Meet Snowy, proud owner of author Linda Singleton

My guest today is a white kitty--appropiately named Snowy--who shares her home with popular young adult author Linda Singleton. In her books, Linda writes about goths, psychics, mermaids, aliens, cheerleaders, clones, parallel worlds and ghosts, and all kinds of stuff that make you jump in the night. She has even won awards! Her YA series, THE SEER and DEAD GIRL, were honored as YALSA Popular Paperback/Quick Picks. Pretty cool!

Snowy has been described as skittish and not cuddly (Hmm, I wonder if this is true. What do you think, from looking at her picture?)

So tell us, Snowy, how did you end up in Linda's household?

I came from a woman who lived in the country who had over 25 cats. Molly, with whom I share my home, was purchased at an animal-welfare event.

What is it like living with a popular author like Linda? I bet all that popularity goes to her head! Ha!

Some of her books may be popular (like THE SEER series) but she's kind of boring, sitting at that computer for hours ever day. It's like she's attached to that desk. Usually I curl up nearby. Molly does NOT want to be picked up but enjoys tickles around her neck.

I hear Linda writes books for young adults... books with dead girls onthe cover? Come on, gimme a break. Your human mom has a dark streak, if you ask me.

Technically Amber in DEAD GIRL trilogy isn't dead, it's just she's not in her own body, which gets complicated as she becomes a popular girl, the college sister of her new boyfriend and then her own best friend. There's a dead guy stalking her, too, which is really creepy, especially when he tries to convince Amber to join him on the dark side in DEAD GIRL IN LOVE. Fortunately the world of cats is very simple: eat, littler-box, sleep, eat, litter-box, sleep.

Of all her books, which one is your favorite?

The new book, MAGICIAN'S MUSE, because a cat plays a very important part in this book. Lily has mismatched eyes and she is the heroine of the entire book. Yup, not Sabine the psychic or that hot-looking Dominic who can talk to animals (we really like him). But it's Lily who leads Sabine to the secret hideaway in the woods.

Does Linda have a website or blog? Tell us!

Lots of blogging. Links can be found on her website: www.LindaJoySingleton.com . She also has an author page at Facebook where she's shares the latest news: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Joy-Singleton-Author/120766461299610

Tell us something about Linda nobody knows.

Her first cat was named Pinky--and it was a boy.

Ok, so what's the best part about living with Linda? The worse?

Best is she lives in the country so we sometimes play outside. Bad thing is that there are coyotes in the country, so we have to be very careful and stay inside every night. Living with a writer rocks because she's home a lot. It's like she doesn't have a life except staring at that shiny computer screen -- and she doesn't even have a tail to chase which is just sad.

Thanks, Snowy! And give my best to Molly!

Interview with Midnight, proud owner of children's illustrator Kevin Scott Collier

My guest today is a black cat named Midnight. He shares his home with children's book illustrator Kevin Scott Collier & family. Kevin has illustrated over 100 books--yeah, that's right! 100! He also has a fantastic blog where he teaches kids how to draw. Check it out HERE.

Welcome to my blog, Midnight! Tell us, how did you come to live in Kevin's household?

The Collier family adopted me just before Christmas last year. I can from a place called The Noah Project that finds homes for kitty like me.

How is it like to work with a MEGA workoholic illustrator like Kevin?

I watch him draw, and usually fall asleep. So, I don't know how much he actually does!

Does he have any time left for you?

He plays with me. I like playing with his pens and pencils, too. He doesn't like me sitting on his drawings.

I see you always get in the way when Kevin is working...

He says I get in the way, I'm actually helping him, making sure his art is up to par.

Is that one of your tactics to drive him crazy?

Actually, he's the one who drives me crazy. You're only getting HIS side to the story!

How many books has Kevin illustrated?

He says over 100, but I'm not allowed on the bookshelf to check the actual number. I get sprayed with a water bottle when I claw at the books.

He has a cool blog where he teaches kids how to draw, doesn't he?

I don't know. He says I'm too young to get on the internet. But, I have seem him shoot videos of how to draw stuff. I'm going to try to get on camera!

So, like, how many hours a day does Kevin work? 24?

Midnight: That's about how many hours I sleep. 24!

Is that why he named you Midnight, so you can keep him company in the middle of the night?

I had my name before I moved in with them. But, I do keep him company late at night, even if I am taking a cat nap.

What else you'd like to say about Kevin?

He needs to get me more treats and cat toys. I like being spoiled!

Thanks, Midnight!

Interview with Gandalf the White and Dumbledore, owners of Sylvia Engdahl

My guests today are two very special cats, Gandalf the White and Dumbledore (I wonder where she got the names from...). They're special because they live with a very special lady named Sylvia Engdahl. Sylvia has published many, many science fiction books (believe me, the list is long, just visit her website if you don't believe me!) With all those books, I doubt she has any time for these two feline critters... but I guess she finds a way, because they LOVE her! Follow Sylvia on Twitter and Facebook.

Read on to find out why...

Hey, Dudes. Welcome to my blog. So, how did you come to live with Sylvia?

We were six months old and were living in a nice resale shop that also serves as a temporary home for cats rescued from the pound by a group called the Shelter Animal Resource Alliance. We had lived with one of the volunteers until we were old enough to go there, so we were very eager to get into a forever home with a person of our own. When our mom, Sylvia, came in looking for a cat, I got right up on her shoulder and purred, so she couldn't put me down. They said I was part Siamese because I have blue eyes and dark orange markings on my face and ears, and Sylvia was afraid I might prove too talkative to fit into her quiet life -- but I had bever done any loud talking in the shop so she took me home anyway (and later I proved not to be Siamese, as the white fur on my back turned orange and I developed some orange tiger stripes on my sides). Mom didn't want me to be lonesome while she was busy, so she chose my brother to some along. She didn't like the names we had at the shelter so she named us after two wise wizards: Gandalf the White and Dumbledore.

Do you two get along?

