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!

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