Sunday Selfies #2

Hey everybody, it's Truffles!

Do your kitties wash their cat beds? I am obsessive about keeping my beds clean and wash them incessantly. So today for my entry in The Cat on My Head's Sunday Selfies blog hop, I took a selfie while I was licking my bed clean! Mommy loves my little pink tongue :)

Cat's Meow Mews & Mailbox #51

Cat's Meow Mailbox is inspired by the great weekly recap book memes (Mailbox Monday, Waiting On Wednesday, It’s Monday! What are you reading? and Sunday Post)

Last week on Mochas, Mysteries and Meows:
* Sunday Selfies #1
* Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles Book Tour with Wendy Delaney: Guest Author & Giveaway
* #GetHealthyHappy with Annual Vet Visits
* Honoring Those We've Lost
* Truffles Interviews...Sexy Beast from Pamela Burford's Undertaking Irene
* Feline Funny: Back to School with Truffles
* Caturday Art: Remembering England's Rose

Bought:

       

For Review Consideration:
  

NetGalley:
 

Caturday Art: Remembering England's Rose

It's impossible to believe that 17 years have gone by since that awful Saturday night Americans watched the news of Princess Diana's death in a Paris car crash. (Because of the time difference, the British people didn't know the tragic news until morning.) I remember that weekend so well because on Sunday I had tickets to a concert in New York state that I had been looking forward to for months. I never spent too much time thinking about car accidents but I found myself petrified that day at the thoughts of a long road trip.

Our artwork today is in honor of England's Rose, Princess Diana...

Today we're joining Athena's Caturday Art blog hop...more entries can be found here.

Feline Funny: Back to School with Truffles

The adorable Back 2 School badge that we received from Ann at Zoolatry got us to thinking: what would Truffles pack in her little backpack for her first day at school? Here's what we came up with:

1) Garfield lunch bag
2) Can of Fancy Feast
3) Two packages of treats (I'll need enough to share!)
4) A ball to play with at recess
5) Blanket for a nap attack
6) Tablet to check my email and blog comments at lunch (hope there's wifi!)
7) Paper towels for quick hairball clean-up
8) A couple chocolate truffles to butter up the teacher!

Did we forget anything? What would your kitties bring to school with them?


*** Please don't forget Sparkle's Memorial Service is being held today with a commentathon to benefit Tabby's Place. ***

Truffles Interviews...Sexy Beast from Pamela Burford's Undertaking Irene

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! Today I'm interviewing Sexy Beast, the poodle star of Undertaking Irene, the first Jane Delaney Mystery by Pamela Burford. I hope you enjoy it!

Welcome, Sexy Beast! Thank you so much for taking the time for a short interview. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Jane?

Thanks for having me, Truffles! I must warn you, I don’t often sit down for a civilized chat with a cat, so if I forget myself and start barking like crazy, just hiss and give me a good swat on the snout and I’ll back off with a whimper. Yeah, I’m not exactly the most alpha dog in the pack. What can I tell you?

I used to live with Irene, but something happened to her and now I’m part of Jane’s pack. She’s helped take care of me since I was a puppy, though, so it’s all good.

You absolutely have to tell us why you are named Sexy Beast!!!

Well, gee, I thought it was obvious heh heh. But seriously, Irene adored movies—she even had a home theater in her big house—and she named all her poodles after films. Before me there was Annie Hall, Dr. Strangelove, and Jaws.

What is a typical day like for you?

Well, when I’m not solving mysteries for Jane, I’m napping, picking through my kibble for the red ones, napping, begging for Vienna sausages, playing with one of my many stuffed toys, napping, licking myself, and napping.

Mommy loves Poodles...what's so special about your breed?

Most humans think poodles are fluffy airheads. That is such an insulting stereotype! I’ll have you know poodles are water retrievers. We have a long and distinguished history helping humans hunt. That’s how that silly haircut got started, the pompoms and all that? Hunters used to trim our coats to keep us from getting snagged by burrs, but they kept us fluffy at the joints for warmth. There. Glad you asked? Of course, I refuse to go outside when it’s raining, but that’s a different story.

