Katz And Other Tales

COT Au Is Comfy

2010-02-09T08:22:00.000+08:00

It's hot. In fact, it's darn hot. It's too hot for cats to walk about on the pavement without burning their toes. It's too hot for cats to go walkabout on the roof. It's too hot for cats even to lie in bed!So Au has taken over the dining room table. He's dragged the fruit bowl out of the way, kicked a box of chocolates to the side, piled the newspaper clippings into a comfy stack, and is now

Monday Writers Craft Online: 3 Publicity Do's And Don'ts

2010-02-08T08:09:00.001+08:00

Are you running a blog and looking for some publicity? In this 6 week series I'll be talking about common issues that are worth thinking about. For basic interview tips, checking legitimacy, whether you can approve pre-publication copy, and the pros and cons of email interviews, check the weeks past...3 Publicity Do's And Don'tsDo's1. Organise way in advance. If you tell a journo you need them

Katz Tales Competition Winners

2010-02-06T09:58:00.004+08:00

Congratulations to the winners of the Katz Tales Competition!It was tough to make a choice but we managed. Here are the winners.The 3 First Prizes go to:I like Katz Tales because..it gets me feline the warm fuzzies;it provides purr-fect reading bliss;KatzTales is paw-some! -- write a sequel, please?Wong Ee Lynn, Rawang, Selangor.Scoop, Au, Target, Whyte -Mystic felines - no? You don't like?

Repost Friday: Bad, Bad, Person

2010-02-05T07:52:00.002+08:00

When Au asked for biscuits on Sunday evening, I discovered we had none in the house. It was an awful moment. There was Au, sitting on the stairs, saying meow? in a friendly voice. I confessed and apologised. Au smiled, thinking it a good joke. Then, when he realised I really meant it, he drooped.Au lay on the staircase, looking at me pathetically. How, his eyes said to me, could I have

COT Bed Pig

2010-02-02T08:26:00.000+08:00

This picture was taken yesterday at 11AM.Target got up at 6 for breakfast, was back in bed by 620 and then rolled about in luxurious comfort until 1115 - at which point he got up, stretched and demanded lunch!I was forced to get up at 745 and work but Target took the Kuala Lumpur Thaipusam holiday. I want to be a cat! They get to take all the holidays...Also wishing all Hindus a blessed

Monday Writers Craft Online: Email Interviews Pros And Cons

2010-02-01T08:07:00.000+08:00

Are you running a blog and looking for some publicity? Over the next 3 weeks I'll be talking about common issues that are worth thinking about. For basic interview tips, checking legitimacy, and whether you can approve pre-publication copy, check the weeks past...This week I'd like to talk about pros and cons of email interviews.First the pros...#1 An email interview gives you more control over

Repost Friday: Nicknames

2010-01-29T08:55:00.000+08:00

This repost is from Tuesday, September 16, 2008...Dragonheart and Merlin posted a list of their nicknames last Thursday and it got me thinking about the other names we call Au and Target. It reveals a bit of character - theirs and mine - and our relationship too.See what I mean by looking at their "other" names. Au's nicknames are followed by an A, Target's by a T, and ones that apply to both

COT Snizzling All Sunday

2010-01-26T08:06:00.001+08:00

I hung out with Target all day Sunday. We slept in till 9AM, cuddled for half an hour (spreading fur ALL over the bed in the process), had breakfast together, and then fuzzed about on the sofa watching episodes of Buffy. It was sybaritic. It was lovely.Target purred so much he sounded rusty. He shed so much fur over me during our snizzle sessions that I looked furry. Au was disgusted by all

Monday Writers Craft Online: Asking To Preview A Piece

2010-01-25T08:02:00.000+08:00

Are you running a blog and looking for some publicity? Over the next 4 weeks I'll be talking about common issues that are worth thinking about. We've talked about basic interview tips, and legitimacy, now we move on to the next topic...Today I'd like to write about a really common misunderstanding between writers and interview subjects. This is: when you are interviewed for a newspaper or

Au Speaks Out: Me An De Fur Brain

2010-01-22T08:30:00.000+08:00

Wot did i say back in nohvembur? i sed i will blog wunse for sharon becos she is always very respektful. Wunse, i sed. an here we are, wif me blogging again!de feemale survunt begged an begged an begged an i sed NO but then she sed dat if i doo, she will make me somefin special. i am thinking ros chikkun or maybee ros beef.my subjekt today is targut, my fur friend house mate.targut kame to

COT Purrrrrrr

2010-01-19T12:49:00.003+08:00

This is Target, pulling funny faces as he gets his ears rubbed. Happiness is being squizzled!For more cats, check out Gattina who hosts Cats on Tuesday.Don't forget to enter the Katz Tales competition if you live in Malaysia.All you have to do is answer these questions:1. Who is older: Target or Au?2. Who was called Mr Snizzles as a kitten: Target or Au?3.

Monday Writers Craft Online: How To Tell A Writer Is "Legit"

2010-01-18T08:06:00.000+08:00

Are you running a blog and looking for some publicity? Over the next 5 weeks I'll be talking about common issues that are worth thinking about. Last week we talked about basic interview tips, this week we move on to the subject of legitimacy.....As I said last week, about half of the people I interview for magazines and newspaper are bloggers and web site owners whose writing interests me.

