The Tails of Furry Logic

Tails of Furry Logic_cover_2024 Oct 2_ed

THE TAILS OF FURRY LOGIC

Written and illustrated by Marilynn Mendell, The Tails of Furry Logic is a collection of stories/fables about a small village of entrepreneurial animals who experience the trials and tribulations of running their businesses. The tale's shopkeepers solve ethical and societal challenges with wit and bravery often under dire circumstances. Children ages 6-13 will identify with the character's plights and cheer for their successes. The manuscript consists of seven distinct stories, 33K words with a robust vocabulary. These modern allegories have a general appeal with an added draw: seventeen percent of all startups in 2021 were opened by children and these parable-like adventures will appeal to that growing audience. As a subtext, with both parents in the workplace, these stories exemplify their parent's frustrations and accomplishments in an easy to understand way.

ILLUSTRATIONS

I have produced sixty graphite drawings showcasing the shops, studios, and hospital along with the various furry and feathered characters. (Marilynn Mendell retains all rights as the sole author of the images under US copyright laws.)

CAPABILITIES

With over thirty years in marketing and public relations, I'm more than qualified to help pitch. I have a social media/contacts platform of 12K and I can count on my clients as well as my connections in academia and publishing to help. I'm a national speaker who is ready and willing to travel to support book signings.

Tails of Furry Logic_book jacket_2024 Oct.png

This children’s story is packed with character, conflict, business practices, and ethics. Clearly and naturally told, the story demonstrates and explores the issues of lying, cheating and stealing, with three local examples: retail sales, schoolmates, and a story-within-a-story of genocide and those who combat it. Only Marilynn Mendell could pull this off in a children’s story that also entertains adults! –
For the Skunk Story: Marilynn, I am enthralled by the story and there were tears coming to my eyes during the rescue!

- Deborah Wilbrink, Perfect Memoirs, Nashville, TN

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

PREFACE: The Robin’s View

Old-fashioned curiosity combined with sharp observation leads Liz the robin to write her book, The Tails of Furry Logic. “These stories recount the lives of villagers with tails,” Liz explains. From moles to wolves, these villagers make decisions about business, and their ethical choices matter in survival and to their society. Liz begins by sharing her own experiences in the business she and husband Harold own: Blossom Delivery. First, how a disgruntled rival black snake was thwarted by a good neighbor, and secondly, how it took a community forged by good business relations plus outside experts to battle an ambush of the Blossom Delivery carriers. Tails from other villagers will follow. Liz hopes that The Tails of Furry Logic will make a vivid, lasting and positive impression on young entrepreneurs.

CHAPTER 1: Edward and May the Entrepreneurial Bears

Edward the bear is a meticulous, respected craftsman, building dry-stone walls. When he takes on a design group, Weasels & Badgers, Inc., as a client, the problems begin. The creative group repeatedly interferes in Edward’s work and breaks promises, until he resigns the job. When economic recession (or poor management) forces the design group out of business, their country retreat becomes Edward’s dream, a craft school. The tables turn completely when Edward’s wife May recruits the out of work designers into her clothing design studio, where their skills shine.

CHAPTER 2: Missy the Pie Maker

Missy the hare runs a successful bakery with a preposterous name. She and her partner, Katy the deer, disagree over a branding issue: the name of the shop. Katy delivers Missy’s pies to pleasant and unethical clients, one of whom, Mr. Albert the weasel, is passing off Missy’s pies as his own to his customers. Missy tries several solutions: confrontation, legal, and practical. The practical, outside-of-the-pan one works. Mr. Albert is caught by his customers in his own lies, and loses business. In the process, Missy rebrands her baked goods with a new name, learns about contracts, and what keeps customers returning.

CHAPTER 3: May Starts Freedom Knits

May is a creative bear with several businesses, including her clothing design and manufacturing company, The First Talent Works. When she decides to expand the clothing line to knitted ski wear, she encounters two significant problems: employee resistance to change and finding reliable, economically sound, and sustainable sources for raw materials. In her search, May faces Carl the sheep whose store applies some unusual mathematics, only to lose customers. With her usual good humor and positive outlook, May finds some wonderful supply partners, led by Iggy the Alpaca and Molly the raccoon. Freedom Knits becomes another successful business for May.