Do you like kitties?

Ahem. Well, of course I do! Your breed is noble, self-reliant, um…noble…BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK! [WHACK!] Whoa, thanks, Truffles. Don’t know what got into me [head down, tail between legs].

What is Jane's Death Diva business all about?

To quote Jane: “I do things my paying customers can’t do, don’t want to do, don’t want to be seen doing, can’t bring themselves to do, and/or don’t want it to be known they’d paid someone to do. To dead people.” Like people hire her to scatter ashes, place flowers on graves, steal jewelry from corpses. Oops, did I say that out loud? Forget about that, it’s not important.

What kinds of trouble do you get into in Undertaking Irene?

Trouble? Moi? Why, butter wouldn’t melt in my…All right, if you must know, I’m not always the most cooperative of canine companions. Jane uses the word “neurotic.” I prefer “sensitive.” There was that time in Undertaking Irene that I took off after a rat at what might be called the worst possible moment and the worst possible place. Hey, I’m a hunter, like I said! [pause to lick nether regions] So Jane and her friend Martin (I like Martin. Talk about an alpha male!) get all worked up and go running after me—and right into some very serious trouble. But didn’t I help save the day?

Do you have any idea what your upcoming adventures are going to be?

Well, Jane is the Death Diva, so I have to help rescue her from all sorts of sticky situations. Her next adventure is going to be called Uprooting Ernie, and I have it on good authority that Jane just might come upon something shocking in the town cemetery. But that’s all I’m authorized to tell you [curls up and starts snoring].

Synopsis: Jane Delaney does things her paying customers can’t do, don’t want to do, don’t want to be seen doing, can’t bring themselves to do, and/or don’t want it to be known they’d paid someone to do. To dead people. Life gets complicated for Jane and her Death Diva business when she’s hired to liberate a gaudy mermaid brooch from the corpse during a wake. Well, a girl’s got to make a living, and this assignment pays better than scattering ashes, placing flowers on graves, or bawling her eyes out as a hired mourner. Unfortunately for Jane, someone else is just as eager to get his hands on that brooch, and he’s even sneakier than she is. Just when she thinks her biggest problem is grand theft mermaid, things take a murderous turn. But hey, when you’ve teamed up with a neurotic seven-pound poodle named Sexy Beast, how can you lose?

About the Author: Pamela Burford is the best-selling author of 15 works of mystery, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense. She has received four RITA and Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award nominations and is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences and workshops. Her books have sold millions of copies, received outstanding reviews, and been translated into more than a dozen languages. Pamela is the founder and past president of Long Island Romance Writers, a chapter of Romance Writers of America. Fun fact: her twin sister Patricia Ryan, a.k.a. P.B. Ryan, is also a published novelist

Author Links: 

http://www.pamelaburford.com
http://www.facebook.com/pamelaburford
https://twitter.com/PamelaBurford
https://www.goodreads.com/PamelaBurford
http://pinterest.com/pamelaburford

Purchase Links:
Amazon
B&N
KOBO 
iTunes

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Honoring Those We've Lost

Thanks to long expiration dates on pet food, when Tara passed away last summer I bagged up and set aside her leftover cans of food with the intention of keeping it for the next kitty. Then Truffles came along and a couple things went wrong:

1) Tara was an adventurous eater who enjoyed a wide variety of brands and flavors; with the rare exception, Truffles only eats Fancy Feast.

2) Tara loved fish; Truffles' tummy is extremely sensitive to fish and prefers chicken, turkey, and beef.

So the bag of food sat there. For 14 months. As silly as it seems, I could not let go of that food. It was Tara's. Finally a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that Tara would want that food to be in the tummies of kitties in need.

