Hey everybody, Truffles at the keyboard! Have I ever got a treat for you today! I'm interviewing Bentley & Pierre, stars of one of our favorite dog blogs, Barking from the Bayou, and of their Mom M.K. Clinton's exciting new mystery series, The Returns. (Mommy!!! When are going to start writing a book starring ME???)
Make sure you leave a comment because one lucky person is going to win their choice of a paperback or ebook copy of The Returns!
I hope you enjoy the interview...
Truffles: Welcome, boys! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog. Can you explain to my readers what The Returns are and how you can join this exclusive group?
Bentley: “We are happy to visit with you. We read your blog and enjoy it. Mom is a caffeine fiend, reading mysteries and cats so she loves Mochas, Mysteries, and Meows! The tricky thing about being a Return is that you have to be a human who dies before they have finished their life’s work.”
Pierre: “It’s true; we were all humans that met an unexpected death. We were sent to Heaven’s Return Department and they sent us back as dogs. It’s all very hush-hush because humans would freak out to know that there were so many of us along with angels walking around."
Truffles: Please introduce yourselves and tell us how you came to be in your current situations.
Bentley: “Oh how silly of me. I am Bentley Clanton, a former FBI Agent now living life as a Basset Hound. I took a bullet as a human that was meant for my partner. I still have my Badge #7 on my side so it’s all good.”
Pierre: “Perhaps you have heard of me in my human form. Pierre Sinclair was a fabulous designer of haute’ couture fashion and my designs were on some of the most beautiful people in the world. I am also a gourmet chef and the brains behind the Returns as a computer guru."
Truffles: How about your other furry cohorts...what are their stories?
Bentley: “Tucker is a former Navy SEAL, but now he’s a Golden Retriever. He loves to laugh, give high fives, and swim. You know how Goldens are, they look on the bright side of everything.”
Pierre: “That leaves me describing Bones. Hmmm, how can I put this delicately? Bones is now a feisty Chihuahua, but he was the World Champion Featherweight Boxer back when he was human. I think he suffers from short dog syndrome, but he is a great little guy. It is sometimes hard to understand him, because he just learned to speak English. He likes to work on cars and talk about kicking butt."
Truffles: How do you feel about kitties?
Bentley: “We love kitties. Miss Gitty is our Guardian Angel’s mentor and she keeps us on our toes. She is a straight shooter and often gives us advice on our cases or problems.”
Pierre: “Of course our friend Amos is a black cat from the lower Ninth Ward. He was just a teenager when he was killed during Hurricane Katrina. The cat is a great friend and helps us with our cases. He knows people that know people if you catch my drift. Amos can get his paws on just about anything. We are a diverse group, but show that things like breed, color, or sex is not a deciding factor in becoming best friends. The Returns believe it is what is in your heart that matters."
Truffles: What is life like in the Big Easy?
Bentley: "New Orleans is the best place for great food, fun atmosphere, and parties. It gets awfully hot in the summer and it rains, but we don’t complain. Like most big cities, there is crime and that is where we can help."
Pierre: "Oh, the French Quarter is my favorite place in New Orleans. We take trips into town and walk around Jackson Square and along the streets to see the tourists. I love the jazz music, the ornate wrought iron balconies, and the parades. It is a very dog friendly city."
Truffles: Can you tell us about your real life counterparts?
Bentley: "The real Bentley is a cool Basset Hound and really does have a number 7 on his side. His mom loves him very much. Tucker was her Golden Child and Bentley’s best friend; he misses him every day. Miss Gitty and Amos were her cats and she thought they were the best. Amos disappeared many years ago when he was about 8 years old, but Miss Gitty lived with her for over 20 years. You see, she puts all of her pets in the books. It makes her feel like they are still alive and bringing joy to lots of humans. Bentley and the gang don’t really eat any of the junk food we do in the books."
Pierre: "Well, the real Pierre belongs to Bentley’s human sister. She had to move to Alaska to live with her hubby, so Pierre moved in with Bentley and his Gramma and Papaw. He will be leaving to live with his mom and dad this summer. They are moving to a place where he can live with them. He will be very happy. Bones belongs to Bentley’s human brother and he is just as funny as his character in the books. We can’t help but laugh at him trying to be a tough guy."
Truffles: What will readers find in your first 2 books of adventures?
Bentley: "In The Returns, we meet each of the characters and learn about how they became a Return. The problem is that there is a bad guy bringing illegal weapons into the port of New Orleans. As if that weren’t evil enough, he wants our Guardian Angel, Faith Fullilove. She is a rookie angel and a disaster in the kitchen, but we love her. She is simply too trusting of people. The Returns go undercover to arrest him. It gets pretty scary for a while. That is a photo of me on the cover of the book coming out of an FBI badge."
Pierre: "In the Returns 2 ~Showstoppers, I am on the cover so it is a great looking book. We are on another fun crime-solving adventure. Someone is stealing the top contestants from dog shows and we have to go undercover again to infiltrate the group of thieves. I get to prance around the show ring too. Then, we get to visit New York City and it is amazing! We get to tour the city and try to stop any more dogs from being stolen while we find the ones that are being held hostage."
Truffles: Any idea what trouble you will be getting into in your upcoming adventures?
Bentley: "We are in the midst of stopping the person responsible for sending threatening notes to the FBI. I believe that we have some solid leads to follow, but this character is preparing to set off explosives in our beloved Crescent City. A few new friends are joining in the adventure along with all of our usual gang of Returns."
Pierre: “I am getting to use some of my scientific background to determine the make-up of these bombs. If we can just find him before anyone gets hurts. With some luck and help from our friends, The Returns always get their crook!”
About the book: What happens if you arrive at the Pearly Gates before your time?
F.B.I Agent Bentley Clanton finds out the hard way as he is directed to a little-known area devoted to correcting glitches in the longevity system. The Returns Department specializes in finding appropriate bodies for “early arrivals” before sending them back to earth. It seemed an acceptable solution until Bentley realizes his new body includes long velvety ears, four stubby legs with giant paws, and a tail. Helping him adjust to life as a Basset Hound is his rookie Guardian Angel, along with three other canine Returns.
Laugh along as a delightful Golden Retriever, a feisty Chihuahua, and Flamboyant Westie join Bentley to form an unlikely brotherhood of crime-fighting heroes. The Returns takes you on a fun-loving, junk food eating adventure through the exciting streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
Tortie Shorties
Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!
It would be virtually impossible for this book to be any more adorable. It is an absolute must read for animal lovers of any age.
The idea behind the story is that when people die before their time, they are sent back to earth as an animal where they are pairing up with a guardian angel to solve a crime. Thus Bentley the Basset Hound (former FBI agent), Bones the Chihuahua (former champion boxer), Pierre the Westie (former fashion designer), and Tucker the Golden (former Navy SEAL), are sent to live with probationary angel Faith, a former fashion model. Each of these dogs is the perfect depiction of their breed.
The humor in this book had me in stitches: from Faith's cooking disasters to Bones, a teeny tiny dog with a big attitude who can hot wire cars. And just wait until you hear Tucker's prayers! There's romance too when Bentley's old partner falls in love with Faith while trying to solve Bentley (the human's) murder. I loved the setting of New Orleans at Mardi Gras too.
The two cats in the story, wise old Miss Gitty and street cat Amos are extra special to me for obvious reasons, but what touched my heart more than anything is the fact that every animal character in the book is based on the author's real life pets, both past and present. What an incredible act of love and way to keep your beloved pets' memory alive forever.