CHAPTER 4: Flint Discovers the Truth

When Flint Straddleback the squirrel comes out of retirement to start a pre-sorted nut business, Malcolm Mole Marketing helps out with package labels clearly stating contents. Customer Sarah Bentworth and her raccoon family discovers the labels are false—they have been cheated, and confront the business. As Flint discovers the truth that his manager has been cheating customers, he plans reparation. But Sarah takes this opportunity to teach her children about lying. With a story from local forest history, the family delves deeply into why lying is wrong and when there may be acceptable exceptions, such as protecting the innocent from evil. The children discuss schoolmates’ lies, the reasons, and how they can help, responding with compassion and generosity.

CHAPTER 5: Skunks Open a Vegan Restaurant

As the Litton skunk family prepares to open a vegan restaurant, they are faced with prejudice from suppliers and potential clients. The restaurant seems doomed even before it opens, but brown bear May and her raccoon friend Molly seek a solution. Meanwhile the weather has taken a turn for the worst with the local Fish River at record flood levels putting children’s lives in jeopardy. The hated skunk family leads a rescue to save the helpless groundhog babies proving kindness can overcome discrimination.

CHAPTER 6: Winter’s Glory

When an epidemic strikes in the dead of winter, the Pathfinder Clinic doctors Bran the raven and Spike the porcupine face a dire situation: the only vaccines are en route via Chocolate the moose and his sled. Chocolate’s route is blocked by avalanche and the old moose goes missing; meanwhile a different outbreak—deadly distemper—depletes the local wolf pack. The doctors must face the suspicious wolves’ den, wake dangerous hibernating bears and recruit the largest and smallest of animals to save the village. An impossible task for one is accomplished when the many join their disparate skills in urgency and mutual respect, celebrating the glory of Winter, tough times bringing out the best in everyone.

Epilogue: The Robin’s Round

Liz the robin recaps her reasons for writing, and the business and life lessons learned from watching her neighbors.

As a serial entrepreneur, I began my first business with a high school education, grew it to one of the largest and best catering businesses in Western New York. I’ve been accused of being able to spin things into gold and sell the Brooklyn bridge. I founded the non-profit The World Water Center which Rotary International folded into their program. And I’m currently specializing in growth strategy, marketing, branding, and public relations with a wide variety of clients. WinSpin CIC, Inc. www.winspincic.com I serve as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, George Mason University, and The University at Buffalo.
I’m consistently active on social media platforms. I have 8,208 curated connections on LinkedIn, and my regular electronic newsletter goes out to 4000+ with a 50% open rate. These numbers expand as my clients push the books on their social media platforms. I’m a member of the DC National Press Club. As an indie author, I created the content, design and production for both of my books – first Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat (EGCF), Business Advice that Sticks to Your Ribs where all but forty sold of 5,000 hard copies. That book is about to go online as a second edition digital copy. They sold on Amazon, at various indie bookstores, speaking events, and through my website. The Tails of Furry Logic is being sold in indie bookshops and the digital version will also go on Amazon. Geoffrey Cantor is producing the voiceover for the audio version. Many organizations that I belong to will support my books. For instance, Phi Beta Kappa publicizes their member’s books, the University of Buffalo reviews alumni books (EGCF was reviewed and published), local newspapers, and Washington Women in PR would publicize the books.
My career as a publicist for twenty-five years has helped forge many wonderful friendships with editors. I many have contacts in the marketing departments of Netflix and Marvel. I know many people in global marketing for such companies as Mattel and a woman who sits on the board for the National Toy Association.
I’m ready, willing, and able to go on book tours. My numerous national speaking engagements can be found on my website. I was featured on ABC Good Morning America along with other TV shows. I’ve been honored with many awards like the 2023 Gold Medal for Conservation from the National Society of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution, the New York State Department of Labor Woman of the Year 1988 & Everywoman Opportunity Center Woman of the Year 1988. Nominated 2006 Washington Women in Public Relations as Woman of the Year. Washington Women in Public Relations elevated Mendell to their 2008 Woman of the Year. Phi Beta Kappa, BA in Philosophy, University of Buffalo.

Willingness and Expertise

to Help Sell my Books

STORY TIME

I have three sons who have become successful in life and in business. They were constantly read to as children. I told them stories about Charlie and the Ten Magic Fingers as we went through the grocery store. I made it up as I went. Story-telling is a mainstay of marketing and public relations which I have employed for forty years. These stories are my vision of allegories children can relate to and enjoy.