Thanks for your patience. Soon I send next thriller CUT AND BLEED #10 to my editor. As soon as I receive the new cover design, I’ll share that and set up pre-orders soon. Yes, the book again will be available as an Ebook, paperback, hardcover, large print, and (eventually) audiobook.

Thank you to everyone who submitted suggested names, and to the finalist kitties–any of them would have made great hero cats! Please please please nominate your cats again next time–in the next book for another chance to win bragging rights and a copy of the paw-tographed book.

CONGRATULATIONS to NEMO, a Turkish Van Wannabe

Nominated by Marci Kladnik, Nemo will be featured in my next thriller CUT AND BLEED.

“Nemo was a feral kitten that I picked up at a home where he and his littermate were being hunted by a hawk. He never completely tamed down in the 17 years I had him, but he would come and lie in my lap and purr as I brushed him. He was my heart kitty.

Nemo was able to find every possible escape route from the (I thought) secure catio, and go on walkabouts. It took a while for me to discover his outings, because he’d always be in the kitchen at mealtime!

Whenever I caught him in the front yard, I’d tell him to get back in the house, and he’d scale the fence into the backyard, climb the catio fencing to the roof, and jump down onto the cement patio in the enclosure. I always had to leave a return route opening in the bird netting covering the catio.

I would secretly watch him as he sat in the catio, planning his next escape. When he made his move, I took note and blocked that exit until the catio was indeed secure. I once saw him climb the kennel fencing and start to worm his way between folds of bird netting to get to the outside!”

Watch for CUT AND BLEED and find out what part NEMO the hero cat plays in the new book!

VOTING Deadline Was Sunday September 6

In the tradition of the previous books, I include HERO ANIMAL CHARACTERS in each story. These are chosen by my newsletter subscribers nominating possibilities, often sharing fun pictures, touching and uplifting stories, experiences, funny quirks and descriptions. Nominees are posted here in an open POLL for the world to see and VOTE for the winning hero pet. This book not only features the regular main characters like Shadow and Macy-cat but also includes two hero pets.

The winners will have their pet name/character featured in the story as a hero, acknowledgements in the FACT-FICTION-ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in the back and also receive a paw-tographed print copy of the published book. You can vote as often as you like–and campaign by sharing with all your friends to also vote so YOUR pick wins the coveted title of HERO PET

Vote For Your Hero Pet! DEADLINE SEPT. 6, 2026 AT 10 pm CST

HERO DOG: Any breed, any mix, any age, and LOVES chewing up paper and shredding it. She or he rides home from Christmas vacation with owner until the car crashes in an ice storm pileup on Heartland’s main street. The dog gets away from the car during the accident, sees a pile of mail spilled into the street from September’s car, and the dog steals a FedEx mailer and dashes away. The dog appears frequently, foils the bad guys (who want the mailer), and helps protect Nikki, September and others. Votes for hero dog here!

HERO CAT: Any breed or mix adult cat. Two kids (you’ll recognize Nikki from earlier stories) think he/she is a stray and try to rescue the cat. An opinionated feline that rules the RIALTO theater, and loves to lurk in hiding spots, escape through hidden passages, and jump out of pianos to surprise the bad guys. This kitty has a lot of ground to cover and he/she must be an athlete able to leap, climb, and squeak between narrow escape passages, walk across high beams, and more.  Vote for hero cat below!

Pictures of Hero Cat Nominees

I’ve included pictures that were shared, and placeholders for others.

I received MANY more nominations than I could include. I’ve chosen a representative variety of wonderful feline heroes for YOU to vote for and choose the winner.

VOTE FOR YOUR HERO CAT (BELOW) BY SUNDAY SEPT 6!

If you can’t see the poll, go to this url here

What’s CUT AND BLEED About?

A secret worth killing for. A family she’ll protect until her dying breath. Can a reluctant crime boss save all she loves before everything disappears?

September Day is on the verge of shattering. As horrific childhood flashbacks trigger more trauma and stress, the thirty-something-year-old feels her fiancé’s constant protection tightening like a cage. But sending her chosen family ahead of her on a family trip, she unknowingly gives a merciless enemy an opening to close in for the kill.

With an ice storm stranding her alone with only her dog by her side, September fights off the first assassin before chasing after a mysterious package to figure out why she’s being hunted. But what the seasoned survivor really fears is that the constant danger will never be safe for her partner and his kids.

Will September discover what she’s willing to sacrifice to stop the bloodshed?

Cut and Bleed is the white-knuckle tenth book in The September Day thriller series. If you like heroines who persevere, criminal legacies turned inside out, and four-legged loyalty, then you’ll love Amy Shojai’s breathless thriller.