Truffles Interviews: Trouble the Cat, Created by Author P.M. Griffin

Hey everybody, Truffles at the keyboard! I'm sure many of you know CK, star of the wonderful Stunning Keisha blog. But did you know that she is one of my blogging besties? On the surface it might appear that we don't have much in common...after all, she is a ghetto kitty and I'm a little ol' country girl, but we're both simply beautiful, finicky, addicted to Fancy Feast, and we both have our humans wrapped around our little paws.

You're probably wondering what CK has to do with today's interview. Awhile back CK's Mommy (otherwise known as TW) told my Mommy that her best friend, author PM Griffin, writes SciFi/Fantasy books and cat mysteries! She put us in touch with each other, and that's how I got to interview Trouble, the feline star of her mysteries.

We highly recommend Trouble's stories. "Trouble the Cat" is the short story that introduces readers to interesting characters with some pretty special powers. Their second story, "The Neighbor", was our favorite because it's a mystery featuring a creepy neighbor who may be responsible for making a child very sick. It's a real page turner. These stories are sure to be enjoyed by children, adults, and cats!

I hope my interview with Trouble encourages you to check out his books!

Welcome to my blog, Trouble! Could you please introduce yourself to us and how you came to live with Dory?
Thank you, Truffles, for inviting me. My name is Trouble – not because I cause it, mind you, but because I was in somewhat of a scrape when I first met Dory. I was a small kit at the time and had managed to find myself standing on a narrow ledge in a deep well.

How did you—
Please! I’m a feline of great dignity and prefer not to discuss that portion of my adventure. As I told you, I was very young.

Of course, Trouble. Please continue. Tell us about Dory.
Dory was a kitten of the human species herself at the time, but she climbed down a rope to rescue me. She had just picked me up when the mean human Jocko threw down the rope and said she’d have to leave me before he’d haul her out. Dory got really furious. She yelled at the rope to go back up, tie itself, and pull us out. It did. That was when I knew I would have to grow up fast and protect this human kit. The ability to work sorcery is not a safe talent to have in our world.

What exactly is sorcery?
It’s a rare talent some humans have. Some of them can sing, some can paint, but only a very few have the gift of magic. Untrained sorcery can be dangerous, though, especially for a major talent like my Dory’s.

Do you have any magical powers yourself?
All cats are magical! However, no, I cannot work it. Sorcery is purely a human capability.

Martin and Jasmine are other important characters in your stories. What can you tell us about them?
Jasmine is a wonderful, shy little queen. She is gentle and sweet and admires me greatly. Martin is her human. He saved her life when she was a kitten. He also saved us when Jocko and his cronies were chasing us, and he took us in so he could educate Dory. He’s a sorcerer himself, you see, the head of their Great Circle.

Getting to regular "cat stuff"...do you have any favorite toys, foods, napping spots? What is a typical day like for you? (If there is any such thing...)
Hmm. Good questions. Toys? No, not really. There weren’t any when I was growing up. I occasionally bat at a piece of string or at a windblown leaf.

I love food, of course, and eat what Dory and Martin provide. It’s always delicious, and I can be sure it’s good for me.

Napping, of course, is a joy and privilege of all felines. I can select a number of sunny locations in the garden or on the window ledges of the house.

“Typical days” aren’t typical when living with a pair of sorcerers. I usually breakfast with them and Jasmine, then supervise Dory’s studies, which go on for hours and hours. The boring parts provide the chance for many a fine nap. Afterwards, I escort her on various errands. Naturally, I assist her in consuming the various meals served in the house and keep guard at night from my post beside her in her bed.

Any idea what the future holds for you and Dory?
My feline senses seem to foresee a possible sea voyage when Dory gains a bit more mastery over her talent. It would be good for her to meet more humans and cats. I would particularly enjoy the last myself.

 

About Trouble the Cat: Follow the adventures of Dory, a fledgling sorceress, and her cat Trouble, in this new anthology from award-winning author, P.M. Griffin.

In Trouble the Cat, an outburst of newly awakened, uncontrolled sorcery has made twelve-year-old Dory a fugitive from the mob. When her indomitable cat leads her into a walled garden, she encounters a powerful sorcerer, who listens to her story and offers to conceal and teach her—though the cost will be high.

Follow Dory and Trouble in The Neighbor, as Dory meets a charming scholar who she suspects is responsible for the mysterious illness of a local child. Only by the use of her new, untried skills can Dory hope to save both herself and Trouble.

About The Gift of Magic: An outburst of her newly awakened, uncontrolled sorcery talent made twelve-year-old Dory a fugitive. Trouble, her indomitable cat, led her into a walled garden minutes ahead of the mob pursuing her. There they encountered Martin, a powerful sorcerer, who agreed to hide and teach her and used his arts to advance her age to that of a young woman.

Some weeks later, Martin permits her and Trouble to accompany two gem merchants on a trading voyage. Following a storm, their ship goes to the aid of a sinking vessel grossly overcrowded with young migrant workers. The rescue is a success, but Dory’s ship is seriously damaged and begins founderin. With no room in the lifeboats for all those now aboard, many are doomed. Only Dory’s untried power can save everyone – if it will rise for her and if she can control and wield it correctly.

 
About the Author: Pauline (P. M.) Griffin has been writing since her early childhood. She enjoys telling a good tale, and since she always works with characters and situations deeply interesting to her, she finds the research as rewarding as the scribbling/keying.

Griffin’s Irish love of story telling coupled with her passion for history, the natural world, and the above-mentioned research have resulted in seventeen novels and ten short stories, two Muse Medallion Award winners among them, all in the challenging realms of science fiction and fantasy.

She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her cats Nickolette, Jinx, and Katie and three tropical fish aquariums.