Book Review: "The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey, A Journey of the Extraordinarily Ordinary" By Deborah Barnes (And A Give-Away!)

How do I even attempt to complete a task as "ordinary" as a book review and make it "extraordinary?"

How do you take an act as simple and "ordinary" as reading a book and turn it into an "extraordinary" experience?

The answers to those questions can be found by reading The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey, an "extraordinary"  story which not only chronicles
Author Deborah Barnes' life, but the lives of two of her seven cats;  Zee, her adorable and lovable male Maine Coon and Zoey her female "wild-child leopard inspired Bengal cat, who fell madly, deeply in love." The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey is  the first (of what I am certain will be many) books by Author Deborah Barnes.

I was one of a few lucky individuals who was offered a "sneak peek" of Deb's manuscript this past summer. I had the additional honor of supplying a comment for the back cover:

"The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey are a treasure, simply enchanting, captivating and engrossing, both as a true story the author shares about her life with her feline clan, and as a visual masterpiece of stunning photographs and delightful artwork. They say animals are drawn to those who emit a "blue light" and Deb must have this aura radiating from her like a floodlight because she doesn't just WRITE about her love for her cats, she LIVES it as well. Because of this innate understanding she has for this beloved species and the trust they have for her; she is able to translate the most ordinary of everyday life events into a story that is nothing less than extraordinary!"

Webster defines the word "ordinary" as being "common, an everyday occurrence, unremarkable."

There are literally scads of books about cats on the market.  That in itself is "ordinary."

How does one take a common topic,  one's life with cats, and make it "extraordinary?"  Webster defines  "extraordinary" as  "going beyond what is usual, regular, customary." He defines it further as "exceptional to a very marked extent."

The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey ARE "exceptional to a very marked extent."

- What is the likelihood that you will lose your job after dedicating most of your adult life to it?

-What is the likelihood of turning that "ordinary" yet devastating experience into a life-changing extraordinary journey?

-What is the likelihood that a cat who is not one of the namesakes of this story being the reason this story exists?  That cat would be Deborah's beloved cat "Kit"  who as Deborah says "without her, this tale would surely never exist."

-What is the likelihood that you will have two cats living in your home who "fall in love" and proceed to have the most amazing kittens stirring in  YOU a feral, protective instinct and love the magnitude of which you would never have believed was possible?

-What is the likelihood that  your own life's story would run parallel to that of your cats? YOU  meet the "man of your dreams" (which translates to "he loves ME AND he loves CATS!"), and he is a photographic genius to boot?

-What is the likelihood of  "ordinary" acts such as watching the  The Ellen Show and learning about Oprah's "vision board"  resonating with you so powerfully that they  inspire you to begin to make monumental life changes?

 -What is the likelihood of embarking on and completing the daunting task of writing a book about your life, replete with lessons learned, as a result of observing and making sense of the behavior  of your beloved feline family?

 -What is the likelihood of writing  in such a descriptive, loving and insightful way that the reader feels your pain, laughs at some of your hilarious experiences,  gets into your head and can find parallels from your experiences and relate them to their own lives? Not only is this not very likely, it is an "extraordinary" feat.

Deborah Barnes in The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey has taken what to some would be an "ordinary" story and made it an "extraordinary" lesson of life and love.

This book isn't just a "book", certainly not, that would be  completely "ordinary."  This book  is a sumptuous banquet. It is a banquet that will stimulate  your senses.

You will love the feel of this book, it is an ample size, the paper is of superb quality. I am not and never will be a Kindle girl. I need to delight in the sensation of holding  a book in my hands. I even find comfort in the the smell of the paper a book is printed on. The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey more than satisfy those senses.

You will love the look of this book. When I received mine I literally and audibly gasped in awe and delight. It is simply breathtaking. You will be hard pressed to find anything like it.  There are literally hundreds of  Disney-worthy, art museum quality photographs lovingly and masterfully created by Deb's fiancee, Dan Power.

  Each page is bordered by artwork that is both erethral and  whimsical, giving this "real life" story a "fairy tale" flavor. The pages are  simply stunning and captivating,  they are  the brainchild of Deb but superbly executed by Bright Pink Studio. This isn't a book that you will  relegate to the bowels of your bookshelf. It is a book that will wrap itself around you like a warm afghan, it will satisfy your soul while luring you into it's depths of captivating images and literary brilliance, it is a book that GIVES as much as you will want to savor and share it again and again.





That in a nutshell is The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey. And THAT, my friends, is "EXTRAORDINARY"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: "Deborah Barnes currently resides in South Florida and after an unexpected life changing event, she decided to follow her dreams of becoming an author and used the relationship of her cats as inspiration for her first book. She also writes the popular blog, Zee & Zoey's Chronicle Connection, that is a collection of beautiful photos, artwork, and heartfelt stories about her feline crew." You can also visit her exquisite website here.

You may browse The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey,  better yet, you can PURCHASE the book HERE

You may buy The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey on Amazon but if you purchase directly through Deb's site (click HERE ) you will receive your book beautifully wrapped in custom leopard tissue wrap, you will also receive  a Zee & Zoey sticker and a bookmark!   Deb will also provide an inscription,  a personal and keepsake touch, especially if you are presenting the book as a gift!

Deb "rockin'" her  trademark leopard

And...Deb generously offered to give ONE lucky reader of Cat Chat  (U.S. and CANADA only please) their own copy of The Chronicles Of Zee & Zoey!

HOW TO ENTER: Just leave a comment telling me how your cat(s) or dog(s) have made your life go from the "ordinary" to the "extraordinary!" The DEADLINE to enter is MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH at 11PM EASTERN. The WINNER will be announced WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30th.

Good luck and make this an "extraordinary" day!