These Animals Are Killing Me

Readers are invited to follow a typical, pulled-in-a-hundred-different-directions family through a year of hysterical true life interruptions all courtesy of pesky wildlife and quirky pets. Their beloved pets create more havoc and chaos than deserved; the dog requires rescuing from the center of a semi-frozen pond, the cat leaves a trail of dead mice and other critters, both pers require harrowing trips to the veterinarian in which the protagonist arrives in worse shape than the animals. The Cat and dog, through a strange chain of events even manage to ruin a wooden floor. Add in the pesky wildlife--a pig which helps hand Christmas lights, a brave mouse who takes up residence under the cat's food bowl, coyote howling next to an occupied hot tub, and a skunk who rudely interrupts a romantic interlude---and readers will be laughing and shaking their heads in incredulous disbelief. When main character, Katrina, has finally had enough, she stands with hands on hips and shouts, "These animals are killing me!" The fast paced incidents will be most recognizable to adults who juggle schedules and multi-task on a daily basis. The universal draw of animals adds a unique dimension. Told with a twisted sense of humor, the author shares triumphs, surprises, failures and disappointments-things that happen to us all. At the end of each episode, small windows of clarity occur, in which the world rights itself momentarily and we remember what is important, what is right, what is good.

Readers are invited to join a typical busy family for one year of hysterical and true-life interruptions. Their beloved pets create more havoc and chaos than deserved with harrowing trips to the veterinarian, injuries, and quirky personalities of their own. Add in the wildlife who regularly appear (pigs, skunks, muskrats, mice and occasional “two-legged” animal) and readers will be shaking their heads in incredulous disbelief, and snorting at the outcome. With two or more interconnected stories per month, the author recounts one ridiculous life disruption after another. The stories are presented as calendar dates as though the reader has stumbled upon a journal giving readers a voyeuristic view of someone else’s chaotic world. Beginning in September, readers are introduced to the characters: hyper-active, zany Katrina, her quieter, well-centered husband John and their three very different aged children. Independent Deanna is in college, deep thinker Michael is nervously entering middle school, and fearless Spencer is headed off to first grade. The difference in ages and stages creates a constantly changing dynamic. Add in klutzy but loveable dog Bear, conniving Fat Cat Chance, and a myriad of wildlife who saunter in and out of their acreage and you have These Animals Are Killing Me. Readers will turn to page one and plummet unceremoniously into the first day of school and all the stress such a day ensues. The century-old kitchen is a mess; instructions are being barked out, the dog is running excitedly from one end of the room t the next, the cat is winding his way through legs purposely trying to trip us, anxieties are relieved, lunches packed and the day memorialized with pictures. Despite careful preparation, the morning goes completely off kilter when the youngest child, Spencer, ‘moons’ Michael’s school bus effectively ruining his brother’s foray into middle school. Overly protective Katrina then attempts to slyly follow the school bus through two towns to ensure her children arrive at school safely. That she is eventually caught and gently chastised by the bus offers a life lesson as well. All chapters are presented in the same manner as the author moves through a calendar year. The scenarios will be familiar to most busy adults, juggling over-packed calendars: trips to the veterinarian, an ill-timed phone call during an ob/gun appointment, carving out time to attend a school event, yelling at slow drivers in a mad dash across town, gearing up for the chaos of Holidays, family vacations, frightening rescues, turning forty, natural disasters and the many other unexpected happenings that can occur in a calendar year. At the end of each episode, the author shares small windows of clarity in which the world rights itself and we see, if even just momentarily, what is important, what is right, what is good. These Animals are Killing Me is a gentle yet fun reminder that our over-stuffed and chaotic days usually have a good deal of humor behind them, if we look hard enough. Woven throughout are two common threads; First, beloved pets, pesky wildlife and even curious animals of the ‘two legged’ variety, add color and dimension to our lives. Secondly, there is no such thing as a mundane life when we open ourselves to laughter.

Finding innovative ways to entertain an adult audience is something Katrina Morgan has done for decades. With a background as a corporate trainer, and years working with non-profit organizations, orchestrating civic events and fundraisers, she understands the importance of capturing an audience's attention and holding it, using humor, energy and a light-hearted approach. Her stories build on this foundation adding relatable characters and a conversational tone. Katrina blogs regularly and has had several of her short stories published in local newspapers. Her first novel, Echoes in the Walls, sold nationwide. She received many editorial reviews praising her work, including Blue Ink Review, "Morgan's lively voice relates the harrowing saga of remodeling a dilapidated pre-Civil War farmhouse. Morgan describes each scene with gusto. Some scenes are hilarious enough for a sitcom." Using boundless energy and eternal optimism, she hopes to inspire others to take a chance on change, and to find the humor despite adversity. She can be reached through her website, www.katrinabooks