When You Talk to the Animals

By Maureen Bonatch 

Does your pet talk to you? Mine does. Well, at least I think he does. I not only spend much of my day talking to him when I’m home alone, I also occasionally answer for him. I’m not referring to Zoolingualism, or imitating animal sounds (although he does seem to try to occasionally send me mental messages). I mean I act as if he is answering as a person would. Well, a small, furry, person. 

Some part of me thinks I know what he has to say. Unfortunately for Scruff, he can’t really confirm that the responses I provide for him are accurate. Instead he stares silently at me with his big, brown eyes desperately trying to give me a message (or wondering why his Mom is so…odd). 

I can probably safely assume that the majority of the time that message is that he’d like another treat, or that he wants to go outside. But I’ve taken it upon myself to imagine that he has much more to say if he could only convey it in more than pointed stares and huffs (he’s not much of a barker). 

 I’ve found that if I mention this to others who have pets that they often agree that they talk to their pets. I don’t always ask if they answer for them as well. 

I’ve also taken the liberty of providing my tiny dog that has been noted to resemble a stuffed animal with a deep, masculine voice with a little bit of a southern accent. Why? That I can’t answer. I guess he kind of gave me the impression that since he’s a little guy with a lot of attitude who is terrified of almost everything—including the occasional leaf if it touches him—that he’d want to portray a tough image. I also assume he’d never forgive me if I gave him a high, squeaky voice to accompany his fuzzy cuteness that often gets him mistaken for a girl. 

The southern accent? I have no idea. It just came to me as part of his ‘character’. Speaking of characters, mine always come with a pet or animal sidekick. Often I base the character of the animal, and sometimes the name, on animals I know, or have known. 

A few include: 

• Evil Speaks Softly- Mozart (dog) 
• Destiny Calling- Tercet (cat) 
• That Magic Moment- Juniper (cat) 

I’ve taken this relationship a step further with my upcoming paranormal cozy mysteries and provided the ability for my character to communicate with her pet, and that the animal can actually communicate back—magic has it's benefits! I’ll share more about these stories in the coming months. 

 So tell me, do you talk to your pets? If so, do they answer back? 

 P.S.- I’m teaching an online Self-Care Course for Fantasy, Future & Paranormal (FF&P)- Romance Writers in April - Find out more info and sign up right here  

I may not be able to offer you the ability to do magic, but spending more time taking care of ourselves can certainly feel pretty magical.

 

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. 

Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

Stay Calm and Read

By Maureen Bonatch

Spending more time indoors lately? As an introvert, an author, and someone who works remotely at home for the ‘day-job’, spending a lot of time indoors and alone isn’t something new to me. It’s pretty much my way of life. That suits this introvert just fine. That doesn’t mean that all the recent panic in the world hasn’t gotten me a little stressed at times.

Unfortunately, there are many situations where there is little we can do but take care of ourselves and find a way to decompress as we continue with our lives. I’ve found that reading has often provided me with a wonderful way to take my mind away from things that I can dwell on, and worry about, but do nothing to change. This is just one of the benefits of making time to read, and since we’re going to be avoiding social interactions and staying indoors more, it’s a perfect time to catch up on your TBR list and find some new books.

Three Reasons to Read

1. Reduce Stress- Reading can lower your heart rate, reduce tension and anxiety, reduce stress by 68% and calm your mind. I’ve found it to be a great way to improve sleep for those restless nights. Instead of lying awake with your thoughts, read for a little bit to relax and return to sleep.
2. Improve Health- Reading and participating in mentally stimulating activities can help keep your brain sharp, improve memory and prevent, or slow diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
3. Practice Self-Care – The term self-care is all the rage over the last few years, although it’s something we should all do ongoing, but often neglect since most of us are accustomed to putting everyone, and everything else before our needs. Reading is a great way to do something that’s just for you, and do it without any guilt (no need- did you read the two reasons listed above? Reading is good for you!)

Three Places to Find Books

When I’m looking for a new book I usually start with my favorite authors to see if they have anything new. Then I might check out other authors that write in a similar genre and take a look at the reviews. But as an author, I can assure you that reviews don’t always tell the whole story. We all have personal preferences of what we like in a story, or a character, and one person’s favorite book may not be someone else’s.

A few other ways to pick out new books include:

• BookBub- follow authors you like, or friends who read in the same genre on BookBub. Review their recommendations and make some of your own to help someone else out when they’re looking for a new read.
• Goodreads- follow authors, make friends, read reviews or join groups on this platform to help you choose new books, and recommend to others.
• Ask for Recommendations- Most of us are all over one social media platform or another and generally we have friends with similar interests in those realms. Ask them what they’ve read lately that they recommend- although you might ask why, because as mentioned earlier, you might not share what they liked in the story, or you might be in the mood for something different and can tuck that book away on your TBR.

Regardless of reviews not telling the whole story, most people do go there first, so if you like a book, help another reader out and leave a review.

Can You Name Other Reasons to Read?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter