Answering Reader Questions

More reader questions because this month, you peeps had a lot of them!

Patricia asks: Do her kitties have favorite foods and toys? My Phoebe has a favorite cat food flavor (science diet 7+ tuna flavor) and loves crinkly balls, jingle balls and will also bat around lip gloss, unused tampons or basically anything that size that falls out of my purse.

Answer: Yes, actually. We feed them a grain free food because we keep a gluten-free house and we also find that it’s healthier for them. So we feed them: Purina Beyond wet food and dry food. They love it and it’s keeping them nicely healthy. As far as toys, yes–my Caly girl has a stuffed skunk and stuffed elk that a friend bought for me. Caly stole them, and she loves them so much I let her have them. She brings them to me when she feels I need a toy! And I tell her what a good girl she is. Apple loves a little red fuzzy ball–he loves throwing it around (he can catch it on his claws and toss it), and he also continually tries to steal my washi tape. Of course, he also has his blankie. He was isolated from just a few weeks old when he and his litter mates showed up with ring worm at the shelter, and he became a blanket burrower and sucker. He needs to suck on his blankie several times a day to feel secure. The experts say that it can cause psychological damage to try to stop them, so what I did was buy several baby blankets (I figured they were safest) and when he needs his blanket, he comes to me and I set out his blanket on my desk, and he curls up on it and licks it till he’s happy and ready to go play again. This way, he doesn’t lick/suck on any of the upholstery or clothes, and he still gets his fix. Brighid loves to play with shadows–she likes to go after shadows on the wall. And Morgana doesn’t really seem to have a favorite toy, but she sure loves to get brushed. I hold up the cat brush and say, “You want your brush-brush?” and she’ll climb on the bed to get brushed.

Jenne asks: What fantasy culture (elves, fey, vampires, and shifters) are the hardest to write for? What’s the easiest?

Answer: I actually find elves and shifters the hardest to write, especially if they’re the main characters. The easiest for me are witches and Fae. Vamps fall in between–depending on the character.

Abby asks: I’d like to know more about how Ms. Galenorn does her research regarding deities and mythology/legends. Is most of it rooted in her personal practice or does she do more extensive outside research? If so, what are some of her favorite sites/books to find that information?

Answer: Given I’ve been in the Craft for over 40 years now, I’ve done a lot of reading throughout the years, and have a lot of experience in the Craft working with deities. So most of my research is through years of reading and assimilating information and experience. When I do need other info, there are a number of books I use (too many to list here) to check out reference material.

Eclipse asks: In the Indigo Court was there ever a character that was so much fun to write and was there one that frustrate Ms. Yasmine to no end. Also will there be any more adventure in the Indigo court in the future?

Answer:  Yeah, Lannan both gave me the creeps and yet kind of delighted me in a perverse way. I loved writing his scenes, even though he made me cringe. As far as frustrating, Rhiannon–like Delilah from Otherworld, it was hard for me to relate to her. Unlike Delilah, I never did manage to break through Rhiannon’s exterior (though Delilah continued to plague my patience till the very end of the series). As far as more books, I rather doubt it, though I’ll never say ‘never’ on that series. While I enjoyed writing the books a lot, demand for it isn’t very high and unless that changes, writing more in it isn’t likely.