Saturday, February 27, 2010

Interview with Piglet, proud owner of Sarita Leone

Say hello to my feline guest, Piglet! Strange name for a cat, huh? If you want to know how this came about, read on!

Okay, dude, describe Sarita as a writer and pet owner. No sugar coating here. Give us the real deal.

Hmm...that's a meowy hard question. The best way I can think of to describe Sarita as a writer is...well, she's like one of those cats you see who sit right outside a mouse hole and wait. She's patient, and while she wouldn't think of eating the little mouse (she's one of those vegetarians, you know!) she will sit, think and figure things out until she not only has the mousie freed from the hole but happily married to a hunky man mouse. Or, if she's writing a murder mystery, she won't back away from the hole until she finds a good way to send the fuzzy rodent to Mouse Heaven. Yeah, that's about right. She sits, thinks, then does.

Now, as a human, she's pretty much the same. She feels, thinks and does, although she rarely sits. She's always on the move, which can be tiring since I follow her around a lot--just to make sure she doesn't need my help with anything, you know? And just in case you're interested, I'm the Boss around here. No doubt!

What type of books does she write?

Oh, she's one of those switch-hitter writers.

First, she writes those mushy love stories. You know the kind where the two humans meet, fall in love, find a huge roadblock and work their way around it before they finally find a happily-ever-after ending. Me? I would love to see more mouse chases, butterfly dances and ice cream on hot days in a dropped cone on the patio in her books but I'm not the one writing them so it's pretty much out of my paws.

If Sarita's not writing romance, she's busy killing people--on the page, that is! She likes mysteries, so she's always plotting how to kill so-and-so with the whatchamacallit in a secluded spot. Me? The only mystery I want solved is where--and when--my next meal will be served. That's enough murder and mayhem for me!

Of all your mom’s books, which one is your favorite? Why?

That's easy. I like the Chincoteague Island Mysteries, Sniffing Sand and Sandswept, because they take place on Chincoteague Island in Virginia. That's where I was born, so reading those books makes me feel like I've gone back to my whisker roots. And there's loads of romance and murder in those stories so I don't mind reading them on a lazy, rainy afternoon...that is, when I'm not sleeping in the sunshine.

But Vineyard Mambo has the best cover, in my opinion. If you look closely you'll see there's a cat on the cover. It doesn't get any better than that, does it? I think all covers should have at least one animal on them, don't you?

I’m guessing it was Sarita who chose your name... tsk, tsk, tsk. What has that done to your self esteem?

Actually, I'm the one who got the best name out of the bunch!

Mom and Dad found me, my two sisters and my brother just after we were abandoned by our birth mother. The vet said we were probably so sick that the birth mom knew we wouldn't make it but I think she left because she knew we were bound for greatness.

Anyhow, Mimi, Pat, Mike and I were all bottle-fed. Mimi was the biggest, at five ounces, but I grew pretty fast. Sarita says that from the beginning I was a "love Piglet"--always looking to be held and loved. Me? I figure I knew right from the get-go that life should be enjoyed, savored and inhaled. I see what I want, and go for it, and if that makes me a Piglet than that's fine with me. Besides, Mimi, Pat and Mike are human names, aren't they? So many humans, so few names to share... I haven't yet met a human called Piglet, have you?

And my self esteem? I'm a cat--need I say more? Meow...

What does your mom do besides writing? Is she a hermit or does she actually set her foot outdoors? My mom has to be dragged outside.

Oh, that's tough. I love being outdoors, and I'm glad Sarita does, too. She actually does most of her writing early in the morning, while it's still dark (how nuts is that?!) so as far as I can tell the writing is a side gig and life with me is her full-time concern. And that's the way it should be, I think.

We live on an old farm (I'm the only animal, though--another good thing!) so we do a lot of outside stuff. We take long walks in the forest and meadow. Sarita loves to play in the dirt so I'm teaching her about gardening. I supervise her from the dock when she rows on the pond. When she sits in the gazebo and reads, I sit beside her so she doesn't get lonely. And when she takes her sketchbook and pencils to our favorite spot beneath a big, old maple tree, I go along. I watch her draw, and wonder what it would be like to have fingers.

Maybe you could buy your mom some gardening gloves or drawing pencils. That might get her outside more. Or you could visit me sometime. I'm sure Sarita wouldn't mind...she's pretty good about stuff like that.

Hey, thanks for having me today. I've had a blast chatting with you. Like I said, maybe you could come visit with me, either at the farm or on Sarita's blog, From the Heart. I'm sure we'd have a meowy good time!

Woof! Woof!

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