What would you say to a bird?

Giving Away a Book

The winner is CokieTheCat. YAY. Concatulations!!!!!

Wooo Hoooo.... HH (that's Her Highness - the name I call my food human) has given me permission to give away a book. It's the book she wrote: Ready...Set...Tweet! A Speedy Guide to Twitter.

To participate in the Give Away, sign on to follow my blog. The Follow Gadget is in the right hand sidebar.... just click on "follow" and follow the directions.

If you are already a follower, you will automatically be entered. I will post the winner at 4pm Eastern US time today right here on the blog... and I'll announce it on Ttwitter too.

Good Luck.....

Max on .... gratitude

Wow! It's been a hectic couple of days. We just got the notice out about HH's new book, Ready...Set...Tweet! A Speedy Guide to Twitter and along came that hacker who stole the show.

Together we licked the hacker and spread the word. That's the point of this blog post. I want to thank you all for helping to spread the word about the hacker.

First of all, thanks to my web designer, who caught the hacker before he/she/it could make off with my whole blog. And, special thanks go to The Cat Blogosphere for running the warning blog I put up and to Jan's Funny Farm for sending so many to see my blog.

And thanks to all of you who commented with thanks or words of encouragement.

Yay! We're a great group and I am happy and grateful for all my furriends!

IMPORTANT -- Keep your blog squeaky clean and safe

Okay critter pals and beyond.... This is a serious blog post from me. I clicked onto my own blog this morning and I was stolen away to some advertising site. I thought it was a fluke at first, but I was hacked.... HERE's how.

I had added the Zen Aquarium gadget months ago to my blog. It's a cutesy little thing that had fish swimming back and forth. They got in through that and it redirected my whole blog to another site ... and it was hard to catch... I mean very fast... fast ... fast.

My advice, use your words to be cute... Don't put cutesy things on your blog and risk being hacked.

Luckily, I have a wonderful web designer who caught it fast, but even she said that she wasn't sure she could.

Excitement at our house!

I know I've been telling you on and off that HH was hogging the computer because she was working on a book. Well, it's out.

No, it's not the book about me. That will come soon enough. It's a book about Twitter and is designed to help people get started on Twitter. Just wanted to help her launch the book... We are having a great big party here now that the book is finished.

Congrats to HH.... Seeing the book in print has made all those times she bumped me off the computer worthwhile. Here's a look at the cover and if you click on it, you can go to the website and read more about it.... ♫♪♪♬ — ♫♪♪♬ — !!

Max on.... book review of Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter

My book pick for March 2010 is Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter by Blaize Clement...

Okay Critter Pals, it's time for a review of my latest favorite author. Blaize Clement has written a series of mystery books. It's called the Dixie Hemingway Mystery Series.

I have just finished the first book of the series, Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter. It was published in 2006. I could have started with her most recent book in the series, but when I find an author, I like to read the books in order. Anyhoooo.... here's a little peek at how the book starts. Of course I'm not going to tell you how it ends. On-no... you have to read it for yourself.

Dixie Hemingway, the main character, is a pet-sitter. She stops by the homes of busy or traveling pet owners to feed, brush, walk, and give some lovin' to their pets.

The story opens with Dixie stopping by to feed Ghost a beautiful Abyssinian. When Dixie steps in the kitchen, she finds a man dead on the floor...murdered to be exact.

Well Critter Pals, you know how he was killed? First he was knocked out, then some nefarious chap taped his head -- face down -- into Ghost's water dish. Dixie calls the police, then takes Ghost to kitty daycare.

Cause of death? He drowned. Now that's the way to grab a reader's attention. Well, you'd think that would be enough excitement for one day, but nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... Dixie can't help herself. She starts an investigation of her own.

Excitement and tension ensue.... To know what happens, you have to read the book. If you like mysteries, give this one a try. On a scale of 4, I give Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter, 3 1/2 paws. I would give it the top number of 4 paws, but I gave that to Dewey and it's just too soon for me to get over that wonderful book.

Anyway, read Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter then move on to other books by Blaize Clement. They are:

• Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund
• Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues
• Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof
• Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs

Note: If you live on the west coast of Florida and you want to meet Blaize Clement in person, she'll be signing books at The Sanddollar Book Store in Venice Florida on March 13 at 1:00pm. Tell her Max the Quilt Cat sent you.

Where are Mousey and his friend going?

Max on.... the Olympics

I had a dream last night. I was standing on a podium and they were putting the gold medal around my neck for snowboarding. Go figure. This cat who lived most of his life in Florida is dreaming about winning medals for snow activities.

It was a very real dream. I had one of those outfits, complete with goggles and helmet, gloves, and a nice blue parka to wear when I wasn't on the move. I was the epitome of grace and athleticism. I mean I flew on my snowboard and remained in the air forever.

