Some of My Neighbors

As per the "polite" request of my first commentor, here are some pics of our new neighbors. These were taken from our livingroom window. The younguns were born in the backyard of the house nextdoor this past May. Mama was very tolerant, allowing folks to stop and take pictures. She didn't even charge our dog when the suicidal canine caught on there were intruders and barked her bloody head off.

Large ungulates in the yard--all part of the atmosphere here.

Who Am I and Why Should You Care?

Hi! My name is Cathy Pegau and I’m a writer living in Alaska. No, don’t bother looking for any of my work, because unless you’ve hacked into my computer (please don’t) you won’t find it. I’m one of many unpubbeds trying to break into print. (Well, I am sort of published. I have an article in a wildlife rehabilitation center’s newsletter from several years back, but that’s it.)

I’ve been writing fiction for the past seven years, starting with sword and sorcery fantasy. But somewhere along the line, the idea for a paranormal women’s fiction/chick lit story formed in my brain. Its snarky humor, contemporary setting and first person view were completely outside of my serious, made-up world, third person SOP. But it worked. Thus, Haunted was created.

With a lot of help from my crit group (Thanks Jody, Julie, Joanna and Holly!) and my friends Sharron and Amy, Haunted turned into a decent story. Decent enough to garner a few of contest finals, including the Romantic Times/Dorchester Publishing American Title III competition. Yay!

As for AT III, there are ten of us who will be vying for the final prize of being published. (I’ll get their blogs/websites linked soon!) It’s run a lot like American Idol, where certain aspects of the manuscript (first line, hero/heroine, etc.) will be voted on by the general public as well as commented on by three Simon-Paula-Randy-esque panelists. As long as I don’t have to sing, I may stand a chance. Voting for the first line starts October 15. I’ll remind you, I promise.

That’s part of who I am.

So why should you care? Because it might be interesting to watch yet another writer make the attempt at fame and fortune? There are a lot of unpubbeds out in cyberspace doing this blog thing, and it’s possible only my friends and family will read what’s here. But maybe not.

Despite modern technology, living in Alaska means being off the beaten path. Being a writer and a stay-at-home mom adds to that sense of isolation. It’s not too bad, but I like to have company when I’m not chained to my desk or running about with kids. I’m sure I’ll be blogging about all that in the days to come.

I’m hoping you’ll visit again, drop a comment, make a suggestion (nothing too vulgar or anatomically impossible, please). In exchange for your reading/commenting, maybe I’ll post some moose and halibut recipes. Let me know. Just don’t ask about the one for moose nose jelly : P

Thanks for stopping by!