We get along fine! We are brothers, at least Sylvia was told we are, though she has never been quite sure since we aren't anything alike. We were together as kittens in the pound and have never been separated. We still wrestle and chase each other sometimes even though we are 7 years old, but it's all in fun. We're too big now to fit in Mom's lap together so we take turns -- when one of us comes and looks wistfully at the lap, the occupant gets right down. Mom says it must be telepathy.


What's it like living with an an author? Is she one of those egotistical ones?

It's nice because she is home all the time and gives us nearly as much attention as we demand -- though at times her mind does appear to be on her work instead of on us, which we do our best to discourage. I, Gandalf, am particularly happy that there aren't any other people in the house because when somebody, even a familiar neighbor, knocks on the door, I go under the bed. Mom says this is strange because I saw a lot of people in the shop I came from and I wasn't shy then. My brother Dumbledore, on the other hand, would like to see more action around here. He wishes we were allowed to go outdoors.

What type of books does she write?

Sylvia says her novels have to be called science fiction because they are set in the distant future on other worlds, but she is unhappy with that label because it often means that people not looking for science fiction don't discover them. On the whole they are liked better by readers who don't read much science fiction -- or have not read any at all -- than by dedicated sci-fi fans. No background in science fiction is needed to enjoy them.

In the past, the novels she wrote were for Young Adults -- that is, for teens. One of them, Enchantress from the Stars, was a Newbery Honor book and won other awards. But although her YA books have been republished in the 21st century, it has been a long time since she did any writing for teens. Her recent novels are just for adults.

Of all her books, which one is your favorite?

We don't really know much about her YA novels, as they were written long before we were born. So our favorites are the two adult novels she wrote while we were around to help: Stewards of the Flame and its sequel Promise of the Flame.

Does your author mom have a website?

Yes, she has two of them. The main one, www.sylviaengdahl.com, is mostly about her Young Adult novels, her life (there's one page about us), and her advocacy of space colonization. The other one, www.stewardsoftheflame.com, is about her adult novels and has a video trailer plus lots of review quotes and information about the controversial topics dealt with in the book. Whichever site you visit first, there are links to the other, so you won't get lost.

Is she disciplined? What does she do all day?

She works at the computer all the time she's awake except for an hour or so watching television and a couple hours just before bedtime when she holds us and attempts to read. She says this is not a matter of being disciplined because she has physical problems that keep her from going anywhere. Usually she is not writing; her main work is editing nonfiction books for high schools, which is what she does to support herself and us.

Does she ignore you while she writes?

We don't give her a chance to ignore unless we're asleep -- if she tries to, we keep bumping against the back of her desk chair. For some reason even though says she enjoys having us with her, she is upset when one of us insists on being in her lap while she's trying to work. She says there isn't room for a 22-pound cat between her and the computer keyboard and when near a deadline she can't afford lose much time. Occasionally she even gets cross and pushes us off, although we really don't see why, since often she seems able to reach over with one hand and type with two fingers. She says it would be better if we sat with her while she's watching television, which we absolutely refuse to do; neither one of us likes the noise from the television and besides, we don't like the way it competes with us for attention.

Where are her books available?

They are all available at Amazon.com and at Sylvia's websites, and Enchantress from the Stars is also available in bookstores.

What do you like most about Sylvia?

She loves us and says we're her family. What more can we say?

Interview with Basil, Douglas Quinn's fictional cat

Woof! Please welcome my guest, Basil the Cat. Now, Basil is not your regular kitty cat. For one thing, he's a fictional cat based on a real-life cat that died years ago, and he's a character in Douglas Quinn's mystery novels... Basil is here to talk about the fictional world he lives in and about the book's protagonist, Webb Sawyer.

Now, the author responsible for these creations, Douglas Quinn, is also an editor and book reviewer. You can find him at Gather. He loves writing for adults but also for children. In fact, his first children's book will come out before Christmas!

Sounds complicated? Just read the interview to find out!

Hi there, Basil! To begin with, where are you from?

Well, I was the last survivor of a litter living in and around the British Cemetery in Ocracoke Village on Ocracoke Island. That’s part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Every now and again I’d see this lady in a wheelchair go by. The first time she actually saw me, I was peeking out from behind a tombstone. She called to me and I bounded over to her, through the wrought iron fence and jumped up on her lap. I rode with her all the way to the grocery store and back to her house. I didn’t even think twice about going back into that creepy cemetery. The lady’s name was Blythe Parsons.

Tell us how you came to live with Webb Sawyer.

Oddly enough, Blythe was allergic to cats, so I wondered why she let me come live with her. As it turned out, she kept me out on her deck for a few weeks. Then one day we got into her van, which was converted for wheelchair-bound people, and made a several-hour trip up Ocracoke Island, across the ferry to Hatteras, then all the way up to Nags Head. She dropped me off with a man named Brant Cloninger, who took me on a skiff from his bait and tackle shop to a stilt house at Blue Heron Marsh.

I wasn’t sure what was up, but when the man named Webb Sawyer came home, I knew I had found the person I was meant to be with. Oh, he wasn’t too sure at first, but I soon charmed him into loving me–no problem.

Just who is this Webb Sawyer and what does he do?

Webb Sawyer was created by author Douglas Quinn. Webb’s a retired army sergeant–well, he was kind of forced out because he shot a captured Serbian death-squad leader in the face. But that’s another story. At any rate, he’s a little bit of a loner, although he has a few really good friends. He likes to fish and he takes me out with him when he fishes in the marsh. At first, he just fed me the scraps, but now I get to share some of the good parts.

As for what he does besides fish? Well, he seems to get himself mixed up with not-so-nice people who bother his friends. For instance, some Colombian guy was bothering Nehi, a girl who works for Webb’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Nan–by the way, I like Nan. At any rate, Webb broke the guy’s finger and, in turn, this guy and three of his friends came in the middle of the night by boat and tried to kill Webb and burn our house down. I hid until the next day. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but when it was all over, one guy was dead in the marsh water and the other three got back in their boat and sped off. There was a lot of shooting. I was really scared.

What kind of fictional world do you live in? Describe it a bit.

