Today the Cat Writers Association of America (CWA) was featured in the Wall Street Journal as part of reporter Jennifer Maloney’s story on cat fiction – more precisely about the debate of cats talking in cat murder mysteries. My story about CWA is nowhere near as eloquent as her words and is far from fiction. The reason I’ve been a member of Cat Writers has to do with this website, Goodnewsforpets.com. In 2000 Steve Dale, a veteran at the writing game, encouraged me to go to a CWA conference that was being held in Kansas City where I lived at the time. I met one of the founders, Amy Shojai who shortly thereafter agreed that CWA would become our first media partner, mainly to help promote CWA member books. I must admit I also met Mordecai Seigal, who shortly thereafter signed up the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA). And so our goodnewsforpets affair with CWA and DWAA began.
What happened over the years was a series of collaborations with various members of both organizations – from the book reviews started by Steve Dale to media workshops to helping get sponsors to our sponsoring the conferences. At CWA, bestowing an award for a dear treasured friend at CWA, the late Jim Richards of Cornell Feline Health Center for Cornell was an honor I will never forget. The list goes on and on.
When Amy approached me last year to help publicize the new CWA relationship with BlogPaws I was all in. Some people questioned why. The answer was simply – it’s Amy and its Cat Writers. There is something about these organizations that tug at me – and yes, bring me home. Home to a place that all cat lovers and dog lovers know, a place where celebrating cats and dogs and all they bring to our lives makes the days go a bit better. As a public relations veteran I’m certainly proud to provide whatever information I can on behalf of our clients. For the cat and dog lovers, and the cat and dog writers, I’m even prouder. I’m home.