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BY INGRID KING
Buckley’s Story is the story of how one small cat changed the author’s life in ways she never could have imagined. In this warm-hearted memoir, Ingrid King shares the story of Buckley, a joyful, enthusiastic and affectionate tortoiseshell cat she meets while managing a veterinary hospital. When Ingrid leaves her job at the veterinary hospital to start her own business, Buckley comes home to live with her and Amber, another tortoiseshell cat who had adopted the author several years earlier.
Buckley is diagnosed with heart disease after only two years of living with Ingrid, and caring for Buckley through her illness only deepens the bond between cat and human. Interspersed with well-researched information about cat health in general, and heart disease in particular, the author describes the challenges and rewards of managing illness in a feline companion, and ultimately helping her through the final transition. Ingrid shares both the day-to-day joys of living with a special cat as well as the profound grief that comes with losing a beloved animal companion.
Buckley’s Story is a celebration of the soul connection between animals and humans, a connection that is eternal and transcends the physical dimension.
WELCOME INGRID KING TO MY BLOG. INGRID WAS KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE US A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT HERSELF AND THEN ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS....ALL THIS AND A WONDERFUL BOOK AS WELL. THANK YOU, INGRID, AND ENJOY BINGO READERS!
I’m a former veterinary hospital manager turned writer. I write and publish the online magazine News for You and Your Pet, covering topics ranging from conscious living to holistic and alternative health. I share my experiences with consciously creating a joyful, happy and healthy life for pets and people on my popular blog, The Conscious Cat. I live in Northern Virginia with my tortoiseshell cat Amber. For more information about me, please visit my website at www.ingridking.com What have you just finished reading?
Animal Magnetism by Rita Mae Brown. In this first memoir since Rita Will – Memoir of a Literary Rabble Rouser, the author shares stories about the animals who have graced her life and the lessons they have taught her.
What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out?
Gosh, there are so many, it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few! There are two that stick out for me. I remember reading Changing by Liv Ullman in my teens, and it left a profound impression on me at the time. Even now, reading some of the notes I wrote in the margins, I can see how this book would have impacted a young girl going through changes that were happening faster than she could keep up with at the time. One of the first animal themed books that touched me deeply was Samantha Mooney’s A Snowflake in My Hands. The book started my love affair with veterinary medicine, which ultimately led to twelve happy years working in various facets of the profession.
What gets you started on a new book? A character or story idea or….?
Buckley’s Story is my first book, and it was most definitely Buckley’s huge spirit and even bigger heart that provided the inspiration. For my article and blog post writing, inspiration can come from anywhere – a conversation with a friend, a story I come across online, a book I read, something I see on television.
What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?
I love to walk. It’s the one exercise I’ve stuck with consistently for most of my life. I love the combination of exercise and contemplation. Some of my best ideas for articles come to me on my walks. During the writing of Buckley’s Story, there were times when I got stuck on a certain scene, and, rather than staring at the screen, trying to rewrite it over and over again, I’d go for a walk to clear my head. Nine times out of ten, the scene would write itself when I got back to the computer.
What is your best advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?
Just write. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks about what you’re writing. Tell your story, and leave the polishing and fine-tuning for later. If you’re looking to get published, do your research. There are so many different ways to get published now, and it really depends on your individual goals as to which direction you’re going to choose for your publishing journey. Contact other writers and ask if they’d be willing to share their experiences.
What is something you would like to share with us about writing your favorite genre in general?
When I set out to write Buckley’s Story, I didn’t realize how much her story was also my story. I realized that unless I shared some very personal things about myself, her story would not have the impact I wanted it to have. I’m a very private person, so I had to work through that aspect of writing the book. I realized that there would be three distinct groups among my future readers: my friends, complete strangers, and that in between layer of clients, work friends, and acquaintances. I was fine with my friends reading the story – they already knew it. Interestingly enough, I didn’t mind the thought of complete strangers reading the story, either. It was that in between layer that I had to work through. Casual acquaintances, clients, and business contacts would get to know me on a much deeper level than I might have been comfortable with. In the end, sharing my story with that group actually deepened some of these relationships and turned them into real friendships, so in yet another way, my little cat still keeps on changing my life!
PROMOTIONS FOR A COPY OF
INGRID'S BOOK
BUCKLEY'S STORY
I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS AMAZINGLY
TOLD STORY TO GIVE AWAY TO A
LUCKY READER. WILL IT BE YOU?
YOU HOPE SO AS INGRID KING WILL
PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPH IT AND
SEND IT TO YOU!
RULES!
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES PLEASE
--EMAIL ADDRESS MUST BE INCLUDED
IN YOUR ENTRY
--ALL ENTRIES MUST BE SEPARATE OR
ELSE THEY COUNT ONLY AS ONE!
+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE THE LINK HERE
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 19
GOOD LUCK
23 comments:
How long was she lucky enough to have Buckley and how long did she wait to get Amber. I also have a tortie
lkish77123 at g mail dot com
Linda, Buckley was only with me for a little over three years. Amber had already been with me for six years when I brought Buckley home to live with us. It's been a year since Buckley passed away, and I haven't gotten another cat yet. Amber is doing well, I know she misses Buckley, but for now, she's an only cat.
Aren't torties wonderful?
