He’s a big, very lovable dog, and . . .

He is one of the heroes in the sequel to No Ordinary Cat, titled Heroes in Hiding. This book has been in the works for months, and is now scheduled for release in early January.

Hints about the sequel. Many people had asked me about writing a sequel, and I loved the idea from the first. But Rufus could only get into so much mischief hanging around Mr. Peabody’s woodstove and back yard, so I gave him some space. Heroes in Hiding stretches Rufus’s world into whole village, featuring winding trails and a secret tree fort with an interesting history.

Yes, eventually we’ll create a map of this place. (Think of Winnie the Pooh.)

When your world expands, you need more players. Heroes features several new characters in addition to Mac, among them a painfully shy pitcher, a lovable fisherman with a secret past, and a young woman who dreams of saving the world’s reefs. Asha is back, wild as ever, with new ideas for livening up Rufus’s life, and dog lovers will appreciate the role Mac plays.

Heroes in Hiding, like its predecessor, is illustrated by the enormously talented Jeni Kelleher. This time around, Jeni’s take on the world is not only stunning, but whimsical as well. Wait till you see how this gifted artist portrays a jumping spider—or an octopus. You won’t be able to look away.

Ready, set, print! Once again, I’m happy to be working with designer and publisher Steve Peha. As I write this, Steve is putting the finishing touches on front and back covers. Then, following a round of final proofing, we’ll be ready to go to press. Thank you for your patience awaiting this book.

What’s this about a trilogy? If you can write two books, how about three? Here’s the thing about writing a sequel: You wind up raising even more unanswered questions than you raised with the first book. I’ve come to the conclusion that you need to either stop at Book 1—or go for three to tie up all those loose ends.

Maybe this is how “Yellowstone” wound up with all those seasons! Anyway, I’m not one to leave loose ends dangling, so I’m now well into Asha, Queen of Cats, Book 3 of what we’re now calling the Singular Cat Trilogy.

The title obviously gives a lot away—but not everything. Yes, Asha is the star of the show, but Rufus has plenty of time in the spotlight, and more characters emerge. Remember Sadie, the killjoy cat from Book 1, who tells Rufus he’ll be eaten alive if he leaves home? She has a cameo appearance. Queen of Cats also introduces a dog far less lovable than Mac, a student with extraordinary hidden talents he’s never even suspected, and a teacher who secretly longs to act. (Yes, I know. Anyone who’s been a teacher knows a thing or two about acting.)

The 10th Right. A few years ago, I wrote a book called The 9 Rights of Every Writer. It struck a chord with many readers. If I were to include a 10th right, it would be the right to self-publish.

Let me say that some writer friends warned me not to go down this path, and I’ve no doubt that writers who know as little as or even less than I do about the world of publishing have had nightmarish experiences. They have the tell-all books to prove it, none of which I’ve read.

It simply has not been like that for me. Having control over my book from start to finish has been a gateway to freedom and enormous artistic satisfaction. None of which would have been possible without designer, editor, and publisher Steve Peha.

That’s why I’m so happy to announce . . .

Platform Publishing! Platform Publishing is Steve’s new company. Heroes in Hiding and future fiction of mine will be published through this company, under the imprint Singular Books. This is an enormously exciting venture for me. I couldn’t be more thrilled if I were Rufus setting out to explore the wilderness.

More to come. Steve and I have some incredible upcoming announcements regarding No Ordinary Cat—and many other things. Please look for a newsletter from Steve arriving in your email. We want to keep you informed about new publications and all that’s happening with Platform Publishing books.

If you think we may have missed you, and you would like to be on our newsletter list, please send your name and email address to stevepeha@gmail.com We will be happy to add your name to our list of recipients.