloodshed.
With the clock ticking against them, can September and Shadow deliver justice?
Win or Lose is the riveting sixth book in The September Day thriller series. If you like engaging heroes, fearless animal companions, and non-stop action, then you’ll love Amy Shojai’s page-turning tale.
Read about the NAME THAT PET winners who appear in the WIN OR LOSE book. Each of the four winners will receive a print copy of the book once it releases (Paws crossed for good mailing karma!).
DOG WINNER! Nothing slows down Lefty, the Great Pyrenees, nominated by Linda.
Cat Winner! Tigger, nominated by Crystal. A second “Tigger” (huge black and white tuxedo) was nominated by Rose. STORMAGEDON (not pictured) was the Cat Runner-up in the contest!
DOG WINNER RUNNER-UP! Kami, the German Shorthair Pointer helped her injured person Nancy get home, and recover during healing.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. NOTE: Bling, Bitches & Blood sometimes shares affiliate links to products that may help you with your pets, but we only share what we feel is appropriate.
Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!
Update: Poll closed and congratulations to a hotly contested vote! The winners Tigger and Lefty will have starring roles in the book. BUT…It was so neck and neck for a while that…stay tuned, I may have to add the runners up Kami and Storm to the story in some way. Thanks to all for sharing about your beautiful animal friends!
I’m excited to share details about my next thriller, WIN OR LOSE, the 6th installment in my September & Shadow series. Read on for more about the forthcoming story, which releases January 2, 2022. You can preorder now on all retail platforms!
Don’t miss your chance to VOTE to choose the hero dog and hero cat to appear in the story! With each thriller, I ask my readers to nominate their pets based on the story requirements.
Hero Cat & Hero Dog in Win Or Lose
Note: Nominations are closed--I sent a call-out to my newsletter list last Sunday. Want in on more good stuff? Be sure to subscribe here!
I needed ONE CAT NAME...and I got 104 cat name nominations!
I needed ONE DOG NAME…I received 150 dog name nominations!
I’ve narrowed the choices on each poll to 18 cat names and 18 dog names. Not everyone sent in pictures, but here are a few of the finalists! (Browse down to reach the poll to vote!).
Vote as often as you like. The winners get their pet’s name as a hero in the story, acknowledgments in the book, and a paw-to graphed print copy of the thriller. Feel free to campaign for your pick of the litter-atti! Scroll down for the polls to vote.
DOG WINNER! Nothing slows down Lefty, the Great Pyrenees, nominated by Linda.
Rascal, a 22lb tuxedo boy, gets “in your face” to get you to do his bidding, nominated by Sheryl (that’s her daughter holding Rascal).
DOG WINNER RUNNER-UP! Kami, the German Shorthair Pointer helped her injured person Nancy get home, and recover during healing.
Mia, a seizure alert Chinese Crested, was nominated by Britt.
Cat Winner! Tigger, nominated by Crystal. A second “Tigger” (huge black and white tuxedo) was nominated by Rose. STORMAGEDON (not pictured) was the Cat Runner-up in the contest!
Lilly, a Golden Retriever/Chow and Border Collie mix nominated by Clarke.
Grey, a climbing kitty with an ear tip burned from a hot tailpipe, nominated by Martha.
Five-pound Beaner, a “Chiweenie” Dachshund/Chihuahua helps Bobbie Jo with challenges of MS.
Bowser, who loves to snuggle, play tug, and sometimes forgets he’s not suppose to chew stuff, nominated by Deborah.
WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT? Here’s a quick look…
A kidnapped girl. A merciless killer. Can this stressed-out dog trainer stop a callous murderer claiming innocent lives?
September Day can’t shake her mounting wedding-planning angst. Too overwhelmed to pick up a dropped-off shelter dog she once trained, she finally leaves the house to check in on a missing vet clinic employee. But when she gets there, she’s terrified to find the girl’s brother hanging on the edge of death and the poor young woman abducted.