I love it here at Blue Heron Marsh. Webb’s house sits up ten feet out of the water on stilts. It originally was a fishing house, but was remodeled into a real home with all the conveniences. It’s got a closed in front porch that faces the Roanoke Sound. Webb calls it the back porch because he doesn’t like the idea of the front of his house facing any direction people might be traveling by, even if by boat. His real back porch is open but roofed and faces the marshes. Sometimes we fish right off the porch. Underneath the house is a landing dock and a raised area where Webb keeps a freezer with extra fish. He stored a body in there once. It was one of the bad guys. It’s a great place for a cat to live.

I like to sit in the window facing the causeway that runs between Nags Head and Roanoke Island and watch for anyone coming out to the house. Usually it’s Nan. It was there that I heard the bad guys coming and woke up Webb to warn him.

Do you get to take part in adventures in the book, or are you mainly a watcher?

Oh, Webb takes me some places, but so far I haven’t really gotten into the action. That’s probably for the best. I subscribe to the old saying, “Make love, not war.” I heard Webb say that once. Funny, since he was in the army and, as I said before, gets himself wrapped up in some violent situations. He really is an easy-going man. He just won’t put up with evil or corrupt people who bother him or his friends. He wants to make things right. That seems to get him into troublesome situations.

I hear Webb is a beer snob. Is that true?

He only likes Grolsch. I guess it’s a taste bud thing. If in a pickle, he might condescend to drink Heineken. He drank an Oranjeboom once but wasn’t happy about it. Besides that, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him go outside the Dutch brews. His friend, Ben Straker, from the Uwharries region of North Carolina, drinks Bass Ale. Webb calls it Panther Piss–if you will excuse my language. Me, I don’t see how humans can drink that stuff. Now, coffee, that’s a different story.

Who is your favorite character in the story? Why?

I presume you mean in Pelican Point. In Blue Heron Marsh, I didn’t show up until the epilogue, so I missed all the characters and the fun in that one. In Pelican Point I’ve got to say that Preston’s (Webb’s son’s) girlfriend, Sunshine Bledsoe, is my favorite. When I met her she seemed kinda shy and meek but I heard that at the end of the story she turned out to be a real spitfire. Also, while I still like Nan Ftorek, she and Webb seem to be currently on the outs, and I have taken a liking to a new lady in Webb’s life named Clarky Ayers. She likes to fish and is good at it, too.

Where can readers find Pelican Point and the other Douglas Quinn books?

All the major online booksellers carry them. Amazon is the best as they deliver the quickest. Also it can be ordered by any local bookstore through the distributor, Ingram. By the way, I’ve asked the author if I can have a really exciting scene in Swan’s Landing, the next Webb Sawyer Mystery, and he promised me I would. “Hurrah for my side!” I learned that one from Webb.

How does it feel to be a fictional cat?

I don’t know about other fictional cats but I have a great friend in Webb Sawyer, a great place to live, get to go fishing all the time, have plenty of food and drink and get to go places in his old Ford pickup he calls Trusty Rusty. What more could a cat ask for? Come to think of it, maybe Webb could find a girlfriend with a female feline. Hee-hee!

Give us some fictional feline advice.

As a well-known cat once said, “Truth may be stranger than fiction, but fiction is truer.”

Thanks for the interview, Basil!

Note: The Character, Basil, is based on the author’s cat who, as a neighbor’s kitten, came to visit, decided he liked it better at Douglas Quinn’s house and, when the neighbors moved, stayed. A couple of years later, he was found dead, killed, it is believed, by a local gray fox. He was extremely friendly and trusting. That’s probably what led to his demise.

Interview with Patches, owner of author Beverly McClure

Hello, woof, my faithful readers! Today I'd like to introduce you to Patches, owner of young adult author Beverly McClure. Beverly is a super nice lady (or so my mom keeps saying) and the author of many young adult novels published by Twilight Times Books and 4RV Publishing. Check out her website and her blog!


Hey Patches, how you doing, Man?

I’m trying to stay out of trouble, but it isn’t easy.

That sounds like the story of my life. Anyway, thanks for stopping by! Woof! Here are some questions for you, dude.

Meow! Goodie! I like to talk.

Who is Patches, the Cat?

I don’t know my exact birthday, but I’m about three years old, according to the vet. I’m a calico, and I guess my former owners decided they didn’t want me. One day I found myself in the country, no home, nobody to love me, nothing to eat. That’s when I learned to keep trying. This pretty white house had a patio with lots of insects flying around the floodlights. I’m a great jumper, so I sprang up and caught a moth. It took several to fill my empty stomach. Then Beverly saw me. It was love at first sight, at least for me. She brought me in the house and fed me chicken from a can. I’ve been her cat ever since.

So what's it like living with Beverly?

She’s easy to live with. She gives me yummy food and makes sure my water dish is full. I snuggle beside her at night, and she doesn’t roll over and crush me. When I tell her I want to go outside, she opens the door for me. She has her moments, though, like when I sharpen my toenails on her furniture. Then she fusses at me. She bought a couple of scratching posts, she calls them, for me to use. But they aren’t as good as the chair. She also moves me when I try to type on her computer. How’s a cat to write a story, without a keyboard? I can’t hold a pencil in my paw to write on a yellow tablet.

She looks so sweet in the photo. Is she as harmless as she looks?

Looking over my shoulder to see where she is. No Beverly in sight. Good. This is just between you and me, Amigo. Yup, she is harmless, except when she’s working on a story, which is most of each morning. If I want to take a nap in her lap then, she says I distract her and tells me to sleep on the sofa. I pout a little, but being the understanding cat that I am, I do what she says.

I'm not as understanding, I admit. I sulk BIG TIME. I hear Beverly writes stories for young adults--that's teenagers, right? How does she know what teenagers want to read?

I think she’s never grown up. Inside she’s still a teenager and likes to relive those years through her characters. Kids today have some of the same problems kids years ago had. (No, I’m not telling you how many years ago; Beverly has sworn me to secrecy.) Another reason she knows a little about teenagers (no one knows everything about teens, not even teens themselves) is because she has three sons who were once teenagers and gets ideas from things they did.

