What's New?     February 24, 2001

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Forward to March, 2001...

2-24-01

NEWSFLASH!

In an incredible synchronicity of more deaths of beloved companion animals, my deepest sympathies to Lisa Silverthorne on the loss of Marshall, and to Julia Blackshear Kosatka on the loss of Nugan.

*sigh* All I can say is, wow, this is just way too many deaths for all of us. Enough already.

2-15-01

NEWSFLASH!

The second issue (February 2001) of Veraworld has been posted. This issue continues the article on POD and the New Rules of Publishing, in addition to other industry tidbits. Check it out! And if you haven't subscribed yet, do it now. You can also read the previous message archives up on the website.

2-12-01

NEWSFLASH!

Zaika - February 12, 2001.

Zaika and Susie had been two somewhat grown kittens we rescued from terrible street boys who were abusing them, trying to hang them up by their tails off a tree, about 18 years ago, back in Hollywood.

Zaika was a pure white, pure intelligence type of boy kitty. His sister Susie was gray -- both short-haired. Zaika grew up to be a highly curious, very talkative cat. He was very beautiful, and yet he had a very funny whimsical face that looked like a bunny rabbit because of the funny expressions he made.

That's what we called him, Bunny Rabbit. In Russian, that's what "Zaika" means.

:-)

Zaika was always very energetic, and yet sneaky -- he could get in anywhere, because he learned how to open sliding doors with his paw, and he could sometimes open other locks. He was brilliant! :-)

He loved to lounge in the sun, and you could see him sloooowly carefully poking his nose around the corner, and then walking in a leisurely manner, like a bona fide spy. Slink slink. Except his funny rabbit face gave him away.

Zaika also had a way of communicating with his eyes. He would blink, which meant he was smiling. And he would always smile back at you when you called his name, by crinkling his eyes. Often he would also add a cat chirpy sound, like he was talking back. He also knew how to pout when you didn't feed him fast enough, and he pouted like a real little boy, or maybe even like Peter Pan!

Many years went by, and I went to high school, then college, etc. Zaika was always around, and he never seemed to lose his inquisitiveness, although he lost his strength. Even as recently as this month, when he was only able to eat baby food diluted with water, and walk only very slowly, he'd still be poking around everywhere, and coming in to say "Hi" and look directly in your face.

Back in '97, when the vet removed all his teeth, they also noticed the beginnings of kidney failure. Well, it took him a good four long years to really deteriorate, and it happened now. Almost bizarre how they all did, one after another. Most recently he has been really dehydrated, and constipated, and not able to drink properly, and he'd cry out in pain every time he used the box. But of course with all the other animals dying, he was relatively better than those poor guys, and better than his nephew Seryozha.

Zaika stopped eating completely 2 days ago, and there was blood in his urine. When we took him in to emergency last night, and they took the blood sample, and gave him some fluid, it didn't really help all that much.

Today, Zaika was significantly changed. He was either sleeping curled up, barely alive, or else wandering around in a wobbly manner and crying out really loudly in pain. Since he was always such a verbal kitty, hearing him scream was especially awful.

When I called the vet, she said the blood work indicated severe kidney failure, and he really was in the same spot as Masha.

I came home early from work, and I saw his normally round eyes were slanted in pain. We took him to the vet, and at around 3:30 PM, we put him to sleep. I held him tight, and he was very peaceful when it was over, and very beautiful, clean and pure white, and looking like his old bunny rabbit self at last.

Zaika was always my special kitty. He was my best little boy in the world, and now he's gone to join the happy gang. :-)

Rest in peace, my Peter Pan, and fly up high toward the sun, until I see you again. :-)

2-9-01

NEWSFLASH!

Good news today in the mailbox. :-) Derryl Murphy bought my story "Swans" for the On Spec Spring 2001 theme issue, "World Beat.". WOOHOO!!! :-) My first sale of the year!

"Swans" is a dark erotic fantasy retelling of the six swans fairytale, and it has been bought originally by Pulp Eternity. When that market went out of business, this story got orphaned. I am extremely glad it found a good home at last, because it really is one of my better efforts.

I am playing with web development tools in preparation for a spiffy premiere of my domain web page www.veranazarian.com. Check it out! :-)

Oh, and the 2nd issue of Veraworld is almost ready to go, and will probably be posted by the end of the weekend.... If you haven't subscribed yet, do it now, or you will miss out on some juicy industry gossip.

In the NAW news, poor Caroline accidentally broke her foot! OUCH! {{{HUGS!}}} At least she is on the mend now.

2-7-01

NEWSFLASH!

It's February, and the past is past. I look onward with new hope, to the future, and while the sadness is still there, I transform it into translucent memories....

And now some great news: The two book covers are finished!

Please take a look at them both here, or if you like, take a look at them separately:

LORDS OF RAINBOW Cover Image

DREAMS OF THE COMPASS ROSE Cover Image

I am totally psyched!

Once again, THANK YOU, Lisa Silverthorne! (And my absolute sympaties about Marshall... I KNOW how you feel, Lisa. {{{{{{HUGS!}}}})

By the way, DREAMS OF THE COMPASS ROSE is nearly done. The total words for the collection now stands at over 104,000, and I still have half a story left to write....