Say hello to Queenie, Krista Davis' Golden Retriever

Today is a special day. That's because my guest is a member of the most fantastic breed in the entire universe: Golden Retrievers! That I'm a golden has nothing to do with this, people. Why else are we the most popular dogs in the world? There has to be a reason! We are geniuses and as gentle as babies. Don't believe me? I don't care.

So my guest today is the wonderful Queenie! She's quite the lady. Just look at her and just read her smart answers to my questions (God, I love goldens!).

Queenie lives with mystery author Krista Davis and shares her home with a few other critters of the feline and canine variety. She's spilling the beans on Krista, who writes mysteries with delicious recipes in them. If you visit her website you'll see what I mean. Those cupcakes look to die for!

Welcome to Pets and Their Authors, Queenie! I hear Krista is obsessed with murder? What's that like?

Don't be fooled, she's actually a big softy. She's always dragging in little creatures that my siblings and I would like to chase. The worst was a one-winged bird. Can you imagine how embarrassing it was for a Golden Retriever to have a one-winged bird living in the house? I had to bark at it every day just to save face.

Tell us about her latest novel. I noticed there's a cat on the cover.

Our feline sibling, Mochie, is on the cover of The Diva Runs Out of Thyme. There's a handsome Golden in that story, too, and I can only think it was some kind of mistake that he wasn't on the cover.

Mom writes about two domestic divas. Sophie Winston has a cat and partial custody of Daisy, a mixed-breed hound. Sophie's ex-husband, Mars, has custody of Daisy the rest of the time, but -- poor Daisy -- Mars lives with the other domestic diva, who gets hysterical if there's dog fur on her floor. We even won't discuss muddy footprints.

In Mom's latest book, The Diva Takes the Cake, Sophie's sister, Hannah, is getting married, but problems arise when Daisy discovers the corpse of the groom's ex-wife. Of course, having inferior olfactory abilities, the people can't figure out if the killer is on the bride's side, the groom's side, or waiting at the altar.

Why didn't she put you? What on earth is it about cats and mysteries?

My canine siblings and I have discussed this at great length, and have concluded that it's because cats are mysterious creatures. Have you ever noticed that they tiptoe into the room so no one knows they're there? A dog bounces in and announces his arrival -- and your arrival, too. We'll announce it to the world if a chipmunk runs by. A cat wouldn't say a word about a chipmunk. He'd twitch the very tip of his tail, and then eat the chipmunk. Talk about murderous! And if you're looking for the cat, he will sit still as a statue and watch you go right by. They're born sneaky and if you don't believe me, I'm sending along a picture from my puppyhood to prove it.

Note how sweet and innocent I look. See what I mean about cats being sneaky?

Those innocent-looking kitties on her website didn't fool me for one minute! What are they like at home?

There's only one kitty now, and we voted to make him a member of the pack. Mochie's a pretty cool cat, and has figured out how to open cabinets and drawers so we can poke our noses inside. He's also a pro at kitty hockey and spins things off the countertops to us. But when he flies through the house at kitty warp speed -- watch out. We had fun the night a bat managed to come inside. Mochie chased the bat, and we chased Mochie, and Mom chased all of us (she's slow...). Mom says we get along with him because he's an Ocicat, and they have some dog-like attitudes.

Proof that we really do love Mochie.

Krista looks like a sweet lady in her website photo. Is she as stable as she appears to be?

Looks can be deceiving. If it weren't for us, she would be glued to the box on her desk all day. We take her for walks just to be sure she gets some exercise and stops to smell the honeysuckle. It took us years to train her to serve us cheese and crackers in the late afternoon. But she stills gets grumpy when we have to pursue a pesky raccoon or skunk out of our kingdom in the middle of the night. It's like she doesn't understand the thrill of the hunt in the dark.


I did notice her recipes... Hmmm... my mom never makes scrumptious cup cakes like that! How did she come up with the idea of combining food and mystery stories?

That was a stroke of luck, especially since eating is my hobby. Mom always liked to cook, but now she tries out a lot of new recipes, and we feel obligated to insist on our fair share so she won't gain too much weight.

Mom blames the food/mystery connection on her editor. She had submitted a proposal for another series and her editor asked a question that led Mom to the idea of two divas -- one who keeps things simple and lovely, and one who thinks everyone should grow their own live Easter grass, hand-embroider napkins, and that dogs and cats shouldn't be allowed in her perfect yard.

Any last words of wisdom you'd like to share?

Yes, thank you. Taking care of a writer Mom is exhausting. Normal moms and dads leave home during the day so their dogs and cats can rest. Since Mom sits a great deal, I try to sleep directly beneath her feet. This forces her to stretch to reach the keyboard, and has the added benefit of alerting me when she rises to head for the kitchen. It's important not to miss an opportunity for a treat. Mochie does his best to wind around her feet when she walks, just to keep her nimble. And, should the clicking noise on the keyboard stop, it is imperative that you take immediate action to remove a writer mom or dad from the vicinity of the big box. Writer's block can set in and it's very difficult to nurse them back to health when that happens. Ward it off by distracting them and forcing them to talk a walk or play fetch.

Thanks, Queenie! Your answers are quite enlightening!

Let's watch the trailer!



Visit Queenie and Krista Davis' sites and blogs at:

Website: http://divamysteries.com
Blog: http://thedivadishes.blogspot.com
Follow Mom on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kristadavis