So last Wednesday, on Truffles' Gotcha Day, I donated all of this food to the shelter that I adopted both Tara and Truffles from, in Tara's honor. The shelter is currently over capacity so I am very happy that I was able to do this.

Last week the cat blogosphere shed a bucket load of tears over the sudden passing of Sparkle the Designer Cat. This Friday, August 29th, Sparkle's human is having a Memorial Service at her blog. (I have never seen this done and think it is absolutely incredible.)

A commentathon will be held, with $1 for each comment being donated to Tabby's Place, up to $500. In lieu of flowers, you may also make your own donation in Sparkle's honor to Tabby's Place. Sparkle's work to help cats in need is continuing even though she is no longer physically with us. Please spread the word so we can help to make this one of the largest donations Tabby's Place has ever seen!

#GetHealthyHappy with Annual Vet Visits

I am so excited to be partnering with Hill’s® Science Diet® on their "Healthier Pets. Happier Lives." campaign. Over the next several weeks I'm going to be sharing information with you on the importance of preventative care and how, together, we can make pets healthier and happier to help everyone love their pets longer.

This is sort of a personal question, but do you visit your doctor for a yearly checkup? Do you think it would ever be wise to wait 5 years in between checkups? (I'm going to plead the 5th here...I freely admit that I take better care of my pets than I do myself.)

Now, do you take your pet to the veterinarian for a yearly checkup? Did you know that since pets age faster, missing one annual vet visit would be like a human going 5 years between checkups?

When our pets are young and healthy, visiting the vet might not be something we put at the top of our "To Do" list. I think for cat owners especially it's particularly easy to put on the back burner because it's such a hassle to get our little furry homebodies into the car and then brace ourselves as they sing the song of their people (loudly) all the way to the vet's office. (Click here for some helpful tips on taking your cat to the veterinarian.) Still, consistent vet checkups are vital for your pets to keep them healthy and happy for life.

Here are 3 reasons why:

1) Annual vet visits can help vets head off many conditions before they start and ensure your pets have received all the vaccinations and treatments they need.

2) Checkups also allow your vet to get to know your pets, making it easier to detect any changes in their health and behavior. Cats are notorious for masking signs of illness, so a vet's trained eye is needed.

3) Early detection of health issues means more effective and potentially less costly treatments. But many pet parents wait until their pet is sick before going to the vet, which means more expensive and complicated procedures compared to routine visits.

The American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owner Survey for 2013-14 found that emergency and illness vet visits can be $50-$200 more expensive than a routine visit. Even so, 26 percent of dog owners and 17 percent of cat owners reported they only took their pets to the vet when the pets were sick. In fact, 28 percent of cat owners hadn’t taken their pets to the vet in the past 12 months.

I know from personal experience with Tara, who had both routine care and many emergency visits, that the price difference is astronomical!






Dr. Ashley Gallagher, vet at the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington D.C., explains more easy ways to keep your pet healthy and happy in the following video, and on her blog:



We all want to have as much time with our furry best friends as possible. I'm always telling Truffles that we are going to celebrate my 50th birthday together...in 13 years! With proper nutrition and preventative care, I am very confident that we will have many wonderful years together.

To help everyone enjoy the benefits of annual checkups, Hill’s Science Diet will be giving away a $100 toward a vet checkup, every day for 90 days! Simply go to http://blogp.ws/1w2TSJJ and fill out the short form with your information and you will be entered for a chance to win.

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Healthier Pets. Happier Lives.™, but Mochas, Mysteries and Meows only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

 

Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles Book Tour with Wendy Delaney: Guest Author & Giveaway

Careful, or You’ll End up in My Novel

Wendy Delaney, author of Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles

Much like a running gag used in movies and books, Careful, or You’ll End up in My Novel is a line I’ve seen a lot over the years, especially on merchandise geared for writers. Yes, for those of us who have seen or heard this a bazillion times, the line/gag is a little tired. But that doesn’t make it any less true because everything—and I do mean everything—I see and hear is fair game when it comes to fictional fodder.  