Of all of Beverly's books, which one is your favorite? Are you in any of them?

I like Rebel in Blue Jeans best, because of the animals in it. No, she hasn’t included me in any of her books, and I don’t understand why. I’m loyal, loveable, and pretty. But do you know what kind of cat she put in Rebel? A Siamese. Do you believe it? A Siamese. Beverly claims she wrote the story before she met me, or she’d have put me in, and she can’t change it now. I still think I’d be a more interesting character.

I heard those Siamese are really infantile, always begging for affection. Anyway, tell us about Beverly's latest novel. How long did it take her to write it?

She has two novels coming out this fall/winter: Caves, Cannons and Crinolines and Just Breeze. She told me from start—getting the idea and doing the research for Caves—to finish took about four years. At the same time she worked on that one, she wrote Breeze, in about three years.

Did she ignore you during that time? What did you do to get her attention?

I wasn’t her pet when she started either story, but towards the last I came on the scene. She was really busy writing and hated interruptions. When I wanted her attention, I did different things: One, I rubbed against her legs and gave her my politest meow, letting her know I was lonesome and needed cuddling. Two, I stretched out on the floor by her desk, rolled onto my back, and smiled, showing her how beautiful and big I am. If that didn’t work, I jumped up on the dining table. That got her attention fast. She says the table is for eating on, not cat naps.

Leave us with some feline words of wisdom.

If you want something bad enough, keep trying. When I spot a juicy grasshopper or a tasty mouse, I crouch and wait, not moving a muscle. Then, at the right second, I pounce. The critter never sees me coming. Oh, yeah, sometimes a fast mouse escapes, or a grasshopper lucks out and flies too high for me to reach. But if I hang in there I succeed. So keep trying. Say “I can do this.” Set your eye on the target. And pounce. What I’d really like to catch is a rabbit. I don’t like them anymore than you do, Amigo.

Sending a soft “purr.”

Thank you, Patches! Woof!

Interview with Mischief, Anne K. Edwards' naughty cat

Mischief is a naughty cat who lives with mystery author Anne K. Edwards. Mischief is not the only cat in the house. He shares his home with DOZENS (yeah, you heard right) of other cats and a few horses. Anne is a fierce cat lover (my mom once sent her a coffee mug that says 'Crazy Cat Lady') and divides her time between writing and taking care of her demanding critters. She's the author of Death on Delivery, The Last to Fall, and the children's book, Jeremy and the Dragon. Together with my mom, they wrote The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing. She also edits a cool newsletter for writers and book lovers, Voice in the Dark.

BIO: My name is Mischief and I am a Thief among my many other occupations. I steal ball point pens, balls, silverware, bits of paper and wood from near the stove. Mom doesn't have a picture of me, but if you picture a pirate with a patch over his eye you pretty much have an idea of what I look like. I only have one eye due to an infection I got from a raccoon last year and the doctor said it had to go. The incident hasn't slowed me down one whit. I get into as much as I can, open cupboard doors and snoop in forbidden places, play with other cats who only want to sleep, and in general am hyper active and into everything. I try so hard to live up to my name. After the operation I became a house cat and only one cat objects to my presence. I think she's a bully, but Mom loves her anyhow. I'm long, lean and fun in a gray coat with black stripes. I carry my tail straight up and love to sneak up on my housemates.

As a housecat I don't have a blog or website. Only Mom does. It's http://www.Mysteryfiction.net.

My favorite thing to do when I'm tired is to sleep with Mom, but I'm not a lapcat. I do love to get into things when she's on the computer however. There is a lot of interesting stuff on the table. Papers and books to knock on the floor, pens to steal, a printer to watch, and a cursor to chase on the screen.

Sorry about your eye, Mischief, but, you know, that black patch must look kind of cool. Gives a dangerous edge, you know. So, are you the boss of Anne K. Edwards?

There are too many other cats around for me to be the boss, but together we do run things. Even Dad gives his chair to a new gray and white kitten who is very nice, but has no name yet. He is Doodles' brother and they look alike.

Mom who is Anne K. Edwards doesn't sit still long enough for us to boss her much. She writes a little, and then runs to break up our fun and then one of us steals her chair. We do have it worked out so that she gets the most uncomfortable place to sit. After all, we are CATS and we deserve the best. Once, we were gods in Egypt.

Now that's something that has always puzzled me--our fall from favor. One day we're gods and mummified like the pharoahs and the next, some guy is digging up our little mummies and shipping them off to England to sell as doorstops. How undignified is that?

Does Anne fall asleep when she reads a book? Does she snore? What titles keep her awake the longest?

Mom falls asleep for anything. She is ancient in cat years and we look for Dad to hire a keeper for her any day now. The truth is, she does snore sometimes when she is very tired. And nothing keeps her awake now. When she is sleepy, off she goes. When she was young, she loved history and animal stories and they'd keep her awake until that last page. She loved The Black Stalliion series the best then. History took over later and mysteries followed. Today she reads almost anything when she has free time but with so much assigned reading for review, that is far between.

Is your mom as stable as she looks in her website photo?

Mom doesn't put a photo on her website but as to her stability, we have our doubts. She talks about cooking our gooses when we're bad, but I've never had a goose. And now she's threatening to make dragon burgers out of some dragon she knows. She'd send you one but the post office wouldn't like packages with green goo seeping out of the wrapper. And I think they'd smell funny too.

Cooked cat, huh? Hmm... (shaking off evil thoughts) Does Anne plot like a madwoman or just write "down the bones"?

Mom is a madwoman I think. She writes as she gets time and picks it apart as she goes. She never outlines or plots out her work. It is a surprise to her when something takes a twist she didn't expect.

Well, my mom is a mad woman too, so we have one thing in common. Does she ask your advice when she's stuck? Does she even listen?

