Stopping in today on my blog is Author and Wildlife Rehabber Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD. She's here to share a giveaway to celebrate her new release Have You Seen Me?, and to tell us about rehabbing. I was excited to hear more about this topic as we watch the Northwoods Law show and see them dropping various creatures off to rehabbers, but we rarely get to see what they do.
Wildlife rehabbing
I am a licensed and certified wildlife rehabber for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. I’ve been one for over fifteen years, and I love it. It’s not easy. We lose many animals and spend our nights fighting to keep an injured or orphaned animal alive, but it is gratifying. Being a nurse, I’m used to the blood and squeamish things that turn many people off. My love of animals, a lifelong affair, drove me to pursue getting my wildlife rehabber license. It started years ago when a neighbor brought me an orphaned baby gray squirrel. I named her Widget McFidgett McFee. I fell in love and learned everything I could about feeding baby squirrels formula, keeping them warm, and what to do as they grew, even how to prepare them for the wild. Rehabbers do not get paid, and everything we do, we do out of love for animals. We must apply for our license annually and stay up to date on all the diseases spreading among the wildlife populations in our territory. I have rescued and rehabbed foxes, opossums, raccoons, bobcats, squirrels, rabbits, skunks, deer, otters, and flying squirrels.
With every orphaned baby I raised or injured adult I set back into the wild, I had the time of my life. I can’t count the times I have cried over losing an animal. It rips you apart, and you swear you will never do it again until you see another adorable furry face asking you for help. Rehabbing has made me a better writer by keeping me in touch with my emotions. I don’t have to go far for inspiration to understand the joy of loving something or losing a precious soul you loved. This vocation is not for everyone. It takes a lot of patience and understanding of animals to survive. My nursing background made it easier to assess and treat many animals, and even though a mammal is a mammal, the differences between our furry brethren and us can be as vast as the Grand Canyon. Since my writing career has grown, I’ve scaled back from my rehabbing. Most rehabbers do. The emotional toll becomes too hard after a time. I am fortunate that I have been able to direct my passion for animals into my writing. Will I ever give it up completely? Hell no. Despite every bite, scratch, scar, heartache, tear, smile, and laugh, my years as a rehabber have changed me. I would not be who I am without the love lessons my precious wildlife babies taught me.
Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT)
- Signed copy of Have You Seen Me
Book details:
Have You Seen Me?
Alexandrea Weis
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: August 17th 2021
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Young Adult
Synopsis:
“An intriguing and atmospheric tale of murder and mayhem” ~Booklist
Lindsey Gillett is missing.
And she’s not the first girl at Waverly Prep to vanish without a trace.
To help cope with the tragedy, new history teacher Aubrey LaRoux organizes a small student investigation team. But when the members start turning up dead across campus, Aubrey suspects there’s more going on than anyone is willing to admit.
The murdered students all had something in common with Lindsey. They shared a secret. And what they uncovered could threaten the future of the historic school.
At Waverly Prep, someone wants to keep the past buried—along with anyone who gets in their way.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54578759-have-you-seen-me
Website: https://vesuvianmedia.com/have-you-seen-me/
Purchase:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AJonru
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/have-you-seen-me-alexandrea-weis/1137370777?ean=9781645480754
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/have-you-seen-me/id1549910454
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/have-you-seen-me-9
AUTHOR BIO:
Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers Association, Weis writes supernatural, horror, mystery, and thrillers. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.
Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211671.Alexandrea_Weis
https://www.facebook.com/authoralexandreaweis
http://www.alexandreaweis.com/
https://twitter.com/alexandreaweis
https://www.instagram.com/alexandreaweis/
Thank you Alexandrea for stopping by. I am in awe of your many talents!