Since I set my Working Stiffs Mystery series in a small port town near Seattle (where I live), I frequently borrow from news stories and regional events. In fact, a 60 Minutes segment featuring a doctor who had been murdering his elderly patients inspired me to write Trudy, Madly, Deeply, book one in my cozy mystery series. As I was developing the characters for that book, a television commercial featuring Sunny Sixkiller, a well known local athlete, interrupted my thoughts. Good thing it did because on that day my series detective, Steve Sixkiller, was born, and oh did his character come to life the moment I was able to infuse a bit of danger into his moniker! 

Like a lot of writers I draw on personal experience, especially when crafting scenes between family members. I remember the look my father used to give me when I behaved as something less than the perfect child. Didn’t we all get that parental gaze at least once in our youth? My dad was a big, strong former Navy man who walked with attitude and had a voice you could hear in the next county. When the time came to putting a voice to the older character who would dispense some not-so-subtle fatherly advice to Charmaine (my sleuth), it seemed only fitting that her great-uncle Duke should sound a lot like my dad. Since Alice, Duke’s wife, is based on my pie-baking spit fire of a granny, I’m usually smiling when I write their scenes. I’m also often hungry for pie!

Some of the favorite scenes I’ve written are between Steve and Charmaine. They’ve grown up together, so in many ways they are like an old married couple. Steve’s probably a blend of every guy I’ve ever known, but he’s also heavily influenced by the main guy in my life: my husband. Every once in a while, my hubby will say something that turns on the light bulb in my writer’s brain and I reach for pen and paper to record that idea or turn of phrase. I’ll usually get the “What?” reaction and then he’ll shake his head with the realization that in some form or fashion, he’s going to make an appearance in my novel. Again.

Yes, any interesting bits I come across in my daily wanderings can work their way into my novel. I’ve borrowed snippets of dialogue from strangers in line at Starbucks, grocery clerks, feisty senior citizens (who I love!), dinner guests, friends, and relatives. Truly, everyone with a voice and something to say is fair game. So are their names. Case in point, one of the guys I used to work with met his demise in Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles. Sorry, Russell, but you gave your name to a good cause.

There’s one recurring character who spoke very loudly with his actions, not his words: Myron, Gram’s fat, orange tabby cat. When I decided that Char’s grandmother needed a pet, I didn’t want a stranger from central casting. I already knew the perfect cat—Myron, my sister-in-law’s fat cat who always made himself at home on the freshly folded clothes, the tubby tabby who would steal my seat the second I vacated it. So, no matter that Myron is now purring in Cat Heaven, as long as Char is sleeping in a bed at her grandmother’s house, Myron will be at the ready to claim it the second Char’s feet hit the floor.

You’ve been warned, friends, family, and strangers. Most of the time the names are changed to protect the innocent (or guilty), but no one is safe from ending up in my novels. Not even your pets!

******************

About the book: Everybody’s got a secret.

A secret crush. A secret liaison. A secret recipe. And for a deadly few, a secret murder.

Port Merritt’s favorite bad boy, Russell Falco, was a seasoned veteran of secret liaisons. But after his body washes up on the shore of Merritt Bay, Deputy Coroner and human lie detector, Charmaine Digby, suspects one of those liaisons got Russell killed.

Secrets. Lies. Cookie-baking rivals. And a dead guy. Char’s on the case and is determined to find the killer . . . if the killer doesn’t find her first!

About the Author: Wendy Delaney writes fun-filled cozy mysteries and is the author of Sex, Lies & Snickerdoodles, the second book in her Working Stiffs Mystery series. A long-time member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America, she’s a Food Network addict and pastry chef wannabe. When she’s not killing off story people she can be found on her treadmill, working off the calories from her latest culinary adventure. Wendy makes her home in the Seattle area with her husband and has two grown sons. You can connect with Wendy on Facebook and via her website: www.wendydelaney.com.

