She's back. This time, the local health and pet writer has spread her wings. Her muse is the fountain of youth, earthquakes (yes, we have quakes here, too), and Lake Tahoe's felines. As an accomplished author and journalist Cal Orey will offer her recent books (all written on the South Shore), and self-publishing tips to aspiring writers from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Neighbors Bookstore in the Village Center. It will be a pre-Thanksgiving treat for locals and tourists. Join Orey, a regular contributor for "The Writer" magazine, for a discussion and book signing.

Currently, this author has her plate full with some interesting assignments - all inspired by Lake Tahoe's environment. Orey is working on several new books. One project is titled "The Anti-Aging Cure" by publisher/physician Stephen Holt, M.D.; a second book, "The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes," to be published by Sentient, 2006, is about 75-year-old Californian Jim Berkland, a Santa Clara County geologist, who predicted the famous Oct. 17, 1989, World Series earthquake registering 7.1 on the Richter scale that rumbled through the San Francisco Bay Area. He continues to base his predictions on full moons, high tides, and missing cats and dogs.

Last, but not least, Orey is spinning a Tahoe-based novel, "Looking for Mr. PURR-fect: Chronicles of Kerouac, a Matchmaking Cat." This creative project, which will be illustrated by world-renowned artist Michael Leu, is told from a cat's point of view and based on her black cat, a rescue from Kings Beach. (Excerpts can be read at www.cleverkitty.com/mrpurrfect.htm.) Kerouac is also the author of a column titled, "PURR-fect Pet Horoscopes," which is featured in the local pet publication PetFolio (circ. 30,000 from Reno to Davis, Calif.) Orey is the literary cat's ghostwriter and PetFolio's California editor.

Orey will be signing and discussing her three self-help books. These unique gems include "The Healing Powers of Vinegar" (her best-selling book); "Doctors' Orders: What 101 Doctors Do to Stay Healthy" (in September, a book publisher in Hungary purchased translation rights and a 5,000 print run); and "202 Pets' Peeves: Cats and Dogs Speak Out on Pesky Human Behavior," co-authored by Kerouac (all published by Kensington).

Neighbors Bookstore is located at 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Suite 23, in the Village Center. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Phone is (530) 541-6296. Free PetFolio copies, animal treats, and human refreshments will be available.

Cal Orey can be contacted by e-mail at COrey39184@aol.com.