Discovering the hound got dumped by the same vicious criminal, September and Shadow race out of town on a dangerous rescue mission. But when a body surfaces and the kidnapper seizes more victims, September fears she may be too late to prevent further bloodshed.
With the clock ticking against them, can September and Shadow deliver justice?
Win or Lose is the riveting sixth book in The September Day thriller series. If you like engaging heroes, fearless animal companions, and non-stop action, then you’ll love Amy Shojai’s page-turning tale.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. NOTE: Bling, Bitches & Blood sometimes shares affiliate links to products that may help you with your pets, but we only share what we feel is appropriate.
Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!
I didn’t start out to be a writer, so how the @#$%^&*! did I end up here? I just heard from the Cat Writers’ Association that my fiction book HIT AND RUN just won a Certificate of Excellence Award, with consideration for a Muse Medallion. I always wanted to write fiction, but it only happened when forced to reinvent myself and dream big. What do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to be remembered for? What will your legacy be?
The Accidental Writer
I’ve written about my journey several times and have blogged off and on for 20+ years. But the blog only gained traction about ten years ago when I took an Email course on branding and social media from Kristen Lamb (read her blog!). She asked lots of “thoughty” questions:
What do you (want to) write? What are your interests, besides the writing topics—because we are so much more than (fill-in-the-blank). Who do people “see” when they look at you? Is that the BRAND you desire to create? It must be the real you—pretend won’t cut it. People see through the phony-isity of such things. As an actor, someone able to put on a persona for different people or events, that struck a chord with me.
Taking Off the Mask, Being YOU
Okay, she didn’t use those words, but you get my drift. I had an acting coach tell me the same thing, and I wrote about it in another blog, that you are enough. Bring YOU to the table—that’s enough.
And that’s scary! Dang. And it leads me to another question–what did YOU want to be when you grew up? Kids seem to know and show even in the games they play what path they’ll take through life. Me? I wanted to be an actor because they were glamorous, people liked them, and they never laughed too loud or were at a loss for words. I could be whoever I wanted, and if folks rolled their eyes, it wasn’t about me, but the persona. Being real, though–EEEK! Then if they don’t like you (or your work), what then?
“I own this content!”
What Do You Want to Be…?
As a kid, my brothers and I put on plays in the basement, and directed marathon “let’s pretend” soap operas. The recurring kid, horses, dogs, and cat characters and stories were so real, they had us in tears—and made my folks roll their eyes.
I never played with dolls, much to the dismay of my grandmother. Nope, it was stuffed animals and best-bud pretend pets who could “really talk!” Mom always said, “When Amy grows up she won’t have babies, she’ll have puppy-dogs and kitty-cats.”
Mom knew.
Write Your Passion—Be YOU, Not Someone Else’s Idea
Early in my writing career, people constantly questioned why I didn’t write about more important topics, like starving children or world peace? And was cautioned, “You’ll never make a living writing about just pets!” Thpbpbpbpbpbpbpb! (insert raspberry sound effects!)
I write about pets because that’s me. It’s what and who I am, and I am enough. No, it’s not ALL that I am, but it’s a big part. I’m not on Broadway–yet! But all my stage and tv experience serves the pet writing causes. I listened to my furry muses. And I have the bling ready for when the big moment comes.
Writing about dogs (and cats) is serious business.
Becoming My Best Self
Something unexpected happened along the path to becoming Amy. I’m no longer at a loss for words—and instead I have to work at NOT jumping into every conversation. The animals taught me that. I don’t need to bark, howl, wag my tail (no wise cracks!) or hiss all the time to get ahead. I’ve never found being a “whisperer” to be particularly effective.
I’ve learned to be a pet “listener.” If you listen with your eyes and your heart, animals tell you what they’re thinking and why they’re acting in certain ways. Works with humans, too.
