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Peggy Van Hulsteyn

Read Peggy's interview in the Albuquerque Journal!

Peggy van Hulsteyn is the author of six books:

Vanity in Washington
Diary of a Santa Fe Cat
Sleeping with Literary Lions: The Booklover's Guide to Bed and Breakfasts
The Birder's Guide to Bed and Breakfasts
What Every Business Woman Needs To Know To Get Ahead
Mind Your Own Business

She has published humor, feature, business and travel articles in Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan, Modern Bride, Country Living, Cat Fancy, New Mexico Magazine,
American Way (American Airlines in-flight magazine) and newspapers such as The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Examiner and USA TODAY Her work has been translated into Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese and has appeared in Australian periodicals.

Van Hulsteyn is presently writing Living Creatively with Parkinson's: A Team Approach, which chronicles her experiences with the Parkinson's team at the University of Arizona. This book tells the reader how to combine Eastern and Western medicine in order to lead a quality life for as long as possible.

Van Hulsteyn's article �A Life in Motion,� discussing how yoga has been an enormous help in her battle against Parkinson's disease, will appear in the January/February 2007 issue of YOGA JOURNAL

During her career, van Hulsteyn has been Assistant Travel Editor of Mademoiselle Magazine in New York, southeastern director of Publicity for American International Pictures in Atlanta, owner of an award-winning advertising agency in Austin and advertising lecturer at the University of Texas. Van Hulsteyn won the Southwest Writers Workshop Storyteller Award for Best Novel for her murder mystery in-progress. She was awarded first place for non-fiction by The New Mexico Press Women for her book, Mind Your Own Business and she won a Certificate of Excellence in Humor for Vanity in Washington from the Cat Writers Association.

Van Hulsteyn, who attended the University of Missouri Journalism School, holds a degree in English and journalism from Indiana University. She now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her physicist husband and two literary and bird-friendly cats.

books by Peggy Van Hulsteyn

Vanity in Washington

Book Description
Peggy van Hulsteyn's eagerly awaited sequel to Diary Of A Santa Fe Cat is Vanity In Washington. Vanity, the sophisticated Calico from Santa Fe, is the ultimate outsider in Washington, DC in this sassy satirical account of her escapades in our nation's capital. Vanity visits Mr. Lincoln at his memorial, doggedly braves the beltway traffic, and plays in an Orioles game in Baltimore, as she is pursued by lobbyists.

Diary of a Santa Fe Cat

Book Description
A wildly witty cat's eye view of Santa Fe style that chronicles the uproarious adventures of an elegant and appropriately named calico, Vanity, as she debuts at the Santa Fe Opera, lectures at the labs at Los Alamos, and skis with Jean Clawed Kitty.

From the Publisher
Nationally acclaimed author and lecturer, van Hulsteyn has published five books. Diary of a Santa Fe Cat has been hailed by critics as "wonderfully witty and original." In addition, the versatile author's work has appeared in Cosmo, Mademoiselle, The Washington Post, the Miami Herald, and The Los Angeles Times.

Sleeping With Literary Lions:

From Library Journal
Van Hulsteyn, a travel editor for Mademoiselle, entertainingly describes literary homes/haunts/museums and any available bed and breakfasts in or near them. She has organized her work by state (though only 35 of the 50 are included, with California having the most entries). Sometimes she lists only a site and no accommodations. To be included, an author has to be deceased and be one that Van Hulsteyn enjoys reading (Poe appears five times, Twain seven, and Van Hulsteyn says she had to look hard to find the 12 women writers she added in). Location entries include whom to contact, hours of operation, entrance fees, and so on, and what one will find there. The bed-and-breakfast entries give room-rate ranges, number of rooms and bathrooms, wheelchair accessibility, and the like. The descriptions are delightful, information-filled, positively critical, and free of any apparent bias. Public libraries should consider acquiring this one.?Scott R. Johnson, Meridian Community Coll. Lib., Miss.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Birder's Guide to Bed and Breakfasts:

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
"In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence." So said Robert Lynd, and it's a sentiment any birder will understand. Circus Circus in Las Vegas, for example, does not really set the mood for birding. What you want is a serene and gentle spot--even if you're hiking an hour to get to where the birds are, it's still a plus if your bed and breakfast starts and ends the day with the appropriate touch. It was with these criteria in mind that Peggy van Hulsteyn set out to find the 250 best B & Bs near North America's top 100 avian refuges. Van Hulsteyn does more, however, than merely list convenient inns. Dedicated to the interests of birders, she tells how to get there by car, where the nearest airports are, who to contact (and how), when the best birding at any given location is, and whether they offer any tours or workshops (and if so, when). She describes in loving detail each preserve, refuge, and conservancy; tells what sorts of birds you'll find, and when; what the terrain is like; and what mammals you might see while you're there. Take, for instance, California's Big Morongo preserve, some 95 miles east of Los Angeles. One of the 10 largest oases in the United States, this six-mile canyon waters more than 270 species, from cactus wrens and Cassin's kingbirds to Cooper's hawks and vermilion flycatchers. Cottonwoods and scrub brush thrive, says van Hulsteyn, as do blacktailed mule deer, lizards, and mountain lions. Then, having given you an idea of what to expect there, she introduces four B & Bs nearby, providing the relevant particulars of rates and number of rooms; what credit cards are accepted and whether there's a senior citizen discount; and whether children are allowed, pets are welcome, and wheelchair access is available. But she provides a narrative in addition to the stats. Describing atmosphere and physical appearance, history and who the hosts are, van Hulsteyn doesn't neglect important details like wood-burning fireplaces, whirlpool spas, and what the breakfast is like.

Whether you're an avid birder looking for a peaceful launching pad or a romantic vacationer who might like to try birding while you're there, van Hulsteyn's bed and breakfast compilation is an inspiration to cancel the paper, pack your binoculars, and check out the birds. --Stephanie Gold --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.