Authors talk cat, fish, dogs and barns

Santa is sick, too sick to travel this year. Who’s going to fill in for him when it’s time to deliver presents? Pete the Cat, of course. Pete is happy to help because helping others is pretty groovy. At the North Pole, Pete and his canary-friend fill Pete’s red minibus with gifts. From there, Santa’s reindeer pull the minibus through the skies to deliver the presents to all the kids.

That’s the basic story of “Pete the Cat Saves Christmas,” the most recent book in a popular series for children.

James Dean, who created and illustrated the book, will be at Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande NW, at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, to read the story.

The website www.harpercollinschildrens.com/petethecat has several song and activity downloads, and a “Pete the Cat Saves Christmas” event.

AT BARNES AND NOBLE: The bookstore in Coronado Shopping Center hosts these two events on Saturday, Dec. 8 … Heidi Schulman chats about her book “The Original Dog Tarot — Divine the Canine Mind!” from 11 a.m.-noon. Schulman lives in Santa Fe with her beloved dog Bosco and his canine little sister Tille. … William Sine talks about his book “Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, The World’s Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force” from 1-2 p.m. The book explores the dangerous adventures of parajumpers of the U.S. Air Force Pararescue unit.

AT PAGE ONE: The bookstore at 11018 Montgomery NE, hosts two author events this week. … Noted New Mexico novelist John Nichols and fishing guide Taylor Streit team up at 3 today for a presentation titled, “To Fish Out of Water.” The presentation is in connection with Nichols’ new novel “On Top of Spoon Mountain,” and with the release of the second edition of Streit’s “Instinctive Fly Fishing: A Guide’s Guide to Better Trout Fishing.” … Albuquerque shamanic guide and minister Kathryn Ravenwood talks about her New Age book, “How to Create Sacred Water: A Guide to Rituals and Practices,” at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. She is a minister of the Universal Life Church, is a certified teacher of alchemical healing and is a licensed massage therapist.

AT UNM BOOKSTORE: The bookstore is hosting three author events. … Sari Krosinsky talks about her new poetry collection “god-chaser” at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 4. … Nicole Blaisdell and Bill Peterson discuss the new book they edited, “Gus Blaisdell Collected,” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5. The late Gus Blaisdell was the proprietor of Albuquerque’s Living Batch bookstore. The book includes essays on art, film and literature. … Judit Kádár discusses her book “Going Indian: Cultural Appropriation in North American Literature” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6. While at the University of New Mexico, Kádár offered an eight-week course exploring why someone “goes Native” or adapts cultural stereotypes. The bookstore is on the UNM campus near the intersection of Cornell and Central.

IN OLD TOWN: Albuquerque author Jerry Davis signs his book, “Barns of the Land of Enchantment,” from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 at Treasure House Books & Gifts, 2012 South Plaza NW. The book contains 50 black-and-white drawings and accompanying each is a vignette about the structure. The vignettes provide interesting historical information about each barn, including amusing anecdotes about the author’s efforts searching for them.

IN SANDIA PARK: Mystery writer Steve Brewer of Albuquerque and thriller writer Joseph Badal of Sandia Park, talk about their work from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8,at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery, 12504 N. Highway 14.