When I was a kid, I wanted to wear sparkles, tell stories with happy endings, and have bestest-bud animal friends who really talk. As an adult, when a career on the stage seemed out of reach, I turned to writing as a creative outlet, and it turned into an extraordinarily rewarding career. What did you want to be when you were a kid? Are you there yet?
When I Grow Up…
I always wanted to write fiction but at first, only made headway with nonfiction. My childhood dream came true only happened when I lost my grownup nonfiction writing career ten years ago and gave up writing to teach high school choir.
For the first time in years, I had nothing to prove and nothing to lose. So I wrote the novel I’d always wanted to READ in twenty-minute increments: before work, on lunch breaks, and after classes.
I don’t have two-legged kids. My legacy will be my written works, and I hope I will be remembered for helping cats and dogs and those who love them. And now and then, helping fellow writers with tips that helped me, like this webinar on beating writer’s block.
And today, my peers have honored my fifth book, HIT AND RUN, (complete with puppy-dog and kitty-cat characters), something I never could have predicted.
What do you want to be? There’s still time!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? NOTE:Some links to books or other products may be to affiliates, from which I may earn a small percentage of sales, but I do not recommend anything unless I feel it would benefit readers. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!
It’s days before Thanksgiving 2020 and time again to count my furry blessings. This year, Thanksgiving looks very different. I yearn to visit my parents, and my brothers’ families, I’m thankful they’re all healthy, and safe. I’m grateful this year more than ever that although my human family lives miles away, we remain close-knit and loving.
Counting Thanksgiving Blessings
I’m thankful for veterinarians who make life better for the pets we adore. I’m thankful for researchers who work to find diagnoses, treatments, and cures for our ailments, both for pets and for people. I’m thankful for the animal welfare volunteers who do the work of the angels when others somehow let pets down.
I’m thankful that I have the best job in the world, sharing information about the cats and dogs that have become so important to our emotional and physical health. I’m thankful for publishers, editors, magazines, newspapers, TV and radio shows, websites, community theaters, bloggers, and email lists that share these important resources to benefit cats and dogs and the people who love them. And I’m thankful to writing organizations, teachers, agents, and all those who promote the craft of good communication and help others pursue this rewarding craft.
Karma a week after he arrived, at about 8 months of age.
Counting Pet Blessings
I’m thankful that we found a dumped kitten several Februaries ago and brought him into our home. I’m thankful that Karma-Kat dodged coyotes, cars, and who-knows-what to find our patio. I’m thankful that Magical-Dawg heard his meow-SOS, and that the little, dumped kitten trusted me enough to come when I meowed back.
I’m grateful that nobody claimed Karma—although shame on whoever dumped him!—and that he and Magic became best buddies. I’m thankful that Karma turned back the age-clock for both Magic and Seren-kitty in their last few years with us.
Magic at about 16 weeks with Seren (age 11) learning to accept each other. Awww….the memories!
I’m thankful that we found Bravo-Dawg the Bullmastiff at just the right time. He helped Karma-Kat (and us) emerge from deep mourning after we lost Magic and Seren. I’m thankful Karma and Bravo have become inseparable friends—even though their antics threaten the safety of our fine breakables.
Bravo at about 12 weeks of age, his first days with us.
I’m still missing them, and always will. But now can smile about the water-hose-tag, Bear-toys, Frisbee-tag, Seren pester-sessions and a Karma-Kat buddy that made their last years bliss.
Bravo doesn’t let the loss of a leg slow him down–and Shadow keeps him on his toes!
I’m thankful that modern veterinary medicine helped diagnose and treat Bravo-Dawg’s osteosarcoma during this @#$%^!! pandemic. I’m grateful that a dumped puppy became Bravo’s Shadow, a beacon of hope and good cheer during an incredibly difficult time. And I’m grateful Bravo today remains happy and now more healthy than ever!
Evenings at home–Bravo and Karma sharing quality time. (Shadow-Pup at my feet in the next chair).
