Oh happy day! I had the pleasure of meeting Gwen Cooper, the celebrated author of Homer’s Odyssey, at an Austin Pets Alive event! She spoke to a full house of crazy cat lovers about all my favorite topics: Kitties, books and how to break into publishing.

I’ve never heard of  Love Saves the Day, but the cover is super cute and the author is one of the bests in the animal memoir biz, so I went ahead and swooped it up. How could I go wrong with a story about an adorable little orphaned kitty that helps a woman through a long, complicated road of bereavement? I love a good tear-jerker about healing and self-discovery, so I’m sure I’m going to fall in love with this book.

Here’s a little snippet from the author’s website about the book, which is narrated by a kitty named Prudence who’s struggling with the death of her beloved owner. Sniff…where did I put that box of tissues?

Suddenly Prudence finds herself living in a strange apartment with humans she barely knows. It could take years to train them in the feline courtesies and customs (for example, a cat should always be fed before the humans, and at the same exact time every day) that Sarah understood so well. Prudence clings to the hope that Sarah will come back for her while Laura, a rising young corporate attorney, tries to push away memories of her mother and the tumultuous childhood spent in her mother’s dusty downtown record store. But the secret joys, past hurts, and life-changing moments that make every mother-daughter relationship special will come to the surface.  With Prudence’s help Laura will learn that the past, like a mother’s love, never dies.

Oh and did I mention that I scored a free Litter Genie at the event? Now that’s some cool swag! With some help from corporate sponsors, she’s traveling from shelter to shelter to promote her new book and give back to the little animals in need. Be sure to check your local events calendars to see if she’s coming your way!