Blessings for Blessings

The long march of a book going from manuscript to book-for-sale-in-a-store is galloping along now. Tour dates are being set in place, galleys are here, and blurbs are coming in. I feel so blessed (I know, I know, it’s so clichéd to say that, with this title, but it’s true!) at the generous blurbs some writers I greatly admire have given me. (See my January blog, “Will Work for Blurb” if you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about).

I hope it’s not a tease to show you these blurbs. Hopefully they’ll have the effect of a movie trailer on you and will make you want to mark the release date on your calendars. :-)

Here are the kind words so far:

“The absolute, spot-on ease of Katrina Kittle's writing has long made her one of my favorite authors. The Blessing of the Animals is her first novel since The Kindness of Strangers, and once again I found myself thinking that, if I were telling this story, I'd tell it exactly the same way. Because when veterinarian Cami Anderson's husband of eighteen years walks out, you can literally feel her punch to the gut. Just like you can feel the bite an abused horse gives Cami's arm, the anguish she feels watching her teenaged daughter struggle, the tentative attraction she feels when new men arrive in her life, and the love she feels for the motley assortment of rescued animals, quirky life-long friends and complicated extended family that people her world and eventually pull her through. In this story of learning to stand on your own two feet, Kittle once again proves that she can stand up with the very best storytellers of our time."
—Jill Miner, independent bookstore owner extraordinnaire (Saturn Booksellers)

"The Blessings of the Animals is a marvelous page-turner, a story of an unexpected heartbreak and the unexpected blessings that result. Loveable, fallible characters (both two-legged and four) will have you cheering their explorations of love in all its many forms and life in all its messy glory. I didn't want to put this book down!"
—Ellen Baker, author of Keeping the House

"Wonderfully poignant characters and a deeply satisfying exploration of love in its many incarnations, some of them a bit furrier than others, make this novel Katrina Kittle's most insightful yet. Don't miss it!"
—Lesley Kagen, New York Times best selling author of Whistling in the Dark and Tomorrow River.

"In this beautifully crafted novel, Katrina Kittle deftly illustrates the devastation of betrayal and loss, the healing power of love and compassion, and the joy and comfort that comes from knowing—and relating to—animals. A must-read not only for animal lovers, but for anyone who has found the courage to come back from heartbreak and find love again, without reservation, without fear."
—Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

I am so honored to have these amazing writers praise my work. I hope they know how much their own work inspires me and keeps me going!