No to both questions. Mom doesn't ask cats anything about her work even though we willing to help. She talks things over with the horses though. She says she gets her straight in the barn while she's shoveling out a stall. I think the fumes get to her is what I think. That stuff I ripe...

Sounds like my kind of perfume, Mischief. The nastier, the better. What advice would you give to those pets that have to live with irrational, egotistical authors?

I'm not sure I can answer this. You do know that cats are more irrational and egotistical than authors. We expect and demand what we want when we want it even if we don't really want it. It's our way of showing our control of the person in our lives.

For instance the cats Wanda and Hobo meow to be let in and meow to be let out in the same ten minutes. They will take their time to decide if they really want in or out while Mom or Dad holds the door for them. Often they change their minds and walk awa.

It's the right of cats to have service and obedient servants who must put their writing after our wants. We expect to have their attention any time we need it.

Since Mischief is a talkative cat, I decided to publish his long monologue here:

Mischief's Ramblings...

Anne K. Edwards is not the most considerate pet owner. She's always taking one or more of us to see the vet. Now that is scary. What cat wants to ride in a cage in a car? She could let us drive though and that would be fun. She says that idea is why her hair is turning gray.

Mom writes anything that comes to mind. She doesn't belong to any one genre. Of my favorite book by Mom is probably Jeremy and the Dragon because I can identify with the dragon. He's always hungry and I like to eat often too.

Mom can't ignore me when she's writing because I'm often on top of the keyboard or pushing it on the floor.

When she's not around to ignores us, we cats hold meetings to decide who's going to bug her next. We take numbers for that. Then we like to walk around meowing like our heart is broken, just to make her jump up. She worries about us then. If that doesn't work, we jump in her lap, start fights, knock things over that makes a lot of noise or chase each other up and down the stairs, or pull things off the bookshelves.

Mom doesn't keep a schedule. She says its impossible with all of us around, but she hates discipline anyhow. She writes as she can or the mood strikes her.

Mom isn't a hermit, but she sleeps a lot...

Mom mostly ignores reviews. She gets them as publicity promo but she knows bad ones are part of life.

Mom doesn't need writer's block or procrastination not to write. She's got us.

We never try to get her to start writing, only to stop. We're more important.

Mom has frostbite on her nose and fingers from standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open. But she doesn't often take anything out. No connection between writing and obesity as most writers aren't that much overweight.

Mom doesn't like book promo work. She's done a few radio shows though and enjoyed them.

The best part of havin an author as mom or dad is they aren't aware a lot of what we get into and often they don't bother trying to find out what happened when we go tearing by after we did something and it crashes. She says if the house doesn't fall down, not worth the time. The worst part is probably the same thing. She doesn't pay us enough mind. As long as the roof stays up to keep the rain off her head, she doesn't care too much what we do. She knows we are inventive and nosy at what we get into. And we do reward her with quiet time when we nap.

Signed Mischief, The Thief

Thanks, Mischief! You make a very interesting blog guest!

Interview with Ted, Carol A. Guy's Cat

My guest today is one very conceited cat, Ted. This feline dud lives with author Carol A. Guy, a cat lover who's written several novels in the paranormal, mystery, romance, and true crime genres. He also shares his home with several other cats... and one canine he keeps abusing!

Gives us the inside scoop, Ted. Are you the boss of Carol?

Are you joking? I had her from minute one.. See, when I was younger, I was a "guest" of the Madison County, Ohio, Animal Shelter. Well, one Saturday, they caged me and some others up (a humiliating experience I hope never to repeat) and transported us to a pet store in Hilliard, Ohio. My future mommy and a tall dude, who I later learned was her son who was just visiting, came in that afternoon to "view" us for possible "adoption." I could tell at first glance she'd be an easy mark. She had that hungry look in her eye. She needed a companion. She came to my cage (awful word) first and lifted me out. Of course I put on a good show--I purred, I nuzzled, I did the slow blink with my big green eyes, and I licked her hand. Then, to my horror, she put me back in that awful contraption and started to walk away...to look at other, less worthy felines. No way! I pulled out all the stops and went for my sure-fire ploy. I stuck one of my front legs out of the cage opening and tapped her on the shoulder with my sweet little paw (claws retracted, of course) and gave her my most pitiful meow. She turned, took one more look at me and I could see that I'd scored a direct hit. I went home with her and the tall dude that day. Mission accomplished!

That's quite impressive, Ted! Good work! Tell us a bit about your mom as an author. What type of books does Carol write?

My human mommy writes what are called Paranormal Mystery/Romances. She's also written cozy mysteries and a true crime book. The paranormal is called Spirit Lake, Books 1&2 and was just released by Devine Destinies. I heard mommy say it has gotten good reviews. It's about ghosts and murder.That sounds a little scary to me. I think it has a wolf-dog in it, too. Unfortunately there's no cat. I punish her for this oversight by constantly knocking her pens from her desk onto the floor and scooting them underneath peices of furniture so she can't find them. Sometimes I drop them down the grates in the floor where the warm air comes out in the winter. I've also collected various pieces of her jewelry that she's carelessly left lying about, and relocated them to more obscure places. She'll learn.

Ghosts and murder, huh? If I were you, I wouldn't trust her one bit--even though she looks quite harmless. So, what do you do for amusement while Carol pounds at the computer all day and ignores you?

Well, you see, a couple of years ago we moved from Hilliard, Ohio to Dayton, Ohio and now live with my mommy's daughter, Sarah, and her offspring, Paul (he's five). This move, unfortunately, gave me "siblings" since Sarah and Paul have two felines and a.....canine. So, this opened up an opportunity for me to have "playmates." Yeah. We play all right. The older feline, named, Oliver, is a little cranky bites sometimes. He's always trying to sneak out of the house (I do too, but that's because he set a bad example.) The other feline, Tiger, spends a lot of time outside. For some reason, no one seems to mind if he goes out. They're no fun. But the canine....oh yeah. There's the one I can get running in circles anytime I want. Her name is Maddie. And she's soooo easy to torment. I especially like to get her barking, then wander away so she gets yelled at. She likes to follow me around, so when she does that, I squeal like I'm hurt and everyone comes running and there she stands with a guilty look on her face. I just lie there looking pitiful and she gets yealled at again. Of course, mommy gets extra mad when these things happen because it "breaks her concentration" while she writing and boy does she hate that! Maddie then gets put outside and I have peace and quiet, at last!