How do you really encourage a young writer? Have a son who writes rather well, but he is hesitant to have others read his work. Thank you for the chance to win the book, also.
joannreynolds@sbcglobal.net
I don't really have a question but wanted to say what a gorgeous cat and thank you for what I know must be a wonderful story. If I have to have a question...is this REALLY your first book? wow
anjamie4 AT gmail dot com
I have two cats, Ruby and Reba. They spend so much time together and I know if one of them were gone the other one would really miss them. They have such different personalities though. Did Buckley and Amber have different personalities? I've lost pets before and I am anxious to read your book to see how you dealt with it. The book will be one I want for sure!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Joanne, I think it's almost more important to just keep encouraging your son to keep writing rather than worry about him being hesitant to have others read his work. As long as he keeps writing, he'll probably eventually reach a point where he'll want to share.
g.g. - Thank you! And yes, Buckley's Story really is my first book.
rubynreba - love your profile pic! Buckley was more outgoing and exuberant than Amber. Amber is fairly laid back and can be a bit shy.
Since I haven't read the book yet, I would love to ask her about BUckley's interaction with Amber. Did they hate each other at first, or was it instant companionship?
But then, this is porbably answered in the book.
zedster.tbb(at)gmail(DOT)com
It's in my sidebar under the Contest List
zedster.tbb(at)gmail(DOT)com
Brizmus, Amber and Buckley didn't hate each other, but it wasn't exactly instant companionship from the start. I don't want to give away too much, as this is covered in great detail in the book, but let's just say that the human involved in the introduction process was a much bigger problem than the two cats :-)!
In her interview, Ingrid King states that there are lots of ways to get published today. I'd like her to expand on that answer and tell her readers the various ways.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
Since she obviously loves animals I would ask her if she has other pets as well.
aksimmo@brainerd(dot)net
I was interested to see that telling her personal experiences actually deepened some of her relationships with acquaintances, etc. I know I'm a very private person, so this aspect scares me. Did she consider writing anonymously?
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2009/12/buckleys-story.html
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
Did the books you read as a child influence your writing style?
plb8156@aol.com
I would like to ask her if she has plans to write another book~as this one sounds very good and I hope I win :-)
deb55106(at)gmail(dot)com
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/Deb55106/status/6827881276
deb5106(at)gmail(dot)com
Congratulations on your book. I have been a cat lover all my life. My question is, do you have plans on writing another book and if so do you have any ideas on what type of book.
Happy Holidays!!
sharon54220@gmail.com
Maybe what advice does she have for a person who significant other doesn't like their cat?
wickdogg (AT) gmail dot com
Do you have a favorite place to write-somewhere that gives you inspiration. When writing do you jot down notes, make an outline or just sit down and write.
chocolate and croissants at yahoo dot com
cococroissants
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/2009/12/buckleys-story-author-interview-and.html Buckleys' Story giveaway
chocolateandcroissants at yahoo dot com
I would like to ask: What is your favorite genre? What were your favorite classes in school? Did you have a teacher who instilled in you a love of reading and writing?
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
Tweet! Tweet!
http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/6841288301
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
I'm so sorry about the delay in responding to your questions! Life got a little crazy these last few days!
Benita, when I first decided to write the book, I looked into a lot of different options to get published. I choose not to go the traditional route - send out queries, get an agent, etc., but rather, choose to self-publish. But even within the arena of self-publishing, there are so many different ways to do it, you really have to do your homework. I think the most important question you need to ask yourself is what are you goals for your book? Do you just want to publish it for a limitied number of people, like family and friends? Do you want mainstream distribution? Is print on demand right for you? Then, once you've narrrowed those choices down, investigate the companies that fit within your needs thoroughly - ask authors who have published with them for feedback, buy some books published by the company so you can see what the finished product looks like. It was a process that took several months for me, but it was well worth the time.
Angie - right now, I only have Amber. I haven't been ready to add another cat since Buckley passed away.
Winning Readings - I really had to work through that process of putting myself out there to the world. As I said in the interview, I, too, am a very private person. Ultimately, getting Buckley's Story out to the world mattered more than maintaining my privacy, and since her story was also my story, there was no way to tell it without opening myself to the world. I suppose that, too, was one of Buckley's lessons for me!
Thank you for posting about this giveaway on your site!
plb8156 - I don't think that books I read as a child influenced my writing style, but books I read as an adult most definitely did.
Deb K - there will be more books. I have some ideas, but nothing fully formed at this stage, so it's too early to talk about :-)
Sharon54220 - thank you, and yes, as I told Deb K, there will be other books. Whether they'll be about cats, or about other topics, I'm not sure yet. I suspect no matter what I write about, cats will always be a part of it!
Esme - my office is my favorite place to write - I'm surrounded by all my favorite things, including my feline "mewse," Amber. I tend to jot ideas down on scrap paper or talk into a voice recorder when they hit. I don't outline, I have a general idea of what the book will be, but I do better with just writing, I find outlining too confining.
Mark - I couldn't date or be with someone who doesn't like cats. That would be a deal breaker for me :-)
Nancye - I read a lot of different genres, and I can't really pick any one favorite. As far as favorite subjects in school, English and languages were it. My love of reading was instilled in me by my parents, I'm not sure where the love of writing came from. Perhaps it came because I was an only child and started keeping journals at a very young age.
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