Counting Chosen Family Blessings
I’m thankful that although he never grew up with pets, my husband loves Bravo, Karma, and Shadow, and that he mourns our past pets. I’m even more thankful they adore him back (that could get awkward!).
I’m thankful for my church family—pet lovers or not—who also support my furry notions. I miss them deeply, as we’re not able to gather in person during these scary times.
I’m thankful for the gift of music and theatre I get to share with colleagues who have become wonderful friends. I’m thankful for the ability to stay connected via tools like Zoom, and share *virtual hugs* until we can meet in person. And I’m thankful for my partner-in-play-writing-crime who helped make our theatrical dreams come true.
Thankful for YOU!
Finally, I’m thankful to you—yes, those who read this column, the cat book lovers, and the dog book lovers, and folks who have “adopted” my thriller series. And those who offered awesome applause and support any of the other venues mentioned.
This Thanksgiving–give yourself some love and WAY TO GO! It’s been a long, hard haul, with more challenges likely ahead. But we will get through this, and it helps me to count my blessings. You, dear readers, are one of my most cherished blessings.
Without you, I would not have a career, and my life’s passion would remain unfulfilled. Without you, your pets wouldn’t have the wonderful love and care you provide. Without you, there wouldn’t be any reason for this heartfelt—THANK YOU.
Please SHARE this post with anyone who might need some furry WAY TO GO love. *s*
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I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? NOTE:Some links to books or other products may be to affiliates, from which I may earn a small percentage of sales, but I do not recommend anything unless I feel it would benefit readers. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!
I’m all about beating writers block and feeding the muse. You’d think with the lockdown, I’d find more time to write. Truthfully, my motivation these days sucketh. I never suffer from wondering what to write. In fact, I’ve put together an on-demand webinar for beating writers block (currently free).
But for me, and I suspect for many others, the motivation part as well as overcoming blocks comes through inspiration. No, as a professional fulltime writer, I can’t wait around and wait for the Muse to strike. But feeding the Muse regularly does help.
So many of us get inspiration and motivation from writer conferences, but of course, this year, many have been canceled. *sigh* I’ve updated this post, based on a long-ago speech I shared at Cat Writers’ Association.
Dogs don’t care about writer’s block. They’re eager and willing to inspire your Muse.
Beating Writers Block & Feeding the Muse
I live with two furry muses, and three more live in my heart. These days my Muse whispers, demands, and sometimes screams for attention, like an itch in that impossible-to-reach spot in the middle of your back. Once you finally start scratching it feels soooooooooo good you don’t want to ever stop.
I’m bad at promising to scratch the itch “as soon as…” (fill in the blank) which is why I’m so far behind on my next thriller HIT AND RUN. The truth is, the Muse doesn’t care that we’re busy with real life and a pandemic, or that we only have 10 minutes to spare in between grocery runs (at a safe distance) and home-schooling, plus running a business from the second bedroom. The Muse just gets hungrier and more demanding the longer we ignore her gentle taps on the shoulder–sort of like a dog pawing your leg. And if ignored too long, you’ll get a thwack upside the head that wakes you from a sound sleep.
Sort of like a cat.
Furry inspiration offers great gifts.
Feeding the Muse Wherever She Strikes
A muse doesn’t care if we scribble on napkins, type with a keyboard, twitter or fritter our litter-ary time with print or Ebooks. She wakes us at 3 a.m. and demands to be fed, she sinks dagger claws into our heart and soul. The muse pushes that soggy nasty ball into our lap, urging us to throw-throw-throw with all our might, promising how good it will feel and to return that ball to our willing hand time after time after time.
She won’t relent until we give in to the urge. The urge to write. To create.
Publishing During Plague
Some of y’all know that we have had as many as 700 rose bushes surrounding our home. Over the years, the roses have been attacked by grasshoppers, leaving nothing but Addams Family stems; bulldozed by armadillos so that the tender roots fried in Texas sun; and over-pruned, which killed or crippled the plant.