Repost Friday:

2010-01-15T07:42:00.001+08:00

Reminder: Dog Talk is out tomorrow in The Star, Weekender, print version only!Today's Repost is from 14 July 2006...Yesterday Scoop sighed over his chicken liver, munched moodily on his cat biscuits, and generally grumbled about falling standards. So when I woke up at 7 this morning and decided to go to the wet market, old fuzzy was happy to push me out of the front door. He may never have set

COT Naughty Cats!

2010-01-12T08:41:00.003+08:00

Au and Target are proud members of the Naughty Kitty Club. They may seem like purrfectly sweet fluffs, but they do have their evil moments.Au's #1 Naughty No No is to wake us up at 6AM to say he's hungry - even if one of us fed him at 545AM! Au just wants us to get up. I'm immune but the other slave gets up, goes downstairs, and ends up starting his working before 7AM. Au of course is back in

Monday Writers Craft Online: Email Interview Tips For Bloggers

2010-01-11T01:54:00.004+08:00

Are you running a blog and looking for some publicity? Over the next 6 weeks I'll be talking about common issues that are worth thinking about. This first one offers basic tips.....I interview and quote about 100 people every year for newspaper and magazine articles. About half are bloggers and web site owners whose writing interests me. But I approach about double that amount. Want to know

Repost Friday: Racing, Chasing Kitties

2010-01-08T04:51:00.004+08:00

This post was originally put up on Friday, 29th September 2006.Racing Chasing KittiesIt's been a wild morning. Scoop and Au have been chasing each other up and down the stairs, and round and round Au's cardboard box. As it was before 8AM, the earliest hour I'm willing to get up voluntarily, I pretended to be fast asleep. They took no notice of this, and happily wrestled all

Katz Tales Competition

2010-01-05T01:06:00.000+08:00

Scoop, our old kitty who lived with us for some 12 years, passed away 2 years ago - after a fun filled luxury life that many cats would envy!Scoop lived in Kuching in Sarawak as well as Malacca and Kajang and Subang Jaya in West Malaysia. He traveled on on aeroplane - and had the man at the airport weigh him twice because he couldn't believe how fat Scoop was! And Scoop made friends wherever he

Monday Writers Craft Online: Placing Your Books

2010-01-04T02:40:00.000+08:00

I had tea with Steven Yong of Horizon Books last week. Steve is one of my Malaysian marketing gurus, so I quizzed him relentlessly and he gave me some of the best tips ever on how to get your book placed nicely in book shops.I have asked Steve to guest blog, and hopefully he will oblige once the start of the New Year rush is over. In the meantime, I will share his advice.My question was, "How do

Friday Repost: Hooray for Science

2010-01-01T04:14:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year, everyone! May 2010 bring you peace, prosperity, happiness, health, love and luck.Katz Tales will be out in the print version of The Star, Weekender tomorrow. Buy it to read the latest about Au and Target. There's also a surprise for Tales readers tomorrow... You needn't ask! I'm not saying a word! You'll have to wait and see.... (addition on Saturday: check it out here

COT Feline Christmas Feast

2009-12-29T09:03:00.003+08:00

Instead of turkey we opted for Christmas beef this year. It was a winner!Target and Au start their Christmas lunch at racing speed.Au pauses to appreciate the Christmas beef; a fatal error.Target finishes first and spots Au still has some food left.Target has elbowed Au out of the way and is eating the last bit.Double-checking to make sure all the food is gone.Food coma!For more cats, check out

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T14:23:00.001+08:00

As you can see, Au and Target have started Christmas early with some treats sent by Girl's mum and dad. We hope your Christmas is filled with treats, nip, long petting sessions, and all good things.We'll be taking a break until next week Tuesday, the 28th, so see you then!For more cats, check out Gattina who hosts Cats on Tuesday.If you want to keep in touch with updates, here

Monday Writers Craft Online: Leon Wing guest blogs

2009-12-21T01:47:00.002+08:00

Leon Wing is a wellknown Malaysian writer and blogger. I met him a few weeks ago at Readings, a writers group inspired by Sharon Bakar from Bibliobibuli and found him an interesting man to talk to. Checking out his blog, I was surprised to see that despite the few comments, there are many people who link to him! So I asked him to guest blog here, so we can all learn how to promote out work

Repost Friday: The Alpha Dog Myth and The Perfect Mate

2009-12-18T07:08:00.001+08:00

Dog Talk is out tomorrow in the print version of The Star, Weekender section. It's all about how doggy social life and how scientists who thought they had it licked 20 years ago are now saying they got it all wrong. Apparently hierarchy schemes, dominance, and all that sort of stuff just doesn't happen in natural dog or wolf society. Plus, the story features Bushy, my Yorkshire terrier friend

Katz Tales NTV7 Breakfast Show

2009-12-15T17:32:00.000+08:00

Au Speaks Out: How To Trayn Yor Hooman Survants

2009-12-15T02:37:00.004+08:00

As Au's language is too sophisticated for some audiences, he allows his personal servant Ellen Whyte to write the columns and the book in her own way. However, as Ellen has been invited to the NTV7 Breakfast Show today that runs from 830AM to 10AM, (you can see it online here now) Au has agreed very graciously to type his own message… Helo reederz. i dont do intervoows ewesualee but aftur my