Hi Ingrid, welcome back to Psychotic State Book Reviews! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me and my readers. We are happy that you and Allegra and Ruby weathered Hurricane Sandy and can be here!
Thanks for
having me, Lori.
You have
just released Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style (and graced
with a gorgeous cover girl!). What can
you tell us about it?Purrs of Wisdom is collection of essays features lessons in conscious living, inspired by the cats who have shared my life. From help with every day challenges to inspiration on living a joyful life, this compilation provides encouragement, guidance, and enlightenment, feline style.
Ruby
says thank you for the compliment. She’s quite pleased to be on the book’s
cover. I made sure that Allegra got to make an appearance on the back of the
book, so she wouldn’t feel left out.
What
inspired you to write Purrs of Wisdom?
I’ve always
believed that animals come into our lives to teach us, and I’ve been fortunate
that I’ve had some of these feline master teachers in my life for the past almost
three decades. I started sharing some of these lessons on The Conscious Cat in
my Conscious Cat Sunday column. They
became so popular that I decided to use them as the basis for a book.
What was
your favorite part of writing Purrs of
Wisdom?
The lessons
I learned along the way. Frequently, my Conscious
Cat Sunday columns were the result of me struggling with a certain
topic during the week. What I love about these essays is that not only do they
help my readers, the process of writing the column often helped me sort things
out!
Can you
tell us about your path to being a published author?
I came to writing the “long way.” I started my
professional life by translating manuals for a computer manufacturer. Then I
wrote and translated ad copy for a magazine about diesel and gas turbines (can
you stand the excitement?) After that, I
worked as a travel agent for a while. Eventually, I ended up at a financial
services corporation, beginning as a receptionist and working my way up into
middle management. After fifteen years in corporate America, I had enough, and
started to pursue discovering my true passion. For the next twelve years, I
worked in various facets of the veterinary profession. I loved it. I did
everything from cleaning cages to answering phones to giving injections and
placing catheters. Eventually, I managed a veterinary hospital for eight years.
My passion for educating pet owners and my
love for animals led me to realize my dream of serving pets in a more hands on
and individual capacity. I started my own business, Healing
Hands, which provides Reiki treatments for pets and
people. As part of marketing Healing Hands, I began to write and publish an
online newsletter titled News for You and Your Pet,
and I discovered how much I really love writing.
And then Buckley came into my life. She only
spent three short years with me, but she changed my life in ways I never could
have imagined. When she passed away in November of 2008, I decided that her
story needed to be told. I published Buckley’s
Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher in September of 2009. While I
was still writing Buckley’s Story, I also started The
Conscious Cat.
Since the book’s
publication, I’ve been writing professionally. My articles have been published
in Cat Fancy, Urban Animal, Animal Wellness Magazine, and various online
publications.
You have
been the pet parent to Amber, Buckley, Allegra and Ruby. What is the most important thing you believe
you have learned from them?
I think the
most important thing I learned from all my cats is to live in the moment.
Ingrid, you
are the publisher and founder of The
Conscious Cat, a website of information and advice for cats and their
people. What led you to create it?
I was
looking for a way to share well researched information about cat health and
nutrition with a wider audience than just my newsletter subscribers.
Your girls
also participate in The Conscious Cat. Can you tell us what their roles are?
In addition
to writing their own columns, Allegra’s World and Ruby’s Reflections, they are
my editors, office assistants, product testers and stress relievers.
Has writing
for The Conscious Cat changed the way
you see cats and relate to them or did the way you see and relate to cats lead
you to The Conscious Cat?
What an
interesting question! I didn’t think it was possible, but I think writing for The
Conscious Cat has made me love cats even more. It’s a wonderful to be
responsible for having started this amazing community of tens of thousands of
cat lover who share my love of and fascination with these wonderful creatures.
You offer
consultations for felines and their people and Reiki. Can you explain what Reiki is? Is it just as helpful for dogs as for
cats? Reiki is an energy healing method that originated in Japan. The word Reiki (pronounced "ray-key") is a Japanese composite word usually translated as "universal life energy". It is based on the idea that all living beings have life energy flowing through them. When life energy is high, humans and animals are healthy and balanced, more relaxed and less likely to get sick. When it is low, they'll often be more easily affected by stress and less resistant to illness.
Reiki is equally as effective for dogs as for cats, and humans,
too! Animals are naturally receptive to the Reiki energy and tend to gravitate
towards it readily. Some pets may initially prefer to experience the energy
from a slight distance, rather than having the practitioner's hands directly on
them.
Now for
some rapid-fire questions!
The book
currently on your nightstand is . . . The
Dalai Lama’s Cat by David Michie.
Are you a
morning or evening person? Morning
Favorite
flavor of ice cream? Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
If you
could time travel to one place it would be . . . I actually really like the
time I live in – I don’t think I’d want to time travel!
The actress
who could best portray you is . . . Brooke Shields
Can you
share with us what’s next for you, Allegra and Ruby?
I’m working
on my next book, Amber’s Legacy: My Life
with the Original Conscious Cat. It’s both prequel and sequel to Buckley’s Story. I had been thinking
about writing Amber’s story for quite some time, but her sudden death in 2010
hit me hard, and I needed to get some emotional distance before I could even
start writing her story.
Allegra and
Ruby plan to continue their columns on The Conscious Cat, as well as their
editorial duties. They also have their paws full with keeping me in line.
What do you
think is the single best piece of advice to be found in Purrs of Wisdom?
It’s hard
to pick just one – but if I had to, I’d say “Living an Authentic Life.”
What advice
would Allegra and Ruby share with cat owners?
Make your
human think that they’re in charge. Never let them know that you have them
wrapped around your little paws.
Finally, what one word do you think best
describes Purrs of Wisdom?
Inspurr-ation.
Thank you, Ingrid,
Allegra and Ruby, for taking the time to sit down with Psychotic State Book
Reviews. Best of luck to you with the inspirational
and informative Purrs of Wisdom!
Thank you!
For more information on author Ingrid King, please visit The Conscious Cat. To read my review of Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living, Feline Style, please click here.
To read my review of Buckley's Story, please click here.
Coming soon: A giveaway of Purrs of Wisdom!
2 comments:
I'm usually a dog person but this looks like a great read :) Ruby and Allegra are just so cute ;)
Irene
Hi Irene,
I definitely recommend it. I found it very therapeutic - - whether you are a dog person or a cat person. And yes, Ruby and Allegra are gorgeous girls!
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