Interview with Amber, Shari Lyle-Soffe's cat

Shari Lyle-Soffe is a children’s writer with four books published. She has a picture/storybook series about raccoon brothers, “The Misadventures of Rooter and Snuffle”, “On the Go With Rooter and Snuffle” and “Trouble Finds Rooter and Snuffle”. She also has a picture book titled “Nothing Stops Noah”. Amber is her black and orange tortoise-shell cat. Visit her blog at http://sharilyle-soffe.blogspot.com/

Read an interview with Shari and my mom on Suite101.

Amigo: Welcome to Pets and Their Authors, Amber! Nice photo! Tell us, is your mom as stable as she looks in her website photo?

Amber: Not really. *Purr… I rescued her after my first owners dumped me in the woods in the middle of the night. I knew she needed me and I needed a comfy place to sleep and food to eat. I was still pretty much a baby. My dad tried to make me go away but I knew they both had an emptiness in their hearts since their dog, Toby, died. I made up my mind to fill the void.

Amigo: Does Shari let you sit on her lap while she works at the computer?

Amber: Absolutely not! I have a throne nearby where I keep an eye on the birds outside the window. Sometimes I nap. Mostly I keep watch to make sure no one bothers her.

Amigo: Has your mom immortalized you in any of her books? Did she

show your real character or did she exaggerate it for the book’s purpose? Are you happy with her portrayal of you?

Amber: (Amber stretches) She just signed a contract for a book with a character much like me.

Well…she did refer to the character as scroungey and that definitely is not me, but I understand literary license. I forgive her since she didn’t use my name.

Amigo: I’m guessing your human mom chose your name…tsk, tsk, tsk. What has that done to your self esteem?

Amber: (Rolls over on back and slides off chair head first.) You should have heard the names they tried out before this one. They tried “Ginger” like I would ever get on a boat with Gilligan. Then, showing their twisted sense of humor, they called me “Kaboodle”. Get it? “Kitten Kaboodle.” I almost coughed up a hairball on that one. The name Amber kept coming back to my mom. She named me after a book, “Forever Amber”. I think it suits me.

Amigo: Is your mom crazy about book promotion? What does she do to promote her books? Does she ask your advice at times?

Amber: Mostly I think book promotion makes her crazy! She has done school visits, book store signings, networking online and in person. She is trying to find what works best for her. Well…purr…she does use me as a sounding board, or just someone to listen to her complaints. I don’t mind, sometimes I even talk back.

Thanks for stopping by, Amber!