Maybe my mystery story got me started thinking about flying. I don't think I really want to be a bird. But the guys in Vancouver are really cool and I guess that's the part I want. No more landing in bushes. I would rather land to the cheers of the crowd.

What's your dream?

Max's Story Continues: Episode 3

Episode 3: When we last stopped in on our story, Max had inadvertently jumped from the second story landing to escape an intruder....

Max looked down at the backyard, but the sight of it flying toward him made his stomach turn. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best -- or at least he hoped for a little less than complete disaster.

Before he knew it, Max hit something semi-soft then bounced about for what seemed like a full two minutes. After he realized he wasn't moving any more, he thought he might be dead because he didn't feel the pain he expected.

Slowly he opened one eye and saw the blossoms of a blue hydrangea staring back at him. "Yep!" he thought, "dead, for sure." Then, he opened the other eye and looked up. There on the landing was the prowler/burglar/murderer.

In that instant, Max realized he had survived his fall from the second story landing. Now it was up to him to save HH from the intruder.

On his back, folded up like a tulip he was sunk down in the hydrangea. Every movement made him sink deeper into the bush. In frustration, he thrashed frantically to get out and the whirling movment of his legs helped him rise to the surface of the bush as if he were pulled up by a helicoptor.

Once past all the blue blooms that had cushioned his fall, Max leapt from the bush. The ground felt good and solid under his feet. He gave a good shake to clear his senses and took off like an Indy race car driver with a mission.

Max reached the stairs in the split of a split second and sped up them so fast he hardly knew his feet had touched any of them. At the top of the steps, he bounded to the railing then onto the ski-masked head of the hoodlum. He covered the man's head like a football helmet and hung on for dear life. No way this creep was going to get HH...

Max on... loose ends.

Oh my goodness, Critter Pals. I didn't realize that I had left my Valentine to you up for so long. We've been under a pile of papers here. HH has been proofing her book. She always says, "Just one more time. Don't want any mistakes."

I say, "Enuf, already. Turn it in and move on to working on the book about me."

Finally, today she took my advice and the book is turned in. It's a book about Twitter...how to get up and going, and HH should have one in her hot little hands soon. Very exciting.

Anyway, things should return to normal now... whatever that is. And I'll return to my regular tweets and telling you bits and pieces about my story. After all, last time I wrote about it I was flying through the air. Watch in the next day or two for the next little bit of that story.

I've missed the regular communication. I think I can safely say that I'm back with you, critter pals. Have a great day and stay warm.

Max's Valentine to his Critter Pals!!

Happy Day of the Heart to all my Critter Pals.

Max loves all of you...... Yes I do!!!!

Mousey... let's all have fun!!!

Max 's Story: Episode 2

You asked for it, so here is more of my mystery novel starring (who else) ... ME! As you remember from our last episode, I had just stuck my head out the cat door from the apartment I share with my food human (Her Highness) when I caught movement and the glint of something shiny...

If Max lived in a regular house where the door was on the first floor, his inclination would have been to scoot straight ahead at lightening speed. No robber or murderer would even be able to identify him as a cat because he'd run into the bushes before they realized what was happening.

But, alas, Max and HH lived on the second floor above Writer's Creative Studio, HH's office and business. Max's door to the enclosed backyard went out onto a landing on the second floor - a set of stairs to his right his only way to the ground below.

During ordinary circumstance Max would merely walk through his cat door, turn and happily skip down the stairs. However, that night his usual route was not an option.

In a split second, Max had to decide what to do in order to evade the
nefarious interloper. Instinct took over; and for better or worse, he ran
straight ahead in a flash. Unfortunately, he discovered the error of his
thinking too late.

Whooooooooooosh! Max flew off the landing and found himself airborne, praying that the saying, "Cats land on their feet" held true ...

Mousey's dad always put a picture in with his lunch.

Max on ...Punxsutawney Phil -- Groundhog Day

Have you met my good friend Phil? He's famous for seeing (or not seeing) his shadow on Groundhog Day. He's a good guy and it's not his fault, but What's the big deal with groundhog day?

I mean... is a groundhog the most popular pet in the world?

No, I think not... not even close.

What IS the most popular pet? The Cat of course.

But, does the Cat have a national day. No.

So, no offense to Phil, but what I propose is that Phil step aside this year and let me poke my head out tomorrow at dawn. Let me look around for my shadow. And when I see it or don't see it, let those wonderful gentlemen in their long coats and funny hats in Punxsutawney hold me up in triumph, so the whole crowd can cheer. After all, I know what a shadow is and can identify it just as easily as Phil.

So, what ya say? Give Ponxsutawney Max a try this year.

For more info on this topic go to http://www.groundhog.org/.