Author Links:
Webpage: http://www.wendydelaney.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Wendy-Delaney/1122544009

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7191068.Wendy_Delaney

Purchase Links:
Amazon B&N

Giveaway: Leave a comment below for the chance to win an ebook copy of Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles, and fill out the Rafflecopter for the tour-wide prize of a paperback copy.
 

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Sunday Selfies #1

Today we're participating in the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by The Cat on My Head.

Cat's Meow Mews & Mailbox #50

Cat's Meow Mailbox is inspired by the great weekly recap book memes (Mailbox Monday, Waiting On Wednesday, It’s Monday! What are you reading? and Sunday Post)

Last week on Mochas, Mysteries and Meows:
* Black Cat Appreciation Day
* Window Whiffies: A Really Bad Limerick
* Haunted Hamlet by Kathi Daley: Review & Giveaway
* A Love Letter to Truffles: One Year Together (w/Giveaway)
* Tortie Thursday: Adopt Me Edition & Gotcha Day Wrap-Up
* Truffles Interviews...Abra the Afghan Hound from Nina Wright's Whiskey, Large (w/Review & Giveaway)
* Remembering Sparkle: Our Shining Star

For Review:

  

Bought:

   

Remembering Sparkle: Our Shining Star

The collective hearts of the cat blogging community are broken as we say goodbye to our beloved Sparkle. Our hero, our mentor, our greatest champion.

We knew she wasn't doing well and was retiring from her blog, but the suddenness of her passing at only 12 years old has left us stunned and shattered. She was larger than life, and it seems impossible that she is gone. It must be true that the brightest stars burn out the fastest.

Sparkle, we will miss your wit, wisdom, and sass. You were a tireless advocate for homeless cats, and your legacy will live on in all the people you inspired to help make the world a better place for cats. You made a difference in so many lives. You've earned your rest.

To Sparkle's wonderful human, Janiss, we send you gentle purrs of love and comfort. Please know how much your special girl was loved; thank you for sharing her with us.

Our world is a darker place without her in it, but the stars in the sky tonight are shining with an extra sparkle.

Fly free, Sparkle.

Truffles Interviews...Abra the Afghan Hound from Nina Wright's Whiskey, Large (w/Review & Giveaway)

Welcome, Abra! Thank you so much for taking the time for a short interview. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Whiskey?

Hello, Truffles! Before we get started, let me say that I have no issues at all with felines, and I love to talk about myself, so this conversation is a match made in Heaven.

I came to live with Whiskey (whose real name is Whitney) Mattimoe when her husband, the late great BEST-human-EVER, Leo Mattimoe brought me home to Magnet Springs, Michigan. Your readers can find out all about that in the first book in the series, Whiskey on the Rocks.

I was the pick of the litter, of course. Leo thought I would be the perfect surprise for Whiskey, who didn’t know much about hounds—and, frankly, still doesn’t. Because Leo knew how to train dogs, he wanted to show and breed me for my exceptionally fine looks.

That didn’t work out for two reasons. First, I don’t care to follow directions. Second—and this is the sad part—Leo died when I was still very young.

Now I run this pack. That means I run around as much as I please, shooting out the door whenever somebody opens it and leaping over fences. It’s not surprising that I have a lot of doggie boyfriends.

Mommy thinks Afghan Hounds are beautiful dogs. What is so special about your breed?

My breed is the best! Not only are we elegant and graceful, but we also come in almost every color combination you can imagine for a dog. I’m golden-hued although I think of myself as a natural blonde.

Affies have gorgeous, glossy long hair that swings like a curtain when we run. Our legs effortlessly pump the air, even over long distances. We seem to levitate rather than leap. And we are fast!

Affies are sight hounds. We fix our gaze on something that interests us, and then we fly straight for it. I’m attracted to shiny objects . . . like expensive jewelry and designer handbags. Oh, yeah, I’ll run miles for a pretty bauble.

What is a typical day like for you?
 
