Susan C. Willett is a writer, photographer and blogger whose award-winning original stories, photography, poetry, and humor can be found on her website at Life with Dogs and Cats. She is also the human behind Dogs and Cats Texting (It’s exactly what it sounds like) and Haiku by Dog™ and Haiku by Cat™—where she combines three-line haiku poetry with her photography—for the amusement of cat and dog lovers worldwide. A BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Award winner, Susan is a member of the Cat Writers’ Association, the Dog Writers Association of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Susan finds inspiration all around her: hiding in a box, splashing through a mud puddle, or taking up an entire couch.

Full Name (Including Embarrassing Second Names): Susan Carol Willett. But if you call me Susan Carol, I won’t answer because I’ll think I’m in trouble. I’m sure that’s the only reason we have middle names—so our parents can use them when we’re caught drawing cartoons on the dining room wall, not that I ever did that.

Location: (vague is fine) I vaguely live on what vaguely passes for a mountain in central New Jersey.

Where You Can Find Me on the Internet: The best place to find my work is on my website, Life with Dogs and Cats. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter(@WithDogsAndCats), Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+.

What I Do for a Living: I’m a corporate communications consultant. I dress up nicely and do quite well in the business world—as long as I carry a lint brush with me to remove the cat and dog fur before I head into an important meeting.

What I Do for Fun: I write. I take pictures. My camera is nearly always within an arm’s reach, so I can attempt to capture the fun moments that occur quite often in a home with three dogs and four cats—and assorted humans. I also enjoy a good story, whether I’m reading it in a book, magazine or online, or watching it on TV or in the theatre. In my spare time, I write children’s picture books.

The Furry Members of My Household Are: The dogs are: Lilah, a nearly all-black smart and sweet Border Collie mix; Jasper, a long-legged hound mix whose aim in life is to be a couch potato; and Tucker, a full-bore, all-out, throw-the-ball-now terrier mix.

The cats are: Dawn, a tortoiseshell tabby (or torby) who likes the dogs of the house better than the cats; Athena, a dilute tortie who loves people and meows to be picked up when she knows I’m at my busiest; Elsa Clair, a black-and-white Holstein-patterned cat who is always on a mission; and Calvin, the lone mancat, who wears a cape and mask and loves to ride on my shoulders. All the animals of the household are rescues—and maybe some of the people, too.

My Favorite Things to Write About Are: Dogs. Cats. Sometimes dogs and cats together. Of course, technically, they’re not “things.” Did you mean “topics?” I also like to write about science and technology, particularly where those topics relate to—you guessed it—dogs and cats.

My Pet Peeves Are: I don’t have any pet peeves…yet. While I currently have pet dogs and pet cats, and I have had pet ferrets, guinea pigs, mice, fish, a gerbil and a conure (a small parrot), I have never had a pet peeve. What do they eat? Do they hog the couch? Where can I adopt one?

My Guilty Pleasures Are: None of your business. Though if you insist, I will tell you that sometimes I can be caught sniffing my dogs’ paws. They smell like popcorn. Really.

How I Deal with Dog Hair: Our family room carpet matches Jasper’s and Tucker’s fur. And I wear a lot of black. What dog hair are you talking about? I don’t see any.One time I gathered a pile of cat hair after I brushed all four cats, and fashioned it into a mouse shape—complete with tail. I’m adding cat whiskers as I find them. It amuses me to make a mouse out of cat fur.

What I Want to Be When I Grow Up: Taller