More recently, we lost nearly all of our beautiful flowers to rosette disease, a plague that infects, maims, spreads like wildfire, and kills both tender new plants and healthy ancient individuals. Sound familiar?
But the grasshopper-eaten roses with viable roots produced fresh, healthier growth. Even ‘dillo-dozed roses survived—with scars, to be sure, but still produced stellar blooms. And the fraction of roses immune to the plague or protected by a safe location, now provide a roadmap for a reimagined, reinvented garden–a new normal.
Stay with me, folks, there’s a rose-thorn-sharp point to be made . . .
Perfect Time, Perfect Place, Perfect Prose — Perfect Hogwash!
As an over-zealous pruner, I’ve learned to restrain my instincts and appreciate the thorny, hardened portions of established bushes. This was a hard lesson to learn. See, if they’re cut out completely, there’s no scaffolding to support fresh growth, and the blooms fall in the dirt and are trampled–and the whole bush becomes mulch.
Embrace the battle scars of your writer-icity journey. We rarely appreciate what comes easy, and the struggle itself brings its own joy. After all, only harsh extremes of nature bring forth diamonds. The strain still sucketh–but by embracing and making the negatives a part of the process, we can–we must–endure.
Artists always find a way.
Embracing My Inner Bitch
After more than two decades of writing, I’m a prickly, hardened bitch-of-a-pet writer. I do not flinch at the “B” word, it’s a badge of honor in my world. I know when to show my teeth, and choose my battles wisely. So I have less patience for high-maintenance writers or circle-the-wagons “that’s the way we’ve always done it!” attitudes than in my youth. WARNING: Those grasshoppers are voracious and if your roots ain’t healthy, you’re toast. When the plague of nay-sayers spread negativity that eats away at creativity, the professional writer-gardener knows what, when, how, and who to cull. She also knows what positives to fertilize for new, fresh growth to support glorious future blooms.
Don’t let that fact scare you. I can say that now–you can’t see the head-shaped dent in my office wall from having the pee scared outta me mild concern. Writing is writing, and readers are readers. Publishing has a healthy root system and will survive armadillos, grasshoppers, writing in the time of Pandemic.
My speaking gigs have been cut back–so now there’s Zoom and on-demand webinars. Now my YouTube videos and Facebook Live events provide direct writer-to-reader connections. Print book sales go down, but Ebooks and Audiobook sales become more popular. Theatres close, so many artists can’t perform–and instead sing from windows, and play music on porches, and dance from living rooms all over the globe. I’m taking an on-line audition workshop, and having a ball! And by heaven, I will finish my next thriller one line, one page, one chapter at a time.
Supporting Creatives & Giving Back
Meanwhile, writers—and readers—support each other. Love a book or a writer—say so far and wide! Know a writer struggling with the effort of reinventing themselves? Shine a little color in that corner. That’s what sustains us through the dry spells, the never-ending deadlines, and rejections that nibble us raw. Mentoring each other keeps us sane–that’s the thorny protection that allows us to create our visions and bloom in our proper season.
Now then, listen–shhhhhh! Listen! Can you hear that?–put your hand over your heart and you can almost feel the rumble!? No, it’s not the printer whirring…well, maybe it is. But listen closer—and you’ll hear a symphony of blissful purrs, and the thu-thump-thump of happy wags–the sound of confident, tenacious, and oh-so-proud gardens full of Muses.
Or maybe that’s tummies growling.
So all you Creatives out there, the writers, the storytellers, the painters, the poets, the singers, and musicians, and and and … Go feed your Muse! That’s the best way to fight writers’ block. And if you’re having trouble kicking that writer’s block, maybe I’ll *see* you virtually in the on-demand class here.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? NOTE:Some links to books or other products may be to affiliates, from which I may earn a small percentage of sales, but I do not recommend anything unless I feel it would benefit readers. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!
The Accidental Writer
When I Grow Up…