On a typical day, I do what I want to do. All day long. That’s a typical day for cats, too, I’ve noticed. But very few dogs get their own way as much as I do.

It works like this: Whiskey Mattimoe is a real estate agent in a coastal tourist town. I like to ride along with her and explore the properties she is listing or managing. You’d be surprised how much fun that is. I meet lots of new four-leggers and two-leggers. The cats and dogs are almost always ready to play. The humans, on the other hand, are sometimes up to no good. So, once in a while, Whiskey gets in trouble. Then it’s up to me to get her out. I don’t mind . . . except when it interrupts my fun. Even then, I come to Whiskey’s aid, sometimes with another dog for back-up.

I hear you live with Sandra Bullock??? Dish, girl!

We are NOT talking about the movie star. My roomie is Sandra Bullock, French bulldog. Know anything about that breed? They are the anti-Afghan hound. While I am tall and sleek, Sandra is short and squat. Plus, she snores, drools, and passes gas. But everybody seems to love her. Go figure.

Sandra is way too eager to please. That little stub of a tail wags constantly. Some people in our household even like to dress Sandra up, complete with accessories. No self-respecting hound should wear more than a simple jewel-encrusted collar. Sandra is trailer trash.
 
Do you like kitties?

Kitties are cool. Truffles, we have a lot in common!

Like cats, Afghan hounds are not inclined to be trained by humans. WE do the training, making sure our humans behave the way WE want them to. Am I right, girlfriend?

After reading your latest book Mommy said that you're a brazen hussy. What does that mean?

That’s just code for “brave and beautiful.” Also, it means I get my own way. And, as I mentioned earlier, I have a LOT of doggie boyfriends.

What kinds of mischief do you and Whiskey get into in Whiskey, Large?

Whiskey hired a pet psychic to help figure out why Sandra Bullock, French bulldog, and I don’t get along. Supposedly, in a previous life, we were squabbling celebrity sisters. Who knew? The pet psychic’s dog, a black standard poodle named Napoleon, has a crush on me, so he tries to follow wherever I lead. Can I help it if I’m irresistible? In Whiskey, Large, somebody keeps shooting at Napoleon and me. Other things go wrong, too. A house that Whiskey lists for sale explodes, and then Whiskey’s husband disappears. I’m talking about her new husband, Jeb, who’s a pretty nice guy . . . even though he rescued Sandra Bullock, French bulldog.

Anyway, I help solve those mysteries. When you think about it, the series should be named after ME instead of the human. Except that dogs don’t read.    

Are you looking forward to having a baby in the house?

Do I have a choice? Seriously, I think having a baby in the house is going to make my life even better than it already is. When Whiskey realizes how much work that baby is, she’s going to have new respect for how easy it is to live with ME! No diapers, no formula, no sleepless nights. Well, maybe some sleepless nights when I slip out and get into my usual mischief. . . . But Whiskey knows I always come home. Eventually.

Any idea what your upcoming adventures will be?

Nope. The author hasn’t told me a thing. Well, maybe she has, but I haven’t been listening. My life is exciting no matter what Nina Wright writes. I expect my future adventures to include lots of our local dogs, like K9 Officer Roscoe, Mooney the Rotthound, Velcro the trembling teacup dog who sticks to your ankles, and my son Prince Harry the Pee Master.

Oh, I forgot to mention I’m a mother! It slips my mind sometimes. Unlike humans, dogs are supposed to let their children go. I had a litter of pups that Whiskey gave away . . . except for one of my sons, who now lives with Chester. Prince Harry was a little hard to housebreak. Not my problem.

Speaking of Chester, he will be in my future adventures. He’s our nine-and-a-half-year-old neighbor and my FAVORITE human. Yes! Chester is wonderrrrrrrrful! You can read all about him in every Whiskey Mattimoe book. He speaks canine—and a little feline. You’d enjoy chatting with him, Truffles. Wait. I see something flashing in the distance. Uh-oh, gotta run. Arrrrrooooo-rooo!

