Marigold's Dove

Illustrated by Vanessa Ford Marigold's Dove is a heartwarming story told from the perspective of a companion cat, and features Ms. Marigold Emmoline Magnolia, the companion cat; her roommate, Ms. Mimi Kathleen Zhang; their adopted "mom; and a mourning dove that they refer to as Mrs. Bird. The story follows Marigold's maturation from kitten to adult cat. Marigold's whimsical life is suddenly disrupted when Mrs. Bird decided to build a nest in the crotch of a tree--only three feet from their kitchen window.
About the Author: My first cat entered my life before I could even walk. Perky was his name and he followed my mother home one day. You can probably guess the rest. He rubbed his big, soft, gray and white body against me, and I was instantly smitten. Of course, I was barely eight months old at the time and had no idea what this big hairy playmate was or how he was destined to affect my world. Perky watched me learn to walk and dutifully kept me from getting into trouble-like falling down the stairs. He and I were inseparable. Many years and cats later, I am still a devoted cat lover. I can't imagine life without a furry companion or two. I have a number of close human friends, but frankly they can't complete with my cats. My life would be utterly boring without my exuberant feline roommates. Not a day goes by without an amusing incident perpetrated by one or both of my four-footed friends. Note that I never planned on writing any books specifically for cat lovers or children, but I have long regaled my friends with a seemingly limitless supply of tales about what my "furry children" have been up to lately. Non believers that they sometimes are, they periodically accuse me of "making this stuff up."But I assure you that the incidents I describe really did take place-and are just the tip of the iceberg! I never planned on becoming inextricably involved with my cats either, but they simply wormed their way into my heart with their whimsical antics and unconditional love. Over my life, I've probably been acquainted with at least seventy-five different cats. The two books, Nefie, and Marigold's Dove are true stories and my first creative writing efforts. Most of my forty-year career has been spent designing and implementing software intensive systems, writing proposals, and documenting procedures. And, while I've thoroughly enjoyed capturing Nefie's and Marigold's stories, you have yet to experience my best efforts. Stay tuned for my first full-length fictional novel projected to be released late spring, 2013. The working title is Vengeance Engineered, and it is likely to keep you awake speculating "who actually done it."