Shame on you for tormenting Maddie! (I'll have to get in touch with her and give her some self-defense tips) Does Carol let you sit on her lap while working at the computer?

Sometimes she'll take me up on her lap when she's taking a break. You see, I LOVE her padded, swivel desk chair. So whenever she gets up to do something else, I hurry in the office and curl up on the seat. If she's out of the office long enough, I fall asleep, but mostly she's not gone that long, so I just pretend to be snoozing when she returns, in hopes she'll let me stay. Most of the time she doesn't though, because she has what she calles a "writing schedule." But, I can always tell when she's finished writing for the day, and then the coast is clear and I make a beeline in there and take a real nap in her chair.

I'd love to sit on my mom's lap, but I'd probably squash her (soffocate her is more like it). What is the best part of having an author as a mom? The worse part?

The best part of having an author for a mommy is that she's home all day. So, she was around the other day when I got outside and got on the roof and then on top of the chimney and almost had a "bad incident." It wasn't my fault. It was all Oliver's doing. He got up on the roof first by jumping on the ouside garage window sill, then onto this lean-to that's attached to the side of the house. He coaxed me to follow. Then I saw a bird flying from the chimney top to the big tree next to the house and....well, I just had to follow so I made my way up the sloping roof of the house. Everyone was upset. Especially mommy. But, she got hold of herself and talked me down, so I wasn't scared at all. Well maybe just a little. It was awfully high.... When I finally jumped into her arms she was so glad I was all right that she just made over me like crazy. Oliver, who was still on the lean-to roof got ignored. Ha .Ha.

The worst part of having an author for a mommy is all the time she spends NOT paying attention to me. That's just not right. So, I'll just have to think of other things to do that will bring her attention back to where it belongs.... me!

Why did you have to wander on the roof? (Cats are always sticking their noses where they don't belong! I bet Maddie has more sense! But of course, she's a canine, isn't she????) Well, Ted, what can I say? Thanks for being my guest, though I didn't appreciate all your anti-canine innuendos.

Interview with Fuzzle, Margot Finke's Purrrrry Cat

My guest today is Fuzzle, Margot Finke's cat! Margot is the author of many children's picture books as well as a freelance editor extraordinaire. Visit her website and Blog to learn more about her work and freelance editing services.

Bio: Fuzzle Finke ( alliteration unintentional) was born in 1994 on a chair on Margot's side porch. His mom was an independent lady who wanted a home birth. He is one of 5 siblings. Fuzzle is now edging into his "golden years," and feels age gives him the right to do and meow whatever comes into his swelled and furry head. Dare we add racial origins? Yea, with Barak Obama now Fuzzle's President, as well as Margot's, let's go for it - PC or not. Fuzzle is proud to be a mix of American shorthair, prize winning Persian, plus a whisker or two of a quirky gene that adds to his mystique. (HAH! He made me write that!)

Fuzzle likes to vege out on Margot's desk and look at her book illustrations,
eat tuna, stalk birds, eat chicken, chase the young whippersnapper tabby that tries to poach birds off his property, eat salmon, and sit on Margot's lap at night and purr, while they watch TV together. Oh yes, eat more chicken, while arguing long and hard ( hiss, scratch, purr, growl @#$%) whatever it takes, to get Margot to write a book about HIM.

*Favorite food: anything named meat, fish or fowl.
*Hobbies: You gotta be kidding! Fuzzle is too busy for hobbies.


Thanks for stopping by this side of the woods, Fuzzle, though I wish you hadn't talked so much about food. My mouth got watery. As you know, my vet said I'm fat and I'm on a diet. So, let's have it. Give us the lowdown on Margot!

My human is named Margot Finke, and she writes rhyming books for children. If she finds out I’m “grassing” on her, the whole balance of our feline/human relationship will crash. So be warned, I WILL take the 5th. She works at her computer all day, in a special room, with just me for company. I’m guessing her computer is for her what catnip is for me - gotta have it!

She could lose some weight. Maybe climb a few trees with me, and then go get her hair cut. It really needs some TLC. Her computer is chock full of the children’s books she has written, and piles of files about writing, publishing, and promoting her books. She has a website that helps writers, and shows off all her books + how and where to buy them. I’m not sure what a Manuscript Critique Service is, but she has one, and a Blog as well. Humans need a bunch of stuff keep them happy.

She sounds pretty busy... and addicted to the computer, just like my mom! So tell us, are you the boss of her?

Do I need a lawyer to answer that – you connected to the CIA and all. You look harmless, but can I trust you to keep my opinions under your hat? Oh well, I guess this “dirt” is just too good to waste. Listen, Margot thinks she’s the boss, but what does she know? One long purr is good for a can of cat food and a tummy rub. And pitiful meows bring her running every time. So, who do you think is boss?

You can always trust a golden retriever, Fuzzle. Never forget that (evil grin). I'm glad you're her boss. The thing with humans is, they think we need them, but they need us more than we need them. Which points to their weakness. But let's keep talking about Margot! What type of books does she write?

(Arching back, and fizzing up like a demented porcupine.) That woman writes rhyming picture books like, Mama Grizzly Bear, Never Say BOO to a Frilly, Humdinger Hummers, Prairie Dog’s Play Day, Don’t Eat Platypus Stew, Kangaroo Clues, Squirrels Can’t Help Being Nuts, Rattlesnake Jam, and a whole bunch more. Margot SAYS her books tell fun facts about animals from the USA, and that Down-under place she comes from, where I suspect everyone walks upside-down.

Has she ever written fun facts about ME in one of her books? NO SIR! Apparently, I’m not picture book material. Only Tasmanian Devils, Bald Eagles, Koalas and the like, are good enough for Ms Margot Finke to write about.