******************** 

Blurb: Nine months pregnant, real estate broker Whiskey Mattimoe is literally living large. She needs a driver now and a nanny very soon. What she doesn’t need is another murder to solve… Magnet Springs is re-branding itself as a pet-friendly vacation destination, but the transition is bumpy. Someone is shooting at unleashed dogs, including Whiskey's own escape artist Abra. The shooter could be a disgruntled resident, a crazed tourist, or someone closer to home. Then two humans die in an explosion, and, even though she’s on maternity leave, Whiskey finds herself in the middle of the investigation. Is it an accident or murder? And who's going to drive Whiskey to the hospital when her water breaks?

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

Poor Whiskey. She's 9 months pregnant and ginormous. During her 9 year old neighbor/friend Chester's birthday party the local pet psychic and her poodle Napoleon are shot at on Whiskey's front porch. Napoleon's arrival causes Whiskey's oversexed Afghan hound Abra to run off with him for a rendezvous. Then she learns that a house her real estate company just listed has blown up with 2 people and a dog inside. Oh, and all this happens before Chapter 5! Add a rogue tweeter into the mix who is determined to make her life miserable, and Whiskey's life is just about spiraling out of control.

Not normally a fan of kids in cozies, I love Chester. He adores dogs and plans to use part of his trust fund to build an animal rescue center, which fits in perfectly with Magnet Spring's re-branding as the Pet Mecca of the tourist trade. Besides Abra (I think affies are absoutely stunning!), my favorite canine character is Sandra Bullock, Whiskey's husband Jeb's beloved cream-colored Frenchie who has a wardrobe to die for!

My only complaint is Whiskey's attitude towards Abra. She is definitely a difficult dog, but Whiskey just doesn't seem to adore her pet the way I think people, both in real life and fictional, should. Plus she has a pretty snarky attitude towards "animal people" in general. I really enjoyed the mystery but these are a couple things that definitely bothered me.

In closing, this book is a wild ride and loads of fun. It should appeal to long-time fans of the series and newcomers alike.

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Tortie Thursday: Adopt Me Edition & Gotcha Day Wrap-Up

I have an elderly friend and neighbor who lost her husband in March. Now that fall is just around the corner she's thinking about adopting a cat for companionship during the long Vermont winter. She wants an adult cat (not a kitten or elderly kitty). Since she's not online, I've been keeping an eye on Petfinder for any cats that I think might be a good match for her.

I'm not sure how she feels about torties, but these two ladies certainly caught MY attention...and the shelter is just down the road from us. I wonder if she'd like to take a ride over there so we could meet them in purr-son?






Aptly-named Autumn’s beautiful brindled coat is the equivalent of feline foliage - just look at the fireworks in that fur! A younger kitty (2 years old) who’s friendly and curious, this fiesty feline is sure to liven up her new forever home like a refreshing fall breeze! Autumn would be happiest as the only kitty in your home, but will shower you with love and affection so you will never get lonely. Come meet this cute cat today before she is swept away!

(Photo and information: Humane Society of Chittenden County)

Fiona (5 years old) may play coy, but don’t let her modesty fool you! Once she’s made your acquaintance this seemingly timid tortie will warm right up, and you’ll want to have a hankie nearby when she does - Fiona is known to show her contentedness by drooling! A sweet, dribbly gal who’s brimming with love, Fiona can be a little choosy on who she likes, but if you're "Fiona approved," you've made a friend for life!

(Photo and information: Humane Society of Chittenden County)








Note from Truffles: Hey everybody! I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my little kitty heart for the sweet messages you left for me here on our blog and on Facebook yesterday. You helped Mommy make my first Gotcha Day extra purr-fect.

(By the way, we're not done partying yet! Don't tell Mommy, but I have something EXTRA special planned for HER birthday in a couple weeks!)

Here are a couple pictures from my special day: