MSI Press Blog

  In honor of Caturday, we are posting another except from How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , a Book of the Year finalist. Fear of Failure You're not perfect. You'll fail at many things, sometimes in mind-blowingly spectacular fashion. Don't let that stop you from going after your goals because if you don't make an effort, you've already failed. On one of Shelly's exciting trips down the hallway of my apartment building, she got confused. She'd gone up a flight of stairs, then walked to the apartment directly above mine, which looked exactly the same. She sat patiently in front of the door and waited for me to let her in. Of course, I didn't since it wasn't my apartment. Thankfully, my upstairs neighbor didn't open his door since it would've been awkward explaining why my cat and I were hanging out on his welcome mat. Shelly's sense of direction had failed her, but even though she couldn't successfully find her way home, she still enjo

  Confidence Dogs will perform silly little tricks to earn affection from their masters. Cats will never stoop to that level. So, while my childhood cocker spaniel would happily present his paw for me, Shelly would roll her eyes at what an idiot I was for even asking for it. We're not all born with an innate sense of confidence and self-worth. So, think like a cat, and don't do things that are beneath you. You're better than that. Just because someone tells you to dance doesn't mean you should bust out the Macarena.   There's no reason to kiss up to your boss, praising his genius for every pointless idea he suggests. Unless you're a ninja at brown-nosing, it'll be obvious what you're doing. It won't make you look good, either. You'll just seem like someone who lacks the confidence to say what he really believes. Think in the same terms for your relationships. If your girlfriend blames you for something that went wrong, that doesn't me

  A walk down memory lane is always fun, and here are some fun posts we have written that feature cats: Read posts about Sula the Parish Cat . Read posts about Shelly and author Jeremy Feig's Book of the Year finalist book about her. Read posts about Elly and her travels. Read posts about Noah and his puppy. Read about Intrepid and his adventures (a cat memorial, with lots of pictures).

  Jeremy Feig, MSI Press author of the award-winning book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , inspired by his silky black and highly pragmatic late cat, Shelly, wrote recently that he and his family (wife and young daughter) had moved from Santa Monica, California to Cascais, Portugal in December. Say what? That is what I imagine Shelly would say. They pulled up roots and moved half a world away. Now, for a cat, that is a bit distressing. They don't like to change their habitats, and Shelly certainly was complete owner of her habitat in Santa Monica. However, Santa Monica is on the coast, and so is Cascais. Just perhaps Shelly could have found some way to feel at home in the new location. "We were looking to shake up our lives up a bit," Jeremy wrote. Very likely, Shelly would have agreed that he had succeeded. Nothing like moving to another geographic location, where everything looks different, the language is different, and you are now the minority. Still, Shelly would h

  Says Jeremy: Preposition words can be hard for students to grasp. So show students this prepositions of place video soto help them better understand “over,” “under,” “between,” in front of,” and more. See the video HERE Jeremy is the author of the award-winning book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man . Book of the Year finalist Kops-Featherling Legacy Award for Humor For other posts by and about Jeremy and his book, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. 

Man vs. Cat: Signs You Might Be Overweight  Lack of Energy: Man: Too much effort to get off the couch. Cat: Too much effort to get on the couch. Favorite sound: Man: Ice cream truck. Cat: Electric can opener. Body Fat: Man: Losing sight of everything below the belly button. Cat: Can’t lick below where her neck used to be. Unexpected Side Effect: Man: Growing resemblance to John Goodman. Cat: Can use own blubber as a pillow. Excerpt from  How My Cat Made Me a Better Man (Code FF25 for 25% discount at MSI Press webstore) Also available on  Kindle Jeremy Feig is originally from a small town in slightly upstate New York. After graduating from New Paltz College, he moved to Los Angeles for TV and film production work before stumbling into a career in digital marketing. Jeremy spends much of his time working on creative projects, usually involving comedy. He’s written numerous screenplays and TV scripts, created original cartoons, and directed quirky short films.

  Congratulations to MSI Press's many talented authors for a strong showing in the 2020 Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards competition . The books and their awards are listed below. We will present each individual over the next couple of weeks so that readers can get to know the books and their authors. Definitely, each book is deserving (in our admittedly partially biased opinion) of its standing in the competition. Here are the 14 MSI books that placed in the competition. Phoenix Award Best New Voice Health and Fitness: Women, We're Only Old Once by Bertha Cooper. Gold Medal, Education: 10 Quick Homework Tips by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly. Silver Medal, Science: Rainstorm of Tomorrow by Renyuan Dong Honorable Mention, Children's Picture Book: Noah's New Puppy by Vincent Rice with Geri Henderson Honorable Mention, Inspiration/Motivation: Weekly Soul by Dr. Frederic Craigie Honorable Mention, Mind, Body, & Spirit: How to Stay Calm in Chaos b

  When times get tough and everyone has to look out for everyone else -- helping children, older parents, neighbors, and others, the most forgotten person is the self. Yet, taking care of the self can be the single most important thing you do in order to be able to care for all the others who need your help, regardless of your role in their lives or relationship to them. So, start out the week being good to yourself. Here are some books that can help.     Mama, do you find yourself too busy to take good care of yourself? Whatever your situation, you deserve spectacular health and wellness. With Julie M. Gentile as your personal wellness mentor, this book coaches you along your own authentic self-care path. Using 108 writing prompts and self-care practices, including yoga poses, meditations, and breathing exercises, Julie shows you practical ways to live well that only a mama modern would understand. Become the self-care goddess you truly want to be—you’re worth it! A Woman’s Guide to S

  The following five posts received the greatest number of views over the past five years. Book Review: Book Review: Understanding the Challenge of "No" for Children with Autism (McNeil) (msipressblog.blogspot.com) Information about MSI Press (Ratings as a Publisher) MSI Press Ratings As a Publisher (msipressblog.blogspot.com) Author in the news MSI Press Author in the News: Joshua Shea Interviewed on Cover over Suicide (msipressblog.blogspot.com) People In Memoriam: Carl Don Leaver (msipressblog.blogspot.com) Book Excerpt Excerpt from How My Cat Made Me a Better Man (Feig): Confidence (msipressblog.blogspot.com) Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter  here  or on our  home page . Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC

  www.allthingsmindful.org I came across an excellent post recently about personal development on the All Things Mindful website. The article says, quite rightly, that change starts with embracing transformation, not from rote applications of suggestions of coaches and books. Take a look at this great article, "Maximizing Your Personal Growth and Development," and then, when you are ready, check out MSI Press books, by experts, that can help provide you guidance as you leap from pillar to pillar, gaining strength and agility at life itself. A Guide to Bliss: Transforming Your Life through Mind Expansion (Tubali)   A Theology for the Rest of Us (Yavelberg)   A Woman’s Guide to Self-Nurturing: How to Build Self-Esteem by Being Nice to Yourself (Romer) El Poder de lo Transpersonal (Ustman)   How My Cat Made Me a Better Man (Feig)   How to Get Happy and Stay That Way (Romer)   How to Live from Your Heart: Deepen Relationships, Develop Creativity

SHELLY Shelly starred in the book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , by Jeremy Feig -- and that book placed as finalist in the Book of the Year award. For more posts about Shelly and the book she inspired, click HERE . INTREPID Intrepid is a memoir and love story written by grieving owners when he died at age 11, far too young, of cancer. For more posts about Intrepid, click HERE . SULA Sula is perhaps the most famous cat of MSI Press. She has written six books.        For evidence of Sula's Internet fame, click HERE . For more posts about Sula and her books, click HERE .

For Caturday fun, enjoy the trailer from How My Cat Made Me a Better Man by Jeremy Feig. LISTEN TO THE TRAILER HERE For more posts about Jeremy and his book, click HERE .  Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  I Am Not Wearing That Leash  Cat Tale : Shelly was an indoor cat so I thought she might benefit from going outside. She could breathe the fresh air and smell exciting new things. But since my apartment was on a busy street, I didn’t have the nerve to let her go out untethered. I was afraid she might run away or get eaten by a pack of coyotes. So, I decided I’d walk her on a leash. The idea made sense at the time. After all, why would a pet store sell cat leashes if it weren’t at least theoretically possible to put one on a cat?  The leash was really more of a harness, where you slip each of the cat’s front paws through a loop, then tighten the cord so the whole thing fits snugly. I’ve seen them on dogs before, mostly bulldog types with portly bodies and stumpy little legs.  I brought the leash home and put it on the floor, letting Shelly check it out. She was suspicious but also curious. As she started to sniff it, I made my move. I took her paw and slipped it through one

  image of Mudpie, reviewer par excellence, from  Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, and Meows Bringing you a review about some potential Caturday reading: How My Cat Made Me a Better Man (Jeremy Feig)  From Tortie Shorties Review:    At times quite humorous, at times quite profound, this is a quick read that will leave you looking for ways to simplify your own life in order to become as content as your cat. Read the rest of the review here . BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST KOPS-FETHERLING LEGACY AWARD: HUMOR recommended by US Review of Books and MidWest Book Review For more posts about Jeremy and his book, click HERE. Sign up for the MSI Press LLC Newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want