Humph!! We fight about this all the time. It’s the one thing I can’t make her do. And, what’s really scary, is that she’ll feel s-o-o-o guilty after I die, that she’ll finally write about me AFTER I’m gone – and dedicate it to me posthumously. Me-o-o-o-owe!!!!

That's pretty mean of her, wouldn't you say? After your demise, make sure to appear in ghost form while she sleeps and tickle her feet with your raspy tongue. That'll give her a fright well deserved. So tell us, of all your mom’s books, which one is your favorite?

(glaring at interviewer, eyeball-to-eyeball) You’re really determined to rub it in, aren’t you? Obviously, a book about ME would be the definite paws-down winner. Guess that’s not going to happen any day soon, though: not until I’m in cat heaven – or maybe after this interview, in the other place.

Okay, okay, I promise I won’t be too catty. Margot lets me nap on her desk while she writes on her computer, and I took a cat fancy to her latest rhyming book, Ruthie and the Hippo’s Fat Behind. Yeah, I know there’s a Hippo in the title, but that critter’s kinda cool, and the story tells how Ruthie and the Hippo change for the better. I really like it, because this time, Margot’s main character is a girl, not some dumb animal that isn’t ME! I hear Ruthie will be available soon, in soft cover and download (whatever that means), and published by Guardian Angel Publishing. The pictures for Ruthie’s story (illustrations Margot calls them) will be done by a human named K.C. Snider. This K.C. can really draw! I’ve peeked at the samples she sent Margot.

Oh yes, I had the chance to look at the cover. (And the vet thinks I'm fat?) For some reason, the cover brings to mind Jennifer Lopez... (clearing my throat). Anyway, what's with your warm and fuzzy name... tsk, tsk, tsk. What has that done to your self esteem?

(Sigh) Yes, a macho dude like me would kill for a name like Butch, or Konan. Being named Fuzzle sucks big time. What can you expect, from a writer who has stories named Tasmanian Devil Dance and The Stinker (skunk). Can you imagine the razzing I get from local Toms, when they hear Margot calling me. But I’m stuck with Fuzzle.

Geez... that must be extremely embarrasing! I feel for you. There's one thing I'm wondering about, so tell me the truth... is Margot as disciplined as she said she was in her last interview?

What are you offering? Dirt like this is priceless – way better than soiled kitty litter. Hey, no need to get nasty. Can’t blame a cat for trying. Margot actually does put in the hours. If she isn’t updating her website, or adding a new Blog entry, she’s either reworking a story, or critiquing one of those manuscript thingies for a client. Now, what I’m “grassing” about here is top secret – mainly because I’ve no idea what any of it means. She spends lots of time promoting her books, and doing mysterious things like Twittering, Pinging, Googling, and social networking on places called FaceBook, JacketFlap and Linkedin. Who knows how smart cats could become if we all had computers?

Have you read any of Margot's book? Are they really as good as she thinks they are?

Don’t you know anything? Cats can’t read, dummy! But we love the pictures. I only know what I HEAR. And the humans who read Margot’s books tell us they are fun, educational, and wonderful for kids. She has a REVIEWS page on her website to prove it!

Well, you know, maybe that's one thing I can offer you in exchange for all the dirt you've shared with us: a reading microchip inserted in your feline brain. I'll contact the CIA later today and send you the details. By the way, I was just looking at Margot's photo last night. She looks quite sweet and harmless... but if there's something I've learned at the CIA, is that looks can be deceiving. Is she as stable as she looks in her photo?

Are you kidding. The woman needs a vacation like I need new kitty litter. She’s always yakking about wanting more hours in the day. When she looks like she’s about to BLOW, I hop on her lap and rev up the purrs. Works every time!!

What are her working habits like?

Margot’s a night owl. Her best ideas come late at night, in the bathroom . I know, because she turfs me off the bed every time she sneaks there to write down some new idea or plot twist. Broken sleep is the price I pay for great food, clean litter, and tummy rubs.

What does Margot like to do besides writing?

Margot loves to garden, read and travel. I hate when she travels. It means putting up with neighbors who throw food into my bowl, forget to clean my litter, and never think of tummy rubs. When Margot goes on vacation, my purring apparatus gets pretty rusty.

It’s fun when she gardens. I get to sit with her in the sun as she pulls weeds, prunes shrubs, or plants new seeds. Margot has a bad knee at the moment, so I encourage her to take it easy. If she has to go to hospital for an operation, I’ll be stuck with the neighbors again. Gotta keep that woman off her legs until her knee is better.

I'm sorry to hear about her knee and hope she gets well! To wrap this up, maybe you can talk a bit about book promotion. What does Margot do to promote her books?

Listen, if promotion was a lottery, my human would buy tickets every day. I hear her talk to other writers. “There is never enough book promotion time,” she says. That scares me. What if her desire to promote and sell more books forces her to have that operation on her knee? Can I survive weeks of lousy food, no tummy rubs, and yucky kitty litter? Hmmm. . . I guess for her I can. She’d do the same for me – I know.

Well, you are a warm and fuzzy kitty, after all, behind that macho tough attitude!
Thanks for visiting, Fuzzle, and come back anytime. Woof!

By the way, here's the book trailer for Rattlesnake Jam and below that a slide show of all her children's books. Enjoy!

Meet Maris, Gina Collia Suzuki's Rat

I had always found rats creepy... until now. Just look at that photo!

Please welcome my special guest, Maris the Rat!

Maris is the beloved pet of Gina Collia Suzuki, author of The Wonderful Demise of Benjamin Arnold Guppy and Utamaro Revealed. She loves writing satirical fiction and historical nonficion focusing on 18th century Japanese art. Gina is also an artist. She lives in the southwest coast of England with her husband and SEVEN other rats besides Maris (is Gina insane?!)

Maris keeps her own blog at The Kingdom of Peas.

Bio: Maris, known to her mom and dad as Mish-Mash, or 'Little Pink Princess,' on account of those gorgeous big pink ears, is a striped Roan dumbo fancy rat. As a baby she had a strong grey stripe down her back, but she lost that early on and turned into a silvery-white fluff ball. She is two years and two months old, which is about sixty-three years old in human terms, and has been blind in one eye since she was a tiny baby. She is an emissary for all ratkind, spreading rat-love all over the world, can sneeze whilst holding three chocolate stars in her mouth without blowing them across the room, talks to herself frequently, and has groomed her sisters bald around the ears... that's how much she loves them. She cannot be trusted to guard your Rice Crispies.

Tell us Maris, how is Gina as a writer and as a pet owner. Don't sugar coat it! Give us the real deal. This blog is only read by pets, so don’t worry, Gina won’t find out what you say. In the event that you find yourself into trouble, I can always offer protection. As yo well know, I have a good connection at the CIA.

I've known mom since I was six weeks old, and she's come on in leaps and bounds with all the training I've given her. She still doesn't clean behind her ears as often as I'd like, but she's quite good at bruxing (that's the teeth-grinding we rats do when we're happy)... although she does it in her sleep, which is a bit unconventional. She loves me more than bananas - she told me so - and only ever gives me the best nibbles. She gives me lots of cuddles and rolls me on my back to tickle my tummy. She laughs at my bald tummy since my fur dropped out there, but I don't mind because she's bald all over (even on her face!) and I laugh about that all the time. I have to have noxious poison (mom calls it 'medicine', pah!) twice a day, and mom always gives me a chocolate star for being a brave girl afterwards.

When she does that writing stuff, she likes it if I run across the keyboard on her laptop and stamp on the space bar. I do this a lot because I like to make her happy. She gets all her best ideas from me, and tells me that when she writes a book about rats she will dedicate it to me (and my sisters, but I am working on getting them smaller text somewhere at the bottom of the page). So far she's written two books (she doesn't work hard enough if you ask me - I could have written eleventy-four by now). One of them is a book about Japanese art, filled with beautiful things (but strangely no pictures of me... must remember to ask why that is). The other one is a funny book about mean neighbours. The silly man in that throws vegetables! Imagine that... using food for throwing. Food is for eating and hiding in slippers, not throwing!

The only thing I don't like about mom's writing is how she has to go outside the den and do talks and signings. When she gets back she cuddles me extra and laughs at my tummy twice as much, but I miss her so much when she's gone that I don't eat my nibbles. I don't know why she has to go out to talk and sign things... hasn't she heard of the telephone and post?

What’s with your name? Did Gina choose it? What has that done to your self esteem and what does that say about her?

I liked my name more before I found out how I got it. Mom and dad were having a think and mom, thinking she is the creative genius around here (I let her go on dreaming), said they should call me Maris and call my sister Piper... Maris Piper... she named us after a type of potato! I think she must have a thing about food because she named my sisters Mince Pie, Pickles, Mung Bean, Mrs Pea, Sprout, and Spud (there's that obsession with potatoes again). It could have been worse though, she named my other sister, Queequeg, after a cannibal! Mom has a whacky sense of humour and is always laughing at things (okay, me), so I guess we couldn't have sensible names like Mavis or Ethel. My self esteem is fine because everyone calls me their little princess... I am royalty you know.

Does your author mom plot like a madwoman or just write ‘down the bones’?

Madwoman... yes my mom is one of them all the time, but she says that when she's writing funny things she has to go with the flow and get all of the ideas out of her head before it explodes. I think that sounds like a good thing... exploding heads are messy. She stays up until four or five in the morning, and comes to talk to me when she gets stuck. I give her the benefit of my wisdom, she eats the left-over pizza that dad was saving for himself for tomorrow, and then goes back to work happy. When she's writing the serious stuff about art, she has to plan things and has lots and lots of notes. Sometimes she lets me chew them, as long as I only nibble the edges and don't pinch the words. Piper pinches the words... and the pictures... and the pens and pencils. She pinches my nibbles too, but I give her a swift kick and she gives them back.

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.

As a rat, outdoors is a dangerous place, and I like it best when mom stays home and give me cuddles. The best bit about having a writer for a mommy is that she stays home a lot. She likes to go to museums, but some of them are far away (at least two miles!), and I hide the door keys so she can't go. She likes to go to France a lot, but that's ok because we all go together. Mostly she likes to be home, reading and painting and tickling my tummy.

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

She is obsessed with this book promoting. She goes out to sign things (I hang on to her leg, but I'm only a tiny rat... what's a girl to do?). She does these talk things where people spend good money (not the play stuff mom lets me chew) to listen. I've told her, I don't care how much she talks, I'm not paying for it! She has two laptops and uses both at the same time. I have to jump back and forth to hit keys on both... that's my work-out for the day. She asks my advice but doesn't follow it. I told her to rub noses and sniff bottoms more, but she says she'd get arrested. I also told her to give out nibbles, but she gives out bookmarks instead. They don't taste very good at all.

Mom spends a lot of time doing blogging and fiddling with her web site... almost as much time as I spend cleaning my ears. The web site is http://www.ginacolliasuzuki.com/ and there are three blogs:

http://www.blog.utamarorevealed.com/

http://dieneighbour.blogspot.com/

http://ginacolliasuzuki.blogspot.com/

The last blog is my favourite because mom wrote a blog post about me and put my picture there, and everyone said I was cute and pretty (which I know, but it doesn't hurt to hear it twenty-ten times a day).

I have to admit it, Maris. You're one of the cutest rodents I've ever met! Not at all like those rabbits who have infiltrated my garden and are intent on driving me mad!

Look at My Angel Eyes...

More news, my dear pets!

Willow the Dandie continues to make headlines in the doggie world! Now he has started his own blog, Dandie Dog Blog.

He was upset when he learned I had interviewed Osiris the Cat. He accussed me of lowering myself... But I told him it was no good for my blog business to be prejudiced against stuck-up cats...

On his post today, Willow put an innocent photo of his 'angel' eyes. I told him I can also look as sweet and innocent anytime I want, and here's the photo to prove it.